 
CITRINE

Kevan's Journey

Written by

Jenny Molyneux & Linda Kutt
Dedications

We would like to thank everyone who believed in us.

You know who you are.

From the bottom of our hearts thank you.

Special thanks to all our beta readers, our families and the extraordinary Theresa Lien of Artistic World Graphic for an amazing cover. You rock woman. Norma Hill of Pen and Paper Mama for all your assistant with editing. We look forward to your help with the next book. Yasmin John Thorpe of Orchid House for all your sage advice which has been so appreciated.

Linda and Jenny

Citrine Kevan's Journey by Jenny Molyneux and Linda Kutt

Published by Jenny Molyneux and Linda Kutt at Smashwords

Copyright October 14, 2013 Jenny Molyneux and Linda Kutt

This book is a work of fiction and does not refer to any person or persons alive or deceased.
Prologue

Do you believe in fairy tales?

Not like Disney, but the whispered tales from folklore. Have you ever believed in monsters under the bed that will get you if you are not a good little boy or girl? Good.

Fairy tales of the modern age have been made wholesome for our children, but in fact are based on true stories passed down through the eons, told in darkened rooms or around campfires, about fantastical beings that have walked alongside humankind.

Stop laughing. Listen to my story and learn about a world most humans refuse to see. "What story?" you may ask. Well, what would you say if I told you the person you are standing next to on the street, or behind at the grocery store, isn't a human being?

"Crazy!" you may say. I assure you I am not crazy; I just happen to know about a mystical world that most of human's do not. Most humans are ignorant of the surrounding supernatural world, filled with fairies, elves, trolls, vampires, demons, and the ever-present immortals.

"They don't exist," you may protest. I will show you differently. Immortals have lived amongst humans since the beginning of time and before. They have stood on the sidelines, watching us as we stumbled and fell throughout our early years, letting us shape our own destiny. And they have also helped us more times than we can we can count.

I know you are wondering, "If this is true, then where are they now?" First, consider why humans no longer believe in magic. With fear of reprisal from organized religion or of scorn from the scientific community, and with the basic cynicism of humankind, we have taken facts passed down for generations, and turned them into bland children's stories. If you knew the reality about some of these beings, your children could not sleep at night, and you would never leave your house.

Humans live in blissful ignorance of the other races. Most people have learned to ignore the unexpected, blocking it from their conscious mind. Those humans able to see the truth are often misdiagnosed as mentally dysfunctional. Of the many races, most look almost human, unless you are one born with natural ability to see their true image.

Most others who share our world desire to live in peace. However, as always there exist a few nasty characters who consider humankind to be beneath them. Imagine consorting with an inhuman, neo-nazi minded monster with extraordinary strength. Now stir in magic – and you have a demon which preys on victims, enslaving them with impudence.

Imagine also a race of warriors known as the cairbare, with god-like strength, size, intelligence and long life. For eons they have existed apart from all others. They believe that changing the course of evolution is unjust; except for maintaining balance between good and evil, they will not interfere. The cairbare have thus shielded humans from finding out about the other races, while withdrawing from humans and becoming only observers. These immortals will rise to action and give assistance only at select moments in history when demons or other nasty factions interfere too much with the delicate balance.

And so it was, about 1700 years ago, that these immortal warriors encountered a threat that would change not only the course of the cairbare race, but the lives of human descendants of Elizabeth Fairbourne, a widow with five children.

At that point in history, a hedonistic faction of other race, who considered themselves superior to humans, decided to test the warriors of the cairbare to determine if they had withdrawn from our realm due to some temporary distraction, or if their withdraw was due to permanent disinterest, that would allow these others to create havoc and terror amongst the human race. What this group of nasties had not expected was that certain humans, like Elizabeth Fairbourne, had developed abilities which they kept hidden to protect themselves from fanatics who would label them as evil and want them dead.

Elizabeth was a very powerful sorceress, armed with generations of knowledge passed on to her by her mother and perfected with her own flavour. She recognized and aided all races who came to her, and thus it happened that she heroically rescued the cairbare Prince when he was attacked. Thereafter, a bond of friendship developed between the descendants of Elizabeth Fairbourne and the cairbare warriors, which would endured for hundreds of years.

As the line of descendants grew and prospered, so did their powers and talents. Over the centuries, both exploration and witch-hunts scattered the family throughout the world. Like the ebbing of the tide, the abilities of some Fairbourne generations were stronger than others.

The murder of Daphne Bradford changed that. Daphne was a quiet, trusting, and fearless soul. An only child, she was one of the strongest healers the family history had recorded. She welcomed all that sought her assistance, ultimately allowing someone to get slip past her protection wards.

The last time her husband saw his beloved Daphne was when he witnessed the gore pooling across her lap in the bloodied kitchen. He had never been pleased with Daphne's supernatural powers or her willingness to help all or the friendship that she maintained with the cairbare. Now, consumed with bitterness and helplessness, he placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the cairbare, telling all who would listen that the warriors were the reason Daphne had been murdered.

Fueled by hatred and bias, he swore to protect his only daughter. But moving her did not change who or what she was. He raised her to know very little of the family history, believing he was protecting her by instilling mistrust and denial of all other races, especially the cairbare. For the first time in 1700 years, the races were without one of the greatest human line of sorceresses, and the cairbare without one of their oldest friends.

In the years since Daphne's senseless murder, the family's descendants tried to blend into humankind, and maintain a seemly normal life. They lived alongside them, while keeping their powers hidden, with the belief they were protecting themselves, and it only took a couple generations after the murderous tale of Daphne's death for the Fairbourne women to lose the bond with their powers. Yet stories are not always as they seem, and Daphne's great granddaughters are about to discover that they could not ignore their destiny forever.

Now, sit back, relax, and embark with us on a journey that has been centuries in the making, with the immortal cairbare and the gifted Fairbourne women, their lives entangled as they seek to protect humankind and show them their true destiny.

Let us begin.
CHAPTER ONE

The seagulls' cries echoed, and the incoming tide erased all signs of anyone passing over the sand. Kevan's feet pounded, as she passed under the pier and around the big white rock the town had been named after. Her blood surging through her veins as she tossed another glance over her shoulder.

Her mind raced through the family history, as she checked and then double-checked her back trail before she left the beach. She struggled to bring her breathing under control while she slowly jogged across the street and up the block to the welcoming warmth of the Crystal Shop, which sat last in a line along an older block of businesses that relied on tourists and local new-agers. The colorful exterior and the welcoming displays gave its customers the feeling of meeting an old friend.

Kevan smiled to herself as she thought of how she and her older sister Brennan, who both had an affinity for designing jewelry, had fought over the name of their store, finally deciding on the Crystal Shop. They had stocked it with a variety of items, including books, greeting cards and meditation crystals. They also took old jewelry no one liked, and reworked them into more modern styles, that people now wanted. The Cameron sisters did okay, Kevan thought.

Finishing up with one of their repeat customers, Brennan glanced up as Kevan burst through the door. Kevan paid no attention to them, but stared out the front window watchfully. The encounter replayed in her head. Out taking a run to shake the cobwebs from her mind, the sight of him emerging from the pounding surf had stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes had taken him all in, from the water pouring off his rock hard torso, to the hands pushing his hair back. Observing the rivulets flowing down his sculptured body she felt pinpricks of heat on her face and her senses heightened. Then the tattoos came into focus.

Something about them triggered alarms in her head. Daring another look, she felt her heart stop when he caught her eyes, her heart pounded with recognition when he smiled. Spooked, and more than a bit confused, she had taken off.

In the safety of the shop, Kevan vaguely heard Brennan, who was writing up the sales slip, talking to Mrs. Davis. Tucking the credit card slip into the cash register, Brennan watched Kevan out of the corner of her eye.

Mrs. Davis gushed, "You girls are magical. I know my sister is just going to love these earrings and necklace. Next time, it'll be for me."

"Why thank you, Mrs. Davis. As you know, if you don't see something you like, we can always create a custom design" Brennan told her as she walked around the desk, and handed her the bag. What's with Kevan? She wondered to herself. "Thank you again, Mrs. Davis; you have a great rest of your day." she said aloud.

Kevan finally turned to face Brennan. The silence in the shop was broken only by the soft music playing in the background. Kevan braced herself for the fact that peacefulness was about to lose out to a temper filled lecture.

"What happened?" Brennan demanded. Her sister flinched; she could already see the anger rising in Brennan's face.

"Bren, calm down ..."

"Kevan?" insisted Brenna in her mom-tone.

"You know, you're going to give yourself a heart attack before you're thirty, if you keep assuming the worst."

"Well, something's wrong. I can see it on your face. Now tell me what the hell you've gotten yourself into this time."

"Hey," Kevan threw back, "that's not fair. All I did was go for a run. You knew I was going."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Kevan, so help me, I'm not in the mood for your quirky sense of humour today. Tell me what happened."

"Nothing, really. It's just that while I was running I saw this guy. Oh, my gods, Brennan, he was so good looking." Kevan got a dreamy look on her face.

"Kevan, you're really pushing it," Brennan cautioned.

"Oh fine. He had tattoos," she spat out.

Brennan began ranting, "All of this because he has tattoos? Do you know how many...?"

Kevan interrupted, "Please give me some credit. These weren't ordinary tattoos."

Brennan drew a sharp deep breath, terrified to ask the question she knew she had to ask. "What kind of tattoos?"

"I think you know. I'm almost positive it was one of them."

"Damn it Kevan. If you did anything to expose this family..."

"Whoa! Calm down, Brennan, I'm only human. If you'd seen this guy, you would have stopped to admire him, too."

"You stopped?" Brennan could feel the anger fueled heat rising.

"Yes, I stopped. For god's sake, I'm a healthy woman, and believe me, he was a prime specimen of manhood. It's not like I talked to him or anything. I enjoyed the eye candy, but those tattoos triggered something. I realized who he might be, and took off.

Brennan released the breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. "So, you didn't talk to him?

"Of course not," Kevan defended herself.

Brennan tried to explain her over reaction, "It's just... well, after what happened to Myrna and..."

"Why are you even bringing up Myrna's attack? I thought we had decided it was a mugging, and nothing else."

"Then who saved her? Why didn't they stick around for the cops?" Brennan pointed out.

"I think you're reading too much into a simple mugging; let's not get paranoid. This conversation is over; I need a shower."

"Oh, no you don't; you're supposed to be helping me prepare for inventory, remember?"

"Brennan, I'm sweaty and I stink, so I'm going to take a shower. The inventory stuff can wait. Besides, I thought everyone was coming to help us on Saturday, so it won't take as long."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "They are, but I thought maybe we could get a jump on it."

Kevan shook her head, walking through the shop towards the back entrance. "I'm taking a shower, Brennan. Stop acting like Mum. I'm 27 and I have a mother. I don't need another, thank you very much. Later!"

With that, she strolled out the back door, heading across the laneway to the old farm style house they'd inherited from their grandmother. Sprawling add-ons had been tacked on in the past to allow privacy for each of the many bedrooms. The original central structure now made up the common living area and updated open concept kitchen. People had remarked about how it reminded them of a haunted house, but it appealed to all the girls. When the 10 women, all sisters and cousins, discovered they'd inherited the old family home, they'd decided to live in it together.

It had been six months, and the renovations were still in the talking stage; the house needed major TLC. Three bathrooms and 10 women, that took major consideration on all their parts, so everyone got a chance at hot water and didn't have to do the pee dance too often.

Brennan stared after the retreating Kevan, and looking around the empty shop deflated her desire to get a jump start on the inventory. Her sister's encounter disturbed Brennan more than she was willing to admit. A glance into the distance showed dark clouds gathering on the horizon, and the churning of the cold grey ocean did not encourage her to stay, so she shut down early for the night.

Stopping by her workbench, she picked up the newly finished necklace and earrings she had been working on, and ran her fingers over the rough stones. The heirloom necklace, from which the stones had come, had been handed down for generations from oldest daughter to oldest daughter. Now her mum had given the necklace to her. Each time she touched the stones, she felt strangely comforted, and she longed to give each of the women a share of it. The need became overwhelming after what happened to Myrna, and nothing else mattered until she was finished.

Now Brennan put the remaining strands in the safe, and placed the finished pieces in her purse, hoping the girls would like them. With one last look over the darkened shop, she walked out the back door. Her thoughts jumped from Kevan's encounter, to who would be home for dinner and what was cooking.

***

Grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, Kevan made her way up to her room. One of the privileges of being one of the elders, as her younger sisters and cousins teased, was that she got one of the bigger rooms. Taking her robe, she made her way down the hall to the shower.

The hot pounding torrent of water didn't help get her mind off her beach man. The possibility of someone being off-limits intrigued her, fueling a lust she'd never experienced before. Her hands took on a life of their own, as she lathered the body wash over her sensitive body. Recalling the image of water rolling down his chest, she felt heat flowing into her hands, sending jolts through her body, making the dull ache in her core become sharp and demanding. One hand sliding down to ease the tension in her body, only to be shocked into stillness by the shout outside the bathroom door.

"Kevan, I need the bathroom!" Kevan let out a shaky breath, leaning her head against the wall at the sound of Myrna's intrusion.

"Use one of the others," Kevan shouted back.

"My stuff's in there," Myrna yelled. "I need to get ready for work."

Kevan, not for the first time, wished she'd been an only child. "Give me five minutes."

***

The phone rang once before someone picked up. "Is it them?"

"Well, hello to you too, Marcus."

"Caleb, don't be an ass."

"I'm the ass? You're the one who doesn't even say hello when you answer the phone. Still adjusting to the new world, are you?"

"Caleb," Marcus did not disguise his sarcasm, "what did you discover?"

"I think our missing sorceresses are no longer missing. The one I encountered was very intrigued, until she saw my tattoos. Those sent her running."

"How did she see your tattoos?"

"It's a funny a story..."

"I don't want to know; just keep them under surveillance."

***

Caleb pulled into the driveway, and just as he always did when he came to Marcus' place, he shook his head at the monstrosity his brother called home. The sixteenth century stone manor matched Marcus to a tee, from the stonework covered with ivy, to the stately row of windows and the large, intimidating mahogany grand entrance. It was a reflection of Marcus' staid personality. It wasn't Caleb's taste, but then, according to Marcus, Caleb had no taste.

Bounding up the steps, he walked through the front door yelling for Marcus, and made himself at home with a glass of Glennfiddich.

"Please do help yourself to my very expensive scotch," Marcus' upper crust tone, making Caleb wonder for the millionth time yet again how two brothers, who looked so alike, could be so different.

"Want one?" Caleb questioned, pouring another shot.

"No thank you. I don't think it would aid this headache."

"A headache? Since when do you get headaches?"

"It doesn't matter, it refuses to cease. I have even resorted to aspirin."

"You talked to Rhiannon." Caleb's concern was evident.

"It's but a headache. Now, what are you doing here?"

"I got a text from Brody, so here I am."

"He should inform me when he plans to use my home as a meeting place." Marcus shook his head as he collapsed into the armchair.

"He's your protégé."

"Do not remind me of a momentary weakness. So what is so important you need to invade my home?"

"Oh, the bond of brotherhood," Brody chimed in from the doorway. "Ain't it grand?"

"Brody, must you massacre the English language? You would never know you graduated summa cum laude from university. And since when do you use my home as your office?" Marcus voiced his annoyance, his headache making him even more difficult than normal.

Brody snickered, "Chill out dude, this info concerns all of us, so I figured a confab here would get the info highway shortened. I can leave it for later, but you would be pissed if I did that!"

Caleb tossed a can of beer at Brody and kicked at a chair for the youngster to park his behind on. "Now that you have Marcus's attention, what do you have, Brody? Another Vamp uprising, maybe a demon birth, what?"

Brody scowled at Caleb, recalling the demon birth in which he'd participated. "Oh man, this info is right up there with that shit. Word has it Sanctuary's is being targeted; only nobody seems to know why. All I get is somebody has it in for Wulfson, they don't care about Sanctuary's neutrality. We might want to warn the pack at Sanctuary; they'll want to pack up the good crystal."

The idea of someone risking the wrath of the races by targeting Sanctuary got Caleb's attention. It had been neutral ground for almost 80 years, a place all races could go and not worry. If the information was correct, whoever was behind this had better watch their backs, because when Alexander found them, there'd be blood. Caleb thought to himself

"Brody, you talk with your sources; Marcus and I will inform Alexander. Who in their right minds would think attacking Alexander on his territory would be a brilliant idea?" Caleb snorted.

"The attack is illogical. Either they're very confident, or too dense to realize they've signed their own death warrant," Marcus drawled dryly, drawing a chuckle out of both Brody and Caleb.
Chapter Two

Two weeks, and the image of her beach man still haunted Kevan's every thought. She had not felt like this since she was 18 and watching a dozen or so movies featuring some of Hollywood's sexiest man candy hadn't taken his position in her fantasies. Something needed to change, or he was going to drive her insane. Why, oh why, did he have to be one of the deadly cairbare? She still giggled when she thought care-bear, instead of kar-bare.

They had grown-up with the story of what happened to their great grandmother, Daphne. Her sisters and cousins knew it by heart. Unfortunately, nobody had included in the telling that the immortal cairbare were drool worthy hot. Kevan gave her head a shake; she was too old to behave like a teenager. She looked at Brennan working on yet another commission, and asked, "I'm going to see who wants to go out dancing, wanna come?"

Brennan stared at Kevan, pondering her sister's restlessness over the past couple of weeks. "I can't tonight, I have a date."

That captured Kevan's attention, and she stalked over to Brennan, getting right in her face.

"A date, really?" Kevan inquired, "Why's now the first I'm hearing about it? Who's the lucky guy?"

Brennan refused to look up from what she was doing. "Gerald," she mumbled.

Kevan's mouth dropped open, and stared at her sister, "You're joking, right?" Brennan's silence spoke volumes. "Oh my gods, you're not joking! Gerald Matthews? Brennan, what the hell are you thinking? I mean, Gerald's a nice enough guy, but come on; he is the most boring man I have ever met. You're going to be bored to tears before the main course; you know that, don't you?"

Brennan didn't want to admit that Kevan's description of Gerald was most likely right. She already regretted saying yes. "Gerald is a very nice..."

Kevan interrupted with a snoring sound. "You are going to be bored out of your mind!" Kevan laughed, shaking her head.

"Enough," Brennan spat at her, "I accepted Gerald's invitation, I'm going, and I will enjoy myself. Maybe we just need to see him outside of his accounting business."

"I hate to burst your bubble, sister dear, but Gerald will be just as boring at dinner as he is when he's doing the books. Go on your date, but if you decide that you need a little fun in your life, come join us. I'm sure everyone will be up for hitting Sanctuary." Kevan raised her hands, dancing around to the song playing on the radio.

Brennan shook her head, then nagged, "Why Sanctuary, why not somewhere else? There are so many places, all over the Lower Mainland, why do you all insist on going there?"

"It's really simple. Barney lets us in without the cover charge, and we get free drinks from the bartender, all thanks to Myrna, so deal." Kevan gave her older sister a smirk.

Brennan sighed; she was not going to win this argument. "Fine, just make sure you all wear your pendants."

Kevan looked up with surprise, pulling hers from under her shirt. "Brennan, I don't think any of us have taken them off since we got them. I feel vulnerable without it." She gave Brennan a quick hug, "You did a good job; we love them. Now," Kevan muttered, "let's see who wants to go dancing," and she started dialing her family members.

***

Across the city, in an older home privately set back off the road, a tall lanky man burst through the door, yelling as he hit the middle of the foyer, "Roderic!"

Brody jumped when Roderic's assistant, Catherine, appeared in the foyer. Many nooks and crannies littered the main floor of Roderic's house, making it easy for people to appear unexpectedly.

"He's upstairs on the phone." Catherine observed Brody pace back and forth across the foyer. She hated the little puke, and his uncouth language, but he was easy to manipulate, "What is the problem, Brody?"

Brody wondered if he should tell her or wait for Roderic. Why the hell hadn't Caleb answered his phone? He had to tell someone, or he was going to burst.

"I got more info from one of my contacts." Brody felt childish under Catherine's gaze, though she was pleasant enough.

"What?" she questioned.

"Something the bosses need to know, so I should wait."

"You're so impatient;" Catherine muttered, "just contact Caleb."

"I tried, lots of times; I can't get an answer, so here I am. They need this info, it's major."

Catherine glared at him, wishing she could strangle the young man, but suppressed the desire. She needed to know what was going on; it might be information she could use to her advantage.

"What do I need to hear?" Roderic asked from behind, making Brody jump at the sound of his voice.

"Dude, I wish you would make some noise when you walk up behind me." Brody huffed as his heartbeat settled back to its normal rhythm.

Roderic gave an "I don't have time for this" look, to halt Brody's long winded way through a report. "Brody, you have something I need to know?" Roderic pushed. He had way too many things going on for this, "Brody," he urged once again.

"Oh yeah, I just got some info you need to know."

Roderic waited but Brody still said silent, as he bounced up and down, "Brody am I going to have to drag this information out of you, or are you going to tell me?"

"Chill dude, I'm about to give you the low down."

Roderic scrubbed his face, showing his frustration, "Call me dude one more time, and you'll be sorry," he threatened. "Information, NOW!"

Brody took a couple steps back, getting out of Roderic's way, just in case. "Something bad is headed Sanctuary's way."

"Brody, this is old news. You told us as much two weeks ago."

"No d ... Roderic, it's going down tonight." Brody shifted his weight from foot to foot, and gushed out, "One of my contacts said some vamp-demon faction is about to do a throw down on Sanctuary tonight."

"And you're positive about this?" Roderic asked.

"How often am I wrong?" Brody asked, holding up his hand, stopping Roderic from answering. "Don't answer that, but I'm not wrong on this. It's going down tonight, I'm sure."

Roderic nodded, and turned to Catherine, "Get ahold of Caleb and Alexander, I want them here ASAP. We need to discuss what we are going to do to minimize the damages, including the legalities that I'm sure will ensue." Catherine nodded, pulling her cell phone, disappearing within the house. Roderic turned back to Brody, "You, outside Sanctuary; now. Keep us informed," Roderic ordered.

Brody nodded as he turned to leave, a smile creasing his face, and a spring in his step the only sign of how pumped he was at the opportunity to fight with his friends. "Brody, this is serious, so don't get cocky, and do something that would piss us off," Roderic warned him.

"Straight and narrow," Brody promised.

Catherine stepped back into the foyer, hearing Brody's bike race away. "They'll be here within the hour."

"Thank you, Catherine."

She nodded and asked, "Are you sure you can you trust Brody's information? He's so scattered brain, he could do something that could cause problems again." Roderic's frown was all the answer she needed, and she kept her mouth shut.

***

Caleb and Alexander strolled into Roderic's study, where he sat behind the desk, stopping his work when they joined him.

"What's up?" Caleb asked.

"It's tonight," he informed them.

Alexander stood up taller, showing his impressive height, "You're sure?"

"As sure as I can be without being in on the planning," Roderic answered. "According to Brody's contacts, tonight's the night. The kid may be a little hyper, but we can't fault his street contacts, they seem to have a high percentage of accuracy."

"Why the hell didn't the bugger call me?" Caleb demanded. "You're dealing with enough."

"Said that he tried, but it kept going to voice mail." Roderic's temper tried to surface.

Caleb swore, pulling out his phone, "Shit, it's dead, good thing I was with Alexander when Catherine called."

Roderic ignored the cell phone issue, and itemized his actions. "I told Brody to watch the club, and keep us informed if, or when, anything happens. I have also contacted several of the others. They'll meet you in the alley across from the club. They'll wait for you to give the word."

"Sounds good," Caleb nodded, looking at Alexander, who was very quiet. "What's going through that head of yours, man?"

"Why?" Alexander stated, "It makes no sense. Who would attack the club, and why now? It's been neutral territory for a long time."

"I wish I had an answer for you, but sometimes trouble makers are just stupid," Caleb suggested.

"I know you're right, but of all the clubs in town that could be hit, hitting mine is senseless," Alexander growled; "we're known for our security measures."

Caleb shrugged. "Regardless, there's an attack coming. My crew will wait outside for your signal. Just do us a favour, keep Lorella on a short leash. The last time she was involved in one of our battles, she just about killed me. Her blood lust is too extreme," Caleb complained. "I have no clue why you keep her around. She's certifiable."

Alexander's smile wasn't comforting, "Let's just say she makes things interesting. Just warn McNamara, if I see him within 100 feet of her, I'll take him out, understand?"

"No worry there, Brody learned his lesson the last time. Besides, he still maintains she never told him that you two were reconciled again."

Alexander growled, remembering Brody and Lorella making out on his office couch, "I don't care. Nobody poaches on my territory. I'll see you at the club."

Caleb looked up at the ceiling, stopping himself from rubbing his eyes.

"Any change? Is Marcus any better?" he questioned Roderic. A shake of Roderic's head told Caleb everything he didn't want to know.

"Sorry Caleb, he's not getting any better. Rhiannon's trying something different right now, but if it doesn't work, then you know what we're going to have to do."

Caleb nodded his agreement, "I know. I'd like to let them live their lives without our interference, but saving Marcus' life is more important."

***

Kevan stood in the living room waiting for the rest of the girls. Brennan had left with Gerald about 10 minutes earlier. It had been all she could do to stop Kaitlyn from making snoring sounds while he waited for Brennan to finish getting ready.

"Come on you guys, our ride is here!" Kevan shouted, smiling when she heard the crash of feet on the ceiling overhead. Just about everyone was up for the night out. Eve had to work, and Aiden had tried to say she had things to do, but no one listened. If they didn't push Aiden to do things outside her comfort zone, she'd only leave the house to go to work. Myrna had to threaten her to get her to come with them.

Kevan knew they were going to have to do something about Aiden's shyness, the cutting herself off from the outside world. They had all thought it would get better, but lately it seemed to be getting worse.

Kaitlyn jumped down the last two steps, landing right in front of Kevan, "So, we ready for this or what?"

"Oh, I so need this," Kevan told her. "I need something to get my mind off him."

"Still, huh?" Kaitlyn laughed. "Damn, I wish I had seen this guy, he sounds really hot."

"Hot doesn't even cover it - I've never even talked to him! Girl, if I knew where he lived, I think I would be stalking him. I don't like this feeling."

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes at her sister, "Well, at least you have a fantasy man. Look at me, I have nothing."

"Yeah, well, you need to crawl out from under your research long enough to meet someone in order to have a fantasy man," Kevan teased.

"Not really, I've got a hell of an imagination, thank you. I usually don't need to have reality in my head in order to make some of my fantasies come true - well as true as you can with a..." She stopped when the rest came racing down the stairs, with a very reluctant Aiden bringing up the rear.

"We ready?" Kevan asked.

"Let's party!" Raven shouted, throwing up her arms, giving the devil symbol as she let out a scream. They poured out of the house, and into the waiting cab.

***

Brody's entire body buzzed with repressed excitement, standing in the shadows, silently observing the club's front entrance, sipping yet another coffee, his fourth in the past five hours. The afternoon he'd spent watching the coming and goings at the club was so boring. It was still relatively early, and Alexander had arrived about half an hour ago.

Brody shuddered at the thought of the look Alexander had thrown in his direction. He wished Alexander would get over that one mistake he had made with Lorella. He was getting really tired of apologizing, but trying to tell a were, you were drunk, and it hadn't been your idea, wasn't a good enough reason to get sent to the hospital.

Lorella was a bitch. He really wished that Alexander would see her for what she really was, but until he did, this was as close as he was likely to get to Sanctuary. He was so lost in his thoughts that Caleb's hand landing on his shoulder made him jump.

"God, you're worse than Roderic, dude. I swear, I'm going to put bells on your shoes, so I hear you coming," he complained, his hand clutching his chest. He observed the men before him with a bit of envy, for the features and builds they possessed were what he aspired to. The battle scars and the way they carried themselves stilled women, and warned men instinctively to take care, and not raise the ire of such as these two.

"That would defeat the purpose of maintaining a low profile, wouldn't it Brody? So what's happening?" Caleb questioned, as he looked across the street to the entrance of the club. "It looks quiet."

"What do you expect? It's early, this place doesn't get rocking until at least 11:00; it's only 9:30 now," Brody explained. "Man, you guys need to get out more. I wish Niall was here; now that man knows how to party."

"Niall isn't here, and the club idea is pointless unless I have a good looking woman to go with."

"Dude, how else do you meet the good looking woman?" Brody questioned him, with a look of disbelief. "Whatever, look, it has been really low key. Alex went in not long ago. Hey, did you by any chance..."

"What?" Caleb questioned.

"You know," Brody pleaded, "access to Sanctuary?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Oh man, this really sucks. It's not my fault that Lorella is a horny bitch, who took advantage of me when I was drunk. How the hell am I supposed to do my job when I can't access one of the city's best resources, for fear of a trip to the hospital, or worse, the morgue?

"Man, you are so easy," Kayne grunted, shaking his head.

"Stop your whining. I talked to Alexander, he said stay away from Lorella, and he'll let you back into the club, but word of warning, Alexander is not someone to piss off, so stay away from Lorella," Caleb informed him.

"Hey," Brody threw up his hands in surrender, "trust me, I want nothing to do with the bitch, so no problem there," Brody told him. "I think Lorella was trying to get Alexander riled at me." He felt lighter with the thought of being able to get back into the club.

Suddenly the atmosphere surrounding them shifted. The tension flowing from Caleb made Brody look towards the club, and he saw the cab in front lose its passengers.

"What?" Brody asked Caleb, then Kayne, who only raised an eyebrow with bored curiosity.

"Shit!" Caleb spat, "It's them!"

"Who are they?" Brody asked.

"Brody, use that thing on top of your neck," Caleb swore at him.

"What! You're joking, right?" Brody questioned, suddenly click in whom Caleb was referring to.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" He looked at Kayne, who tilted his head in Brody's direction.

"You are going to be our inside eyes and ears," Caleb instructed Brody.

"What, really?" he said, getting excited. "All right!" Brody jumped up, about to take off, only to have Caleb stop him.

"This is not a joke Brody. Tonight we will be dealing with natural born killers, and not the human variety. You keep your head down and your eyes open. Make sure that the ladies are protected, and at the first sign of anything, you call us, understand?"

"This isn't my first time at the rodeo, dude." Brody stopped when he saw how serious Caleb was. "I understand man, I do. Thanks for trusting me," he told Caleb. He was gone, racing across the road, barely dodging the car coming down the road.

Caleb looked to Kayne, rubbing his face, "I hope I didn't just make a huge mistake. Why does he insist on 'dude'?"

Kayne chuckled, showing his amusement, "We have to trust he's able to use the skills we've been instilling in him since he was 13 years old. Besides, it's not as if we have a lot of choice; our presence would divert the bad guys. Brody's smart, he won't let us down."

"Gods, I hope you're right." Caleb's instincts told him that lives were about to be messed with, and shit turned upside down.
Chapter Three

Kevan's unease continued to rise as she watched the goings on within the club. She had been the one who had wanted to go out, anything to get her mind off her beach man, but from the moment they had walked through the club's doors, she'd had an uneasy feeling in her gut.

Instead of being on the dance floor, dancing him out of her head, she was sitting at the table watching everyone around them with suspicion. Scanning the crowd for what must have been the hundredth time, all she saw were the different Races enjoying themselves.

Sometimes she wondered what it would be like not to know about the other Races, but that wasn't their lives, never had been, and never would be.

Myrna had shocked all of them six months ago, when, two weeks after her attack, she'd quit her job, and taken one here at Sanctuary. Myrna refused to talk about the attack; Kevan had always thought there was more to it, even though they had all brushed it off as a simple mugging.

The old converted warehouse appealed to Kevan's sense of design, from the huge dance floor to the tables on the lower level that surrounded it. The main bar took up the entire wall opposite the stage where either the DJ or a live act could perform, and if one had enough money or pull, you could ascend the stairs at either end of the club to the VIP section, private balconies hanging over the floor, presiding over all. The design had class, but with enough rough edges to appeal to some of the more unsavory characters that frequented the club.

Myrna worked the main floor with three other servers, and the line in front of the bar was filled with customers waiting on their orders. The lighting was subtle, the light show over the dance floor moving shadows across the walls. The fact that a _were_ owned the club was the only problem she could see.

Brennan, being Brennan, had tried to force Myrna to quit, but Myrna had put her foot down and refused. She informed Brennan that she liked her job, the pay was fair, the tips were good, and Alexander Wulfson was a decent boss who didn't force them to split their tips with management; besides, she was an adult and could work wherever she wanted.

Kevan knew that Myrna wasn't impressed with Wulfson's girlfriend, but as long as Lorrella didn't interfere, Myrna said they got along fine.

Kevan had been watching the unfolding drama taking place not far from where they were seated, as yet another of the club's enforcers approached the man leaning against the far wall, trying too hard to appear nonchalant, his nervous energy had him bouncing, and not in time to the music. Kevan didn't know what he had done, but they obviously knew him.

He was young, couldn't be much more than 21 or 22, a tall lanky kid that hadn't quite grown into his body, but he projected a confidence that was usually lacking in men his age. She observed the obvious argument taking place between the enforcer and the man, before he threw his hands up in exacerbation several times. They weren't loud, but she could tell the discussion was intense. Finally, the enforcer pulled out a cell phone and made a call. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she wished she could be a fly on the wall. Kevan didn't want to be caught watching, yet every time she turned away, her eyes were drawn right back to the mini-drama; something big was happening, and maybe that was what she was sensing.

Kevan smiled, watching as yet another bouncer approached the gathering circle around the young man, and who finally pulled out his own cell, and made a phone call.

***

"Caleb, tell Alexander to call off his dog pack, or else I can't do my job," Brody pleaded on the phone. He looked to the goon who was waiting for the chance to toss Brody out on his ass. "You'll see, Alexander Okayed my presence," he reiterated.

"Last instructions I had, was for us to toss you out if you show your face within Sanctuary," the goon said, a smile of anticipation creasing his face. "I am just doing my job."

Brody could see how much he wanted to do his job. "Yeah? Well join the club, buddy, that's exactly what I am doing; you aren't going to be the one to stop me." Brody sighed with relief when he saw Alexander striding towards them. "Finally," he whispered, as the pack sensed their Alpha's approach.

"Alexander?"

"It's okay, Franklin, I have okayed Mr. McNamara's presence within the club tonight. Find Adam; he'll explain everything." Franklin gave Brody a look of disgust, but nodded to Alexander before moving away.

"Thank you," Brody told him.

"I'm sure Caleb told you my rules."

"Look man, I have no intention of going anywhere near Lorella," Brody swore. "Hell, I wouldn't have gone near her the last time if I hadn't been so drunk. I'm just glad you've decided not to hold it against me anymore."

"Oh, I didn't say that Mr. McNamara. I have given you a pass for tonight, but understand this, I haven't given you free access," Alex growled.

"Oh Dude, come on. I swear, I didn't know you guys were back together," Brody whined.

"Doesn't matter, what's mine is mine and we'll leave it at that," Alexander told him.

"Look Alex, I have told you more than once, Lorella came onto me. I wouldn't have touched her with a ten foot pole, but I was very, very drunk."

"Enough, I've heard it all before, and quite honestly, I don't care to hear it again. You're here to do a job and nothing else, so why don't we stick to that. Have you seen anything yet?"

Brody sighed, his frustration showing through, as he ran his fingers through his hair. One of these days he was going to figure out what Lorella was up to that night, and then he and Alexander were going to have it out, once and for all.

"Nothing with regards to our party crashers, but we have unexpected company, and Caleb wants me to watch over them," Brody nodded in the girls' directions.

Alexander looked at the familiar group, and then back to Brody, "And they are?"

"Those women are the missing sorceresses."

"Seriously?" Alexander exclaimed with surprise. Brody nodded. "Well, this could make this evening interesting."

"Why?" Brody asked.

"Those are the Cameron and Fletcher girls. Myrna Fletcher is one of my best waitresses. I've sensed nothing special about them, so assumed they're your average human, and now you are telling me something different. I'm surprised; I can usually tell," Alexander stated, taking a closer look at the women seated at the table across the way.

"According to Caleb, they are the ones. That's all I know," Brody stated.

"Alright, stay alert and stay ..."

"I know, stay away from Lorella. Believe me, I plan on it," Brody told him.

"I was going say stay safe, but what you said works for me too." Alexander turned and walked back down into his private area, leaving Brody on guard duty.

***

Kevan silently observed the entire exchange between Alexander Wulfson and the young man. It was clear that while they weren't friends, there was some respect between them. Trying not to appear like she was watching, she wondered what they were discussing, until they looked in her direction. She didn't know how she knew it, but she knew they were looking at her.

Her eyes followed Alexander as he strode out of sight, before she turned back to watch the man watching them. They were both tried to look like they weren't watching each other, but she could sense his eyes on her every time he scanned the room.

Kevan's sense of trepidation grew as her attention was distracted from the man watching them, to the sudden explosion of red and grey auras of the bad guys that were surrounding the outer edges of the club. The unusually high concentration of vamps and demons in one place, at one time, spooked the shit out of her. It was as if they appeared from nowhere. She observed a small group break off from the main body and move towards them, corralling the girls back towards their table. Her guts churned with anticipation; she knew her family was about to be thrown into the middle of something that would definitely change their lives. A wish that she had listened to Brennan flashed through her mind, before she quickly shoved it away. Dealing with what was about to happen was all she could focus on, because there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Grabbing Myrna's arm as she walked by, she whispered in her cousin's ear, "We have to get out of here, now."

"If you guys want to go, go," Myrna told her, not understanding what Kevan was getting at. "I'm working."

"Myrna, you don't understand what I'm telling you. We're about to be smack into the middle of something, something really bad, and trust me, we don't want to be in the middle. We need to get out of here right now!"

Myrna's eyes widened as she shot a look around the club, seeing some of what Kevan was seeing.

"What's happening?" she demanded, trusting Kevan's instinct, as it was something that they all took very seriously; she was rarely wrong.

"I have no clue, I just know that we are getting surrounded by the bad guys and it isn't good."

Myrna looked around for a way to get out, but it all the exits were covered.

"Look, you get everyone together and I'll find us a way out," she told Kevan.

Kevan looked over the crowd, seeing the young man watching them again. "No, you get the others together; I may have a way to get out, or at least get some answers," she informed Myrna.

Brody glanced around the club feeling a shift in the dynamics around him. Looking back at the group of women that Caleb had him watching and protecting. The one he'd thought had caught him watching them was gone; he pushed away from the wall, taking two steps towards the edge of the floor. He tried to appear nonchalant, as he scanned the room for her, a ragged breath of relief escaped when he spotted her winding her way through the crowd. He watched until it finally sank in, she was headed his way, her eyes drilled directly into his. Stepping back he attempted to lose her in the crowd, he fumbled for his cell phone; Caleb was going to kill him. But he didn't even get the phone to his ear when she grabbed his arm, swinging him around to face her. Only with his adrenaline pumping, he reacted the way he'd been trained.

She grabbed his arm, and had it twisted behind his back and him forced against the table before he even had a chance throw more than one punch, her speed and agility surprised him. However, the kiss that she laid on him stunned him senseless. When she stepped back, he stared at her, shock rocking his face.

"What the hell," he gasped at her, "why did you do that? If you were that attracted, all you had to do was ask." His sarcastic personality flashed back as he grounded himself in reality.

"In your dreams, buddy," Kevan laughed, but he could tell, it was forced. "You're about to tell me what the hell is going on, and don't try any double talk. I want to know, right now," Kevan punched her finger into his chest, to get her point across.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Brody told her, as he caught her finger, resisting the urge to rub the bruise he was positive she'd caused.

Kevan smiled and stepped back, "You know, you may think you're really good at playing the P.I. role, but honestly, you suck at it. So don't play dumb, okay? For the past hour or longer you've been watching us, waiting for something. Here's what I know: you have enough pull that after almost every bouncer in this club tried to throw you out, you, with one phone call, had Mr. Wulfson vouch for you. I wouldn't call you two friends, the look that he gave you didn't read friendly, but you're someone: whether he likes it or not, he's allowed you to stay. Be honest with me, I know something's about to go down, I have family here, and I don't want them in the middle of a fight that has nothing to do with us. So spill your guts, and we won't have a problem."

Brody shook his head, wanting more than anything to deny what she had thrown at him, but he couldn't. It wasn't very often that people shocked him, so when she did, he did something he only did as a last resort, he reverted to the truth.

"Look, get your family, find some place to hide, and we'll make sure you're safe," he told her, as he pulled out his phone again, to let Caleb know what was happening.

"Hide, that's your solution? That's a really stupid idea," she told him, as she used his chest as a punching bag for her finger once again. "My family's here, because I wanted to come dancing. If my actions have put them into the middle of something dangerous, I want to make sure we all come out of this in one piece."

"I don't have time to explain," Brody tried to beg off.

"Yes, you do, or I'll go to Wulfson - you know, the werewolf that owns this club \- I'll tell him that you've caused a problem."

"You know?" Brody whispered, stunned, "but you're human."

"Yeah, so are you, but it would seem that you know, too. Trust me when I tell you, it's better to have us helping you than fighting against you."

Brody's sense of control was rapidly disappearing, "Can you fight?"

"Yeah, if you call having black belts in different forms of martial arts, and a couple of really good kick boxer's, help."

Brody's mouth dropped open with surprise, "Seriously?" he asked again.

"Yes, seriously," she told him.

"We definitely need to have a conversation."

"Only if you tell me what's about to go down."

"That's just it, we don't know. The only information we have is that someone is going to attack Sanctuary. We don't know when, other than it's supposed to be tonight. We don't know why, but the attackers don't know we have a secret weapon waiting outside."

Kevan demanded, "What kind of weapon are you talking about?"

"Oh man, you are new to this stuff; you need to stop thinking like a human! I'm not talking about a literal weapon. Well, not completely; some friends are waiting for me to call in the cavalry."

"Who?" Kevan demanded again.

"Sorry, told you all you need to know right now," Brody said. "Look, just trust that we have the good guys waiting to come to the rescue."

Kevan took a leap of faith and nodded her agreement, "What do you want us to do?" she asked as she looked over at her family, reading their fear mixed with determination.

She could hardly believe that of all the nights that she'd picked to come here, they'd end up in the middle of the one thing that their family had been trying to avoid getting in the middle of, a turf war with the other Races.

"The only thing you can do is be ready for anything, and watch your backs," Brody told her. "Stay together; don't let them separate you."

Myrna walked up behind him unseen. "Who are they?" she questioned, her voice making Brody jump.

"God, you're as bad as Caleb and Roderic," he told them.

"Who?" Kevan wanted to know.

"It doesn't matter who, just watch your back." Under his breath he muttered, "They'll kill me if anything happens to you."

"I thought Sanctuary was supposed to be neutral ground, the one place anyone could come," Myrna inquired.

"Yeah well, tell that to the ones planning the attack," Brody spat. "We'll see, maybe nothing will happen. I mean, do they really want to wreck the peace accord that's been in place for the past 75 to 80 years?"

"Why now?" Myrna muttered before she moved on to her next customer.

"You'll have to ask them," Brody answered.

"Hey, why don't we ask them," Kevan nodded in the direction of the group of vamps making their way across the floor in their direction. Brody looked over, saw what she was referring to, and then looked around the club.

"Shit, I wasn't paying attention. They're going to kill me," he swore grabbing at his phone.

"Look, I don't know who your secret weapon is, but I would get them in here. Like now! We're being surrounded," she pointed out to him. "In actuality, I'd say they're definitely after Wulfson; look at that," she pointed out the dozen or more vamps and demons moving in on the door that lead to Alexander's private stairs, drawing the attention of the bouncers.

"Oh shit, it's an ambush," Brody shouted as he started running. "Alexander, it's an ambush!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping against hope that they would hear him; an advantage of being a _were_ , the improved hearing. "Damnit, we need the cairbare in here now."

Kevan, who was racing behind him, stopped dead when she heard his words. "Are you crazy?" she shouted at him, trying to be heard over the rising music, as she grabbed his arm and pulled him around to confront him.

"The last race you'd want to help is the cairbare. They're worse than the vamps and demons combined."

Brody looked at her with confusion as he tried to shake off the hand that was slowing him down. "You have no idea what you are talking about," he told her, "they're one of the good guys."

"Not according to my family. Trust me; they aren't the good guys they pretend to be. Hell, they are probably the ones who orchestrated the attack on the club. They're the bad guys."

Brody looked over his shoulder for Alexander. He didn't have time for this, but something told him that he had to take the time.

"Look, I don't know where you've gotten your information, but you have no idea what you are talking about. The cairbare are the good guys; trust me. As for them being the ones behind the attack, considering they're the ones that told Alexander, who also happens to be one of their very good friends, that's bullshit. So when they get here, don't do something stupid like get in their way," he warned her. He glanced over his shoulder, and spotted Alexander cresting the top of the stairs. He carried a nasty looking sword in hand, Lorrella following right behind, a crazed look in her eyes, smiling at the prospect of bloodshed.

"I don't have time for this. Alexander needs my help. Be careful, don't get killed, if you do, it's my head," he warned, and then he raced towards Alexander.

Just at that moment, the music hit a huge note, the lights suddenly dimmed, and the attack began. The nasties moved faster than she ever thought possible. Why had she ever thought that all their training would have prepared them for this fight, because the minute she saw the attackers first moves she knew she and the girls were in trouble, big trouble. Kevan's first instinct was to run, but she knew that wouldn't help.

"Stay together," she shouted at her family. "Watch your backs."

She hoped her family had heard her over the screams of the other patrons watching the vamps and demons move in, confident that the humans would all be easy prey.

Kevan showed them how wrong they were as her fist landed solidly in the closest demon's face. As another moved towards her, Kevan's instincts for survival kicked in, landing a kick that sent him flying across the floor. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do anything more than excite her attacker. She was completely grossed out when he ran his tongue over his oversized lips and rubbed himself in excitement.

The women took Kevan's cue protecting themselves from the uglies coming at them. Even Aiden got in the game, grabbing a chair, swinging it like a bat; she connected with a head that sprayed out blood the color of its aura. The vamp, shocked that this tiny woman had just hit him, tumbled to the floor with a loud vibrating thump, trying to keep his brains in his head. Kevan smiled as she took a second to watch Aiden grimace in shock at what she had done, before she scrambled to the side of an over turned table, retching.

Outside, Caleb suddenly felt something in the air and it wasn't just his desire for a good fight. The star filled skies suddenly vanished behind a cover of cloud that appeared from out of nowhere. The air around them shifted, and the smell of a brewing storm surrounded them, as a flash of lightning streaked across the sky.

"Caleb ..." looked to his cousin, who was raring to go, needing the battle. A smile crept across his face as the anticipation surged.

"Move," Caleb growled as the thunder broke over the stilled warriors, and he released his small group. "It's begun."

Within seconds, the warriors crashed through the club doors, killing the nasties on guard, breathing in the stench and fear.

Her muscles shook with fatigue. Kevan had beaten away too many to keep track of, and they just kept coming. She wished that she felt stronger, like the female warriors of old who fascinated her.

At the exact moment that she made her wish, a flash of lightning crashed across the ceiling, which didn't make any sense - lightning didn't happen inside. Suddenly Kevan wasn't so tired anymore; she was getting her second wind.

Her favorite song came thumping through the sound system, _Nickelback's Burn it to the Ground_ ; she hoped that wasn't what was about to happen. The song surrounded and energized her soul, as she felt someone approaching her from behind.

A quick twist, leg up, kicking, intent on taking off a head, or at least that was what she was aiming for. Her target held her leg for a moment, staring at her, before pushing it to the ground; then he grabbed her arm, hauling her out of his way.

"If you want to help, stay out of the way," he growled, pushing past her, wading into the fight, sword at his side, ready for battle.

Her mouth dropped open, watching the ease with which her beach man took out the vampire coming at them, followed by the next two; he dealt with them as if they were of no consequence.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one coming at his back. Without thinking, she raced towards him, stealing the short sword hanging at his side, swinging around and thrusting the blade into the vamp attacking from behind. It sunk deep into the flesh, his eye bulging in shock, as he drew his last breath.

The only thought that raced through her mind, was it shouldn't feel like a real person; they weren't human, it should feel different. Then the thought was gone as she spotted the next one headed her way.

She fought as she never had before, blocking every move the ugly one made. She knew how to stop it: she wasn't sure how this was happening, but she would take any help that she could. She just hoped she wouldn't puke; dying in her own vomit was not an option.

Caleb felt the hand at his side liberating his short sword, turning slightly to prevent whoever had taken it from attacking him. He saw her first stab at the vampire coming for his back. He saw her pause for a second before she took on the next comer, spilling the guts of the demon.

Smiling, he turned back to take care of the ones coming at him, comfortable in the knowledge that she knew what she was doing. Moving forward through the gore created, he concentrated on his own battle, watching the nasties pouring into the club. The numbers tickled his memory of battles gone by, refreshing stamina, increasing the gore and the limbs at his feet.

Across the club floor, Caleb saw Alexander in his glory, taking on three vampires at once, but Alexander didn't see the demon coming at him from behind. Caleb yelled a warning, pulled his dagger and let it fly, knowing it would hit its target, as long as Alexander wasn't in the way. Ducking as the ancient dagger sailed over Alexander's head, embedding itself in the demon's face.

Caleb grimaced, as the demon fell, he would have to talk to Kayne about a new blade, which was too bad, as he'd had that dagger for a long time. Caleb's anger over the loss only renewed his desire for revenge. Alexander gave him a quick nod before returning to the fight.

Caleb's scan around the room told him that they were holding their own, which he knew Marcus would expect, bringing a smile and cracking the drying splatter on his face. The sight of Kevan fighting as if she had been doing this her entire life really turned him on. He knew her arms and wrists were taking a beating, bones grinding with every hit of the sword, her face pale and becoming whiter as more gore splashed her.

Moving across the floor, as if part of a ritual dance, block, thrust right, slashes and splashes, it was the dance of eons. Caleb at one time had lived for the battle, the smell, the victory, and it had been a long time since the men had gotten to do more than train. He reveled in the battle gore and all that it brought, including the cries and screams that accompanied death.

Kevan pushed the vamp's dead weight away from her as she risked a quick glance around the room. Her mind filed the sight of innocent bystanders being maimed and drained of life. She couldn't think about that right now, instead focusing on her family, seeing her sister, Raven, stagger backwards and sink to the ground, as a demon, it hands raised above its head, howled its victory. Screaming Raven's name, terror blooming, she raced across the club dance floor, slipping and sliding in blood and body parts.

The scream ripped through Caleb like nothing he'd felt before. His eyes watched in horror as one of the women staggered backwards, before dropping to the floor, a demon standing over her, arms raised. That was its final mistake, as Kevan slid to Raven's side, her blade held high, gutting the enemy while it was celebrating. She rolled Raven over gently, checking the wound.

The blood poured out of Raven's right side through a deep gash. Kevan applied pressure on the wound in an attempt stop the bleeding. Raven's face was ashen and her eyes showed her terror.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Kevan tried to reassure her. "We need to get her to a doctor, now," she whispered to Myrna, putting more pressure on the wound, making Raven gasp in pain.

"How the hell are we going to get out of here? They still have all the exits blocked," Myrna hollered, ducking out of the way of an air-born demon body, when someone suddenly towered over them. Caleb beheaded the body mid-air as he came to kneel beside them.

"Is she alive?" he questioned.

"She needs a doctor, now," Kevan told him, willing to take help from anyone, even them, as she stared at her beach man.

"Was she cut by the demon's blade?" he questioned

"No, it was a pastry knife!" Kevan shouted at him over the sounds of the battle, the cries of the people and the crashing of music still blaring through the speakers. "It was a knife being wielded by a demon, so I would say yes, it was a demon's blade. We need a doctor now."

"No, you need a healer," he corrected, looking around for Kayne or Alexander.

"I don't care what you call it. Healer, doctor, she needs medical attention!" Kevan shouted, her fear cracking her voice.

"You don't understand. If she was cut by the demon's blade, she needs a Healer, not a doctor," Caleb told her grimly.

Standing up and looking around, as much as he didn't want to end the fun, the life of one of the sorceress's was more important than the thrill of the fight. Letting out a battle cry that shook the building to its foundation signaled his fellow warriors to finish the battle.

The battle that had been moving along at an even pace suddenly ramped into overdrive. Whereas before the fight seemed evenly matched, now the demons and vamps found themselves dropping like flies. The minute the battle turned, the uglies began to disappear. As quickly as it started, it finished, and all that was left was the cleanup.

Caleb started shouting orders, and Alexander joined them, Lorrella's bloodstained muzzle and chest at his hand. Caleb told the she wolf, "Stay that way Lorrella. It suits your personality better than your human form." Alexander stilled her snarl with his own growl.

"I'll take care of the clean-up. You take care of the ladies. Is it bad?" Alex questioned his friend.

"It could be. Kayne, we need the car out front, now," Caleb snapped. Kayne nodded, moving swiftly to do Caleb's bidding.

"Everyone, I want you on high alert. They may be on the run, but they were still bold enough to attack Sanctuary." Caleb turned to the women standing guard, watching with looks that varied from shock to amazement. Blood and gore clung to their faces and clothes, the smaller woman dry heaving, muttering about the stench of inhuman and human bodies. When he stepped over to pick up their fallen friend, the women closed ranks, forcing him to step back.

"If she doesn't get the antidote to that poison, she'll be dead within 24 hours," he informed them, attempting to pick up Raven again.

"Our sister's a doctor," Kaitlyn told him, preventing him from getting any closer to Raven, "We'll get her to the hospital."

Caleb didn't want to deal with the bullshit; he knew the cut came from a demon blade and they didn't have a lot of time. He attempted to push Kaitlyn aside, surprised when she pushed back. He'd had enough. He stepped up to Kaitlyn, grabbed her by the arms, and physically lifted her out of the way, pulling the bleeding Raven into his arms. Ignoring the shouts to stop, he headed to the door. Kevan jumped to her feet, racing after him.

"She's bleeding," she shouted at him.

"I know," Caleb ground out, as he continued towards to front door.

"You idiot, if you don't stop the bleeding she'll die," she screamed after him and still he refused to stop. Running to keep up with his long strides, "Dammit, where are you taking her?"

"Where she'll get the help she needs," Caleb informed her as he continued towards the entrance.

"Not without me you're not," Kevan spat out, as she grabbed his arm. "You're not taking her anywhere without me."

"Fine, you want to come, come, but we don't have the room or time to wait for the rest," he stated.

"I'll be one minute."

"Move it," he growled at her.

Kevan turned and raced back the others. "My purse, cell phone!" she demanded. "Where are they?"

"Kevan, seriously," Kaitlyn shrugged. Kevan looked to the rest but they all shrugged their shoulders; those things had been lost in the fight.

"Go!" Brody ordered her, "Caleb won't wait. We'll find your stuff and I'll get the ladies to the house safely."

"Fine," Kevan nodded, yelling over her shoulder, "I'm going with Raven. Find my phone, call Eve and get her to wherever we're going." With that she raced back out of the club to the waiting Hummer, jumping through the passenger door that stood open, allowing her to squeeze her way in.

It was hard to believe that a Hummer could feel small, but with four six foot plus, muscle bound men, the feeling that it wasn't any bigger than a VW Beetle reigned.

Twisting, looking over her shoulder at the man in the back holding Raven gently in his arms, she asked, "How is she?"

"Burning up," Kayne stated, as he continued to apply pressure to the wound on her side.

"What?" Kevan was alarmed, "Why is she getting so sick, so fast?"

"It's a fast acting poison," Caleb stated, wincing as Kevan unknowingly ground her hip into his groin.

"Where are we going?" she demanded.

"To Roderic's; Rhiannon's there, she's dealt with this poison before, so she's the best one to deal with it now," Caleb explained.

"That's fine, if you know who Roderic is and where he lives," Kevan snapped, but he didn't seem to get her sarcasm. "I'll take your word about this Rhiannon knowing what she's doing, but where does this Roderic live?"

"You aren't very trusting, are you?" Caleb stated with a hint of amusement in his voice. She had spunk, and he liked women with spunk.

"Outside of the family, I don't trust anyone," Kevan stated without even thinking, "The address, now!"

"Roderic lives at 634 Princeton Avenue."

Kevan looked at him with disbelief, "You're joking, right?"

"I don't joke," Caleb, informed her.

"Isn't that the old Winston Manor, I thought that it was abandoned?"

"Looks can be deceiving," Caleb told her.

Kevan didn't say another word, instead focusing her attention as best she could on Raven. It seemed to take forever, when in fact it was only about 15 to 20 minutes before they were pulling up in front of the vine crowded gates to the entrance of the legendary manor.

It looked like they hadn't been opened in a very long time, but she watched the driver punch in a code that started the gates to silently swing open, allowing them entrance onto the estate. Once they passed the gates, it started to reverse, closing out the world once again.

Ahead of them was a house blazing with light. Coming to a stop in front of the door, the Hummer stopped and they stepped out, Kayne taking Raven back from Caleb as they all made their way through the front doors.

"Rhiannon!" Kayne bellowed. The sound vibrated through the house, bringing a woman to the top of the stairs looking down on them.

"You know I really hate when you bellow like that ..." The striking woman came to a stop when she saw Raven.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"She was cut with an Agares Blade; where do you want me to put her?"

"The room next to Marcus," she told Kayne, as he walked up the stairs. "How long ago?" she needed to know.

"30 to 35 minutes maybe, we came straight here," Caleb explained.

"Okay, you moved fast, that's good, should mean we'll probably be able to stop the spread of the poison before it gets too far along."

"Rhiannon." She turned and looked back at Caleb. "She's one of them." Rhiannon stumbled, and then quickly recovered.

"I'll do my best," she stated bluntly before running after Kayne.

"Who's that, and where have they taken Raven?" Kevan demanded, as she almost collided with Caleb, "and what did you mean when you said, she's one of them?"

"That's Rhiannon. She's a healer and that's what she is going to do for your friend."

"Sister..." Kevan informed the stranger who had just joined them.

"Caleb?" the man asked.

"Roderic, I'd like to introduce you to..." he looked at Kevan, waiting for her to supply a name.

"Kevan, Kevan Cameron," she told them, as she started towards the stairs; "I'm going to Raven."

"I think it would be better if you allowed Rhiannon to work without any interruption," Roderic stated, attempting to redirect her to the main living room. "Kayne will watch over her."

Kevan yanked her arm out of his hand. "Don't do that," she ordered, stepping away from him. "I'm going to my sister." Roderic looked to Caleb, who shrugged his shoulders.

"The whole trust thing is a big sticky point with them," Caleb informed him with a slight smile.

"Trust you? As if!" Kevan snorted with disgust. Distancing herself gave her a slight feeling of safety. "I don't know you from Adam, and after what you did to our great grandmother, what do you expect?"

He hadn't finished voicing his question. "What are you..." When the front door slammed open, Kevan looked up seeing to see Brennan standing in the entrance before she stormed in, her eyes blazing, warning all that she was ready for a fight, and it didn't matter who she had to take on. Kevan smiled when she saw family, relieved that she had someone she trusted beside her, but suddenly concerned about what Brennan would do, considering her intense dislike of anything to do with the others, especially the cairbare.

Turning back to the men, "Oh man, you're in for it now!" she snickered.

"Get away from my sister, you overgrown, steroid popping, he-man. Where the hell is Raven?" Kevan rolled her eyes.

"Who called you?" Kevan enquired, knowing Brennan meant well, but that she had a tendency to make things worse, not better, with her attitude.

"Not you, that's for sure!" she accused Kevan.

"Oh gods, we've been here, for what, all of 5 minutes," Kevan yelled back. "How the hell did you get here so quickly?"

Neither saw the amused smiles on the faces of the men watching them.

"You have a cell phone," Brennan stated.

"Yeah, I have a phone, but it was lost when we were attacked by demons and vampires," Kevan threw back.

"What the hell have you been doing; you look like you have been wrestling in jello?" Brennan looked a little closer, "Oh my gods, is that blood? Oh gods, I don't even want to know what the hell that is," she told Kevan as she flicked something off her shoulder with her fingers.

"Oh, would you two knock it off," Eve snapped from the doorway where she stood watching them. "Would someone kindly direct me to my sister, Raven?"

Caleb started to say something, but she pointed her finger and used her doctor tone, telling him, "No arguments, no discussions, Raven, now," she ordered.

Caleb stepped back beside Roderic, who gave him a look and asked, "Are they all like this?"

"How would I know?" he told his friend with a look and a shake of his head.

"I'm waiting," Eve let them know. Roderic stepped away from Caleb and crossed the foyer to the base of the stairs. Holding out his arm, he pointed up.

"Third door on the right," he told her. "Rhiannon is checking her out as we speak."

"Is this Rhiannon a doctor?" Eve demanded, furious that her sister had brought Raven to a stranger's house, and not to the hospital, where she would get the proper care that she would require.

"Not what humans would consider a doctor, but she has been well trained and has great healing instincts." Eve looked at Roderic with surprise. "I think you'll be pleased with the care she's receiving." he continued.

"I don't know about that, we'll see," she mumbled as she eased by him, trying not to let her body touch his.

Leaning in, he whispered so only she could hear him, "I don't bite, unless you ask me to, that is." She drew a sharp breath, looking into his eyes before she slipped by him and hurried up the stairs.

Brennan walked over to Kevan and gave her a quick hug, grimacing at the gore and smell that covered Kevan from head to toe. "The rest, they okay?" she wanted to know.

"They were fine when I left them, a little bruised and a lot scared, but okay, mostly worried about Raven."

"I told you not to go to that club," Brennan threw at her; unable to resist the _I told you so moment_. "If you would just listen to me for a change ...."

"I knew you couldn't resist. Stop acting like Mum," Kevan hissed at her. "How the hell were we to know that a group of uglies would pick tonight of all nights for a surprise attack?"

"It wouldn't matter. If Myrna hadn't taken the job at that damn club, then you wouldn't be so fascinated with these damn people!" Brennan accused her.

"Ah, excuse me, standing right here," Caleb stated. Brennan looked up at him.

"Why the fuck couldn't you have stayed out of our lives?" Brennan hissed at them. "We were safe before."

"I'm not so sure about that," Kevan interrupted her.

"What are you talking about?" Brennan asked, her concern echoing her voice. Turning back to face Kevan, it was then that she noticed something. "What happened to your eyes?" She demanded, shooting looks at Caleb and Roderic. "What did you do to her?"

"Brennan, would you stop, they didn't do anything to me." Kevan looked around for a mirror. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"What are you talking about?" Caleb questioned. He grabbed Kevan's chin, turning her head so he could see her eyes, but her pendant grabbed his attention as it slipped from under her blouse. Reaching out, gently picking up the cord the stone hung from, carefully inspecting it, avoiding its touch.

"Where did you get this?" he questioned.

"Why?" Kevan asked, stepping back. She couldn't think straight standing so close to him.

"Just answer my question," he asked quietly, but the force behind his voice stilled any argument.

"It's a family heirloom; we all have one," Brennan informed them, carefully watching their reactions.

Caleb looked to Roderic. His look had Roderic moving over to the stairs, yelling, "Catherine, warn Rhiannon and Kayne she's wearing a shield stone!" he told his assistant.

"Thanks for the warning, better late than never. We already discovered it," Kayne stated, sauntering down the stairs, following Roderic back into the parlor.

"Relax", he told them. "Rhiannon realized what it was before we touched it, and the bossy one took it off."

"And the girl, she'll live?" Caleb questioned.

"Rhiannon says she'll be fine in a couple of days. She got to the wound before the infection had a chance to really set in." He paused. "I was kicked out by Eve; I believe she said her name was. Something about needing stitches." Caleb smiled. His cousin didn't take orders well, especially from a woman.

"They all have shield stones," Roderic muttered to himself, more than to anyone in particular. He took a closer look at Kevan's pendant, and with her permission, gently touched it with no problems. It was warm to the fingertips, warmer than her body, which brought his awareness to the bloody mess everyone was covered in.

"Why aren't you worried about touching the pendant, when he was?" Kevan asked as she nodded towards Caleb, "and what does that have to do with my eyes?"

"Because you aren't worried about me hurting you, not Caleb that is another story. As to your eyes, I'm not really sure. I don't even know what they are supposed to look like; we just met." His off-handed remark lightened the tension in the room, allowing them a moment to regroup.

"Where did you get these stones?" he asked Kevan, breaking the moment he had just caused.

"Why?"

"Please, could we have one answer without having to break through the barrier you've erected?" Caleb asked, as he joined Roderic, not liking his friend touching her, but pushing that long unused emotion of jealousy out of his mind.

"They're from a family heirloom," Kevan admitted.

"Kevan!" Brennan hissed. "Don't tell them anything. Let me dole out what I think they can and can't hear."

"Oooh! Would you get over yourself, Brennan! Big deal, what are they going to do, steal them? Can't you see that they are already wary - and I for one would really like to know why?"

"I would love to give you an explanation, but we don't know a lot about them. We only recognize the power in the stones. How long have you had them?" Caleb asked.

Kevan looked up at him, her body reacting to his closeness. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath, inhaling his scent mixed with the remains of battle, and found it intoxicating.

"Are you alright?" he whispered to her. Kevan opened her eyes, blushing as she stepped away from him, shocked at how she was reacting. What a time to get randy.

"What powers are you talking about? They're just stones, what kind, I'm not really sure, but nothing special," Brennan stated, even though she knew that she was lying, that the stones were special.

"How can you say that?" Caleb asked her. "You can feel the power pulsing within the stones. I'm just amazed that they still contain their strength, considering that they have been taken apart from the original."

He saw the look that passed between the women, as they touched their pendants without even realizing what they were doing.

"What was that look for?" he demanded.

"What look, there was no look," Kevan told him, trying to play dumb, but she knew it wasn't working.

"Don't go there, I saw it, we all saw it." Caleb crossed his arms and continued to observe, and then it dawned on him, "Well, well, well!" he exclaimed, looking to Roderic.

"What?" Roderic questioned his friend.

"They have it," he told him.

"What?" Roderic questioned, and then it suddenly dawned on him what Caleb was talking about. Turning to confront Kevan, "He's right, isn't he?"

"We have no idea what you are talking about," Brennan told him defiantly, speaking up as Kevan stared at them, dumbfounded. "We need to get Raven and go home."

"The Stones," Caleb stated with awe, "the Stones of Tarian."

"The what," Kevan questioned, suddenly intrigued, "What are the stones of Tara?"

"Tarian," Caleb corrected, "Don't you know your family history, and how your family came into possession of them?"

"Uhmm ... no. How do you know?" Kevan questioned him, and then looked to Brennan. "How is it that a stranger knows more about our family history than we do?"

"Kevan, not the time or place, we really should get going."

"No," she told her older sister, "I want to hear what they know about the necklace and our family. I mean, until you took it apart, none of us even really liked anything about it but the stones."

"Hold it," Caleb stopped her, his face stunned. "Did you just say that she took it apart?" Excitement danced in his eyes.

"Well, not exactly," Kevan admitted, looking at all in the room. "It's mostly intact, but Brennan did her magic and took some of it apart, and made us each a pendant and earrings from one of the strands of the original a couple of weeks ago."

Caleb and his friends stood in stunned silence.

"Why are you looking at us like that? It was a butt ugly family necklace with some really nice stones. We did what we always do, we made it work for the here and now, at least Brennan does, she's very good at doing that," Kevan explained.

The men looked to Brennan, who was watching warily, "What?" she yelled at them, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's amazing. The stones still retain their power even after you took the necklace apart. You are very talented." Caleb expressed his awe.

"What powers are you talking about? You keep talking about powers and won't tell us what kind, and if you are talking about magic, bullshit! They're stones, they don't have power," Brennan barked.

"Those stones most certainly do have power, and for you to have broken up the necklace without harm from being essentially electrocuted, is amazing," Caleb finished, and then turned to Kayne, "Close your mouth, you're starting to drool. Anyone want a drink? I'm pouring."

Brennan knew in her head it was a compliment, but she didn't want to accept it. She was standing in the home of a cairbare warrior, and she was still alive, they all were, and now they were telling her what an amazing designer she was for taking apart an old necklace. She shook her head, recalling all the stories they'd been raised with that portrayed how evil and untrustworthy these men were.

"Look, we are getting off the topic," she stated, trying to steer the conversation away from them being nice, and back into getting out of there alive, "We aren't here to become friends."

"Brennan, oh my gods," Kevan gasped, giving her older sister a look of shock at her rudeness. "That was completely uncalled for; there was no need to be rude."

"Kevan ..." Brennan interrupted.

"Don't Kevan me, you weren't there!" Kevan informed Brennan, turning to Caleb. "Did they target us?"

"I'm not sure, but they seemed to know who you were." Caleb looked to Brody and Alexander, who had joined them along with the rest of the women. "I don't think they were there specifically for you, but they certainly did come after you when they sensed you."

"Why?" she needed to know. "We've lived our lives minding our own business, staying away from the others. Why would they come after us?" Kevan fingered her necklace. "Could it be the power within the necklace?" she questioned when the thought popped into her head.

"It might be, but more likely they thought you were someone else," Caleb stated, trying to throw her off the trail. Suddenly, he didn't want to involve them in any of this; they seemed too innocent.

"The pendants might have put my family in danger?" Brennan gasped, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach at the thought she might have done something that could have harmed them. "But why now? These have been in the family forever; hell, I've had them in my possession for almost a year. Why wouldn't they have come after them before now?"

"Don't assume anything girl. We don't know why you got caught up in this, but I don't believe in coincidences," Roderic told her. Brennan's glare got even colder as she fumed.

"We'll get rid of them," Brennan's hands grasped at the cord around her neck, "just to be on the safe side."

"I don't think that would make a difference. We don't know you were targeted due to the stones. It could be something else, and the stones are a good protection for you."

Kevan could see the fear in Brennan's face. "Brennan you can't blame yourself. Like he just said, we don't know if the stones are the reason, don't take that on." Kevan tried to comfort her sister.

"But if I am the reason that Raven is upstairs fighting for her life..." Brennan whispered, grasping Kevan's hand, her eyes stricken with anguish.

"Well! I certainly appreciate the vote of confidence you have in my abilities as a doctor, Brennan," Eve stated from the doorway.

"Eve!" Brennan cried. "How is Raven? Do we need to get her to a hospital?"

Eve stared horrified at the state her sisters and cousins were in. She never looked that gory, even after her worst shift in the ER.

"Raven's just fine or she will be. At the moment she's resting, and no, we do not need to get her to a hospital."

"Oh thank god you were able to help her," Brennan sighed. "But they should have taken her to a hospital."

"Normally, I would agree with you, but I can't; it was all Rhiannon. I don't know if what's normal protocol in the ER would have worked. What Rhiannon did, it was unlike anything I have ever seen as a doctor. If you had told me that mixing tree sap and spices while muttering some words over a wound would work, I would have told you to check yourself into the psych ward. But it worked; I saw it with my own eyes. Magic is real ladies, believe me."

"She's being modest," Rhiannon told them. "Given a few lessons in our ways of healing, she will be an even more talented healer than any of your ancestors."

"What about Marcus?" Caleb questioned, his concern for his brother outweighing his desire to not involve them in their battle.

"Marcus is resting somewhat comfortably," Eve informed them. "I'm going to check in at the house and see if there is anything of great grandmother Daphne's that might help, seeing as she was a healer, at least according to Rhiannon here."

"You're joking, right?" Brennan spat at her sister.

"No, I'm not joking," Eve told her sister. "He needs help, and as a doctor, if I can do anything that will help, that's what I'll do."

"This is nuts, two hours ago we had done everything we could to avoid any contact with these..." Brennan looked at the men, "these people and now suddenly we're standing in one of their homes, talking about helping another one of them. Tell me, what is wrong with this picture? Have we all forgotten what they did to Daphne?" Brennan reminded them.

"Hold it right there!" Caleb roared. "That's the second time one of you has made reference to us being responsible for what happened to Daphne. I would like to know what you think we did to her."

"You killed her," Brennan spat at him.

"What, are you crazy!" Roderic and Caleb both exclaimed.

"I think you need to revisit your family history," Kayne stated as he came to stand by his cousin and Roderic. "Why would we have killed Daphne?"

"We were never told why, but we all know the stories. We grew up on them," Kaitlyn said, stepping up beside her sisters with the others gathering behind. "Our family has passed down the story about what you did to Daphne, to ensure that we protect ourselves."

"Protect yourselves from what, us? Are you crazy?" Caleb felt his temper start to rise. "Daphne was our friend, and one of our greatest healers; why would we have done anything to hurt her."

"She was helping one of you when she was killed," Brennan threw at them. "Why would you hurt her when she was trying to help you?"

"Exactly," Roderic's voice rose above the growing murmur of voices. "Why would we hurt someone who only wanted to help? We're not stupid men."

Kevan watched their anger at the accusations thrown their way, and she finally spoke up, "Are you telling us that you had nothing to do with the murder of our great grandmother?"

"Of course we didn't. We've tried more than once to find out who was responsible," Caleb claimed. "Daphne was a great healer, but more importantly she was a great friend to the cairbare. Why would we do anything to hurt her when we needed her? It makes no sense."

"But Great Grandpa Joe..." Eve stopped as it dawned on her. "He lied."

"You don't know that ..." Brennan argued.

"Your sister's correct, we don't know that," Roderic stated, "but here are some facts. Before her murder, we had been friends with your family for a very long time, and after Daphne's murder we were cut off without being given the chance to defend ourselves."

"But why would he lie?" Eve inquired. "What would he have to gain by claiming that you were responsible for Daphne's murder? Why insist that none of his family have anything to do with the care bear."

"Not care bear!" Roderic roared, making them all jump. "It's pronounced, "Kar-bare"

"Kar bare ..." Eve ran it over her tongue a couple of times to get comfortable with it.

"It doesn't matter," Brennan told them, "Care bear or cairbare, whatever, we want nothing to do with you, so if you would kindly get Raven, we'll be on our way."

Kevan looked over at the men, as she continued to run their version through her head when a thought occurred. "What if neither of them is lying?" she blurted out.

"Kevan, what are you doing?" Brennan asked, getting frustrated with her sister's lack of concern. "What does it matter? We're leaving."

"You're wrong, Brennan, it does matter," Kevan stated. "If what they're saying's true, that there really was a friendship for all those years. Don't we need to discover the truth? Don't we need to know who killed Daphne and placed the blame on them?"

"We told you the truth. Your family and the cairbare have been friends for more years than we like to recall," Caleb stated.

Kevan nodded. For some reason she believed he was telling the truth.

"It doesn't matter," Brennan told her again.

"But it does, Brennan. Listen to me, what if Grandpa Joe was telling what he believed to be the truth, and they're telling the truth, too?" Kevan looked back and forth between her family and the cairbare.

"It's either the truth, or not the truth, no in-between," Brennan sighed.

"That's not right either. There is our side, there is their side, and then there is the truth, which lies somewhere in-between. We all know that," Kevan argued with Brennan. "What if it was made to look like it was a cairbare," she looked at Roderic, who nodded at her pronunciation, "only it wasn't. What if it was a set up?"

Caleb was surprised at her deductions, "That would make more sense - cut off access to one of our healers."

"Have you lost many since she was killed?"

"We've lost 5 warriors, almost 6, but Rhiannon has been fighting very hard to save Marcus," Caleb told them.

"Would they have died if the relationship hadn't been severed?" Eve questioned, picking up on what Kevan was getting at.

"I don't know, maybe a couple, it's hard to say," Roderic glanced back and forth between Eve and Kevan. "Why would someone want to interfere with a relationship that has endured for so long?"

"Maybe, because it had endured for so long," Kevan speculated. "I mean, think about it, only something as drastic would sever a relationship that you claim lasted for centuries. What's more drastic then blaming you for the murder of our great grandmother? It certainly worked." Kevan shrugged her shoulders.

"But why? What's so important about our relationship that they were worried enough about it to murder her?" Eve asked the men. They all looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"Okay, what aren't you telling us?" Kevan questioned, frustrated with the evasive behavior. "Don't start hiding things now. If you want us to believe what you're telling us is the truth, you need to tell us everything!" Roderic looked to Caleb and Kayne, and then glanced at his watch.

Caleb spoke up, "Look, it's not that we don't want to clear up this misunderstanding, but it's almost 3 in the morning. We all have bits and pieces of uglies on us, and I think what we all need is to clean up and get some rest. I promise we will explain it all in the morning; I don't think any of us are ready to process anymore tonight."

"What are you hiding?" Brennan demanded, a few of the women muttering agreement.

"Why are you so suspicious?" Roderic accused her.

"Old habits die hard," she told him. "So, again I ask, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing that won't wait until morning; it's been a hell of a night," Caleb told them.

"Fine, then we'll be going if you'll get Raven for us," Brennan ordered them.

"I have a better idea. Your sister's sleeping; why don't you stay the night and we can finish this in the morning," Roderic offered. "Catherine...." She walked in on his first call.

"Yes?"

"We need some rooms prepared for our guests..." Roderic started to instruct, but Brennan interrupted.

"I don't appreciate the presumption that we will stay the night in your house! You'll kill us in our sleep," she finished under her breath.

"Enough Brennan; if you want to go home, then go. I'll stay with Raven and you can pick us up in the morning," Kevan told her.

"Like I would let that happen," Brennan pronounced. "You already have enough of an attraction to them. Who knows what could happen before morning."

"Oh gods, the conspiracy theories have to stop," Eve told her, "I'll stay with them too ... if that's okay with you?" she asked Roderic.

"You're more than welcome to stay," he told her, "all of you if you would like, it's your decision. I have lots of room."

"Thank you," Kevan looked at her sisters. "You make up your own minds, but I am staying here. I don't believe that they'll do anything to us. I'm sore, I smell and I have things clinging to me that I really don't want to know what they are. I need a shower and a clean set of clothes, and then I'm going to pass out for at least 12 hours. The rest of you do what you have to do. Brennan, bring some clean clothes for me in the morning, will you?"

"I can't believe you're willing to stay here," Brennan exclaimed.

"Oh, take a pill Brennan they aren't going to do anything to me, are you?" Kevan looked to Caleb.

"Of course not," Caleb said, pleasantly surprised that Kevan was willing to stay and had voiced reassurances to her family. "We need you more than you need us," he told them.

Roderic looked to Catherine, who stood patiently waiting for further instructions. "Show any one that would like to stay to their rooms, and help find suitable clothes for those who require them. We can launder the ones being worn." Then he turned to Kayne. "Escort those not staying to their cars." Kayne nodded his agreement. "See that they get home safely."

Brennan looked to Kevan and Eve, furious that she had no choice but to stay with her family to ensure their safety.

"Fine, fine, we'll all stay," she spat out, "but if I sense one thing that I think is suspicious, we are so out of here. First thing in the morning, you people are going to explain what's going on, do you understand me?"

"Yes, we understand," Roderic told her, stopping Caleb from blasting her, the hot head. "Young lady, you may think you know all there is to know about us, but you know nothing. We'll prove our worthiness like we did to your ancestors all those years ago."

"We'll see," Kevan told them, then turned to follow Catherine from the room. "My first born for a bath, lead on my good woman."

The sounds of females laughing and voicing their agreement at the same time created a noise the cairbare hadn't heard in a very long time, pleasing and disturbing at once.
Chapter Four

Kevan strolled into the beautiful sunny room overlooking the rear of the property. In the distance, a glimpse of the ocean flashed through the trees. A number of her sisters and cousins had already gathered, enjoying the breakfast buffet laid out, their conversation a familiar comfort. It felt good to be up and moving, clean and rested. Her bed had been amazingly comfortable.

"Good morning." Greeting everyone, she felt surprisingly chipper, yet disappointed there was no sign of the men.

"So, how does everyone feel this fine day? I for one ache everywhere." Words of agreement came back as Kevan noticed a couple of black eyes, numerous scrapes and cuts, and even a few splinted fingers on the ladies gathered around the table.

"How's Raven this morning?" she asked Eve.

"Raven's doing amazingly well this morning. There seems to be no sign of infection and the cut is healing nicely. I expect that she'll be able to go home today."

"Thank the gods," Kevan told her. "If you hadn't gotten here as fast as you did who knows..."

"Whoa, I have to give credit where credit is due. Rhiannon had it all under control by the time I got here. I really had no idea how to deal with what was happening, and all I did was stitch her up. The more I think about it, the more I thank the gods that Caleb brought you here, because if you had taken her to the hospital like you wanted to, we might be dealing with a very different situation today," Eve admitted to Kevan. "It really makes me want to look for Daphne's journals, you know, the ones that Gram told us about. I'm starting to wonder if they might have information that might help us."

"Okay, what are you thinking, that maybe things aren't the way that we have been told our whole life, that maybe the cairbare aren't the bad guys we thought?" Kevan posed. "If that is the case, then why would Grandpa Joe blame them? He had to know that they would never have been responsible for hurting Grandma Daphne. They needed her, right?" Kevan brought up what all of them had been thinking. "That's what Caleb said last night."

"Look, we can second guess all we want, or we can try and discover the truth. I say we try and find the truth," Kaitlyn chimed in. "Now before we badger Kevan anymore, she has to try this coffee! To die for!"

Kevan grinned at her twin, the self-proclaimed coffee addict. "I still wonder why Grandpa Joe was so sure that the cairbare were the guilty ones."

"He's not here to ask, so the best thing for us to do is listen to what the guys have to say and trust our instincts, but do we say anything to the parents?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Oh gods, are you crazy? Nothing will get them here faster than telling them that we are talking to cairbare, never mind that most of you got into a battle, and we slept here. Let's wait and see what happens before we have to cross that bridge," Eve exclaimed, and they all laughed, knowing she was totally right.

"Yes, I think that Mum and Aunt Brianne would stage an intervention if they thought for one moment that we were possibly getting involved with the cairbare."

"I like the sound of the getting involved part, but who do you think would make the best couple?" Roderic teased, as he walked in to the room followed by several of the others. Suddenly the very large room seemed very confining. It was hard not to stare, for they were certainly testosterone filled, beautiful men.

"What?" Caleb questioned Kevan, when he caught her staring at him. Turning away the moment he caught her, she turned red, but as hard as she tried, her eyes repeatedly drew back to him.

"What?" he whispered at her again, "do I have something in my teeth?"

"Nothing ..." she stammered, trying to look anywhere other than at him. Caleb smiled as he watched her struggle for control, realizing with a growing sense of both pleasure and angst that he was having the same problem. It had been quite some time since he felt this exposed.

Kevan looked out the windows, and then let her eyes wander over the large breakfast/sunroom. It seemed the interior hadn't aged since construction, time having no hold on the mansion. The Victorian origins, mixed with personal as well as modern touches, held the occupants with ease, almost motherly in its desire to please. The house was alive in its own right, and acknowledged Kevan's appreciation with a perceptual sigh. Everyone in the room suddenly felt safe, even hugged.

"So what did you not want to tell us last night?" Brennan demanded as she strolled into the room, breaking the spell. The morning stragglers finished making themselves comfortable around the table after helping themselves to the breakfast buffet. Striding up to Kevan, Brennan grabbed her chin and stared at her eyes. "At least your eyes are back to normal."

"Brennan," Kevan pulled away from her.

"No Kevan, they don't start talking, and quickly..." Brennan threatened.

"You're very impatient, aren't you?" Roderic teased when he saw the anger in her face.

"You better believe it. Especially when I feel like we are getting the run around. You promised us answers, and that's the only reason why we're still here, so get on with it," Brennan spat at them, her hostility shining through.

"Oh, my gods, Brennan," Kevan gasped at her sister. "Please forgive her; she was brought up in a barn."

"It's not a problem," Caleb glared at Brennan, "for the moment."

"So," Roderic interrupted, "let me ask you a question." He paused. "How much do you know about the cairbare?"

"Do you really want us to answer that?" Brennan snarked back.

"Thank you that answers' my question. You really don't know much about us except that we exist." Roderic sighed, "Well, maybe I should start with a bit of history of the cairbare."

"I can hardly wait for this," Brennan stated sarcastically.

"Brennan, that's enough," Kevan scolded her, fed up with the attitude. "Either start acting your age or leave. I'm tired of the attitude; it's getting really old, really fast."

Brennan stared at her younger sister; her shock turning to anger showed on her face. "Fine!" she pouted.

"Are we ready?" Roderic questioned them, waiting for their nod. "Okay, I'll give you an overview; unlike Marcus, I don't think we need to know everything the first time," he joked weakly, thinking about his friend lying in a bed upstairs, still so very ill, and nothing had helped so far.

"We're listening," Kevan informed Roderic as they settled back to hear to the history of the cairbare.

"Here we go. The Cairbare origins have been lost over the eons, but we have been around since the beginning of recorded history. For the most part, we have stayed out of the lives of mankind believing that it wasn't really worth the time to get involved in the petty squabbles. Our race left humans alone for a long time, letting them evolve naturally until we discovered that some of the other Races had decided that they were superior to man, and man should be slaves or food.

"We may not have wanted to interfere in the world of man, but we could not stand by and allow the others to subjugate. Our very nature pretty much guaranteed cairbare domination over the others, and we stopped the enslavement of the human race.

"There's been mistrust on all sides and fights still break out, rebellions have started and been quelled numerous times, but for the most part there has been a fragile peace.

"A few centuries back, a couple of the Races got tired of what they considered the cairbares' high handedness. Their belief of their superiority over man fuelled a cult like group that grew in membership. They came up with an idea of trying to either take out the cairbare, or send us into a state of chaos so we'd focus on something other than what they were doing.

"That was when they attacked our prince Niall, trying to kill him, but a human saved him. That was your ancestor, Elizabeth. What none of your ancestors knew was we had knowledge about a family who would have great importance to the cairbare. Not just for their healing powers, but for other attributes, talents really, that would act as a catalyst at some point in the future.

"We've had many friendships over the years, but none has lasted as long as the friendship between us. It was something that we had cherished until 85 years ago when Daphne was murdered. These last numbers of years have been harder than we can ever recall. Things have been happening that we don't quite understand, and we have missed our oldest friends."

Kevan looked to the men seated at the table. "That's it?" she asked.

"It's an overview. I could go into more detail if you would like, but we would be here for days, not just hours," Roderic stated. "Elizabeth Fairbourne was the first of your ancestors to bestow the hand of friendship to us, and we would like to do the same thing with you."

"You haven't told us everything," Brennan accused. "What about that thing about helping you in the future? What is all that about?" They watched as the men exchanged looks. "See," Brennan exclaimed, "they aren't telling us everything!"

"Fine," Roderic growled at Brennan, who was starting to piss him off. "At a time when many families did not live very long, the Prince wanted to ensure that the family of our oldest and dearest friends would be around for a long time, so he consulted an oracle."

"You're joking, right?" Kevan sputtered. "You're telling us that you believe all this bullshit about us being important to the cairbare because of something a fortune teller told you?"

"Not a fortune teller, an oracle," Roderic stated, letting them know that there was a difference.

"They're the same thing," Brennan snorted.

"No, they're not," Roderic told them calmly.

"What difference does it make?" Kevan asked them. "What did this oracle say?"

"The oracle told us that many of the descendants of Elizabeth would be important not only to the cairbare, but also to other Races of the world. The '10' will change the course of the world."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kevan questioned, "What ten?"

"We had no idea for a long time, but Marcus came up with something before he got sick."

"Well, we are sitting here on pins and needles in suspense," Brennan told them, rolling her eyes.

"You're who the oracle told us about," Caleb stated as he stared at Kevan.

"What, are you crazy? Why would I be the answer?" Kevan cried out, misunderstanding him.

"Not just you individually, you all together, you're critical to the all the other races."

"And you came to that conclusion, how?" Brennan questioned.

"I wish we could answer that, but Marcus was unable to explain his findings before he got sick. We'll have to wait until he gets better and then we can ask," Caleb explained. "We believe that you and your family will play an important part in the future."

"You talk like you're guessing at this," Kevan questioned. "You're the ones who talked to this oracle and got this information, so wouldn't you know exactly what kind of role that we play in the future?"

"It's not that easy," Caleb admitted.

"Why not?" she asked him.

"It was an oracle."

"So ..."

"You know how they are."

"Yeah, we consult with them every week to get caught up on our horoscopes," Kaitlyn chimed in, shaking her head. "Like get serious."

"Kaitlyn," Kevan hushed her sister. "We don't know anything about oracles, so enlighten us."

"Did you not learn anything while you were growing up? Did your family not tell you about the other Races? Did you not want to know about us?" Caleb questioned them.

"Where we grew up we didn't see many of the other Races. When we did, our parents told people that we were talking about imaginary friends. When we got old enough, we learned not to tell people that the person standing next to them was not really a human, but a werewolf or a troll or even a demon. People tend to freak out about things like that, and nothing would have gotten us committed faster than telling anyone that we know about a race of immortal warriors that live among us."

"That makes some sort of sense, I guess, but I would have thought you would have asked a lot more questions," Caleb pushed.

"We tried, but our parents never wanted to talk about it, and after a while it just became part of our lives. Now your turn, you still haven't explained about the oracle thing."

"Yes, well, an oracle doesn't tell you straight out what is what," Caleb admitted to them.

"So what did this oracle tell you?"

"Basically a whole lot of stuff, that until you are actually living it, or looking back on it, doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Caleb tried to make them understand.

"They talk in riddles," Kaitlyn piped up.

"Yes, that is exactly it," Caleb thanked her. "Riddles you need to figure out."

Kevan was about to ask another question when Catherine, Roderic's assistant, walked into the room. She leaned over and whispered something into his ear. Giving her a look of surprise and nodding, he began to rise.

"Where are you going?" Brennan demanded, "You still haven't explained anything."

"Look, I've told you everything we have at this time."

"That's nothing. You claim you weren't the ones behind Daphne's murder. Prove it."

"I don't have to prove anything!" he roared at Brennan. "You have already decided that you aren't going to believe one word I say, so what does it matter? Just take your sisters and go; nobody will stop you. We have things that we need to take care of and trying to deal with your inability to trust is just not that important at this point in time!" With that, he walked out of the room, leaving the rest watching each other warily.

"Rather touchy, isn't he?" Brennan remarked with sarcasm dripping from her voice. Caleb lost it with her.

"Considering everything we've done to try and explain that we aren't the animals you continue to try and paint us, I don't blame him for giving up. You say that we're murderers, but here you stand alive and well. You act as if we're beneath you, but we're the immortals, not you. You want us to spill all our secrets, secrets that have kept us alive for thousands of years, saying that if we don't, you won't trust us. Well, trust is a two way street. If you don't want to trust us, nothing we say or tell you is going to change that. It's your choice, and as Roderic told you, nobody will stop you from leaving." Caleb pushed away from the table, looking to Kevan, the most reasonable of them.

"Understand this, we're not perfect. We're not much different from man in that we've made mistakes, big ones, but we've always done all that we could to protect and cherish your family. I don't care what you were told; we're not the ones responsible for Daphne's murder. We've missed your friendship, and rather than getting our hopes up with your return you should just leave, and we'll survive like we always have."

He strode out of the French doors, needing some fresh air to clear his head and calm his nerves. These women would try the patience of a saint.

Kevan turned, staring at Brennan. Seeing her smug smile, she exploded.

"You know Brennan, I love you, but quite honestly, right at this moment, I am so tired of your behavior. I'm an adult and I'm perfectly capable of making a decision regarding whether I want to hear what they have to say and make my own judgment. The way you're acting is embarrassing; have you even for one moment considered that they might be telling the truth? I have; in the past 12 hours they've done nothing whatsoever to hurt us, to make us do their bidding, or any of the other horrible tales that we grew up on, so if you want to continue to act like an ass, do it someplace I don't have to witness it." Kevan stood up to walk away, only stopping when Brennan started screaming.

"You're talking about the way I'm acting! How about how you're acting? Almost from the moment that I got here, you have been completely on their side, believing every word that's come out of their mouths," Brennan accused her. "Since when do you take someone else's side over your family?"

"I can't deal with you when you are like this," Kevan snapped, storming out the French doors, heading in the same direction that Caleb had taken only moments earlier, and before long, she had him in her sight.

Sensing her presence, he stopped under one of the many trees that lined the gardens of Roderic's estate. Kevan could feel him watching her approach, responding to his hungry eyes.

"You're sister is a pain in the ass," he blurted out. "Sorry I don't mean to be rude."

"Don't," Kevan told him, touching his arm, "don't apologize; you're right, she's being a complete ass, and I just told her that, but she's always been very protective of us, it's just part of her make up."

"Why is she so sure we're lying?" Caleb questioned. "As far as I can recall, there was nothing that we found that told us who was responsible for Daphne's murder, and believe me we searched."

"I think the problem is she's been stripped of her confidence. Brennan is not big on change; she loves her routine and you've disturbed it. She had it all figured out, cairbare bad, stay away, but after last night we suddenly have questions, a lot of questions, questions that we never thought that we would even be contemplating, and not just about whether you're telling us the truth. I'm thinking how the hell did I know how to use a blade? Why did I see lightning INSIDE the bar? What's the difference between a Healer and an MD? How old are you guys?"

"Questions we can handle, but just so you know, we'll be tolerant for a while, but our tolerance will only last so long; Brennan's ignorance will dry up the civilized consideration we have for her ways. We've never been known for our patience." Kevan didn't say a word, not really knowing what to say. "You're awfully quiet," he pointed out.

"Well, I don't know what to say," she told him, watching him closely as her heart pounded in her chest. Christ, she felt like a randy teenager.

"Then how about answering a question for me?"

"Okay."

"Why were you at the club last night?"

Kevan smiled. "Well, that's a bit embarrassing to admit," she told him.

"And why's that?" Caleb pushed her.

"It's all your fault."

"Oh and how is it my fault that you went to the club last night?" Caleb inquired, giving her a smile that sent pulses of desire through her already over-sensitive body.

"I was restless."

"What does that have to do with me?" Kevan watched him for a moment, not sure that she wanted to admit the truth, but decided that she had nothing to lose.

"Since I first saw you walking out of the ocean a couple weeks ago, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind," she admitted to him. "I talked my sisters and cousins into going to Sanctuary to try and get you out of my head."

"So, what, you wanted to get drunk or laid?"

"N...Not that, not drunk either. Dance, I wanted to dance you out of my head," she explained. "It's been a tough couple of months, all of us moving in together, we've been crazy busy at the shop, Myrna's attack, now you guys everywhere we turn."

Caleb stepped closer to her, fingers coming up and tracing down her cheek, staring into her eyes.

"Did you like what you saw?" he asked.

"What?" Kevan gasped, blushing as she recalled his image perfectly.

"You're thinking about it right now, aren't you?" Caleb chuckled as he continued to caress her face lightly with his fingers.

Kevan reached up and ran her fingers over the tattooed wrist, relying on peripheral vision. The heat that ran up her arm raised the fine hairs. Barely managing her composure, she continued their conversation,

"Did you know that I would be there?" she questioned him. "It's almost too big of a coincidence. You were looking for us, weren't you?"

"We have been searching for you for a long time," he admitted to her, "and yes, I knew that someone would be there, not who exactly, just someone important."

"How would you know that?" The mutual benefits of the caresses built the desire between them, making words hard to express.

"I just did," he whispered.

"You know, as much as you don't like the way Brennan pushes for answers, I understand it. You guys don't like to give anything away, do you?"

"We've told you all that's necessary," Caleb told her.

Kevan stepped back, cooling the atmosphere, "All that you have deemed as necessary, but not all that you know, correct?"

"Why would you say that?"

"See, you're doing it right now."

"Doing what?"

"You're evading my questions," Kevan accused him.

"I am not evading your questions."

"Oh, don't act like the wounded party. You have that down to a science. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing, we're hiding nothing!" Caleb tried to assure her.

"Of course you are; you know way more about this thing to do with my family than you are letting on. What is it?" Caleb looked away from her.

"See, you're doing it again. You're hiding something! What do you not want us to know? Fuck! You have no idea how much I hate bullshit run around! Great, now I'm swearing, shit!"

"Kevan, we really aren't hiding anything. You're just reading things into my actions to justify your own reactions. Now you had better get back inside before your sister accuses me of molesting you."

"You're just trying to get away from me. You do know something and you're worried about me finding out what it is," Kevan told him.

"No, that is not true!"

"Then why don't you want me around?"

"You want the truth?"

"Of course;"

"The real truth?"

"Yes. Fuck, I hate games"

"I want you out of here, but not for the reason you are thinking."

"Why then?"

"I told you why."

"You didn't tell me anything." Kevan stared at him as he moved towards her, their bodies only a few inches apart from each other.

"I told you, I didn't want your sister to accuse me of molesting you."

"What?" Kevan's entire body pulsed with hot need.

"It'd be better if you left now before something happens that you can't take back," he whispered in her ear.

Her entire body felt heavy with need, as his hands traced up and down her arms and back. His head bent so his lips were almost caressing hers, their breaths mingling together. Her heart pounded in anticipation, her tongue darting out, wetting her suddenly dry lips. A smile creased his mouth as his eyes devoured hers.

"If you stay out here I am going to do a lot more than just kiss you like I really want to," he promised.

"Like what?" Kevan asked, needing to know his answer, silently willing him to lean in closer, and smiling as their lips touched ever so lightly. She reached up, cupping his cheeks as he gave a very gentle kiss, lips touching then pulling apart, with the promise of more to come.

"You're a very beautiful woman Kevan Cameron. I would like nothing more than to strip you naked right this moment, and do anything I want to you, because you'd let me." He stroked her lips with his teeth, sending the most intense shivers through her body. "You're a temptation I have to resist." He kissed her lips once more before stepping back from her, leaving her body pulsing with a desire and a need she never knew existed.

"Resist? My god, you're arrogant. What about what I want?" she finished with a grab of his butt, allowing only a whisper of pressure to the front of his jeans.

"For the moment you're safe from my arrogance," he told her as he cupped her cheek, "but only for the moment."

"Kevan!" she heard in the distance, as she watched his face, noting how quickly he shuttered his eyes, covering the desire that just seconds ago raged within them. "Kevan!" she heard again.

"Someone's calling you," he told her reluctantly.

"I heard. It's my sister, Kaitlyn."

"You should answer. Don't want to worry her."

"Are you sure?" Kevan asked him, not wanting to stop what was happening between them.

"No I'm not, but we had better," Kevan nodded. "I'm here, Kaitlyn!" she yelled to let her know where she was, but her eyes never left Caleb's.

Kaitlyn found them still standing only a few feet apart watching each other.

"Everything okay here?" Kaitlyn questioned her twin sister, observing the looks passing between Kevan and Caleb.

"Yeah, everything is just fine," Caleb told Kaitlyn. "Ladies, I will see you later." He turned and walked back towards the house, glancing over his shoulder once before they lost sight of him. Kaitlyn looked at her mesmerized sister.

"Did I interrupt anything?" she wanted to know.

"No, nothing," Kevan assured her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, why would you think otherwise?" Kevan asked, not making eye contact, knowing that her twin would see the truth in an instant.

"Oh my gods, you are such a bad liar, it's not even funny. The two of you have enough sparks flying between you to start not only a fire, but a whole goddamn freaking forest fire," Kaitlyn laughed. "So, is he a good kisser?"

"What?" she tried to bluff her way out of it, "We didn't kiss."

"Don't lie to your sister, Kevan. I know you kissed, I can see it on your face."

"Kaitlyn, I'm really starting to think that you're losing it."

"No, no I'm not, but I think you are," Kaitlyn started giggling. "Oh my gods, you like him, really like him, don't you?"

"What? No," she looked into Kaitlyn's face, unable to lie. "Oh gods, what am I going to do?" Kevan cried, rubbing her arms. "That man stirs feelings within me unlike anything I've ever felt before." She shook her head, "And if you tell anyone, I will do something dastardly to your beloved t-shirts collection."

"Oh my dear sister, when have I ever..." Kevan gave her twin a look. "Okay, don't answer that, but a word of warning: you know that if Brennan gets even a hint of the chemistry boiling between you two, she'll go all ballistic on your ass, and lock you up till the next century."

"Believe me, I know how Brennan would react, or more likely overreact," Kevan sighed. "She would castrate Caleb with a pair of pruning shears, or any one of those guys if she thought that they were looking at us crossed-eyed.

"Oh, I think that is only a small part of what she would do to you if she figures out what is happening between you two."

"Nothing is happening between us," Kevan whispered, even though she knew it was a lie.

"Kevan, don't lie to me or to yourself. Chemistry is chemistry, and that's what you two have in spades."

"Oh gods, what am I going to do, Kait?"

"My dear sister, if I have to tell you what you have to do, we really need to talk about your past dating history."

"Would you knock it off, this isn't a joking matter. Why the hell does the first guy I have been attracted to in forever, have to be one that's off limits?" Kevan wailed.

"Like I said, you have chemistry in spades, so go for it."

"You're so not helping, sister dear."

"You're thinking too much; you can't fight chemistry so enjoy it while you can and deal with the fallout afterwards."

"Fallout? We are talking nuclear fallout if Mum and Aunt Brianne found out that I have a thing for a cairbare, not to mention what Dad and Uncle Gavin would do. Forget Brennan, she's a puppy dog compared to them."

"Well, you have to make a decision, don't you? Do you live your life the way they want, or do you live your life the way you want?"

"It's so easy for you, isn't it?"

"Easy? You're my sister and I want you to be happy. I'm trying to look at this from both sides, but I know you well enough to tell you that if you don't admit that you like this guy, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. As I said before, chemistry is chemistry, and that you have in spades."

"Yes, I heard you the first time," Kevan shook her head.

"Spades ..." Kaitlyn laughed, holding her hands up, shaking them to empathize what she was saying.

Kevan took off, heading for the house with Kaitlyn following right behind her, laughing and shouting, "In spades," at her twin's back.
Chapter Five

Eve stood in the middle of the library staring in amazement at all the books shelved floor to ceiling. Her eyes couldn't believe the beauty of the old mahogany shelving that filled every wall. She had never seen so many books outside of a bookstore or public library. She had seen magazines with pictures of large private collections in one place, but not like this.

"You look a little shocked." Roderic's voice swung her head around, as she glanced over her shoulder at Roderic, who was leaning against the door frame.

"Sorry, I was just thinking to myself that I have never seen so many books in one place, unless you count the library or a bookstore," she admitted, "and you have quite the collection; from the classics, to westerns, nonfiction, and bios. There seems to be a bit of everything, and I noticed that your collection has some remarkable ancient works that any museum would kill for. Christ, how did you get scrolls?"

"When you've been around as long as we have, you learn to appreciate certain things." Roderic pushed away from the door frame, and moved further into the room. "Books are one of my passions; from William Shakespeare to Mickey Spillane, I love them all, especially scrolls."

"So I see," Eve stated, running her fingers over the spines of the books. "Anything about healing?" she questioned.

"A great number, some very old. If you would like to borrow any, please feel free; except the scrolls, you'll have to stay here to see those."

"Thank you. I take it that there is nothing in any of those that have helped your friend Marcus?"

"Sadly, it would seem not. We have always relied on our healers, but there seems something different about this."

"What do you mean?" Eve questioned him, her medical training kicking in.

"Well, we tend to be a very healthy bunch, for the most part. We do not get your typical human illness, colds, flus etc."

"Aren't you lucky?" Eve stated with a sour note of envy in her voice.

"Please don't take that the wrong way. Our body chemistry must be different, and we are lucky enough to be immune to those things. We can be poisoned, or killed from other injuries, but most of the time we will heal. So, when this thing felled Marcus, we didn't take it as seriously as I guess we should have at first. But you would need to know Marcus. He's a very stubborn man, and for the longest time he wouldn't even admit that it was anything other than a headache, but now he has been sick for almost three weeks. We have no idea what's causing it, let alone know what to do to make him better."

"You're close?" Eve asked him.

"We're all close. We have been together for centuries. It tends to do that."

"And Marcus is the strong silent type."

"I wouldn't let him hear you describe him that way, but I would say that you hit the nail right on the head. Marcus is, was, our General at one time. He takes everything very seriously, and doesn't have time for the frivolous side of life."

"Sounds like a family member of mine, too. So what was he doing before he got sick? Was it anything different than the usual?" Eve probed for information.

"That's part of the problem; Marcus has a tendency to do things without informing the rest of us. He still thinks he's protecting us, you know, kinda like your sister, Brennan."

"I thought you guys told each other everything?" Eve questioned.

"Why would you say that? We share many of the same traits as humans; we treasure our privacy the most. Marcus told Caleb and Kayne that he had discovered something, but he didn't elaborate."

"You were preoccupied with other matters, so you didn't ask for clarification, and now your general can't talk," Eve probed.

"Yes, we were trying to get to the bottom of the rumours about the attack on Sanctuary. That took priority, and then the next thing we knew, he was getting sicker. I hadn't given his discovery another thought until just now."

"So whatever he was doing could be where he came into contact with whatever is making him sick."

"Yeah, I wouldn't know where else to start." Roderic didn't appreciate how useless a lack of information made him feel.

"You said that he started feeling sick, what, about three weeks ago?"

"Yes, he complained about having a hell of a headache to Caleb."

"Headaches, you make it seem like that's unusual, why?"

"Because it is; we normally don't get headaches," Roderic explained.

"Oh, you're lucky."

"He tried aspirin for a bit, but after a while it didn't work, next came the sore muscles and cold, and he constantly complained that he's cold."

"You make that seem strange; most people, when they are sick, have lots of complaints."

"That's because you don't know Marcus. He never complains about anything. For him to talk to us about these maladies is not in his character. This is serious."

"Okay, did he get cut or anything like that?"

"We don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"If we get cut we heal fairly quickly, so if he had been cut we wouldn't know about it. Since he has been under my roof, he has been in and out of consciousness, so we haven't been able to question him about anything. Rhiannon is very concerned that nothing she does seems to be helping. There are times when he appears to be getting better, and then suddenly he takes a turn for the worse again."

"How long has she been treating him?"

"He's been here for a week. We have eons of experience based on the knowledge of the healing arts, and to be unable to combat Marcus' illness is very disturbing."

"But you said that he started complaining about things almost three weeks ago." Eve's confusion showed on her face.

"Yes, to Caleb and Kayne, but you have to understand, as I already explained, Marcus is a general, and a general does not complain to his men when he is not feeling well. It wasn't until Caleb told me that he had been trying to get a hold of him for a couple of days without any luck that we went to check on him, and found him in bed, sick."

"So there was nobody around to watch over him?"

"Normally there is, but Fredrick and Margaret, his butler and housekeeper, are away for their daughter's wedding, and Marcus insisted that he could do without assistance for the month."

"So you don't know what happened the first few days that he was really sick? Certainly makes thing harder, but not impossible. Okay, since you found him, other than what you have already told me, what have his symptoms been?"

"I wish I could tell you; ask Rhiannon, she'll have it all recorded somewhere."

"Okay, I will..." Someone yelling in the foyer stilled Eve's tongue.

***

"Get the hell away from me, woman!" roared the man standing in the middle of the foyer, as he staggered back and forth, barely able to stay on his feet. Catherine and Rhiannon stood on either side of him waiting to catch him when he fell.

"You can barely stand up! Where the hell do you think you are going, Marcus?" Rhiannon pleaded with him.

"Marcus, what are you doing?" Roderic demanded of his friend. The illness in Marcus was evident in the obvious weight loss, and the fever that was ravaging his body, burning in his eyes.

Roderic winced when Marcus bellowed, "Why the hell didn't you tell me that Niall's coming?" he demanded. "I have to find out by overhearing Rhiannon and Catherine talking. I should have been informed immediately."

"I found out two hours ago. Besides, what difference would it make? You're sick!"

"I'm well enough to deal with Niall. Where the hell are my clothes?" he yelled at the women. Roderic motioned for everyone to back off, leaving Marcus teetering on his unsteady legs.

Eve watched as what little colour was in Marcus's face drained away in his struggle to stay upright. Her entire demeanor changed as she went into doctor mode. Walking up to a rapidly fading Marcus, she grabbed his arm, and steered him to a chair.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" she demanded, checking her patient's pulse when he collapsed in the cushioned chair.

"Who are you?" he demanded of her.

"I'm your doctor, that's who I am, and you will get back into bed, right now," she ordered him.

"I have a job to do," he tried to tell her, but she wasn't listening. "Caleb," he pleaded with his brother.

Eve glared a challenge to Roderic and the others who had joined them. "No," Eve ordered, "I'm the doctor here, not you, so what I say goes. You're not well enough to do anything, and unless you can tell me what is wrong with you, you will do as you are told."

Marcus pushed her away, using his quickly waning strength to push himself to his feet. Swaying back and forth, he stayed quiet, too sick to argue, only strong enough to stare at her.

"And here I was under the impression that you were going to be stubborn. Gentlemen, get him back into bed," she ordered Caleb, who was standing close enough to grab him when he fell.

"I'm fine," Marcus argued, as he attempted to shake off their hands.

"Marcus," Caleb told him, "you're not fine."

"But Niall will want to see me, we have much to discuss. The sorceress, the attack on Sanctuary..."

Roderic stepped next to his friend, holding Marcus up, "Stop my friend; the rest of us can help. Kayne, Caleb, and I will see to it. Trust us, okay?" Marcus sagged into his brother's arms.

Caleb looked at their cousin, Kayne, who along with one of the others had picked him up. "Take him back to his room please."

Eve watched as her patient was carried back up the stairs, before turning to face both Caleb and Roderic, seeing their worry for Marcus.

"He's not good," she told them. "I would really like to do some blood work, and maybe a CAT scan."

"Why?" Caleb wanted to know.

"Why? Because he is a very sick man and those tests might tell me what it is I need to know in order to make him better." She watched the looks that past between them. "What?" she demanded.

"Well ..." Caleb hesitated.

"Oh gods, you are unbelievable. You may think you're indestructible, but you're still flesh, blood, and bone. If you want me to help, then you have to let me do what I need to in order to make that happen."

"Fine, draw your blood, but I'm sure it won't show you anything," Caleb told her.

"We'll see," Eve told him, as she walked away to check on both her patients. Kevan watched the entire drama unfold from the door of the breakfast room.

"So, is that why Roderic left the room earlier? Niall, your Prince, is coming?" Caleb turned to face Kevan.

"So it would seem," he stated.

"You don't seem too concerned?"

"Unlike your Princes, Niall doesn't really go for the pomp and circumstance. He has the title and the position, but he is just one of us; as your sister has just pointed out, we are still only flesh, blood, and bone," Caleb explained. "All we need to do is make sure that we have a room ready, stock up on our tequila, and have a car ready for him. Niall... how do I say this in mixed company?"

"Niall's a party boy, and that's what he's here to do," Brody added, appearing from the den.

"Exactly," Caleb agreed.

Kevan was tempted to bug Brody about ghosting about, appearing from some unseen room, but stilled her tongue before it got carried away.

"So, now tell me, why didn't you want Eve to draw blood?"

"What are you talking about? I agreed to let your sister draw blood," Caleb told her.

"Only after you thought about it for a minute; you really didn't want to let her do it, but you're worried enough about Marcus, and how sick he really is, that you agreed to it."

"Your point being...?"

"We humans, if we're lucky, can live to be hundred or so. How long do you live?"

"What difference does that make?"

"That's what you're worried about, that something might show up in your blood that could expose you to the whole world," Kevan stated. "You have to admit that the knowledge of the other Races in the general population would cause a huge problem for you guys. You could be kidnapped and experimented on, to see what makes you tick."

"Yes, correct, we're worried about the wrong person seeing the blood work, and what it might reveal," Caleb admitted.

"I'm surprised you've never had it tested before, just to know what would show up. I'm also kinda surprised you don't have physicians in your ranks."

"That would mean trusting someone outside of our circle, and that isn't something we do easily, just like some others we are getting to know," Caleb admitted. "Remember, we're warriors by nature. Field first aid we can do, but none of us has had the interest to study further."

"Well, if you are really worried, talk to Eve, she's a Doctor, she wouldn't do anything that would put you in harm's way. Eve took an oath, which she takes very seriously. Explain your concern; you might be surprised by her response." Caleb watched her for a moment.

"If I thought for one moment that she would do any harm to my brother, she wouldn't have gotten within ten feet of him. She's a healer, so we have to trust that she will put the good of her patient ahead of anything else. We've spent centuries protecting ourselves from discovery, because we believe that the world isn't ready for the knowledge of us yet."

"I would have to agree with you on that," Kevan stated.

"I'm glad we can agree on something. Please tell your sister that it's not only Marcus' life, but all of our lives in her hands," he paused, letting that sink in. "We're placing our trust in you, all of you, whether you want to believe it or not." He turned and strode up the stairs, followed closely by Roderic. Kevan watched them before she turned at the sound of Brennan's voice.

"You're really are going to trust them," Brennan had stayed quiet during the exchange with Caleb, but her face promised a lecture, "aren't you?"

"They've proven trustworthy so far," Kevan stated.

"We've known them, what, 16 hours, and you're making assumptions that they are totally good. Don't you remember our family history at all?"

"Yes Brennan, I remember our family history, and no I am not assuming that they are totally anything. Until they prove that they aren't trustworthy, or I sense that something is off, I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt."

"Just know, by the time you're proven wrong, or sense something, it might be too late," Brennan reminded her. "You can go ahead, give them the benefit of the doubt; I'm going to go home, I have a shop to open. Raven's well enough to go home, so we are going. You can do as you wish."

Kevan watched her sister start to walk away. "You're really upset," Kevan threw at her, "because I want to give someone the benefit of the doubt?"

"Kevan, I'm disappointed that you can brush aside our family history so easily. I can't; I'm sorry, it's just not in me. I have chosen to believe what our parents and grandparents have told us. I'm not giving the cairbare the benefit of the doubt, and once I leave here, I will do everything I can to ensure that we stay away from them, permanently."

"Brennan, when did you become so judgmental, couldn't they be telling us the truth? That is a very real possibility, you know."

"Kevan, you don't get it. It doesn't matter if they're telling the truth or not."

"How can you say that?"

"You're so blinded by a misguided perception in your head that makes you want to think of these men as being needy. You want to embrace them, and make things all better, but you have to take that risk on your own, because I can't take it with you. I think that the chance that they aren't what you're hoping is too great, but as you have told me many, many times, you're an adult and can make your own choices. I just hope the rest of you aren't so easily swayed." Brennan looked to the others who were watching and listening. "I don't like the way you want to throw everything aside, and accept everything they tell you without asking any questions."

"That's bullshit and you know it! I have lots of questions, but the thing is, I'm willing to ask them and listen to the answers; why aren't you?"

"Because I don't care about either the questions or the answers, I care about our family. You need to think long and hard about the choices you're about to make, Kevan, because it could be something that you can't come back from," Brennan informed her, as she headed towards the front door.

"You make it sound like it's an either or situation," Kevan yelled after her. "If I choose to listen, I lose you; that's not fair, why should I have to choose?"

"We all have to make choices, Kevan, choices that we may not like, but choices none the less. So think long and hard on what you really want; otherwise it'll have to be you live your life, we'll live ours." Brennan sighed without looking at her.

"And never the two shall meet again," Kevan supplied for her.

Brennan stopped at the front door and looked at her sister, "You're my family Kevan. I will never turn you away, but I refuse to take the risk you seem so eager to embrace. Do as you wish; just don't involve me. That's all I have to say about this." Brennan moved out of sight.

Kevan suddenly felt very lonely, something she had never felt before. She looked around at the other members of her family. "So, are you all going to cut me out of your lives if I decide that I want to find out the truth?" Kevan demanded of them. Myrna walked over to her cousin, giving her a quick hug, but she didn't say a word as she followed Brennan out the door. One by one, the others followed suit, until she stood alone in the foyer, her heart breaking as fast as her resolve had set in.

Brody stood just out of sight as he watched the interaction between Kevan and her family. He liked Roderic's house for the way the doors seemed invisible, tucked in beside massive bookcases or cabinets. Bedrooms and baths had doors so deeply recessed that the halls seemed blank, colour masking telltale shadows. The doors in the kitchen blended in with the fridges. It was kind of spooky how people would just seem to appear.

At first, he was tempted to turn and walk away, leave her to her battles, but something stopped him and he turned back, seeing the tears slide silently down her face. She needed a friend, he understood that, recalling a time in his life when someone had held out a hand in friendship when he had thought he was alone. He walked up behind her, touching her arm, turning her to face him. "You alright?"

Reading the concern in his face, "I don't know," she whispered, as emotions bubbled up, and she fought not to let it out. "It's always been us, all of us against the world. Now I feel like I'm all alone."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Looking up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, "I've got to get out of here," her voice cracked as she tried to keep it together.

"Come on, let's take a ride," he offered, "maybe it'll help you forget your worries, at least for a little while."

Kevan stared at him. "A ride." she felt that instant, what would Bren say before nodding her agreement. Taking the offered hand, she followed him out of the house, climbing on the back of his waiting bike.
Chapter Six

Kevan held on as Brody accelerated around another curve in the road, passing a sign, Cedar Rd. Ahead. She couldn't believe they were in Mission already. When they had left Crescent Beach, she wanted to throw out her arms and scream at the top of her lungs, but the speed at which Brody was flying down the road wasn't exactly conducive to that action. Brody had taken them past Sanctuary, just to see if there was any crime tape wrapped around the building. There wasn't even a scrap of litter against the door. All of Front Street was quiet, no one in the dumpster, and no traffic.

When they finally got out of Maple Ridge, Brody was able to fly down Lougheed Highway to Ruskin, and a fast pull past the pub had taken them north to Dewdney Trunk Road. Brody hadn't slowed much, racing through the forest-lined curves that lead to Mission. Brody eased back to a moderate pace to get through the neighbourhoods until they passed the hospital in Mission, and back to the highway, picking up speed at the Mission Bridge.

Shifting gears was subconscious as he wove his Ducati through traffic, giving his brain the time to notice the same dark SUV that he had seen for the last few miles, following them about four cars back.

Kevan heard Brody yell, "Hang on!" She tightened her grip around Brody's waist, as she felt the bike rev and surge through more traffic.

Brody loved how the Ducati jumped to his command, as he attempted to increase the distance between him and the ones that seemed to be following them. Checking once again in the mirror, he smiled to himself as the SUV got stuck behind an old beater and a commercial truck. Abbotsford became a blur in his rush to get to Highway 1 and back into the city. He didn't see the SUV on the freeway, but decided at the last minute to cut across the lanes and leave the number 1 at the 264th exit. Within minutes, they were out of sight in a quiet residential area. They kept moving, only at a much more reasonable speed.

Finally, he came to a stop in front of a small park. Kevan bounced off the back of the bike, twirling around as the adrenaline surged through her.

She looked at Brody, "Raven always talks about what a rush it is to drive a motorcycle, but I've never been on one before." Brody laughed as he watched her reaction. "Oh gods, if I had known what it was like, I'd have learned to drive one long before now."

"You had better watch out, they can be addicting," he warned her. "I'm just glad to see a smile on your face. Are you feeling better?"

"I feel on top of the world, but what's with the daredevil stuff? Not that I didn't enjoy the rush, but you must have pissed off at least a dozen drivers by shooting across the freeway the way you did. Why not wait for the next exit?"

"That would defeat the purpose." Brody loved keeping people guessing, but Kevan was getting a little pissed-off.

"What are you talking about? What the hell aren't you telling me?"

"Well Dude, by taking the exit at the last minute, I was trying to prevent our tail from being able to follow us." He smiled as he watched Kevan's fist clench and unclench, as she decided when she was going to punch him if he didn't get to the point. "Hey, it's what they would have done in the movies."

Kevan let out a howl of frustration, "I hate to burst your bubble, Brody, but we ain't in the movies, and who the hell would be following us? By the way, it's Dudette, not Dude for women, but know that you take your life in your hands if my sisters or cousins hear you calling them Dudette!"

Brody laughed. "I'll try to remember that. Now for the problem at hand, I don't know who was in the SUV, but we picked them up about a mile after we left Mission, and they've been on our tail ever since," he told her.

"What?" she gasped, looking over her shoulder, not seeing anyone, "Are you sure they were following us? Why would someone follow us?"

"You got me there. I could have asked, but I didn't really think you'd want me to stop," Brody shrugged. "If you do we could always go back and find them."

"Smart ass! Now focus, why would somebody be following us? It's not like this was planned, we didn't exactly have a destination in mind, and there doesn't seem to be any fallout from last night. This doesn't make any sense. Until last night, my family hasn't interacted with any of the races except in minor ways for a very long time, so it's not as if they would be looking for us. Something about this doesn't feel right," she babbled at him, confusion and anger reigning.

"Yeah dude, excuse me, dudette, you might be onto something," Brody said. He wished he had gotten a better look at the license plate, but he had other things, like losing their tail and not crashing, on his mind. Man, now he was going to have to explain that to Caleb.

"What could you have that they would want?" Kevan pushed him.

"That's just it, I have nothing, I doubt they're after me," Brody told her.

"What are you saying that they are after me? Oh please, I have nothing that anyone would want, so thinking they're after me is ridiculous," Kevan laughed, "It's not like we have money."

"I wish it was something as simple as money," Brody reached out and touched Kevan's pendant, "but I don't think it is."

"Brody, you're crazy," she told him. "Why would they want some stupid stone?"

"I didn't say they were after your pendant, just that it's a possibility. Now, I have to call Caleb." He groaned at the thought.

Kevan reached out, gripping Brody's arm, her eyes wide with alarm as thoughts flashed through her brain. "Cripes, my brain is firing on half its normal power! If it is the pendant they're after, then my family could be in danger; we all have them." She gripped his arm even tighter, making him wince.

"Kevan, don't worry, this whole thing could be nothing. Besides, the guys will protect them." Brody attempted to reassure her.

"I don't know what to think anymore. After last night, the little we've learned about the necklace, it could be something someone might want." She rubbed her arms, "I don't know how to deal with this stuff. It all just seems like a story, and we're waiting to catch a glimpse of the ending. How do you deal with all the other races?" she said, as she rubbed the pendant.

Brody pulled out his cell phone hitting a speed dial number, and waited while it rang. "You make the other races sound like a disease ...." he stopped and held up his finger when the voice answered. "Hey Caleb, how's it going ... really, that's great... what ...? Look, I really don't want you to get mad, but we may have a problem here." He paused, listening to Caleb on the other end of the phone. His face told Kevan the whole story. "We ... oh, Kevan is with me... No I didn't have an accident... Yes we're both fine... Someone was following us... No I lost them... Yes she's fine... Yes I'm sure... We're in Aldergrove... We're heading back ASAP....Where.... Okay... I will... No detours... Yes Caleb, I promise... I promise... I promise... Caleb... We'll see you soon." Kevan grabbed his arm and mouthed my family to him. "Caleb, Kevan's worried that her family might be targeted ... Thanks, I'll tell her... Thanks again, Caleb, see you soon." He closed his phone, feeling a little green. "He's so pissed ...." came out in a whimper.

"I take it that he's a little upset?" Kevan questioned him, slightly amused.

"Oh, I'd say that's an understatement," Brody half joked. "Come on, we had better get moving. Caleb wants you safe, ASAP."

"What about my family?" she questioned.

"He's sending someone to check on them. Now we need to get moving, get you someplace safe."

"And where, pray tell, would that be?" Kevan asked him.

"Caleb's," Brody informed her as he got back on the bike, handing her the helmet he had loaned her. "Come on, let's move."

"What if I don't want to go to Caleb's?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Kevan, please, Caleb is so pissed. He accused me of being reckless with your life, so just get on so we can get moving. He is expecting us."

"Brody, I don't understand why you are so worried? He's not my husband or even my boyfriend, and even if he was, I don't take orders from him," she told him defiantly.

"You might not, but I do; remember, I work for him."

"I thought you worked with him? Roderic said something about you being an investigator?"

"I'm a bit of everything, investigator, computer tech, and general guy Friday. They need it, and I make it happen. I'm the magic man," he stated, acting like a big goof, sliding his hands out to his sides, shaking them, making Kevan laugh, shaking her head.

"Oh really, well tell me Mr. Magic man, why are you jumping to his bark? You're acting like a trained seal," Kevan threw at him.

"Because they pay my salary for one thing, and beyond that, they're my family, so when Caleb tells me that he wants you at his place, that is exactly where we are going. Stop arguing, get on the bike, and quit being such a baby." He waited for her to get on the bike.

"One, I'm not a baby, and calling me one is a definite way to ensure that you end up singing soprano," she threatened him, "and two, what did the vehicle look like that was following us?"

"Why...?" he asked.

"Was it a dark blue or black SUV?" she asked him, as she pulled on the helmet.

"What the f..., it's not possible!" he exclaimed, twisting to look over his shoulder, "How the hell..!" Hitting the starter, the bike belched to life, Kevan sliding on the back. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" he yelled, slamming it into gear, taking off like a rocket. Kevan held on tight. A glance behind them showed the SUV barreling its way towards them at a high rate of speed.

Brody swerved in and out of traffic, attempting to stay ahead. He tried everything he could to lose the SUV, but they seemed to have a horseshoe up their ass, because no sooner had he thought they were in the clear, the dark SUV would show up again. Kevan thought for sure she was going to die, as Brody raced down 8th towards Langley at insane speeds, passing traffic in a blur, and then turning the bike down 208th.

"How the hell are they finding us?" Brody hollered, his words echoing Kevan's thoughts, as he flew around another corner, just barely avoiding a delivery truck parked illegally. Pulling around the truck, Brody stopped in front of the casino. Waiting to see if they had finally lost them, he handed his phone to Kevan.

"Call Caleb, tell him we're leaving Langley, and coming in fast with company. We should be at his house, in Point Grey, in about 45 minutes, have the gates open." Just then, the SUV came squealing around the corner. "Dammit, these guys are really starting to piss me off, nobody's that good! I know roads in this city that most don't; how the hell are they finding us?" Kevan grabbed the phone, holding tight with one arm, hitting the redial button for Caleb's number, barely hearing it ring, and then the boom of Caleb's voice.

"Where the hell are you?" he roared. "Brody ...?" he questioned, when he didn't hear anything.

"Just listen," Kevan yelled into the phone, trying to hear him over the roar of the wind coming in the open face shield of her helmet, the phone's earpiece just fitting inside the helmet.

"Kevan," his heart clenched at the tone of her voice. "What's wrong?"

"Listen," she yelled again, "Brody said to tell you we're leaving Langley and coming in fast with company, have the gates open."

"Where are..." Caleb yelled.

Kevan had snapped the phone closed, shoving it into her pocket so she didn't lose it.

Caleb growled with frustration at being cut off, "I'm going to kill Brody, I swear, first his bike, then him." Punching a button on the security panel, opening a video conference connection to the security gate, "Be ready to open the gate on my command," he told Kayne. "They're coming in fast with company, so have everyone at the ready."

"They?" Kayne questioned his cousin, hearing the controlled anger in his voice.

"Yes they. Brody has Kevan Cameron with him, and it would seem that they've picked up an unwelcome follower."

"Brody hasn't lost them?" Kayne was surprised.

"Not yet," Caleb growled.

"Hey, you know that he wouldn't have put her in danger deliberately."

"I don't care at this moment, he has her on the back of that bloody bike of his, and they are both in danger. That bike's toast the first chance I get," Caleb roared.

"Caleb, do you know how often you have threatened that? He's young and cocky, but he's one hell of a rider, and he'll get her here in one piece, you know that." Kayne smiled.

"I know he will, but he shouldn't have taken her out in the first place," Caleb argued.

"Caleb, you need to stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop acting like she's your personal property," Kayne warned him.

"Don't lecture me! If he had used that brain in his head, she would still be at Roderic's, safe, not on the back of his bike in a god damn car chase."

"Brody wouldn't have taken her out, if he thought it wasn't safe. Hell, I wouldn't have even given it a second thought, would you?" Caleb didn't like it when Kayne was right.

"Be ready to open the gate when I say so," Caleb ordered. "Have one of the guys check on Kevan's family, she's worried that they could be in danger." Kayne threw him a roman salute with a smirk, while closing the connection. Caleb rubbed his face; a million things raced through his head as to what could go wrong.

***

Brody took another turn and knew they were on the home stretch. He had done everything he could to avoid any stoplights so that they weren't vulnerable, but they still had to get off the city streets. How they managed to avoid getting pulled over for speeding in the run through Surrey, or wiping out every time Brody had to weave through traffic on their way to the Oak Street Bridge, was inexplicable.

Kevan was getting tired and could feel cramps starting in her legs, unaccustomed to the long ride. As they hit 4th, Brody shouted over his shoulder, "Almost there!" but she barely heard him. Sensing a slight easing of the tension in his body told her they must be getting close. She was surprised how quickly they had covered the Lower Mainland. Being on a bike made the insane speeds possible, but she could still feel the last brush with a bumper during a shoulder lane pass, and the look of anger on the woman driver's face when Brody darted in front of her Acura.

Kevan risked another glance over her shoulder, checking on their pursuers, and saw they were about three cars back, but for some reason they didn't seem to be trying to get any closer. A sudden downshift and braking made the back tire squeal, as Brody turned the bike down the back alley behind a strip mall, coming to a screeching halt, when they saw another black SUV at the far end of the alley.

"That explains why they didn't try and get any closer," Kevan shouted. "They're not alone." She looked around at where they were; something about this place was familiar, "Where are we?"

"We're in an alley behind...."

"4th," Kevan finished, feeling stupid. "I know how to get out of here."

"How?" Brody questioned, letting the clutch move them slowly, keeping an eye on both vehicles trying to surround them.

"Keep going, one more building, there," she pointed out a narrow gap between the buildings, just large enough for the bike to fit through. It was a pedestrian walkway dividing the old mall and the newer add-ons.

"You are a goddess!" Brody shouted. They both heard the vehicles gunning down the alley. "It's going to be a narrow fit, so hold on tight." Brody throttled up and shot down the walkway, making Kevan tense, hoping no one would come out one of the back shop doors. She closed her eyes, and prayed when they popped back onto 4th, causing the screech of brakes behind them when they blew the red light.

"Alright baby, Caleb's is only about 5 minutes from here." Kevan leaned her head against his back.

"Thank the gods," she whispered. "I don't know how much more I can take... Dammit," she pointed out the SUV racing towards them. "What the hell is with these guys? Do they have a tracking device on us, or what?"

"It a very distinct possibility," Brody stated, "I don't know about you, but I am getting really tired of these guys. To Caleb's we go, tally ho." Before Kevan had a chance to reply, he took off, weaving in and out of traffic, as he headed straight towards Caleb's, no longer trying to lose them, just wanting to stay ahead of them. All he wanted was to get Kevan to safety.

Weaving through traffic, all she could see were flashes of colour, flashes of reflected sun; leaning left, then right, feeling like so much baggage, holding tight and statue still, her mind shying from any outcome of being a hindrance to Brody's concentration.

The last few blocks seemed to take forever. Kevan kept glancing back checking on the SUVs, but they were still there. Brody down shifted, slowing for the turn onto Caleb's street, then dialed on the throttle, making the bike stand on its back wheel for a second, before surging forward into the last curve in the road less than a block from Caleb's.

The street to Caleb's was quiet, and the sound of a fast bike and a couple of SUVs went un-noticed, the sound rumble deadened by the hedges that protected properties, blocking out the world.

"Look out!" Kevan screamed, as an SUV popped out of a side road, almost careening into them. Brody twisted the throttle open, pushing them ahead, by just a few feet, of the three SUVs now chasing them. At last, he spotted the entrance to Caleb's, his heart sinking as the gates stood closed, but he headed in at full speed, having to trust that someone was watching, and getting the timing down to a hair.

***

"Wait just a few more seconds," Caleb ordered. "Okay now! Open the gate, prepare to push back the unwanted visitors," he yelled, before racing from the house.

***

Kevan started screaming as they surged towards the closed gate, certain that they were about to crash. Suddenly the gates began swinging inward, and Brody's heart sang with another injection of gas, sending them flying through the barely opened gate into Caleb's, and safety. It was only then he knew they were going to make it.

The first SUV slid to a screeching stop, barely avoiding a crash into the still swinging gates, and the other two acted like bumper cars as they bounced off each other's fenders, leaving the stench of burnt rubber hanging in the air as they sped away.

Brody skidded to a halt in front of Caleb's front door, suddenly surrounded by a half dozen cairbare warriors, armed and ready for anything that might be coming their way.

Kevan felt hands on her waist, and the sensation of weightlessness, followed by the crush of arms holding her close.

"Are you okay?" Caleb demanded. Kevan was confused, and stunned silent by Caleb's actions. Being in his embrace, protected, felt more than right.

"I'm fine. Brody?" At the mention of Brody, Caleb placed her back on her feet and turned.

"Caleb, don't say a word," Brody stated, throwing his hands up in surrender, "I know, I know. What I did was irresponsible, I put us both at risk, we should never have left Roderic's estate. I'm sorry, who'd have thought taking Kevan for ride would put her in danger?" Caleb stared for a second, before giving Brody a bear hug.

"If you ever do anything like that again, I'll kick your ass, you idiot," he warned. "By the way, brilliant driving," Caleb finished, stepping back, pulling Kevan back into his arms.

"Uhh, thanks," Brody stared at Caleb, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"What?" Caleb questioned him.

"Nothing ...!" Brody told him, as he watched Caleb stroke Kevan's back.

She pulled back, saying, "I'm such an idiot! What about my family, are they okay?"

"One of Kayne's guy's is watching the neighborhood," Caleb assured her, "Don't worry, he's very good, your family will never know he's there."

"Caleb?" He looked to a worried Brody.

"Yes?"

"Something weird was happening."

"What do you mean something weird?" Caleb questioned him.

"We couldn't shake them, no matter what I did."

Kevan piped up, "He's right, we thought we'd lost them several times, couldn't see them, and suddenly there they were again. It was like they had a tracking device on us."

Caleb looked to Kayne, who nodded.

"Looks like I'll get my wish after all!" Caleb cheered. "Tear down the bike, and search it for a tracking device. If there's one, I want all the information you can get on it, and I want to know how the hell it ended up on Brody's bike."

"On it," Kayne told him, directing some of the men to move the bike into the garage.

"My bike, my beautiful bike," Brody whimpered, watching them wheel it away.

"Brody, relax. I'll get you a new one, but I want you with Kayne. You know your bike better than anyone; you'll spot something out of place."

"All the bells and whistles, Caleb?" he pleaded.

"Yes, everything you want," Caleb agreed.

"Thanks Caleb, and I'm sorry," Brody told him.

Caleb nodded before turning to Kevan, his hand on the small of her back, escorting her into the house, "Can I get you anything?" he offered.

Kevan smiled, looking at the polite man standing beside her. "Who are you?" Kevan asked, "and what did you do with the grouchy 'he man' we know and love?"

"I'm sorry?" Caleb questioned, with a confused look in his face.

"Oh, would you chill out, I'm just teasing." She looked at him and muttered, "Not much of a sense of humour."

"I don't understand."

"Where's the crazy man who was screaming on the phone just a short time ago?"

"You're safe and where you should be, Brody should have never...."

"Stop!" she held up her hand. "Brody saw that I needed to get out. He was just trying to help."

"He should have known better."

"Caleb, he was trying to make me feel better. In the last day, I've been in a fight with races that most of the world doesn't believe exist. I'm still having some problems with what I had to do to survive; I'll never be a surgeon, yuck. We just discovered a lot about our family's history is a lie, and I've met you, who just happens to be an immortal, from the very Race that we've been warned about our entire lives. Believe me when I say, I needed the distraction, and someone waiting to follow us certainly wasn't what popped into my mind when Brody suggested a ride. I mean, seriously, why would anyone want to follow me? It's just a coincidence that I happened to be with him."

"Kevan, I don't believe in coincidences; besides, it was an unnecessary risk."

"But it was my risk to take," she told him. "Look, don't think you can tell me how to live my life. I have enough problems with Brennan trying to do the same thing," her anger rose as she lectured.

"If you're going to risk it foolishly ..." Caleb roared at her.

"Foolishly?" Kevan shouted back, "It's my life. If I want to take a ride on the back of my friend's bike, nothing you say will stop me."

"Fine, if you needed to go for a ride so badly, I would have taken you. All you had to do is ask."

"Whoa, are you kidding me?" Kevan sputtered.
Chapter Seven

Kaitlyn watched Brennan storm around the living room. Anger fueled her need to move, and the best way for her to deal with it, other than throwing things, was to clean. Kaitlyn had tried to talk her down since they had gotten back to the house. But Brennan being Brennan, had gotten more and more wound up with one continuous rant, that really was the same thing, only the wording was slightly different.

We won't need to clean for at least a month, Kaitlyn thought to herself hours later, when she walked back in on the still ranting Brennan. The verbal tantrum was getting old and tired, and the level of arrogance pushed it over the top. Brennan behaved as if she was the only one who could tell them how to live their lives. She was so upset over the Kevan thing, as she called it, that Kaitlyn refused to let her go to the shop. Fortunately, Kendra had the day off, and was able to take over for them.

Kaitlyn didn't trust Brennan's customer service skills, considering the mood she was in, and what might come out of her mouth, going on about how Kevan had betrayed the family. Kaitlyn pulled out her ear buds when it looked like Brennan might be winding down, but it was wishful thinking, and if she didn't do something quick, this could go on for days.

"She chose them over us," Brennan threw out for about the hundredth time. She glared at the relaxing Kaitlyn. "How can you sit there so calmly? She's your twin, and she chose those people over us."

"Well, what did you expect? It's not like you gave her a choice," Kaitlyn stated. Brennan shot her a look of disbelief. "Oh, come on, you know what Kevan's like. You did the worst thing you could have possibly done, you gave her an either or choice, with no compromise. Her entire life, whenever she has been given those types of decisions, she has always done what everyone thinks she shouldn't. And you gave her the biggest one she's ever had to make in her life, and on a silver platter, too. So don't blame Kevan, she stayed true to form. She loves the underdogs, and will fight for them with every fiber of her being."

Kailtyn's statement only pissed Brennan off more. "Not on this, she knows the stories just as well as we do. I was so sure that family would triumph on this one, but no, she chose them."

"You knew what you were doing, so now you have to live with the consequences. She's our sister, and your partner, so you're going to have to deal with it sooner or later."

"No, I won't!" Brennan spat out.

"Yes, you will, or how do you plan on working together, never talking to each other? Jesus, I can certainly see how that would make for a welcoming store for your customers," Kaitlyn threw at her.

"I don't have to do anything," Brennan stated, even more firmly, "Unless Kevan changes her mind then we have nothing else to talk about. Otherwise, I'll do what I have to in order to protect the family."

"What the hell is going through that brain of yours Brennan, what are you brewing up now?"

"It's simple, I'll buy her out!" Brennan spat out with anger. "Yes, that's exactly what I'll do. She made her choices, now she can deal with the consequences. The Crystal Shop would be mine."

Brennan jumped when Kevan walked in. "Fine Brennan, if that's what you want, I won't try and change your mind. Have George draw up the papers, I'll sign them ASAP. You put most of the money into the business, so it's yours. Now, if you'll excuse me," she turned to leave the room.

Kaitlyn reached out to her twin, "She's angry," Kaitlyn tried to explain, attempting to play peacemaker, which wasn't her thing.

"Don't talk for me!" Brennan warned Kaitlyn.

Kevan looked to both of them. "Yes, don't you dare talk for our big sister, she knows it all," Kevan's resolve echoed like steel through her voice, "She continuously points out I have to live with my consequences. I'm fine with that, but just understand something Brennan; you have to live with yours, too. You haven't been able to bully me into doing things your way since I was five years old, so why would you think it would change now?"

"We're your family," Brennan sniveled.

"Yes, and families are supposed to be willing to let others make their own choices, even the choices that really bring on the fight, without trying to throw them out. Isn't that what being part of a family is? I guess not in Brennan's world, it has to be her way, or the highway."

"Kevan?" Kaitlyn questioned. "You're both upset."

Kevan could see the worry in her twin's face. "I'm not upset. I understand everything she's doing. Only difference is, I'm not asking her, or you, to change your minds on anything. Brennan, trust is a two way street. I accept your decision. Now, I'm going to go grab a few things and be on my way."

"This is your home too," Kaitlyn told her, "It belongs to all of us."

"Not anymore," Kevan stated. "I won't live where making a decision is grounds for throwing someone out of the family; that isn't a family in my opinion, it's a dictatorship. I'm allowed to make my own choices, be they good or bad, it is my choice."

"Where are you going to go?" Kaitlyn asked, knowing this was not the time to push Kevan to change her mind. They both needed some time to cool off and think things through.

"I'm not sure, but I'll be okay. I have my cell, so call if you need anything, if anyone needs anything." She raced up the stairs to her room, hiding the tears that were threatening to fall.

Kaitlyn turned to Brennan, her anger burning brightly in her eyes. "Stop her," she ordered Brennan, pointing up the stairs at Kevan's retreating figure.

"No, it's her life," Brennan stated, digging her heels in. Kaitlyn shook her head at the pain in Brennan's eyes.

"You're going to regret this when you start actually using that brain of yours." Kaitlyn wanted nothing more than to smack Brennan to wake her up. The problem with stubborn women, no one wanted to admit an error of judgment, especially Brennan.

Kevan walked down the stairs. Kaitlyn was waiting for her. "I'll arrange for the rest of my stuff once I know where I'm going," Kevan explained, not looking at Brennan, who was standing across the room, her arms crossed, refusing to look at Kevan, even though it was a struggle. "Don't worry Kait, I'll be fine." Giving her twin a quick hug, Kevan hurried out the door at the sound of the taxi honk.

***

As Caleb waited for the taxi to come to a halt, he could see Kevan seated in the back, not moving. He pulled opened the door before the cab came to complete stop. He reached in, picking her up in his arms, taking her to the house, leaving Kayne to deal with her bags and the driver. He carried her into his living room, and sitting down in the large lounge chair, with Kevan on his lap.

Caleb stayed silent, holding Kevan while her emotions overwhelmed her, the tears streamed down her cheeks leaving them streaked black from her mascara. Offering her a shoulder to cry on, was all he could do until she was ready. After what seemed to be an eternity, he sensed a change. As he relaxed his hold, she leaned back, looking into his face.

"Kevan?" he tried to ask.

"I don't want to talk about it!" she told him.

"Alright," he agreed.

"I have a favour to ask you."

"Anything," he told her without hesitation.

"You may regret this."

"Never."

"Okay, can I stay here for a couple of days, until I figure out what I'm going to do?"

"Yes," he stated simply.

"Thank you, hell I'm a mess, gods, I don't even remember the ride over here... Oh, the driver!" she slapped her forehead.

"Taken care of, don't worry," he said.

Kevan sagged, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Caleb shifted the standing up before placing her back on her feet; she blushed as she realized that she had been sitting on his lap, unaware. It had seemed so natural, which was confusing. "Come on, I'll show you to your room."

"I can't believe she's acting like this," Kevan whispered.

Caleb took her hand, leading her up the stairs. He could hear the anger building in her voice, and knew he needed to redirect it before she exploded and did something she was going to regret. "Seeing as you're here, why don't we see what kind of training you are going to need?" he pushed her.

"I really don't want to," she whined, "I need sweats and a pint of coffee ice cream."

"I don't care if you want to or not, you need something physical and coffee ice cream is not the way to deal with your emotions," he stated. "Why not show me what you can do? You have 10 minutes to get changed, and meet me in the gym."

"You're kidding, right? You have a gym here?" she gawked.

"Of course, we need some place to train. It only makes sense that we do it where nobody is going to ask about the weapons that we train with. "It's safer for everyone this way, too, but you're wasting time. Bottom of the stairs, turn right at the end of the hall, the last room, and be prepared."

"What are you, a girl guide?" Kevan teased him.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Oh, nothing. Anyway, I can't, I don't have anything to wear."

"I'll have Martha bring something."

"Martha?"

"Yes, my house keeper. Now, are you going to stand there asking questions, or are you going to get moving?"

"But..." she tried to argue.

"Look Kevan, you asked me to show you how to fight, and I agreed, so we do things on my terms, now move that butt."

***

Kevan strolled into the gym 15 minutes later, looking around at what appeared to be an old ballroom converted into a gym. Caleb glanced up, stopping what he was doing, when he heard her join him. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself, knowing he was going to have to touch her, and wishing he had some of his brother's legendary control. She might be right about him regretting his decision to let her stay, but he didn't think so.

"You're late," he stated, trying to distract himself.

"We had to search for something that fit, seeing as I wasn't expecting to be doing a workout today. Besides, your lady friend is a bit smaller than I am." Caleb could see what she was talking about; the outfit showed her every curve, and he had to turn away so she didn't see how it affected him. He made busy work, doing something with one of the pieces of equipment. He tried a couple more cleansing breaths, thinking of anything except how Kevan looked in the small work out top and stretch pants that clung to her in all the right places. Someone he couldn't even recall had left the clothes behind; it had been quite some time since he'd had a woman in his house that wasn't an employee, or family.

"Expect the unexpected," he told her, turning back to face her, hoping he had himself under control.

"Expect the unexpected? What is that your motto?" Kevan questioned. "Hello," she shouted to grab his attention.

"Uh, oh sorry, did you say something?" he asked, making Kevan smile. At least she knew that she wasn't the only one feeling this intense attraction between them.

"No, nothing," she told him innocently.

"Good, are you ready?" He tried to keep his eyes off her, and prepare himself mentally.

"As I'll ever be, I guess." Kevan shrugged.

Several hours later, Kevan landed flat on her back for the umpteenth time.

"Oh my gods," she screamed, slapping her hands on the mats that covered the floors. "Fifteen years of martial arts training and I can't even get the upper hand once. What the hell is wrong with this picture?" Caleb laughed at her frustration. "Not helping," she spat at him.

"Then stop thinking like this is a competition. When you're fighting you have to think in terms of it's you or them. Your life will most likely depend on it," he held out his hand, helping her to her feet. "In a life and death situation, anything that gives you the advantage is fair game."

Kevan grasped his hand, letting him pull her back onto her feet. "So you're telling me to use whatever means I have at my deposal, if it works to keep me alive."

"Definitely," Caleb told her. He pushed her to edge of the mat, restraining himself from slapping her ass, as his hand itched to do.

"Well, that's really good to know," Kevan told him, as she adjusted the waistband on her sweat pants, then ran her fingers through her short hair, giving him an eyeful of her very generous breasts straining within the too small top. Caleb lost all track of what he was doing, and without even thinking, reached out. Kevan reacted, grabbing his hand, turning slightly, throwing him off balance, as she pulled him over her shoulder, laying him flat out on his back. Caleb found himself staring at the ceiling instead of at a very generous pair of breasts, wondering what the hell just happened.

"Oh my gods!" she gasped, her hand over her mouth trying to repress her grin, "I can't believe that worked."

"Neither can I," Caleb growled from flat on his back.

Kevan couldn't hold it back when she saw the dumbfounded look on his face; her laughter echoed around the room as she realized what she'd done. She started dancing around his prone body, not paying any attention to him, just continuing to crow about laying him flat on his back. Leaning over to offer him her hand, he moved so fast Kevan wasn't able to think, let alone react. One second she was looking down into Caleb's face, and the next second she was looking up at him, as he held her pinned under his body, his legs straddling her hips, his desire pushing against her.

"How did you do that?" she whispered, watching as he leaned down, his lips only inches from hers.

"Expect the unexpected," he told her, as he lowered his head, giving into the desire that they were both trying very hard to deny. Their lips touched gently at first, the taste exploding in their mouths, sending ripples of lust through their bodies. The gentle turned intense, as the raging inferno engulfed them. Kevan moaned with need, as she pushed her body against his, craving his touch. Both wished that the clothing between them wasn't, and Kevan lost herself to his mouth devouring hers. Her arms encircled his neck, pulling him closer, his hands running up her body, as he ground against her pelvis in a rhythm as old as time, cupping her breasts with his large hands, stroking them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," a voice asked from across the room, making them both jump.

"Oh damn," Caleb groaned, as he looked up seeing the man leaning causally against the doorframe. "Niall, your timing always did suck."

"Well, how was I to know that you were going to be attempting a seduction in the middle of the gym? You should have left a towel, or whatever is it that roommates do to warn the others that they are entertaining."

"Niall," Kevan whispered, staring at Caleb, thinking it couldn't get much worse. Caleb rolled off Kevan, jumping to his feet as he pulled her up.

"Caleb, you're a terrible host," Niall drawled.

"Excuse me?" Caleb questioned his body still raging with need, and now frustration.

"You haven't introduced me to your lady friend." He smiled as he walked across the room, and took a hold of Kevan's hand, raising it to his lips to kiss the back of her knuckles.

"Kevan Cameron," she told him, staring in total shock.

"I'm charmed," Niall informed her, with a smile that exposed his dimples.

"No, I believe you're Niall, Prince Niall," Kevan said, closing her eyes to withdraw the emotion still flashing within, "They've been expecting you."

"Oh really," Niall gave her a wolfish grin, making Kevan blush. "I would say the last thing you were expecting, was me."

"Niall, knock it off," Caleb growled at him.

"Knock what off?" he teased Caleb.

"You know," Caleb warned him. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you'd be at Roderic's checking on Marcus?"

"I was, but I was ordered out of his room by someone named Eve. I was tiring him out with my stories of all my adventures of late, at least that's what she told me. I gotta tell you, I don't think I'd want to be on her bad side."

Kevan laughed, "Eve can be a bit over protective, especially when it comes to her patients."

"Yes, I saw that much. I would have stayed to catch up with Roderic, but he was in some kind of million dollar business negotiation, at least according to Catherine, and I definitely didn't want to interrupt that." He gave them a sly smile.

"I phoned Kayne, and he told me that you were here, so I thought I would come and see one of my oldest friends. Hell, I'd been here almost an hour, talking with Brody and Kayne, before I came looking for you, and found you doing what comes naturally."

Caleb's face turned bright red at Niall's not so subtle dig. Kevan took one look at him, and burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry for my timing, but really Caleb, after all these years; one would think you would have the seduction thing down. But if but if you need any pointers, I would be more than happy to assist," Niall teased.

Kevan turned away, laughing at the rising embarrassment in Caleb's face. The laughter felt good. She hadn't known Caleb for long, but the curling of his fist showed just how much he wanted to punch his friend in the mouth. It was somewhat reassuring that immortality didn't negate emotions like embarrassment and modesty.

"You've misread the situation," Kevan tried assuring Niall, attempting to help Caleb out of the embarrassing situation.

"That would be a first, but if I did misunderstand, I'm very sorry," Niall smirked.

"Yes, Caleb is training me," Kevan explained in a business tone.

"Training huh," Niall nodded, "Is that what they call it nowadays?" Enjoying himself too much to stop, even though he could see Caleb's building anger, "I think I would enjoy that type of training; very educational." He gave Kevan a wink. It was all Kevan could do not to burst out laughing again.

"He's teaching me how to fight," she stated, trying to be serious.

"Really, so Caleb, tell me, what do they call the technique you were demonstrating, the art of necking?" Niall asked, as a look of panic on Caleb's face sent them into another fit of laughter.

"Oh, really funny," Caleb growled.

"I think it's wrestling 101," Kevan threw back at Niall.

"I'd have to say I like that fighting technique. I'm going to have to use it the next time I go into battle, tongue wrestling," Niall chimed in, sending them off into another fit of laughter, tears streaming down their faces, as they continued batting one bad pun after another, until Caleb finally had had enough. He stormed out of the room, shooting a look of disgust over his shoulder at the two idiots rolling on the floor.

Finally, the laughter died down. Kevan sat up wiping the last of the tears off her face, "I should be really pissed at you," she informed him.

"And what would that accomplish?" he questioned her.

"It would make me feel so much better," Kevan informed him. "He's really choked," she snickered, looking in the direction Caleb had stormed off in.

"He's a big boy, he'll get over it," Niall shrugged.

Kevan got serious, looking to Niall. "Did you know this whole time?"

"No," he declared, "I had no idea, it wasn't until Catherine told me that the guys had found the girls..." she shot him a look, "fine, the women, the descendants of Daphne, and one of them was named Kevan Cameron. I started to wonder if it might be a possibility. Seriously, how many Kevan Cameron's in the world can there be?"

"Not many like me, I would expect," Kevan admitted to him. "So why didn't you phone and tell me before you got here?"

"Yeah, I can see it now. It would go something like this, Hey friend, guess what? I'm an immortal warrior, and we've been searching for you since your family disappeared from our lives 75 years ago. Why have we been searching? Because we need your help to fulfill a reading an oracle gave to us about two thousand years ago," Niall shook his head. "Not a conversation for over the phone. I think you would have been even more pissed than you are now. This way I had the surprise option working for me, and the most I risked was a punch in the nose, and not the men with the funny white coats."

"I'm still thinking about it," Kevan warned him, "the punch, not the straight jacket, but I haven't ruled that out completely either."

Niall gave her a long look. "Damn, you look great," he told her.

"Thanks, so do you, considering I now know you're much older than the 28 you've claimed."

"What can I say? I hold my age well, even by our standards." His grin showed a long practiced confidence, his ego still intact.

"I'll say," Kevan let the sarcasm go. "It's great to see you again. It seems like forever, but of course, you'd know more about that than I would."

"Ha ha, very funny," Niall laughed.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard your voice, and it was really you standing there."

"I can certainly say, seeing you and Caleb doing the horizontal mambo wasn't what I was expecting when I walked in here, either."

Kevan blushed. "He really has agreed to train me," she tried to explain.

"Train you for what?" he questioned her.

"Nige... I mean Niall. Hey, why go by Nigel instead of Niall?"

"I don't know. You misunderstood me the first time, and I rather liked being someone else for a change. Nigel, is a twenty some man, without a care in the world, while Niall has responsibilities."

"It'll take some getting used to. When they talked about this Prince Niall coming, I certainly wasn't expecting it to be you."

"I wasn't expecting what I walked in on." Kevan looked at the floor unsure what to say. "Kevan, its fine, Caleb is one of my oldest friends; you're perfect for each other."

"We only just met last night!" Kevan argued.

"Chemistry is chemistry, don't fight it," Niall informed her.

Kevan shook her head at Niall's statement. "Have you been talking to Kaitlyn?" she asked him.

"What?"

"Nothing," she told him. "So are you going to give me the 4-1-1 on everything, or do I have to beat it out of you?" she threatened. "If you remember, I had your ass on the floor..." Kevan stopped. "Oh gods, you let me win," she whispered, as it suddenly dawned on her.

"Let you win? Of course I wouldn't!" Niall stated innocently, looking straight into her eyes.

Kevan watched for his tell and snapped. "Why?"

"Kevan," he tried to explain.

"No, you're such a bastard, you did too. You let me win."

"Don't get upset," Niall tried to calm her.

"Don't tell me not to get upset, you lied to me for how long? Gods, I feel like such a fool. Thinking I was such a good fighter, but you could've had me on the floor in seconds," she threw at him. "I thought we were friends, but I guess I was wrong on that one." She started to walk away.

"You're being completely ridiculous, you know," he told her. "What could I say, I'm sorry, you will never be able to best me. I'm bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter."

"Oh gods, aren't we a bit arrogant! I'm not stupid, no matter what you may think. I would've understood, given our size differences, it'd make sense. I've gone around thinking I was so much better than I am, because you were afraid to show you could beat me. I didn't get you once, did I? You let me think I was so good, when I really sucked." Kevan gave him a look that made him feel like a shit. "That's not being a true friend."

"I was being the best friend I knew how to be, while not letting you know what I really am, and you don't suck, you're actually very good."

"Just not as good as you, right?"

"Kevan," Niall pleaded.

"No Nige..." she stopped herself, "I'm sorry Niall, Prince Niall. I understand the protecting yourself, but you didn't have to let me win, my ego isn't that fragile, it would have just made me try harder to beat you." With that, she walked away leaving Niall sitting in the middle of the gym floor, watching her with a look of worry on his face.
Chapter Eight

Eve raced into the house and up the stairs, checking over her shoulder for someone who'd try to stop her from doing what she needed to do. Just as she came to the top of the stairs, Rhiannon came walking down the hall.

"Hi Eve, seems we both had the same idea."

"What?" Eve replied, not sure what she should do.

"Marcus!" Rhiannon told her, but she could see that something was bothering Eve. "What's wrong? Oh gods, did something show up in Marcus' blood test?" Rhiannon asked, suddenly very worried about one of the men that she thought of as family.

"Rhiannon, how long have you been treating Marcus?" Eve questioned.

"I don't know, about a week I guess, why?"

"Who was treating him before that?"

"No one in particular, they didn't think it was important. Eve you're scaring me, what's wrong?"

"Rhiannon, I think we need to get Marcus out of here. Who has the best security?"

"Marcus."

"That does us no good, who after Marcus and Roderic?"

"I don't know. They all have top of the line security systems, I guess the next in line would be Caleb's place," Rhiannon told her.

"How about we take Marcus for a visit to Caleb's," Eve suggested.

"I'd prefer my own home. I have things to take care of, my brother's home is fine, just not my taste," came the voice from the doorway.

Eve glanced at Marcus. His colouring was better, he appeared stronger, and she wanted to keep him that way. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better since you gave me that shot, much better," Marcus stated. "I'm well enough that I should be checking in with Niall?"

"Nice try buddy, but no go. You may feel better, but you're still a long way from being a hundred percent." Eve shot at him, "Get dressed, we're going for a drive."

Rhiannon watched Eve, "What did you find out?"

"What?" Eve asked, not looking at her.

"I can see it on your face, you found something, and you're trying to avoid telling me it's not good news."

Eve stopped and looked at Rhiannon, "Look, I don't know you, but something in my gut is screaming that I can trust you, so I'm asking you to trust me for the moment. My car is outside the front door, but it is too small for all of us to be comfortable in. Can you get us a vehicle?"

"Sure, Marcus' Bentley is in the garage, but why are you ..."

Eve cut her off, "Later okay, I'll explain it all later, but I need directions to Caleb's, can you do that?"

"Of course," Rhiannon told her, "but why are you acting like anyone would stop you from taking Marcus out of the house?"

"Won't they?" Eve questioned dumbfounded.

"Eve, Marcus is awake and lucid. He's not a prisoner, so why would anyone try to stop us? What's with all the cloak and dagger stuff?"

Eve stepped back, surprised she hadn't thought beyond getting him out of the house without being stopped. Now, she was starting to rethink her perception of these men.

"Excuse me," they heard from Marcus' room. They entered the room, to find him sitting on the bed, a pair of pants in his hands. He looked up as they walked in. "It would seem that I'm not quite as capable as I usually am."

"Want some help?" Eve questioned.

"As much I dislike saying this, but yes, I would very much appreciate any assistance that you could supply." Eve smiled at the frustration on his face.

Marcus clearly was not used to being so weak and helpless. The fury boiled behind the weakness, and that frustration had him wanting to lash out, but he held a tight rein on his emotions, no matter what. These women were only trying to aid him, and he would not make an ass of himself by taking out his anger on them.

"Rhiannon, give us a moment, please?" She nodded, stepping out of the room to give Marcus and Eve some privacy, "You really hate having to ask for help, don't you?"

"Yes," Marcus ground out.

Eve could hear his suppressed frustration, "We all do at some point or another, you know."

"I don't," he told her.

"Well, Mr. Tough Guy, it looks like today's your lucky day. I think we'll forgo the slacks and maybe try these sweats." She pulled grey sweats from the closet, turning to see the grimace on his face.

"I do not wear sweats," he informed her. "It is not dignified to be seen in public in a pair of sweat pants, and I will not do it."

"Well buddy, get over it, because if you want my help today, it's either sweatpants, or you head out wearing what you are wearing now. It's your choice," she explained to him, hands on her hips, her voice negating any argument.

"You really are the most unreasonable person, aren't you?"

"You grow up with the personalities of my sisters and cousins, and you either learn to stand up for yourself pretty quickly, or you fade into the woodwork. I don't fade."

"Yes, I can see that. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She knelt down beside him, guiding his feet into the sweats. Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead with only a few minutes of struggle. Exhaustion wasn't far behind, and they still needed to get down the stairs and into the car.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he demanded.

"This is not the time or place. Let's just get you dressed and to your brother's place."

Marcus grabbed her arm, "What aren't you telling me?" Eve admired the man's perseverance; it reminded her of Kaitlyn's dogged determination.

"Trust me," she told him touching his arm, "I'm giving you my word that in two weeks you'll be feeling more like your old self." He studied her face for a moment. "I know that you have no reason to listen to me, or even trust me, but I'm a damn good doctor, and I promise that as of today, you will only start feeling better. All I want you to do is trust me."

Marcus paused for a moment, before he nodded his agreement, lack of deceit in her eyes convincing him that she really believed she would follow through on her promise, and he would hold her to it.

"Fine, Dr. Cameron. I have no other options than to trust you," he pointed out. "I detest feeling like this. How do you humans deal with this feeling of helplessness?"

"I think that was supposed to be a compliment, and I am going to take it that way. I'll do the best I can for you Marcus, now let's get you dressed and ready to go."

He touched her arm and looked directly into her eyes, "Thank you." Eve could see his gratitude; she had learned quickly as doctor that a touch of kindness went a long way with a patient it didn't matter if they were mortal or other.

Niall stood in the hall outside the den, waiting for Caleb to show his face. He didn't go in to join him, trying to give Caleb time to absorb the information that Kayne had relayed not long ago. After a few minutes, Caleb came out of his office, running into the waiting Niall.

"Are you still pissed?" Niall questioned, looking at the man who had been his friend for thousands of years.

Caleb ranted, "Why the hell didn't you tell me that you knew them?"

"Because I didn't know that I knew her... or that Kevan was one of Daphne's missing heirs."

"How could you not know?" Caleb threw at him.

"Caleb, we've lived for thousands of years, and you're not stupid. It's a big world out there, with how many billions of people, and you think that I should have known a woman I befriend is one of the missing heirs. Talk about living in a dream world."

"You could not sense that Kevan might be one of them?"

"Just because I'm a Prince, doesn't give me the power of foresight. No one could sense them after they disappeared. If it was that simple, we'd have found them long ago." Caleb knew what Niall was telling him was right. "Here's what I do know. We met when I took those classes for a couple of years at Oxford, in England. She had the flat next to mine. I knew she was special, I could sense from the moment we met. As a potential to be one of them, be serious, we didn't know anything about them, including their last name; besides, we really didn't talk about our families. We bonded as friends, brother and sister. She'd ask my advice regarding guys, and I'd hear about what terrible taste I had in women, that kind of thing."

Caleb looked to Niall; he couldn't believe he was jealous that Niall had known her first. "Caleb, if I had known I'd walk in on you with your tongue down Kevan's throat, I would have gone another way."

"You're a liar, my friend," Caleb told him. "I know you, Niall, the last thing you would have done was walk away."

Niall gave him a smirk, "You're right, I wouldn't have walked away. I'd never thought about Kevan in that way, until I walked in on you two about to do the horizontal mambo." He had a reflective look about him. "It's your fault, my friend, I have a picture in my head, and baby oh baby, if you ever want to share, I'd be more than happy to be your third."

"Shit! I can't believe the things that come out of your mouth," Caleb smacked his forehead, "Oh yeah, we're talking about you, and you would say something like that." Niall laughed, as Caleb shook his head.

"You've known Kevan a whole day and you're acting like she's the best thing since sliced bread. It's not like you to act so possessive over a woman, especially one you just met. Is it love or lust, enquiring minds want to know?"

"What are you, a teenage girl trying to get a second hand thrill?" Caleb accused Niall.

"No, I'm a horny warrior who has been without a woman for a week," Niall told him. "Seeing you about to do the nasty with Kevan, what can I say, it turned me on."

"We were not ..." Caleb stopped. He couldn't deny that if Niall had walked in five minutes later, he would likely have had Kevan stripped, and the world would have disappeared from their minds. Caleb didn't want to think about how mortified Kevan would have been, and promised himself that he would have more control in the future. "We are not in love, we just met," Caleb stated, "I don't know what this is."

Niall smiled as he watched Caleb's realization. "Don't lie to yourself Caleb, you like her a lot," Niall told him.

"Fine, I like her a lot," he admitted to Niall.

"Thank the gods, at least you admit it, which is more than your brother would. All I ask is that you don't hurt her," he told him, becoming serious, which wasn't like Niall.

"Niall, it is not my intention to hurt Kevan," Caleb promised.

"I understand that, but she's my friend and I really do care about ..." their conversation halted when Kayne walked into the room, concern overriding manners.

"What's wrong?" Caleb inquired.

"I just received a disturbing call from Baron. Rhiannon and Dr. Cameron took Marcus' Bentley and left Roderic's with Marcus," he informed them.

"Okay, why?" Caleb wanted to know.

"I'm not sure, they didn't talk to any of the guys, they just loaded him up and left," Kayne stated.

Caleb suddenly felt the same concern that Kayne was feeling, and then started to get angry. As warriors were usually calm, cool, levelheaded men, which was asset in their positions, but it was as if everything was unraveling more quickly than they could keep up with. How was it that a few women would prove to be such a handful and this only after one day of knowing them? He was starting to worry about what the future would bring; this did not bode well.

"Was Marcus conscious?" Caleb questioned Kayne, as he brought his attention back to the situation at hand.

"Yes."

"Then I wouldn't worry. Even as sick as Marcus is, as long as he is conscious, neither one of those women could make him do something he didn't want to do," Caleb stated. "We just have to trust that."

"What about the GPS?" Niall asked, "We spent enough money having them installed in all our vehicles."

"Baron's checking," Kayne informed them. Eve's strange behaviour started a seed of suspicion.

"Let's back up a few steps. We're far too accustomed to assuming the worst. Marcus is with Rhiannon and Eve."

Niall stopped when Kevan questioned from the top of the stairs, "What about Eve?"

"Nothing," Caleb muttered, running his fingers over his short hair. His action spoke volumes.

"Don't tell me nothing," Kevan demanded of him. "I have eyes, I can see that you're worried about something, and it involves one of my sisters. You would be better off to tell me what's going on."

Caleb stared at her determined face. "You're going to prove very stubborn, aren't you?" Caleb accused her.

"You have no idea," she warned him.

"Fine, your sister borrowed Marcus' Bentley and has taken him and Rhiannon somewhere without informing anyone."

"And you're thinking what?" Kevan questioned, "Did Eve have them at gun point?"

"No," Kayne told her.

"Then they went with her willingly," Kevan continued.

"So it would seem."

"Then what's the problem, you can't be thinking that Eve would do something to hurt them?" She watched their faces. "Oh my gods, you are! Eve's a doctor, who has taken an oath to do no harm, which she takes very seriously."

"Then why leave Roderic's? Why not tell someone, why the secrecy?"

"I don't know, maybe she's trying to protect him?" Kevan conveyed her rising anger.

"From what," Caleb asked, "what would she need to protect him from at Roderic's?"

"I don't know, I don't read minds," Kevan spat back at him. "I just know that if she took Marcus away from Roderic's, she's taking him some place safe."

"There is no dispute she took him," Caleb threw at her, worry for his brother evident.

"Fine, then where is the next safest place?" Kevan questioned him.

"Here," Caleb stated.

"Then that's where they're headed," Kevan told them.

"You don't know that," he argued with her.

"I know my sister," Kevan stated.

"You can't read minds," Caleb growled, "you just told us that."

"I don't need to read minds. I know, if she took him from Roderic's and she isn't taking him to the hospital, then she's coming here," she told him.

"Maybe yes, maybe no," Caleb argued.

"Stop acting like she's done something wrong. She must believe that there was a concern with regards to Marcus' health or safety, and she did what she had to do to protect her patient."

"You have no idea what you are talking about," Caleb growled at her. "Roderic has a top of the line security system. What could be safer? You're making an assumption that she is bringing him here."

"And you're making an assumption that Eve taking him from Roderic's is for nefarious reasons. I know my sister, she won't hurt Marcus."

Niall interrupted them, "Would you two stop acting like children, we know Eve's not going to harm Marcus, we'd just like to know what's going on."

"Eve, it seems we may have to continue our journey to safety. It's apparent we have walked into a war zone." Marcus stood in the doorway with Rhiannon and Eve standing on either side of him, holding him up. "Now the next question is why are they acting like children?"

"Kevan, what are you doing here?"

Kevan ignored Eve's question and looked to Caleb, "I told you," she told Caleb, who just stared at her.

"Yes you did," he stated before going to his brother. "Get in here! What's going on? Why did you take him from Roderic's?" he demanded.

"That can wait for a bit, Marcus needs a..." Eve was cut off by Marcus' roar.

"Don't you dare!" Marcus warned her. "I am not going back to bed again." He took a few steps into Caleb's house, looking to his brother. "I want someplace where I can get some fresh air. I will not be shoved back into a bed, I need to relax and talk to people." He started to walk, but stumbled into Caleb. Marcus gave his younger brother a look. "Don't even suggest it, lying in a god damn bed is not going to aid my recovery."

"You're one stubborn man," Caleb grunted, as he took most of Marcus' weight.

"You're just realizing this now?"

Caleb put his shoulder under Marcus' arm and helped him to the patio. Marcus collapsed into the chair Kayne had commandeered, not wanting to let on how much this expenditure of pride had cost him.

"It's a beautiful evening; I want to enjoy some fresh air and good food." The thought of Caleb's housekeeper's cooking had his stomach growling. "Is Martha cooking?"

"She had to leave early, but she left all the makings for steaks, we were just getting ready to fire up the grill. We can definitely throw a few more steaks on the barbeque."

Marcus looked to Eve. He knew that she was trying to help him; he just couldn't stomach being back in a bed just yet. "Acceptable?" he wanted to know.

"Acceptable," she told him, "for now." She warned, "But no argument when I tell you it's time to rest."

"We'll see," was all the challenge Marcus could muster.

Caleb looked to Niall and Kayne. They all wondered at the unusual behavior; it wasn't like Marcus to give in so easily, and it spoke of how ill he really was. "It would seem we are about to have an unplanned dinner party," Caleb said, looking to Kevan. "Please feel free to call anyone you would like to join us."

"Thanks, but there's nobody," she pouted, walking away before anyone saw the wash of emotions that swamped her.

"Kevan," Niall called, but she ignored him and kept walking. He looked at Caleb, "I have someone I will be inviting." Then turning to Eve, who was staring at him, "Hello again, Eve."

"Nigel?" she asked with surprise, as it finally registered who was standing in front of her. When she had seen him earlier, she hadn't really looked, focusing more on getting Marcus' blood so she could run the tests; besides, they'd only met a few times on video calls when Kevan had been in England.

"Actually, it's Niall," he informed her. "It is very nice to finally meet you," he stated.

Rhiannon looked to Eve in shock, "You know Niall?" she questioned her. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I had no idea that your Niall, is Kevan's Nigel," Eve stated dumbfounded.

"It's certainly a small world," Rhiannon remarked.

"You can say that again!" Eve muttered.

***

The dinner was a surprisingly enjoyable time of good food and friends. The easy camaraderie of friendship shone through, as the guys joked and taunted each other, while they barbequed the steaks. The flow of conversation hadn't stopped for a moment, as the women were regaled with stories about their lives.

Not wanting to feel left out, Eve and Kevan had done up a quick Caesar salad and garlic bread. When Kaitlyn showed up, it was like the icing on a cake. Kevan didn't want to admit it, but she needed her sisters.

The women balked at the amount of food piled up on the table. It seemed like it was enough to feed a small country. They were thinking that there was no way that they'd eat that much, but by the end of dinner, there were little to no leftovers.

Even Marcus, who wasn't up to his normal appetite, downed a 20 ounce steak, two baked potatoes, and half a loaf of garlic bread, on top of three plates of Caesar salad. It was enviable that they looked as good as they did, especially if they ate the amount of food they'd consumed tonight on a regular basis.

"Superb as usual, but the quality of the company has made the evening very enjoyable. Thank you," Marcus informed them as he pushed back, relaxing, ever the gentleman unless it got in his way. Ignoring the looks from his friends, he added to Kevan and Eve, "I have to say that salad is addicting."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Kevan said. "It's nice to be able to contribute something."

"Be aware, we'll expect it at every dinner from now on," Caleb let them know.

"It's easy to make. We'll make sure your staff gets the recipe," Kevan promised.

"I have a feeling you'll be around to make it, so we won't worry too much about the recipe," Niall laughed. Looks passed back and forth between the women. Niall drained his wine glass and turned to Eve. "As much as we have enjoyed this evening, and I would prefer not to put a damper on it, the time has come. Eve, we really need to know why you spirited Marcus out of Roderic's. What did you discover?"

Eve rubbed her hands together, leaning forward, bracing her arms on the table, gathering her thoughts together before she began to explain.

"Okay, in plain language, cairbare blood work, compared to ours, isn't all that different. That said, the component that makes you who you are isn't active like a virus, only a genome or DNA test would be an option, if you want to know the differences, but I can see from the looks on your faces that isn't going to happen, so we will leave it at that. Just know that if for some reason one of you ended up at a hospital, nothing would show up in your blood work," she told them.

"But something did show up, didn't it Eve?" Niall questioned. "Something that made you hustle Marcus out of Roderic's."

"Yes," she stated.

"What?" Marcus demanded.

She looked at the men seated around the table, wondering if one of them was responsible for Marcus' condition. Eve could read the fatigue in his eyes, and knew that she had to tell them what she had discovered, and then get Marcus settled for the evening. "You have extremely high levels of lead in your system, toxic levels to most humans, and from the way that you are feeling, it isn't much better for your race."

"Lead," Kevan questioned, "How the hell would he get lead in his system? Unless, are you doing any renovations in an old house?"

"No, my house is perfect the way it is," Marcus stated. What Eve had told him was sinking in. "You're telling me that someone's trying to kill me?"

"Unless you have been eating lots of lead paint lately, or can think of any other way it could get into your system, evidence points to someone trying to kill you," Eve shrugged her shoulders. "Understand we're talking about an extended time frame for the lead to reach the levels that it has."

"Who?" Caleb growled glancing at the others around the table, "Who'd try and kill Marcus?"

"Why?" Kayne added.

"How, is a better question," Kaitlyn chimed in. They all looked to her. "He was at his home when he started to feel ill, you then moved him to Roderic's, both of which you have stressed are extremely well protected, so either you have a ghost sneaking in to poison him, or else someone you know and trust is doing the deed." Kaitlyn looked to Marcus, "Who wants you dead?"

"Nobody," Marcus stated with disdain, "I am well respected by all."

"I didn't ask if they respected you; I asked who wants you dead," Kaitlyn told him.

Ire radiated from Marcus as he sat up straighter and looked at her, his tone condescending. "I told you, I am respected by all."

"Obviously not, or someone wouldn't be trying to knock you off," she told him snottily, turning to Caleb, who seemed more realistic. "Figure out how they're poisoning him, and then who has access. Eve should be able to give you the makeup of that particular compound of lead, which should lead you to who sells it and who may have bought it in order to bump off your boy here. At least that's how I'd do it in one of my books."

"This is real life, not one of your trashy novels," Marcus dismissed.

Kaitlyn's eyes widened with surprise and anger at Marcus' nerve to trash her books. "I'll have you know that my books are not trashy, they're very well respected, erotic novels." She stated, "Most of my readers tell me that my sex scenes are almost better than the real thing, but you wouldn't know what that was, would you Mr. Personality?" Getting to her feet, she added, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom." The ripple of laughter around the table pissed Marcus off, as she stormed away.

"Why do people feel the need to give all the details?" Marcus asked.

"Marcus, I would just drop it if I were you," Caleb warned his brother.

"Yes, what Caleb said. I think it's time for you to rest," Eve ordered.

"Your need to see me reclining has me thinking you have an ulterior motive." Marcus attempted to divert his attention from that twin of Kevan's, and Eve was the perfect counterpoint to her crasser sister.

"Oh, you wish, buddy," Eve shot back. "In your condition, you barely have the strength to think about doing it, let alone actually trying to." Kevan put her hand over her mouth, muffling the snort of laughter that snuck out.

"That's where you're wrong; I always have the strength, would you like me to demonstrate?"

"Are we done with the jokes and sexual innuendoes? You're the patient, I'm the doctor, you'll do as you're told; bed, now." Marcus looked at her, his face showing a sly smile.

"Normally, I like to be the one in control," he informed her, smiling as her cheeks blushed bright red. Marcus wished the picture in his head had Eve in the starring role, but no, that particular role went to another.

"Gods, I really didn't need to know that," Eve groaned, "you're S.O.L. this time, buddy."

Kayne, who was keeping his head down, was enjoying watching these women getting the better of his general. It didn't happen often that Marcus wasn't the one in charge, and it was pure pleasure to watch. "You get him upstairs to bed," Eve ordered Kayne, who saluted, moving to take Marcus' arm.

"Honestly my dear, I really don't play that way," Marcus said with a lilt.

"You'll play any way I want you to tonight, my dear. Now suck it up, and get moving," Eve shot back, looking to Kayne. Kayne took an elbow, but Marcus shook off Kayne's attempts at help.

"I am perfectly capable of getting myself up the stairs and into bed, thank you very much."

"Yes, I remember how well you did earlier today," Eve reminded him.

"Enough," Marcus bit out sharply, pointing his finger at her. "I don't take orders from you."

Dealing with such stubborn people made pediatrics very appealing. "No, you listen to me, I'm the one with the medical license, do as your told, and you'll be back on your feet and feeling back to normal in no time," Eve explained to him. "I will not allow you to set back your recovery, just because you want to act like a pompous ass." Marcus silently stewed in his anger. "Thank you," Eve told him, "I've let you to stay up for hours, so you'll do as you're told and get some rest, as we agreed to earlier."

"I didn't agree to anything," Marcus tried to argue.

"Up the stairs, last door to the left is his guest room. We have a room ready for you as well, right next to his," Caleb informed her.

"I need to get back to the hospital for my shift." She looked at Marcus, who was barely staying on his feet. If it weren't for sheer stubborn male pride, he'd be flat on his face.

"Fine," he acquiesced, "I will get some rest." Rising from the table he made his way into the house followed by Kayne, this at least gave him the feeling that he was able to do this on his own.

Swirling the wine in her glass, Kevan viewed the silent occupants at the table through the distorted red tint. All were silent, lost in their thoughts proceeding from Eve's diagnosis, trying to put a face to an invisible figure betraying them. Kevan flicked the rim of her glass, drawing their attention.

"Who's going to ask the question we're all thinking?" she pushed them.

"Who poisoned Marcus and why?" Eve stated, not beating around the bush, her concern for her patient very evident.

Caleb stated, "None of this makes sense to me. Why would the vamps and demons poison Marcus? It's not their style?"

"Who else would want Marcus dead?" Niall asked. "Who has he annoyed now?"

"Glad to know it's not just us," Kaitlyn stated with a smirk.

"What about the government or police?" Eve asked them. Caleb shook his head.

"Our contacts would have told us if they knew anything. Besides, we work very hard to ensure that the authorities don't know about us."

"With the government and police taken out of the equation, who else would want to see one of you dead?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Someone with a lot of money," Kevan stated, "and who knows a lot about the other races."

"How do you figure that?" Caleb questioned, as he watched her.

"Easy, it would take a lot of money to bribe someone in your employment, correct?" Kevan sat up straighter. "From what little I have seen, I would think your people are very loyal."

"They are," Caleb stated.

Kevan pointed out, "I'm sure there are some that have proven themselves to you more than others, but your experiences have you wary."

"What's your point?"

"I'm just thinking out loud, it's how I figure stuff out," Kevan told him.

"No, it sounds like you are telling us that someone we trust has betrayed us."

"Don't tell me that the idea hasn't crossed your mind. In order to get the tracking device on Brody's bike, someone would have had to have complete access. That in itself narrows the field of suspects. It wasn't chance that got a high tech tracking device on Brody's bike, and why his bike? Because you trust him, and he does a lot of things for you guys." Kevan took another sip of the wine, savouring its taste on her tongue, waiting while they absorbed her words, looking up at Caleb when she sensed him watching her.

"Yes?" she questioned, seeing it in his eyes.

"How did you know that?" he questioned her more calmly than he was feeling.

"Know what?"

"About the tracking device," he prompted, impatience making him tense.

"If you want things to stay private, don't have a conversation in the middle of the kitchen where everyone can hear you," she told him, shooting him a look of amusement. "You said the device was small and powerful, and not what the government uses. That would mean it was planted by someone with access to one of your vehicles, which is a limited number of people. It also means that whoever it is has access to a lot of money and that's not government that screams private."

Caleb sat up straighter, liking her theory. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right. "Okay, then answer this, why would someone want to track us?" he threw at her.

"You can't seriously be asking that question, can you?" Kevan snorted. "You have at your disposal infallible warriors, not soldiers, warriors who have been trained for thousands of years, and if they had a way to control you, harm you, who would be able to stop them?"

"Shit, it makes sense, except the part about controlling us. We're individuals, and even if you control one, you can't control all of us," Niall pointed out.

"And how would they be able to get the vamps and demons to attack sanctuary?" Roderic stated. "That still makes no sense."

"I didn't say it was perfect, it's a theory, I don't hear anyone else coming up with anything." Kevan felt her patience slipping.

"What if it's partly true?" Kaitlyn asked, as something started percolating in her brain.

"What do you mean?" Niall asked.

"What if it's all a diversion?"

"A diversion, that makes little to no sense," Kayne stated. "We haven't interacted much in the last few centuries; to attract attention now seems irrational."

"It's not irrational when it's obvious that someone wants you off your game." Kaitlyn held up her fingers, folding one down. "One, dealing with the aftermath of what happened at the club, two, Marcus's house has probably been infiltrated, three, Brody had a device planted on his bike... someone's pulling a lot of strings in the background." Kaitlyn finished her count with a shrug, looking to Caleb.

"What would they hope to gain from it?" Caleb asked.

"Exactly what they are getting right now. You're so focused on who or what set up the attack on Sanctuary; you aren't focused on anything else. If we hadn't been at the club, would we even be talking right at the moment?" Kevan asked.

"Maybe, if Marcus hadn't gotten any better, then we would have been in touch," Roderic stated.

"But not right away, correct?" Kevan stated.

"What do you mean?" Caleb asked her.

"I suspect if we hadn't been at the club we wouldn't be talking yet. And maybe by the time we did, it would have been too late." Kevan looked to Eve, "How much longer would Marcus have lived without your help?"

Eve thought for a moment, "He has toxic levels of lead for humans. If the rate of decline that Rhiannon told me about is correct, I suspect he may have only had a week or so before it would have been too late to save him." They all sat quietly thinking about what both Eve and Kevan had just pointed out.

Kaitlyn looked to Caleb, "Diverting your attention to something else, keeping you occupied. Your concern over the vamps and demons overshadowed the fact Marcus was the real target. It was something that he was doing that got him targeted. What was he doing?"

"We have no idea," Caleb admitted.

"What do you mean?" Kaitlyn questioned. "Wouldn't he let you know what he is doing just in case? We do most of the time," she stated, looking back and forth between her sisters.

"Normally he would tell us, but this time Marcus was keeping things to himself. He was searching for something is all I know," Caleb stated. "What about you guys?"

"Just before he got sick, Marcus was spending a lot of time on the computer. I tried to push him about what he was looking for, but he said he would let us know when he was sure. He'd discovered something but ..." Kayne shrugged his shoulders.

"He called me and asked me to come see him as soon as I could. I was dealing with a problem in England, or else I would have been here a couple of weeks ago," Niall admitted.

"So that's why you're here?" Caleb asked him. "Why would he want you here?"

"Uh, I think I should be insulted by that remark," Niall told Caleb.

"Sorry, that's not what I meant and you know it. You're always welcome Niall," Caleb told his friend.

"Whatever it was that Marcus was investigating could be the reason that he was targeted, and whoever did this knows you guys well enough, they know your vulnerabilities," Kaitlyn stated. Kevan nodded in agreement.

"Who would know how to take one of you guys down?" Eve asked. "I assume that you don't advertise your weaknesses."

"No, but I'm sure that some of the other races know how to hurt us."

"Someone knew your weaknesses when they attacked you all those years ago, when Elizabeth found you," Kevan reminded them, looking at Niall as she recalled the story that he had told to them earlier. She was still having a hard time believing that one of her very good friends had known one of her distant relatives, 1700 years before.

"But that still doesn't explain the bug on Brody's bike, or why the sudden interest in Marcus, or any of us, after so long," Caleb stated.

"Maybe not, but at least now we have something to start with, and once Marcus is feeling better, we need to ask him a few questions," Kevan said.

"As much I would like to continue our discussion, it's getting late and I have a shift tonight, so I need to get going." Eve got to her feet, as the men rose. "Oh damn, my car is still at Roderic's," shooting a look to Kaitlyn, "Can you give me a ride?"

"I guess," Kaitlyn told her reluctantly, not really wanting to make the drive across town and then home.

"Enough," Caleb told the both of them, "it's late, and you both drank more than one glass of wine, so I think it's best if neither of you get behind the wheel; you'll stay the night."

"That is really nice, but we didn't have that much to drink. Kaitlyn can give me a ride to my car," Eve stated.

"It wasn't a request," Caleb told her. "The room next to Marcus' is ready for you."

"I still have to get back to the hospital. Some of us aren't lucky enough to be millionaires," Eve stated.

"Kayne will drive you to the hospital, and then pick you up in the morning. No arguments." Caleb instructed, coming to stand beside Kayne.

"Gee, what's with you guys and being in control?" Eve muttered.

"Saves lots of arguing," Niall informed her with a smile and a wink. Caleb looked to Kaitlyn who stood holding her bag and keys. "Not one word of argument. Please consider this your home for the evening. You can use the room that we'd prepared for Eve." Kaitlyn nodded, not wanting to give up the chance at another cup of his coffee. Caleb turned once more to Eve, "We'll see you in the morning for breakfast, unless something delays you."

"But my car?" she questioned.

"It'll be waiting for you when you get here tomorrow."

"You have this all figured out, don't you?" she accused Caleb.

"Not all of it, but this part, yes I do," Caleb admitted.

"Fine, I'll see you after my shift. Have a good evening everyone."
Chapter Nine

Kevan felt overwhelmed with all that had happened in such short time. The inaccuracies revealed in the family history, meeting the immortals, her mind not ready to deal with the bar fight, and fearing for her safety, left her feeling numb. Dealing with her unexpected physical desire, on top of everything else, left a sense of being suspended. The feelings she was experiencing for a stranger was something she was having a hard time dealing with; she hadn't been looking for them, but the desires were becoming as important as breathing.

She could feel Caleb watching her closely as she processed things in her head. Finally looking up, she caught him watching her, leaving her cheeks flushed with the heat that rushed to her face.

"May I escort you to your room?" he asked, offering to help her to her feet. Kevan nodded, taking his hand. Not a word passed between them as they walked through the living room and up the stairs. The non-verbal communication between them was off the charts. While standing outside of her room, waiting for his next move, she prayed that the evening wasn't over yet.

"Would you join me for a minute?" he asked her, looking directly across the hall to his room. "We need a moment; I don't want to invade your space."

Kevan's heart raced with anticipation. With no hesitation, she followed him, stepping past the door into his room. She had barely gotten past the door, when she felt Caleb grabbing her, picking her up, his mouth devouring hers. She moaned with pleasure, attempting to meld into him, her hands threading through his hair, pulling him closer. It was like throwing a lit match on gasoline. They exploded!

Caleb's one hand slid under the hem of her t-shirt, fingers caressing Kevan's bare skin. Breathless, pulling her mouth from his, his hand left a trail of fire across her body. His mouth traced the line of her jaw from her ear down the length of her neck.

Kevan's hands, loving the feel of his body, began their own exploration, tracing the length of his hard and strong back, wanting to run her fingers over every inch of it. She wrenched at his t-shirt, ripping it in her haste, as it caught between their bodies, her fingers raking down his back, hard and fast.

Caleb lifted his head, eyes grabbing hers, and he hissed at the waves of pain and pleasure rolling through his body. "Is that the way you like it, want it?" he whispered, backing her up against the wall, nipping at her neck. Kevan arched her body so he could reach anything he wanted without interference.

"Shirt off, now," he ordered, setting her down onto her shaky legs. Doing as she was told, she pulled off her t-shirt, exposing herself to him. He groaned as he pulled her close, his mouth reclaiming hers, as he lifted back into his arms.

Kevan's legs wrapped around his waist, as she pushed against his throbbing body entrapping her against the wall, allowing him the freedom to use both hands to strip off her bra, exposing her full, beautiful breasts to his seeking mouth that closed over her tightening nipples. Her entire body convulsed, soaring faster and harder into an orgasm unlike any she had ever experienced before.

Caleb smiled as he milked her nipple with his mouth and hands, not stopping as he felt her body shaking, her moans of desire pushing him further. "Love the sounds you make when I touch your body," he whispered in her ear. "I don't want anything between us anymore."

Putting her back on her feet, both sets of hands pushed and pulled in their haste to remove the offending clothing between them. Caleb's common sense kicked in, concerned that it was too much, too fast.

"Take them off," she demanded her voice husky from desire, the need for more echoing, as they made short work of the few remaining items of clothing on their bodies.

Caleb pulled her back into his arms the second she was naked. It was as if they were addicted to each other's touch and needed a fix. Running one hand down her body and through the curls that sat at the apex of her sexuality, his fingers parted the lips, and he moaned as he felt her need echoing his. Stroking Kevan's clit gently, pushing her to where she was begging for more, but not letting her slip over, he wanted this to go on forever.

Kevan whimpered with need as she arched into him, demanding more. Continuing at his pace, he grabbed one leg, pulling it up to his hip; his fingers continued their tease of her most sensitive area.

"Please," she begged, as he slid one finger into her, giving her a taste of what was to come. Kevan keened, needing more.

"Like that, do you?" he probed, as he slowly pumped his finger within.

"More," she cried, closing her eyes, letting the feelings overwhelm her.

"Open those beautiful eyes," he commanded, waiting for her obedience. Eyes shooting open, she glared at him. "Good girl, keep them open, I want to see them as I take you." Her eyes flashed with desire at the idea. "Then take me!" she ordered, trying to take control.

Chuckling, "Tell me what you want me to do," Caleb asked, as his fingers caressed her, keeping her burning, withholding the intensity she craved. "What do you need me to do?"

"Oh gods," she groaned, pushing into his hand, "More, I need more." Caleb laughed against her skin, pulling his hand away, leaving her feeling empty and needy. "No!" she cried out.

Kevan reached out, her fingers curling around him, her fingertips not meeting. Her eyes widened at the realization of how big he really was, while he stroked himself through her fingers. She held tight enough to stoke the fires, but not enough to send him over the edge.

Knowing his satisfaction would come once he was inside her, he reluctantly pulled away from her fingers, "Relax, it'll fit, I promise."

"Gods," she pleaded as he picked her up, tossing her onto the king size bed.

"That's good," Caleb murmured, watching Kevan crab walk further up the bed. He grabbed her legs, pulling her under him, giving him access to her.

Unable to take anymore, she reached for him.

"If you touch me, it'll be over before we get to the good stuff." Caleb moaned.

"I don't know if I can take any more good stuff," she cried into his shoulder, "I need you now!"

Caleb hesitated at the feel of Kevan's heat, before grabbing her knees and plunging to the hilt. Her gasp stilled his invasion, feeling her muscles envelope and pulse around him.

Kevan's eyes glazed over with the overwhelming fullness. Soon her body demanded more, expressing her need, trying to create more than a slight friction.

He held her still, feeling her frustration building. "What do you want?" he asked, "This?" He withdrew slightly and pushed back into her, making her cry out when he stopped.

Tears running down her face, she tried to make him continue. "Don't make me beg!" she pleaded.

"But I want you to beg. I want to know what you want, what you need," he panted, barely controlled, his teeth clenched, his body shaking.

"Move," she hissed at him, tensing her muscles, smiling when she heard his gurgle of pleasure.

Caleb had to concentrate against her tightening envelope, as waves of need surged through him. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"Fuck me!" she screamed, arching her body, "Hard, fast, and don't stop."

"With pleasure," he agreed, pulling out and sliding back in, only this time he didn't stop. Holding tight, he pounded his body into hers. Caleb had never been this affected or involved before. She was so hot, so tight, and he didn't want to stop, ever.

Kevan pressed her mouth against his shoulder, groaning when he shifted his hips just enough to rub against her clit, building the pressure, but not enough to send her into that blinding feel of ecstasy. Matching him thrust for thrust, not wanting him to stop, erasing memories of past lovers, boys really; they melted away under the man who knew how to take care of a woman's needs. Reaching between them, his fingers pinched her clit, and her body exploded as her orgasm ripped over her, sending her on a trip that no drug could ever reproduce.

Feeling her release triggered the tightening in his body, thrusting into her as the shudder of coming exploded through him, roaring as the power of his climax robbed him of all his strength. His head fell back, his body shaking while he emptied himself, before collapsing on top of her, panting.

Kevan raked her nails up and down his back lightly, as shivers subsided. "Don't stop," he informed her, nuzzling her neck, "I like your nails." Kevan smiled, resuming her finger play. "Are you okay?" he wanted to know.

"No," she whispered, making him look at her, worried that maybe he had hurt her. He started to roll off, but she stopped him. "Not yet," wrapping her arms around his body, holding him close. "Okay doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now. That was amazing!"

"Well, you certainly know how to stroke a guy's ego."

"Among other things," she teased, as her hands continued to touch him. "I'm sure we could do a lot more testing of that, as long as you are up to it," Kevan wheezed slightly as she laughed. It was so different from anything she had ever experienced before, and she was having a hard time processing what had just happened.

"I'm too heavy," he apologized.

"No, I like it," she told him. He lifted enough to look into her eyes. "Your body on mine feels amazing."

"So does yours," he told her, tracing her cheek with his fingers, following the faint blue vein to her shoulder, down her chest, circling her nipple, teasing with provoking strokes, the pressure restoking her desire. As the cascade of heat pulsed through her body, her legs tightened around him, he grew hard again.

A lurid grin lit Kevan's face. Attempting to rock herself again him, she reached out, fingers grabbing his nipples, pinching, his body surging within hers, as the ecstasy of a hint of pain and pleasure washed over him. Kevan paused, waiting to see if he wanted her to stop.

"You're bad," he moaned.

"And you like it, don't you?" she teased, squirming against his warrior's honed body.

"Most definitely, but are you sure you're ready for another round so soon?" he growled, pulling back, waiting. Kevan tried to pull him back with her legs, but he was too strong. He smiled at her frustration, knowing that the longer he held off, the stronger her orgasm would be.

"You haven't answered me," he told her.

"Yes, god damn it, I want you again," she cried, as he rocked his hips against hers, giving her some of what she was looking for, "Now!"

"You know, I'm never letting you go," he told her. Easing within her tender over-sensitive body, she felt every delicious inch of him, as his possession of her was unbearably exquisite.

"I'm not letting you go either," she panted. Her body conflicted with the want for him to go slow, but the need for him not to. "Now, please gods, please...!"

"No!" she cried out, "don't stop!"

"Stop?" his body radiated power, "I'm not stopping all night," he warned her, rolling over, so she was on top, giving him an unobstructed view of her stunning body. "You have control," he whispered, "for the moment." Knowing he wouldn't give up his control to her for long.

Kevan's eyes sprung wide with desire. He felt much bigger in this position.

"Relax," he whispered taking her hips in his hands when her lack of coordination started to frustrate her, giving assistance in helping her find the tempo she needed. Her eyes closed, her body directing the need building within. Caleb's whispers mixing with the sounds of their frantic breathing, they gave over completely to the desires ricocheting through their bodies. He slid his hand over her body, down to where they were joined together in the age-old dance of desire, his fingers settling on her pulsing clit. Just that little bit more to send her over the edge.

Kevan's entire body convulsed, as yet another orgasm ripped through her, creating a kaleidoscope behind her eyes, as she collapsed like a wet rag on top on Caleb. His big hands stroked her pulsing body, only gentling, not pushing higher.

Within a few minutes a shiver of cold rippled through her, and she sighed with contentment, as he pulled a blanket over them.

Snuggling into his chest, her head under his chin, "I'm not finished with you," she promised, licking his neck.

"That's good, I'm not done with you either, but we need a little rest," he whispered, kissing her cheek, before wrapping his arms around her body. "We have all the time in the world."

Kevan smiled as she planted a kiss on his chest, before she let sleep slide over her. "Just a quick nap," she whispered.

***

Watching her, he couldn't believe she was in his bed. In all the years he had been around, he had never had someone affect him the way Kevan did. Memories of past loves didn't compare to how entrenched Kevan already was in his heart and soul. Their attraction had been instantaneous.

She had even admitted to him that she couldn't stop thinking about him, and yet he wouldn't acknowledge his difficulty in getting her out of his head. Arrogance ruled his heart as the norm, so to suddenly find himself caring about this woman jolted him. He didn't like to admit it, but he had been the stereotypical male, more attracted to petite blondes, until Kevan.

He and Marcus had argued the morning that he had first seen Kevan. Caleb had better things to do than go on yet another wild goose chase for their missing healers. Caleb had told Marcus to get someone else to go, but Marcus had refused, ordering Caleb to go. He was now glad Marcus had insisted he be the one.

Now a tall brunette haunted his every waking thought. There was no doubt she would leave a mark on his heart unlike any before. These emotions surprised and scared him. Despite his long life, he was out of practice dealing with them.

His calloused finger looked brutish, tracing a path down her face. A grin stretched his face as her eyes fluttered open, a sleepy smile lighting her face. "Morning," she whispered.

"Not yet," not letting go when she attempted to push away.

"What time is it?" she asked, twisting around to look at the clock.

"About 2 a.m."

"What! Why are you awake?" she exclaimed.

"Enjoying the view." Kevan blushed as she looked away. "You're really cute when you blush."

"Thanks, I think."

"It was a compliment," he assured her.

"I believe you, but after the mind blowing sex we just shared, I don't think 'cute' is a description that a woman wants to hear. Sexy, beautiful, would be much better, the last thing a woman wants to be called, is cute." Kevan felt like she was in a dream and never wanted to wake up.

"Good to know, I'll keep that in mind for future reference, but as to the mind blowing sex, you can relax, 'cause I have all kinds of ideas for making sure that it just gets better and better."

"Well, they do say practice makes perfect," Kevan teased him.

"Then we'll just have to do lots and lots of practicing," Caleb said to her, as he watched Kevan push herself into a seated position, letting the blanket fall to her waist.

"I never knew it could be so good," she stated quietly, not wanting to disturb the aura they had surrounding them.

Caleb squeezed her tight and kissed her shoulder. "Neither did I," Caleb admitted.

"Are you telling me after all these years..." stopping as a thought came over her. "How old are you?"

"What?"

"How old are you?"

"You sure you really want to know?" he asked, going with the flow, as she went from tender and gentle to inquisitive in the space of a heartbeat.

"Yes, I really want to know."

"Okay, I was born in 2993 BC."

"Fuck, you look good for someone who is almost 5000 years old."

"Thank you, I think." He laughed, "Told you, you didn't want to know."

"Well it boggles the mind when I think of everything you've been through, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, Alexander the Great, the Industrial Revolution."

"The black plague, food shortages, walking everywhere... it wasn't as much fun as you think," he pointed out.

"Maybe not when you're going through it, but looking back, it's got to be amazing when you think of all you've witnessed," Kevan gushed in awe.

"I don't look back," he explained. "You can't change the past without affecting the future, so it's better to focus on the future."

"So you don't want to talk about your past?" Kevan enquired. "I don't know if I can restrain myself from asking a few questions."

"That's fine, as long it's not all you want to talk about."

"Deal. Now as for Kaitlyn, I can't promise that she won't bug you endlessly; hell, even Kendra will likely have questions," Kevan stated, trying to stifle a yawn. "I'm sure that we're goi ..." dropping off in mid-sentence.

Caleb stroked her hair, making himself more comfortable, snuggling her into his body, "Sleep, my beauty," he whispered against her hair. "We've our whole lives together."
Chapter Ten

Kevan brushed at her face, but the annoyance was back. Her hand lifted, batting at it again, sleep pulling at her, only to have the annoyance brush her face again. It was back, touching her, and her eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings before she settled on Caleb's face.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered, his hand caressing her face gently.

"Uh, morning," she smiled sleepily, lifting her head up, kissing him quickly. Caleb could see her mind racing, cheeks flushing red as the memories of last night flooded her.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, I can't believe I, we, did that," she told him.

"I hope that wasn't a complaint, I rather enjoyed what we did, and was hoping to do it again soon, very soon." Lifting her hand, he kissed her palm.

Kevan's entire body tingled with anticipation. "I can't believe... I'm not usually so impulsive, and I certainly don't make a habit of jumping into bed with men I've only known for 24 hours."

Caleb's mischievous smile burst out, "Technically speaking, I don't think you did any jumping."

"Ha, ha, you're such a comedian, Mr. Funny Guy. Be serious." Kevan was unsure how she should feel, but regret was not on the list. "I can be impulsive, but not like this."

"I'm very honored." He smiled wider at her glare. "Relax darling, what are they going to do, kick you out of the women's club for changing your mind?" Kevan groaned, swatting at his shoulder, struggling to sit up.

Caleb leaned down, nibbling at her lips. She resisted for all of ten seconds before her need took control of her body, her hands reaching up, threading into his hair, pulling him to her. Caleb attacked her mouth, dueling with her tongue, before finally pulling back, leaving them both panting with need.

"What have you done to me?" she asked him, staring into his dark brown eyes that sparkled with desire.

"I think they call it making love," he smiled, "all night long."

Kevan shook her head, her own smile springing up. "Be serious," she laughed.

"Better?" he wanted to know, as she watched him make a serious face, that wasn't very serious.

"You're an ass, you know that?" Kevan accused him. "What's everyone going to think?" she moaned, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Who cares, we're both consenting adults."

"But...," stopping when she looked at his face. "You're right," she finally admitted.

"Now you just need to remember that," he told her, leaning down to kiss her again. Moaning, she poured herself into the kiss that devastated her senses, and she reached for him, rolling onto her back.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she wondered if she looked as different as she felt, and it scared her a bit. Glancing around the room, seeing the rumpled sheets, the large oversized bed seemed out of place amongst the light modern sleek furniture.

"You look beautiful," Caleb told her, walking up from behind, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her back against him. Kevan sighed, leaning back into his warm strong body, loving the heat it put off, and the sound of his heartbeat.

"Oh gods, they're going to know," she groaned.

"What!" His gasp a lesson in over acting, "How are they going to know?"

"I wasn't exactly quiet last night," she hissed at him, pulling out of his arms, trying to figure out a way out of the house without letting anyone see her.

"They didn't hear a thing," he reassured her. "What we do behind closed doors is for us alone," he encouraged. "Besides, I wouldn't give a fuck if they had heard us," tipping her chin up so she could see how serious he was. "Last night, and every night to come, is nothing to be ashamed of. I won't let you act like what we did is shameful, or wrong. If what we did was wrong, I never want to be right again." He leaned down giving her a quick kiss.

"But Caleb," Kevan whimpered.

"Who is this person standing in front of me, where is the Kevan who stood up to her entire family yesterday? Where's the strong independent woman that turns me on?"

"I'm so out of my comfort zone right now, it's not funny. Hell, the last 24 hours feels like I'm a character in one of Kaitlyn's books. Oh god, Kaitlyn is never going to let me live this down."

"Do you regret what we did?" Caleb questioned, as he caressed her cheek.

"No," she admitted. "No!" she stated with more conviction, "NO, I don't regret one second of it." She looked at his smiling face. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, now come on. I'm starving for some reason this morning." He grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the stairs. Kevan mentally groaned at the thought of confronting everyone.

Walking into the breakfast room was harder than Kevan ever thought it would be. The feeling of eyes on her, knowing they knew what had happened between Caleb and herself. Even with his assertions that nobody heard them, her sisters would know with one look.

"Good morning everyone," Caleb called out, directing Kevan to the sideboard where breakfast was laid out, helping himself to a cup of coffee, turning, leaning casually against the buffet. Mumbles of good morning mixed with knowing grins from those gathered around the table. "What?" he asked innocently.

Kevan couldn't look at anyone, delaying as long as she could before she took a seat at the table. She delayed so long that Caleb took her plate, leading her to the table. Kevan acted as if she was completely fascinated with the food on her plate, even though she couldn't stomach it.

"Did everyone sleep well?" Kaitlyn inquired casually, waiting for Kevan's reaction. Seeing the nerves kick in, nervous swallowing was her tell, a smile snuck across Kaitlyn's face. Kaitlyn flashed a look at Eve, who was having a hard time not laughing at Kevan's sudden lack of self-confidence; it was amusing to see her like this.

"Kevan?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"What?" Kevan jumped at the sound of her name.

"Whoa, someone's a little touchy this morning, acting like they got caught with their fingers in the cookie jar," Kaitlyn teased her. "All I asked was how you slept?"

"Fine, I slept fine," Kevan spat at her defensively.

"That's good," Kaitlyn snickered. "I'm glad."

Kevan silently groaned. How much longer before breakfast was done? It seemed to drag on forever. Eventually relaxing a bit, she listened half heartedly to the conversations floating around her.

She jumped and blushed when Caleb touched her arm, as her body reacted to his. "What?" she asked.

"We're behind schedule, better late than never, go get ready, I'll meet you in the gym in 15 minutes," he ordered.

"Ready for what?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Kevan's training session," Caleb answered.

"Training session?" Kaitlyn enquired, "What training session?"

"Nothing," Kevan told Kaitlyn.

"Not nothing," Caleb looked to Kaitlyn. "Your sister requested that I teach her how to fight for her life, and we're starting this morning."

"Then what was yesterday?" Niall questioned with a smile and a wink.

"Yesterday was to ascertain her abilities," Caleb told him with a warning tone.

"So that's what they're calling it now. Good to know," Niall nodded.

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Kaitlyn admitted. "I think I'll join you."

"Don't you think you should ask before you invite yourself?" Kevan told Kaitlyn, who just stuck out her tongue at Kevan.

"I don't think Caleb would mind," Kaitlyn shrugged, looking at Eve. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I think it's a good idea," Eve admitted quietly.

"I thought you worked all night?" Kevan questioned, secretly wishing that they would all just leave so she could deal with what she was feeling.

"I did, but I'm rotating back to dayshift, I always stay up to readjust my sleep pattern. I won't hit a wall until later this afternoon," Eve explained, "and I'm shocked to hear myself say this, but after what happened, first to Myrna, then at Sanctuary, I think we should know how to defend ourselves."

Kaitlyn gave a snort of laughter, looking at Caleb. "You should be honored. Eve here is very much anti martial arts, and as soon as she was allowed to, she quit."

"Hey, don't make it sound like I didn't do anything, I started yoga," Eve pointed out. "I remember enough of my karate training that I could kick your ass any day of the week, Ms. Chips and Pop!" She wagged her finger at Kaitlyn, Eve ever the nag regarding junk food.

"Those are legitimate food groups," Kaitlyn stated with an air of confidence.

"Oh my gods, I can't believe you just said that," Kevan laughed. Listening to her sisters tease each other felt normal, and normal was not how she was feeling until that moment.

"Enough," Caleb roared, staring at them. "What is this?"

"Oh, this is nothing," Kaitlyn warned, "Just you wait till you have all of us together and we start arguing."

"Oh my gods," he groaned, rubbing his head, "What have I gotten myself into?"

"So you'll teach us?" Kaitlyn questioned.

Caleb looked to the three women watching him. "I would be honored to teach you, unless one of the guys would like to help."

Roderic laughed, but he had a panicked look in his eyes. "I don't think so, I've been on the other end of one of Caleb's so called training sessions, and I like not having bruises and sore muscles. I can give instructions from the side lines if you would like," he offered.

"If you're in the gym, you're training!" Caleb stated. "Rod, you haven't been in on a training session for a long time. We don't want you getting soft sitting behind that corporate desk, now do we?"

"I work out," Roderic whined.

"Yeah, in your home gym. You haven't been in an intense training session in months," Caleb reminded him. "Working out doesn't count. I know we don't need to go out and patrol like we did at one time, but it never hurts to be prepared."

"Excuse me," Roderic stated, "I've been a little busy making us all a lot of money!"

"I'm not saying you haven't been working, but we are what we are, which is warriors who need to be ready at the drop of a hat."

"You sounded just like Marcus for a moment," Niall said with a laugh. Caleb turned to Niall. He suddenly realized what he had just done. "I work out!" he exclaimed.

"I'm not talking about your bedroom work outs," Caleb explained. "When was the last time you picked up a sword, or even a dagger?" Niall tried to think of something, anything that would get him out of this, his shoulders sagging when he saw the determination on Caleb's face.

"Alright, fine, I'll join you," he whined, "but I'm doing this under protest."

"Protest all you want, you need this," Caleb told him. "We've all been getting lazy of late. What happened at Sanctuary should be a wakeup call that we need to be ready for anything, at any time." Caleb smiled, knowing he was going to enjoy this. "Fifteen minutes, in the gym," he ordered, before strolling out of the room.

Kevan rushed into her room before she could be waylaid, but it was too late, her sisters were right on her heels.

"Kevan, freeze," Kaitlyn shouted, as she attempted to get into Kevan's room. "If you think a closed door is going to stop us, you're delusional."

"Caleb won't like it if we're late," Kevan warned them, trying anything to get out of this.

"He'll live," Kaitlyn assured her. "We aren't leaving here until you start talking about last night."

"What about last night?" she asked, trying to play dumb, but she knew it wouldn't stop them.

"Nice try Kevan, but look at who you are talking to, it's us, we know the look of a woman who spent the night..." Kaitlyn looked to Eve for confirmation, "What would you say, making love, or is hardcore fucking a better description?"

"Kaitlyn!" Kevan gasped, shooting her sisters a look of shock.

"Look at her face," Kaitlyn pointed out, as Eve laughed.

"I would say it was a bit of both from that look; Caleb obviously knows what he's doing." Kevan stood in the middle of her bedroom listening to her sisters teasing, but all she could think about was last night, and when they could do it again.

Eve noticed something different. Kevan jumped when Eve touched her, "We are kidding, you know that?"

Kevan pulled herself back to the present. "You're both going to think I'm crazy if I tell you this."

"We already know you're crazy, so spill, what?" they both asked.

"I think he's the one!" she whispered, afraid to say it aloud.

"The one, seriously," Kaitlyn questioned, "hon, you hardly know him?"

Kevan turned, rubbing her hands on her arms. "I told you you'd think it was crazy!" Kevan reminded them, "but my gods, I can't shake the feelings I'm having."

"Rapid heartbeat?"Kaitlyn questioned.

"Dry mouth?" Eve chimed in.

"Is your body aching for his touch?" Kaitlyn smiled, as Kevan nodded at everything they threw at her.

"I guess congrats are in order then," Eve teased.

"Only there's one big problem," Kevan remarked.

"What's that?"

"My entire family hates the man I think I may be falling for, and they won't have anything to do with me, or him, if I pursue this relationship." Kevan sighed, tears welling up, but refusing to let them fall.

"Kevan, don't take it all so seriously. We'll deal with the family. If he's the one, that's all that matters," Eve promised, giving her a big hug.

"Eve's right. Don't let anyone, or anything, stop you from feeling what you're feeling, because if you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life," Kaitlyn stated. "We'll work it out, don't worry so much."

"I hope you're right," Kevan sighed.

***

All three women were panting, covered in sweat after a grueling work out, their bodies shaking from the intensity of Caleb's training session.

"No more," Kaitlyn cried, throwing her hands up in surrender, "we give up."

"Give up? You can't just give up, we're just getting started," Caleb badgered. "There are no time limits on these kinds of fights. You need to be prepared for anything."

"Caleb, let's face it, we can train for the next 50 years and we'll never be able to fight like you," Eve wheezed. "I know we need to know this stuff, but I'm sorry, I just can't do one more move. I've had enough."

Kevan watched from the sidelines, just as much out of breath as her sisters, her chest heaving as her heartbeat slowed to a more normal rate. Bracing her hands on her hips, she finally spoke up. "Enough," she told him, "Eve's right. It doesn't matter how much training we do, we're never going to be able to take out most demons or vamps, and we just aren't Buffy!"

"Did you just compare yourself to a television character?" Caleb asked, dumbfounded. "This isn't a joke. There are demons and others out to harm you, and they're real."

Kevan walked towards him. "We know they're real, Caleb, but between yesterday and today, all you've proven to me is we aren't capable of properly defending ourselves, despite what we have always believed."

"You did okay at the club," he encouraged her.

"With you there, yeah, but if they'd come at us while we were by ourselves, we'd be fucked."

"What she said," Kaitlyn gasped, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand after guzzling down a bottle of water.

"You can't give up, it'll take some time, but you'll learn."

"We're not talking about giving up, but you have to admit that we have a point," Kevan reminded him. "I've been thinking about what you told me yesterday, I think it could be far more useful in the long run."

"I told you a great many things yesterday; you'll need to be a little bit more specific," Caleb looked at Kevan, waiting.

"You said something about us getting powers of our ancestors?" she reminded him.

Niall's head shot up, giving Caleb a look of surprise. "You told them about the prophecy?" he questioned, getting to his feet.

"Yeah," Caleb admitted, "I told Kevan about it, but only that there is one. I didn't go into too much detail."

"What he means is, he messed up and said something he didn't want to, but I heard, and by then it was too late, so he had to tell me the truth, but only after I pushed him," Kevan's grin filled her voice. "Why, is it supposed to be a big secret?"

"No, I'm just surprised that Caleb mentioned it, that's all. He's usually pretty tight lipped about things like that," Niall commented. "What did he tell you, exactly?"

"Not much, only that you and Marcus believe this prophecy makes us important somehow, and that part of it is that we're supposed to get powers from our ancestors. If that's true, how's it supposed to happen? How are we to get these so called powers?"

"No!" Caleb growled, stopping Niall, grabbing Kevan's arm, "Just forget that I said anything."

"What do you mean no?" Kevan shot at him, pulling her arm from his grasp. "You're not my father, and it's a little late for that, the cat is out of the bag, as they say," looking at Niall silently watching them. "Explain to me what we need to do. I don't know how to explain it, but I know we need to do this." Niall attempted to speak, but was interrupted by Caleb.

"It's too dangerous," Caleb told them, his voice filled with concern.

"You don't know that," Kevan threw at him. "I'm an adult and have been making my own decisions for a long time. I'm not going to do anything unless I know all the risks involved."

"Okay, this is ridiculous, you've only been together for one day and already you're acting like an old married couple," Niall shook his head. "Caleb, trust that Kevan's capable of making these decisions, or this relationship doesn't stand a chance."

"Relationship," Kevan stuttered, "what are you talking about, we don't have a relationship."

"Man, I don't know about you, but I think I'd be offended," Kayne teased. "Kevan, I don't know who you think you're fooling, but it's not working. You're together, don't even try and deny it."

"Yeah, we all know you spent last night together, don't try to deny it, nobody's going to believe you," Niall laughed. "You might find it liberating if you just admit it. It's not like we're asking for details, although if you wanted to enlighten us with some..."

"Enough Niall," Caleb warned him. "What we do is nobody's business but ours."

"Fine, fine," Niall surrendered, his voice shaking with amusement while pretending disappointment. "Maybe we should get back to the subject at hand," looking to Kevan, "I think you have the right idea. Maybe it's time to embrace your family's destiny."

"I'm telling you it's too dangerous," Caleb growled through clenched teeth.

"Caleb," Kevan whispered, laying her hand on his chest, trying to reassure him. "We need to hear what Niall has to say."

Caleb searched her face but he could see the determination in her eyes. "You don't understand how dangerous this could be," he pleaded with her, dropping his voice so only she could hear him. "I can't... I don't... if anything happened to you."

"I haven't agreed to anything yet," she pointed out. "All I'm asking is what's involved in getting these so called powers."

Niall spoke up, "Caleb, you know the prophecy. Do you believe that they are the ones, or not?"

Caleb looked at him, and even though he didn't want to admit it, he knew it was true, that these where the ones talked about in the prophecy. "I know they're the ones."

"Then there's nothing to worry about. We all know that only the true heirs will be able to embrace their destiny. All false ones will suffer the wrath of the gods."

"Which we've interpreted to mean they pay with their lives," Caleb argued. "It's a huge risk they could be taking, based only on what we think we know about what the prophecy refers to. How many other times have we been wrong about other things? Just forget it; it's too big of a risk."

"You keep saying they're the ones, but then you say it's too big of a risk. Make up your mind. If they're the ones from the prophecy, then we both know they'll embrace their destiny whether you like it or not," Niall pointed out. "Isn't it better with our help?" Niall watched his friend's struggle. "You know I'm right."

"But ..."

"Caleb, stop," Kevan told him.

Kaitlyn had finally had enough. "You know, we've listened to everything you've said. All I want to know is what the fuck are you talking about? What powers? What prophesy? Ah hello, sitting in the dark?" Kaitlyn demanded, waving her hands at them.

"Kaitlyn, I'll explain later," Kevan promised her sister, as she focused on Caleb. "Let's hear what Niall has to say, and then we'll make a decision. We don't plan to risk our lives, but I'm starting to believe that there's more to us. I've always felt different from everyone, I've always believed that we had a destiny, I just didn't really understand it, but I'm starting to think it may be tied into you guys."

Caleb closed his eyes, groaning, knowing he was going to give in, but he didn't want to. "I just want to protect you," he tried one last argument.

"I like that you want to protect me," she whispered, "but what about my sisters and cousins? If this gives them some kind of protection, then we have no choice." Kevan told him, "I trust Niall, even though he did lie to me."

"And you've forgiven me for that?" Niall sounded hopeful.

"I wouldn't say that, it's still up for consideration, buddy," Kevan informed him, but her eyes never left Caleb's. "I don't think he'd do anything that would put us at risk; you know that, you trust him too."

"Okay, okay you win. I don't like it, but I won't try and change your mind," he whispered, pulling her into his arms, and she welcomed his embrace.

Caleb looked at Niall. "I'll kill you if anything goes wrong," he threatened. Niall smiled and nodded.

"Are you finished, are you going to finally explain what's going on?" Kaitlyn demanded.

"Niall, I leave this in your capable hands," Caleb passed the buck.

"There's not really a lot to tell, actually. A long time ago we were given a prophecy, which told that the daughters of the one will be given something to aid the warrior men." Niall shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't tell us who or what, just that it'll be important in the future. We've spent centuries trying to figure it out, and what we've come up with is this: the prophecy talks about the daughters of the one, which would be you, and of the one, being Elizabeth, the first of your family to be our friend. Over the years, certain members of your family have shown remarkable abilities."

"These supposed powers?" Kaitlyn supplied.

"We believe so," Niall shrugged. "We're guessing. Some things we're fairly sure about, others not so much. You guys, we're sure; the rest, well, since it's never been done before, I'd say we are going on a lucky guess."

"Hence, the reason that it's too dangerous," Caleb took the chance to point out again.

"Caleb, you promised." Caleb turned away, but not before she saw the anger and fear he was fighting. "Niall, continue," Kevan instructed.

"We gather you together, we've been given a ritual that we do, and supposedly this will call on your ancestors to bestow upon you your powers, or whatever."

"But you've never done this ritual before?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"No; if you're not the true heirs, it could as Caleb has pointed out, kill the ones trying."

"What are you telling us?" Kevan asked Niall, seeing his concern.

"I'm not telling you anything, I'm explaining to you what we know and think. Beyond that, my friend, the decision rests with you. I'd love to tell you there's no risk, but that would be lying. I believe it to be minimal, but a risk none the less."

"Thank you for your honesty, Niall," Kevan turned, looking to Kaitlyn and Eve standing quietly, listening to everything being said. "What do you think?"

"I don't think we have a choice," Kaitlyn stated. "If we don't explore this and something happens, and these supposed powers might have prevented a problem, we'd never forgive ourselves."

"I can't believe we're even talking about this. Powers! We're ordinary human beings. We don't have powers!" Eve stated the scientist in her having a hard time with the unexplained.

"No shit Sherlock." Kevan told her. "But if everything we've been told is true and I believe that 98 percent of it is, then our family, for generations, has been part of something bigger. Something that was stolen from us when Daphne was murdered." Kevan turned to Niall, "If we do this, what about Brennan and the others, will they get their powers?"

"Not to our knowledge. The spell should only work on the ones doing the ritual, but I can't honestly say what is going to happen." Niall admitted, "They'll likely know that something's happening, but not necessarily what."

"Niall, I'm going to trust that you know what you're talking about," Kevan told him. "What do we need to do?"

"Nothing, I'll take care everything," Niall reassured them. "You're sure you want to do this?"

"No, but Kaitlyn's right, I don't think we have a choice," Kevan admitted, watching her sisters. "I'll do anything to ensure my family's safety."

"Good enough, I'll get started, get things ready for tonight."

"Tonight?" All three women paled.

"Yes, if we're going to do this, we should do this tonight. It's a full moon. While not necessary, it certainly couldn't hurt. Magic's always stronger under a full moon."

"You're sure there's nothing we can do to help?" Kevan pushed.

"I'm sure. All I require of you is to be here at midnight; the four of you will be assisted by four of the guys."

"Four? I think you're mistaken. There's only three of us here," Kevan remarked.

"Yes and no. There are you three, Kevan, Kaitlyn, and Eve, and then there is Rhiannon!"

"Rhiannon?" they all asked with confusion, looking to the healer standing silently observing from the edge of the room.

"Yes, Rhiannon," Niall told them.

"You said the ritual could kill them if they were not the true heirs," Kaitlyn questioned.

"It's possible," Niall admitted.

"Then why would you risk Rhiannon's life?" Eve demanded, her anger making her sound snippy at the thought of risking a life recklessly.

"WE, WOULD, NEVER risk Rhiannon's life!" Niall exploded, his anger boiling.

"Then why?" Kaitlyn asked, suddenly curious.

"You aren't the only one of Elizabeth's descendants to still have relationships with the cairbare," Rhiannon stated, joining them.

"What?" they gasped in shock.

"My family tree can be traced back to Elizabeth's oldest daughter, Miriam." Eve stared at Rhiannon in amazement.

"So, we're related?" Kevan asked, trying to wrap her head around the information that had just been dropped on them.

"Very distantly, but yes, your family comes from Andrew, Elizabeth's oldest son," Rhiannon explained. "Elizabeth had 5 children, Andrew, Miriam, Jonathan, Claire, and Nathaniel."

"Do you know where all the family lines are?" Kaitlyn asked in awe, looking to Niall.

"No, we don't. Miriam's and Andrew's we know about. The others, unfortunately, we have lost track of over the years," Niall reluctantly admitted.

"You kept track of Rhiannon's and our family, why not the rest?" Kaitlyn pushed, curiosity kicking in.

"Kaitlyn," Kevan warned. "Look how little we know of our family history. Hell, we know nothing about Dad's or Uncle Gavin's parents," releasing a sigh of exacerbation.

"The fact they're all dead kinda makes getting to know them rather difficult," Kaitlyn pointed out, "but it seems odd to me that they would keep track of two of the lines of Elizabeth, and not the other three."

"Doesn't matter, it's always nice to meet a member of the family, no matter how distantly related." Eve walked to Rhiannon, giving her a hug. "So what we are to supposedly get?"

"We're not sure, but Niall believes that my being one of the descendants of Elizabeth, I'll be able to complete the ritual without a problem, even if I don't receive a power," Rhiannon explained.

"How long have you known who you are?" Kaitlyn questioned. "When did you meet these guys?"

"I've always known," Rhiannon admitted. "They became my family after my parents were killed. They raised me."

"How old were you?" Eve questioned, very curious about this quiet, unassuming woman they really hadn't paid attention to.

"We, or more specifically, Roderic, became Rhiannon's guardian when she was five, but we've known her since her birth. Her father was one of the descendants," Caleb stated. "Martin worked with us, had his whole life."

"You're very lucky to have people who care about you," Kevan told her.

"Yes, I am," Rhiannon smiled.

"Not to change the subject, but we need to get back to tonight," Niall interjected.

"Tonight?" Kevan questioned, as the focus shifted back to him.

"Yes, tonight. Why, are you having second thoughts?"

"Second, third, fourth, but don't worry, we're going to go through with it. But it's suddenly sinking in that what we've agreed to is going to be life changing."

"If you're not ready, we can delay. The ritual is best performed during a full moon, but that doesn't mean it has to be tonight. There is one every month, you know," Niall joked.

"No, we should to do it tonight. If we think about it too long, then we'll chicken out," Kevan sighed, "so tonight it is."

"Good, wear your necklaces," Niall stated offhandedly.

"What? Why?" Kevan questioned.

"Are you going to question everything I ask you to do?" Niall admonished. Kevan gave him a sly smile, and nodded her head. "Fine, I think it'd be an extra measure of protection. Okay, any more questions?"

"Thank you," Kevan pushed, "What about Rhiannon, what's to be her extra measure of protection?"

"Yeah, she doesn't have a piece," Kaitlyn piped up.

"She can have my earrings," Eve offered.

"No, I can't," Rhiannon exclaimed, stepping back.

"Yes you can," Eve insisted.

"No, you don't understand. I can't, they're shield stones, if you've worn them, they're tuned to your body's energy. If I try to wear them, well, it could be a problem," Rhiannon explained.

"Then it's a good thing I haven't worn them," Eve informed her.

"You haven't worn them?" Kevan questioned, looking at her sister with surprise. "Why?"

"Don't tell Brennan!" Eve cautioned.

"Like that's going to happen anytime soon, seeing she's kicked me out of the family," Kevan reminded Eve.

"You haven't been kicked out of the family. Brennan's in a snit, she'll come around." Kaitlyn sighed dramatically.

"I'm not holding my breath," Kevan said with a flash of anger, "but that still doesn't explain why you haven't worn the earrings, Eve?"

"No, it doesn't. As talented as Brennan is, and she's very talented, I really didn't like the earrings. Love the pendant, but the earrings, they just aren't my style." Eve shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh my gods," Kaitlyn giggled, shooting a look to Kevan whose eyes twinkled with a secret that they only knew.

"What?" Eve demanded, hating when they did the twin thing.

"Us too," Kaitlyn admitted.

"What? I thought you loved them, I remember you saying that."

"Uh yeah, so did you," Kevan accused her.

"Guilty," Eve admitted.

"It's not that we don't like them. They're beautiful, but just not our taste," Kaitlyn admitted, with Kevan laughingly nodding.

"So see, Rhiannon, you'll be fine," Eve smiled at her.

"Oh, so you're giving me a pair of earrings that you all despise." Rhiannon laughed, shaking her head. "I don`t know, but I think I've been insulted."

"I wouldn`t say we despise them. We've only said they aren't our style, but I think you'll like them," Kevan stated with confidence.

"And why are you so sure?" Rhiannon asked, crossing her arms, waiting for their answer.

"You like the ones you're wearing?" Eve inquired.

"They're my favorites." Rhiannon touched the earrings dangling from her lobes.

"Then you'll love these; Brennan's are almost identical to those."

"Thank you," Rhiannon whispered, emotions choking her throat. "I would be honored to have a piece of Elizabeth's legacy."

"You're welcome," Kevan told her. "We can't have anything happening to our newest family member."

"I'm glad you're all happy, but if you'll excuse us, I need to discuss some business with these gentlemen," Niall informed them.

As they started walking away, Caleb grabbed her, pulling her close, giving her a quick, intense, mind-blowing kiss.

"I won't be long," he promised, letting her go with some reluctance.

"I'll be waiting," she murmured, her heart galloping, her body tightening in anticipation.

Walking into the study, Caleb grabbed Niall's arm, demanding answers. "Why are you pushing this? What aren't you telling us? It's not like you to insist on rushing into something without thought."

Niall wrenched his arm from Caleb, "Let's say I have it on good authority, that the time is right!"

"The time is right for what?" Kayne wanted to know, "And who's your good authority?"

Both men noticed the tip of Niall`s tattoo start to get red, making the markings start to rise. "I'm still your Prince, so you'll do as I instruct," Niall threw at them, working to control his anger, determined not to blow up. "Maybe I've been too lax with you all of late; maybe it's time for a change."

"Don't you start throwing the Prince thing at us, Niall. You're no different than we are, in this world!" Caleb spat. Niall turned away, hands at his sides, as he flexed and clenched his fingers, attempting to ease his temper, before he turned back to face them. The tattoo, rising off his skin with a heat to match its colour, warned them he was working to keep his temper in check. His friends stepped back warily. They knew his explosive temper, and this was putting them on guard.

"I require your trust," Niall ordered, with an authority fit for a king.

"Niall, you've always had our trust." Roderic watched his old friend get himself under control. "You can't change the rules now, not after all these years, not after all that we've been through. Tell us what's going on."

He took a seat behind Caleb's desk, not looking at his men; his friends, with his emotions shuttered, but for his resolve, there were things that they didn't need to know, yet. "I need you all to trust what I'm doing is for the best. These women are the ones of the prophecy. We need them to do this, now."

"Even if it means putting them in danger," Caleb bellowed at him.

"Caleb, you're acting like a horse's ass. You don't have the exclusive rights on caring about Kevan. I care about her too. Do you think I would deliberately put her in harm's way? What about Rhiannon, she's like a daughter to all of us. Would I risk her life?" His anger was boiling up again.

"We know you're not putting them in harm's way Niall, but what aren't you telling us?" Caleb pushed him.

"As soon as I know, I'll let you know," he told them. "I want them protected, and I happen to think the best way to do that, is for them to have their powers, whatever they might be."

"If that's what the prophecy is really talking about, it's still all speculation. We're guessing about what the oracle told us," Caleb argued. "It could all be a bunch of b.s. for all we know."

"Do you honestly think that, Caleb? 'Cause if you do, maybe I should get someone else to stand up as Kevan's protector during the ceremony," Niall told him. "I'm sure we could get one of the other guys..."

"Don't even think about it," Caleb growled in warning. "I am the only protector Kevan will need."

"You'll do what's required?" Niall questioned him.

"Yes, damn it! I'll do what's needed, you already knew that, so why are we having this conversation?"

"Thank you," Niall murmured, his gaze taking in the men standing in the room, some of his closest friends. "You know, I wouldn't be insisting on this if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary," he explained, but not giving them anymore.

"Niall, you're keeping something from us. You'll tell us sooner or later, or else I'll beat the shit out of you," Caleb informed him, ignoring the waves of power coming off Niall's tattoo.

"Caleb, don't think because I'm not as big as you, that I'm not capable of taking you down. It's been a while, but I could if I had to, just don't make me have to," his voice deadly and insistent. They all stood watching Niall with a renewed respect. Normally, a very easygoing man, letting his generals be the disciplinarians, he'd just reminded them he could be just as deadly.

"I'll talk to Marcus, ensure he's up for the ceremony, and see if he can shed any more light on why someone would want him dead."

"Yeah, ask him about what he was onto?" Kayne questioned, nonchalance hiding his concern. "He needs to tell us why someone's trying to kill him." Niall nodded his agreement, "I'll ask, but we all know how tight lipped Marcus can be when he thinks it means protecting us."

"We can protect ourselves. We need to know who's trying to kill him more than we need him protecting us," Caleb echoed all of their thoughts, "but you're more likely to get information from him than we will."

"I'll see what I can find out, but back to the other subject we were discussing, I have one last request regarding this evening's festivity!"

"Niall, you're really pushing it," Caleb glowered at him, making Niall's smile grow even wider.

"Dress in warrior mode."

"What?" they all exclaimed together, "Why?"

"I don't know, but the prophecy reads that the protectors are the warriors of old, so I don't want to take any chances. Full warrior mode, including swords, shields, braces, torques, the whole nine yards."

They all reluctantly agreed. When Niall finally ended the meeting, Caleb took off, bounding up the stairs. "So you think he's a little anxious?" Kayne laughed.

"I'd say Caleb has found someone he really cares about. I think I might be jealous," Niall muttered under his breath, watching all of them leaving the office.
Chapter Eleven

Standing in the middle of the room wearing only a towel, Kevan looked up in shock, as Caleb pushed his way into her room. "Hey!" she exclaimed, watching him stalking towards her, "Don't you believe in knocking?"

"I didn't want to waste time," he growled, coming to a stop in front of her, pulling her to him. "You look beautiful," he whispered softly, his lips caressing her bare shoulders, before claiming her lips, if you could call what he was doing just a kiss. Kevan gasped as her need swiftly echoed his. His tongue dove into her mouth, "You taste like maple syrup."

Kevan giggled, "Sorry, I didn't have time to brush my teeth, some guy barged into my room."

"Don't be sorry, I love maple syrup," Caleb lifted her into his arms, walking over to the bed. "God, I want you," he rasped, dropping her on the bed and quickly joining her.

"The feeling is very mutual," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him, her body softening.

Several hours later they lay in the mess of Kevan's bed, her head resting on his chest, as Caleb played with her fingers. She turned her head, inhaling his scent, while placing a kiss in the middle of his chest. She loved how the room was mute to the world. Luxurious, soft materials filled the eye throughout the room, and an immense feeling of safety and contentment filled her soul.

"We should get up," she sighed reluctantly, attempting to push away from him. "I'm sure they're wondering where we are."

Caleb watched her, "I'm sure they know exactly where we are, what we're doing."

"I didn't need to be reminded about that Caleb," Kevan groaned, tossing him his pants. Sliding out of the bed, turning his back to her, it was then she noticed it, grabbing his hand, pulling it to her, turning it over, and looking at his ring. "Where did you get your ring?" she demanded, her tone suddenly very sharp and angry.

"I got it about two years ago," He watched the riot of emotions crashing over her face. "I found it in a pawnshop; it called to me. Kevan what's the problem?"

"In England," Kevan stated matter of factly.

"Yes, how did you know that?" he asked.

"May I see it?" she asked him, holding out her hand.

"Of course," He pulled it off, handing it to her, feeling naked; it hadn't been off his finger since the day he had bought it. "What's wrong?" He watched her face, as she studied the ring, turning it over in her hand, her expression a painful joy as she stared at it.

"Which did you get first, the ring or the tattoo?" she asked.

"I've had the tattoo for almost 200 years, so it came first, but when I saw the ring, I knew it was meant to be mine, it's almost identical." Caleb tipped her chin up, "Kevan, what's this all about?" She stepped away from him, turning around to show him the tattoo in the small of her back. He traced it with his finger, looking at her with surprise when she turned back to face him. He'd seen that she had a tattoo, but hadn't taken a good look at it.

"I got it about two years ago after I did a design for a ring," holding out the ring on the palm of her hand to him, "this ring," she explained him. "I designed it. I was doing an apprenticeship in England, it was stolen. I looked but was unable to find it."

"I didn't steal it," he told her, refusing to take it from her.

"I know that Caleb." She reached out, touching his cheek. "I noticed it when we met; I just never took a good look, until now." She paused as her thoughts jelled in her head. "Your tattoo, it was the inspiration for my design. I could picture it in my head, I'd been able to for a long time. I always knew I'd do a piece from the design. I was waiting for the right time, so when it disappeared, I was really upset. I never wanted to do another one; I knew I could never duplicate the perfection of this ring." She held it out to him again.

"When I saw it, I had to have it. What surprised me was it was in this tacky second hand store, where most of the stuff was gaudy. This wasn't an antique, this ring called to me." Kevan watched Caleb as, slide the ring back onto his finger. "I'm glad I found it."

"So am I, I've always suspected one of my other class mates of taking it, but I couldn't prove it. I was just shocked to see it on your hand."

"It was meant to be mine, so it all turned out the way it should have." Standing, he grabbed something from his pants pockets. "I believe it just proves how much we're supposed to be together."

Kevan looked down at the box he'd placed in her hands, looking up at him with questions in her eyes. "What's this?"

"Something I want you to wear," he explained. "I know you're a jewelry designer, but I found this a long time ago, and like your ring, it called to me. I've held onto it for a long time, waiting for the right person."

"Me?"

"Yes, you," he confirmed.

Kevan looked from the box, and then back to Caleb, her hands shaking as she opened the lid, when Caleb stopped her. "What?" she asked him.

"I need you to promise, no matter what, you'll wear this."

"Caleb?" she could see how serious he was. "Okay, I'll wear it, but you have to promise me something, too."

"If it is within my powers, I will."

"It is," she assured him.

"I promise, now tell me, what have I just agreed to?"

"No more evading questions and issues, okay? Whether you think something is relevant or not, tell me. I don't want to feel like you don't trust me."

Caleb sighed, struggling with his need to protect this woman. "I do trust you, but understand, I haven't told you things, not because we're trying to hide them, but because I've forgotten that you haven't grown up with all of this."

"That's fair. How does this sound, we'll keep asking questions, and you have to suck it up, and speak to us like the adults that we are. We may be just learning this shit, but we don't take well to being treated like children. No editing, you don't get to decide what we should or shouldn't know."

"I'll try, but it won't stop my need to protect you. You're very important to me, if anything happened..." he left the rest hanging unsaid.

"I don't have a problem with that, just remember we might be able to help."

"I'll do the best I can, that's my promise to you." Caleb sealed their deal with a kiss on the back of her fingers.

"Look, if there are things that you don't want me to repeat, tell me, I'll respect that, if this... and I can't believe I'm about to say this... but if this relationship is going to survive, we have to be honest with each other, and that means not keeping anything from each other." Kevan waited, a somber look on her face, and he finally nodded his agreement.

"I'll do my best to ensure that I don't keep things from you."

Kevan visibly relaxed, a smile lit up her face. "Now can I open this?" she asked, holding up the box, feeling both anxious and nervous at the same time, waiting for consent.

"Are you going to wear it?" he wanted to know.

"Isn't that what we just agreed to?" she asked him, until she saw his smile. "Yes, I'll wear it."

Watching with anticipation as she opened the box, the sound that escaped her bounced around the room. Nestled within the box was a beautiful ring engraved with a design encircling the wide band, crowned with a large stone. Looking up, her eyes searching his, bouncing between the ring and him, it was one of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen.

"It's stunning," she whispered, studying it closer. "It's Celtic, right?"

"They call it the Labyrinth," he explained, taking the box from her.

"What's the stone?"

"It's what you think it is," he stated, holding his hand out for hers.

"Caleb, do you know how expensive these stones are?"

"I didn't, I do now."

"Caleb, this is an engagement ring. We're not there yet."

"I didn't buy it as an engagement ring; I bought it because it appealed to me, now I want you to wear it. You promised!"

"But Caleb?" she tried to argue.

"Kevan, you promised, I want it known to one and all, you're taken," he growled. "I really need you to wear it, it's important to me."

"It's a brown diamond, and with what I can see without a loupe, it looks to be almost flawless," she whispered.

"It is flawless," taking her right hand; he slid the ring on her ring finger. "Perfect," he sighed, as a sense of wellbeing settled over him.

"But Caleb..."

"No buts, you promised."

"But we barely know each other."

"Doesn't change anything," he told her. "Besides, I think we know each better than you think."

"This is crazy!" Shaking her head, staring at the ring that he just put on her finger, it looked and felt right. "Hell, we've barely known each other 72 hours."

"I'm wearing your ring, now you're wearing mine, no more arguments," Caleb stated.

"But you didn't know I designed it until I told you," Kevan argued.

"Maybe not, but now I do, which makes it more important to me."

There was no argument she could think of, she had promised, and even if she hadn't, she wanted to wear the ring; it called to her. "Okay, you win; I'll wear it on my right hand."

"Thank you." Caleb kissed the back of her hand. He couldn't put into words how much her wearing the ring meant to him, telling the world she was his. "Now we really should be getting dressed," he told her reluctantly.

"Oh, you think we should get dressed?" she laughed, pushing him back onto the bed, climbing atop of him, rubbing against his hard body.

Caleb groaned with need, his fingers threading into her hair, pulling her to him, his mouth capturing hers, "Unless you have a better idea?" he whispered, breaking their kiss.

Kevan pushed against him, demanding more. "Oh, I think we can come up with a few ideas," she teased. He rolled them over, taking control, leading her into a world of desire.

***

Looking at the image in the mirror, after taking yet another shower, Kevan shook her head, she was going to be the cleanest person in the house at the rate she kept taking showers. The ring lay on the counter Kevan's hand hesitated before she picked it up, the light bounced off the facets of the stone. The simple design was stunning. He had fabulous taste in jewelry. Without thinking, Kevan slid it on her left hand. Grabbing the hoodie off the bed, she strolled out the door, into the waiting Niall.

Not that he wanted her to know that he was waiting, "I'm glad to see you two didn't fall off the ends of the earth," he teased.

"I don't quite know how to tell you this Niall, but they discovered a while ago, the world is actually round," she made a circle with her finger. "Sorry you missed that one."

"Damn, that explains why I never seem to be able to find the edge, no matter how hard I try. Oh well, live and learn," he said with a shrug.

"Hey, did you take my ring?" she posed, watching his reactions.

"Your ring?" he questioned, giving her a strange look.

"The dragon ring, the one that disappeared? When we were in England, remember?" She watched as it sunk in; the quick hitch in his voice told her all she needed to know. "You did, didn't you?"

"What! Of course I didn't!" he almost shouted at her, but it wasn't convincing.

"You're lying, Niall, why?"

"I think you're imagining things," he tried to avoid her questions; "We should get going."

"Why?" she demanded, not letting go. "If you wanted it, why steal it? I would have given it to you."

His shoulders sagged, resigning himself to telling her the truth. "I didn't steal it," he admitted. "I'd never steal from you, Kevan," he assured her, watching as relief flooded her body. "I just didn't tell you that I figured out who'd stolen it."

"Who?" she demanded, her anger pulsing.

"Why does it matter anymore? What could you do after so long?"

"It was only two years ago, I have a right to know," she hissed at him. "That piece, it was important to me."

"I know it was, but you hated the school, and England," he tried to reason.

"I didn't hate England, I missed my family, but I learned a lot."

"But you wouldn't have stayed," he argued again.

"That doesn't give someone the right to steal from me. I worked on that piece for a long time, and I deserve to know who was so worried about my designs that they had to steal it." She demanded answers from him, "Niall, I want to know, no let me correct that, I need to know."

"Answer my question, what would you do after all this time?"

"Likely nothing, but it would make me feel better to know, okay?"

"You already know who it was," Niall told her.

"I do?" Kevan questioned.

"Don't act stupid; we both know that you aren't."

"It was Clarisse, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Niall confirmed.

"I knew it! I always suspected that bitch was behind its disappearance. She was just a little too smug when it came up missing; didn't have my final piece. What I don't understand, is why? She was good; she didn't have to worry about competing with me. I didn't want the apprenticeship with Angelica Designs anyhow."

"But it would have been offered regardless, Kevan. Your designs have something that hers never did."

"Oh please, she was just as talented."

"Talented for following what others have already done, but she didn't have the spark you do for originals. You don't follow what everyone else is doing. You lead and they follow. You're correct, you didn't want or need that apprenticeship, but she didn't want to come in second again, and the only way to win was to make sure that your final piece disappeared. You'd graduate, but not with honors; it was the only way she could beat you. You'd be fine no matter what."

"Oh yeah, like I'm doing so well. I'm basically jobless, homeless and almost family less. I think I'm really showing everyone, aren't I?" Kevan's bitterness was sharp and hard.

"First off, you have a home and family, that's never going to change, and as for a job, I could have 2 dozen orders within 24 hours for pieces similar to Caleb's ring," Niall offered. "Hey, give me some credit for getting it to the right person."

"And how would you know that he was the right guy two years ago? What aren't you telling me?" she wanted to know; "I mean, it couldn't have been a coincidence that Caleb was the one who ended up with it, right?"

"It was a joke Kevan; you know what a joke is right? It's supposed to make you laugh."

"I'm not really in the laughing mood at the moment. Are you going to explain how two years before I even met him, Caleb ended up with my ring?"

"It really was an accident," he explained, shaking his head. "You used to have a sense of humor."

"I still do, when something's funny," she snapped at him. "Explain please."

"I confronted Clarisse after you told me the ring had disappeared. I wanted to find it for you. She didn't even care if you found it or not, she just wanted to ensure you missed the deadline. She admitted taking it to a pawnshop. Caleb was in for a visit, so I took him with me to get it. While I was distracted by a beautiful woman, Caleb spotted it. He didn't know what I was looking for; I should have told him, but I didn't. When he saw it, he had to have it. He's always had a thing for dragons, and the pawnshop dealer saw big money. The transaction was already completed by the time I joined him. He paid almost £5000.00 for it. I had no idea how to tell him that it was the piece I was searching for."

"I'm just glad that she didn't destroy it. That was my biggest worry. She was vindictive enough to do that," Kevan whispered, "but he paid way too much, it wasn't worth that much."

"It was to him," Niall told her. "I bet it means even more, now that he knows you designed it. You told him, didn't you?"

"Of course I told him," Kevan admitted. "It was a shock to see it on his hand, and the fact it looks so much like his back piece, is weird."

"Totally weird," Niall agreed.

"I guess if he likes the ring, I'm betting that he'll love the matching pendant that I did. I'll have to get it out of the safe." She stopped at the mention of the shop. Niall could see the pain that ricocheted through her body. He never ceased to be surprised by humans, and their emotions worn on their sleeves for all to see.

"She's mad Kevan, she'll get over it," he tried to comfort her, but Kevan shook her head.

"I don't know if Brennan will ever forgive me. Not when she finds out about me and Caleb," Kevan sniffled.

"Do you want me to talk to her for you?" Niall offered.

"Gods no, that would probably make things worse, especially when she discovers that you're a cairbare. I hate to think what she'll say when she discovers that piece of information." Kevan gave a quick snort of laughter, knocking the tears away.

"How much worse can it get?" he demanded.

"You have no clue, Brennan's stubborn, and if she thinks I was involved with the cairbare without telling anyone, I hate to think what she'll do."

"But you didn't know! Hell, I didn't know." Niall argued, "Brennan will have to grow up. You shouldn't take the blame for something that you didn't know."

"Like that will matter, just trust me on this. Leave Brennan alone, promise me," she looked at him. "Niall, I'm not kidding, I want your promise, stay away from Brennan."

"I promise I'll stay away from Brennan," he assured her. He just didn't promise how long he would stay away.

***

Niall pulled into the parking stall that was just in front of the shop. He liked how inviting the store looked, luring passers-by to come in and look around. As much as he wanted to keep his promise to Kevan, he knew she would forgive him if he could broker a peace deal between the sisters.

Getting out of Marcus' borrowed Bentley, he looked around, getting a sense of something, but not quite sure what. Then, with a last glance around he walked into the shop. The bell over the door announced his arrival, and was followed by a shout from the back, telling him to look around.

He wandered about, checking out the items for sale. He was impressed with the quality of the beads and cards, but the jewelry drew his attention, especially one piece.

He had always known that Kevan was talented, but so it would seem was her sister. It was amazing that they both had such affinity with design. He could pick out Kevan's pieces; they were a bit more refined and sophisticated. Brennan's weren't any less beautiful, yet they had an earthy, rough quality to them, which certainly drew ones attention. There was one piece that grabbed him, a pendant, the design done in a grid, four across and four down, 16 stones in total, each one set within the protection of a silver square. Each of the stones had a special quality, and a hum of power emitting from the pendant was palpable.

He was able to pick out at least eight of the stones that he knew to have protection qualities. So engrossed in what he was looking at, for the first time in more years than he could remember, someone caught him off guard.

"Hello," Brennan greeted as she walked up behind him. Waiting for the screams of accusation, he faced the bad ass of the Cameron family, as he had heard Kevan describe her more than once. What he found didn't match the picture he had in his head. Brennan wasn't as tall as Kevan or Kaitlyn, but her proud stance made her seem taller. He swept his eyes over her, taking in her shoulder length, rich mocha brown hair with flashes of auburn that shone as it moved in the sunlight, to her deep brown eyes with flecks of gold in them. She was stunningly gorgeous, but seemed not to be aware of her appeal. He continued to stare, making her nervous; it showed in her face, and he realized what he was doing.

"Hello," she repeated, ready to run if she had to.

"Hello," Niall finally replied.

"I see that the protection grid has caught your attention," she turned on the businesswoman, sensing a sale. "It's 16 stones, all have protection qualities of some kind associated with them, and they're set in a silver box grid."

"You did a beautiful job," he commented.

"Thank you. How did you know that I made this piece?"

"Didn't you?"

"Yes," she admitted, "but how did you know that?" Brennan asked cautiously.

"I just do," shrugging his shoulders, "I'll take it."

"It's very expensive," she warned him.

"How much?" he asked, not caring.

"It's $900.00." Brennan waited for the gasp of disbelief.

Instead, he pulled out his wallet, handing her a black Amex card. Brennan stared at the card in his hand. She had heard of the black Amex cards, but had never seen one, and she wasn't sure that it was real, as she quickly wrote up the sale and waited to see if was approved. "It's real," he told her.

"I'm sorry?" she muttered, looking up at him, confusion on her face.

"The card, it's real."

"So it would seem," Brennan remarked, handing him the card, followed by the bag with the pendant inside. Brennan was still having a hard time accepting that he hadn't even blinked at the price. She'd priced it high, waiting for just the right person to buy it. Many had looked at it and commented on how much they liked it, but not the price. One woman had been quite rude when Brennan had refused to bargain with her, but her heart and soul had gone into the piece. She considered it one of her best ever. When she had designed it, she had always pictured it for a man, not a woman. "I hope you enjoy your purchase, please come back anytime."

"That depends on you, Brennan."

Stepping back, giving him a quick once over, tingles of concern crawled up her spine. "How do you know my name?" she demanded, preparing herself for anything.

"I think I would have known you, even if we hadn't met here at the shop. Kevan's description, she had you almost to a T."

"You know Kevan?" Brennan remarked, relaxing somewhat.

"We met when she was taking the course in England." A smile broke out of Brennan's face.

"You're... what was it?... I know, Nigel, right?"

"Actually, it's Niall," he corrected, and she looked confused. "Don't worry. Kevan thought it was Nigel as well. Sorry, Niall's the name."

"Oh," Brennan accepted, still not understanding. "Did Kevan know you were coming, she's not here at the moment..." Her voice trailed off, watching his uneasy shifting, then like a cloud burst, something came to her.

"She didn't know I was coming, but I've seen her, and she misses you," he informed her.

Brennan put the cash desk between them. "Oh gods," she spat, "you're one of them, aren't you?" She knew that the man standing in front of her wasn't just a friend of Kevan's.

"If you're referring to the fact I'm a cairbare. Yes, I'm a cairbare. Actually, when it comes down to it, I'm one of the top ones."

"Get out!" she ordered.

"Look, I just want to talk with you for a moment, and then I'll leave."

"I don't want to hear what you have to say," Brennan spat, as the business woman disappeared, and her protective bitch instincts kicked in. "How long has Kevan known?"

"She only found out yesterday," Niall told her; "So don't be mad at her."

"Whether I'm angry or not, is none of your business. I want you to leave my shop."

"I thought Kevan was part owner?" Niall questioned.

"She is," Brennan admitted without hesitation.

"So, I can tell her she hasn't lost her business?"

"What are you talking about?" Brennan snapped, her anger starting to boil over. "Kevan's my business partner."

"I'm glad to hear that. She's under the impression you've kicked her out of the shop, and the family."

"That's not true," Brennan, sputtered.

"So you didn't tell her to choose between her family and us?"

"What?" Brennan gasped, not liking the way the conversation was headed.

"I'm just trying to make sure I have all the facts. I don't want to get Kevan excited; only to find out you've changed your mind." Niall warned her. "I guess she just misunderstood you yesterday."

"Yes, I said those things," Brennan had to admit. "But..." she stopped unable to put into words what she wanted to say.

"So you don't think she needs to choose between us now? I'm glad," Niall smiled.

"I didn't say that," Brennan told him. "Why can't you all just disappear again? We don't need the trouble you're going to bring into our lives."

"And what trouble have we brought into your lives, or the lives of your family? We haven't had anything to do with your family for almost 80 years, or were you referring to Elizabeth's descendants? I'd like to know what we've done, I mean other than protecting them, making sure they've prospered over the years and didn't have to struggle. I know it was all the impositions on your time, when we would show up at all times of the day or night, or call you every day...." He watched the confusion on her face. "But you can't say if that's true or not, can you? You don't know, do you? What, nothing to say, no smart-ass remark?" Niall finished his tirade.

Her rigid attitude pissed him off; she wasn't even going to give him a chance. They were both so intent on each other that they didn't hear the door open until the voice behind them broke the tension.

"Brennan, is everything okay?" Brennan looked past Niall, who blocked her view of the door.

She spotting Gerald standing there made her groan mentally, and wish this wasn't happening right now, "Hello Gerald," she greeted the man. Why did he have to show up now? She had cut their date short when she had received Eve's call, not that she wanted Raven to be hurt, but she also didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She'd never been so happy to have the excuse of saying that one of her sisters had been hurt, because it had gotten her out of the most boring date ever. She didn't want to admit it, but Kevan had been completely right, Gerald was a nice man, but boring didn't even cover it.

Since then, he had called numerous times to check on Raven, which was sweet of him. Except, he also tried to reschedule their interrupted date, he didn't seem to be getting the hint that she didn't want to reschedule, and she had no idea how to let him down easy.

Niall stepped to the side, shooting a glance at the man standing behind him. Gerald pushed his glasses back up his sweaty nose, but he didn't step back. Niall had to give him credit. Most people tended to back off, but he wasn't sure if this time it was for guts, or just plain stupidity.

"Brennan?" Gerald questioned again.

"Everything's fine, Gerald," Brennan assured him, "I was just having a...." She stopped, not quite sure what to say.

"It's a family disagreement!" Niall supplied. Brennan groaned. Gerald gave her a look, he knew that she didn't have any male relatives, other than her Father and Uncle; they had talked about it on their date.

"But I didn't think...." Before Brennan was able to say a word, Niall stepped in, taking control.

"Please forgive me, I misspoke," he informed Gerald, but his eyes never left Brennan's. "I'm a good friend of Brennan's sister, Kevan, but I consider all of them family."

"Oh," Gerald sighed, accepting his explanation.

"You are?" Niall questioned.

"Gerald Matthews, I'm their accountant," he told Niall, holding out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Gerald; I'm sorry you had to walk in on our family spat," Niall took the offered hand.

"As long as everything's okay," Gerald looked at Brennan's weak smile.

"Everything's fine Gerald. Niall's sticking his nose into something that's none of his business. We're just having a minor disagreement, nothing to be concerned with, but I do thank you for checking on me." Brennan walked him to the door, directing him out without giving him a chance to ask her out again. "I'm really sorry, but Niall and I need to finish our conversation. I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay," he mumbled, allowing her to push him out the door.

"Get out!" she hissed at Niall, pointing at the door.

"Gerald looked like he wanted to ask you something," Niall told her.

"It's none of your business. Get out," she ordered.

"I'd bet that Mr. Gerald Matthews, dashing accountant, wanted to ask you out." Niall smiled, watching her face flush red. "Oh, he has asked you out, and you have no idea how to turn him down without hurting him." Laughter spilled from Niall. "Priceless!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Brennan spat, "I want you out of my shop."

"Oh please, don't tell me you're serious about that little mouse."

"You don't know anything about Gerald," Brennan ground out, not wanting to continue this conversation.

"I think I know the type; quiet, unassuming, completely focused on his job and not one idea how to deal with a woman like you."

Brennan glared at him, "You don't know me."

"Your right, I don't, but I do know you'd never be happy with a man like him."

"It doesn't matter what you think, just leave," Brennan demanded again.

"You need a challenge, and to be treated like the passionate, desirable woman you are."

"And who would that be, you?" Brennan accused him.

"Oh, gods no, I don't think you'd like the games I like to play," Niall smiled. "But I can tell you that Gerald's not the man for you."

"I don't even want to know," she shuddered. "Leave, or else I'll call the cops."

He watched her for a moment. "No need for the police, I'll leave when I've said what I came to say."

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

That was when Niall began to lose his patience. "You're going to listen, or else I'll tie you to the chair and make you listen. It's your choice."

Brennan burned with anger. "Fine, say what you have to say, and then get out of my shop."

"I knew you'd see things my way," he smirked. At that moment, Brennan wanted more than anything to slap it off his face.

"You have one minute," she warned.

"You are the most stubborn person I have ever met. You've decided you know all there is to know about us, without giving us a chance to tell our side of the story. You've set yourself up as judge and jury, when you have no right to be either. You know nothing of us, or the lives we've lived. So until you've had to do some of the things we've had to do, don't stand in judgment of us. You've declared, because Kevan is willing to listen, that she can't be part of the family. That hurt her a lot; if you don't do something to fix it, you may never be able to. There's nothing worse than losing family, but you're not losing yours, you're throwing parts of it away." He held out a card to her.

"What's this?" she questioned, taking it gingerly between her fingertips.

"On the front are numbers that will reach us at any time. On the back is Caleb's address, if you decide you want talk to your sister."

"I should have known that's where she'd go," Brennan declared, shooting him a look of anger.

"You didn't leave her a lot of choice."

"She made her choice," Brennan stated.

"No, you forced her to make that choice, but I don't think she's regretting it. One day you may have to make a choice, a choice that Kevan may not agree with, do you think she would treat you, the same way you have treated her? I just want you to think about that," Niall stated, pulling out the keys. "I'm done. Thank you for listening, I know you'd rather do just about anything else, but I do appreciate you giving me a chance to say my piece. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Brennan watched him leave the shop and climb into the car parked out front. She realized she was shaking and it wasn't due to the encounter with Niall, at least not entirely. He had pointed out a few things, and she didn't like what she saw; she needed to think about what he had said.
Chapter Twelve

When Eve arrived at home, she was pleasantly surprised that time in days there was nobody around, pestering her with questions. Taking a few minutes to grab the items that Kevan and Kailtyn had asked her to pick up, she sighed. She'd been looking forward to her day off, but it seemed it wouldn't be spent doing laundry or cleaning like usual, not with what they had coming this evening.

Eve was amazed at how quickly the cairbare healing abilities, as Rhiannon described them, had kicked in during the 24 hours since Marcus had arrived at Caleb's. When she had checked on Marcus after her shift, she could see how much better he seemed.

It still bothered her that they didn't know who, how or why someone had been poisoning him with lead, but she was a doctor, not a cop; it was her job to ensure he continued on the path to recovery.

She wanted to check the attic for her great grandmother's diaries, her mother she thought that they may be there. This being the other reason she was glad nobody was home when she got there. It was hard to avoid her mum, when she got in a questioning mode.

Eve hoped the diaries might hold some information regarding Daphne's murder, and other things that would help Rhiannon if they ever needed a healer again. Trust was building, but she wasn't ready to discard all the stories they had grown up with, and as much as they wanted her to be their healer, she still had her position at the hospital. While she couldn't do both, she could help if they needed assistance.

It was intriguing to imagine treating people that looked human, but weren't, and her mind flipped through the science of it all, as she drove back to Caleb's. She also needed to talk to her sisters; maybe they could resolve this whole thing between Brennan and Kevan before the parental units found out.

The memory of Kevan's face as she'd tried unsuccessfully to hide what was happening between her and Caleb drifted through Eve's mind. In some ways, Eve was jealous, but she was happy for her sister but at the same time she was worried; Kevan had a tough road ahead. Eve shuddered at the idea of butting heads with Brennan and their parents at the same time. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear a thing, so she jumped with a loud gasp when someone knocked on the window of her car, and her heart thundered in surprise.

"Sorry," Roderic laughed, as she pushed open the door. There was something comforting about him, and she enjoyed their time together. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You caught me daydreaming."

"They must have been good dreams; you had a smile on your face. I hope they involved you and me and a hot tub." Eve cracked up at the leer he gave her.

Eve smiled, liking him even more for making her laugh, "Sorry, no hot tub, maybe next time."

Roderic pouted, "Damn, just my luck... so what was making you smile?"

"Kevan's embarrassment about last night."

"Ah yes, our undercover lovers," Roderic replied.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Kevan is, would you."

"Upstairs behind closed doors."

Eve stood back looking surprised. "They couldn't be?" Roderic waggled his eyebrows. "Could they?"

"The last time I saw Caleb, he was bounding up the stairs two at a time. We haven't seen either since."

Eve shook her head. "I hope Kevan knows what she's doing," Eve remarked, more to herself than to Roderic.

"Do you think they are doing something wrong?" Roderic asked, pouring a glass of ice tea. Taking the offered glass, she headed to the table, struggling with what Roderic had just asked.

"Kevan's my sister, nothing will change that, but she was raised like we were, which includes being distrustful of you guys. I don't know if that's going to change, even if Kevan's involved with one of you."

"So what? Are you going to be like your other sister, threaten to cut her out of your life? You're all quick to make assumptions that we're the bad guys, but you don't know us," Roderic pointed out. "Why can't she have both? You can't dictate who someone falls in love with."

"That's not what I'm doing. You can't seriously believe that's what's happening. They've known each other two days; they're maybe in lust, but love, isn't that a little too soon to call?"

"How long does it take to fall in love? Two days, two weeks, two years, or maybe two seconds?" Roderic questioned. "I can't speak for either Caleb or Kevan, I won't presume to say that it's love for sure, but I suspect it could be, or the start of it." Roderic paused for a moment. "Let me ask this, if it is love, what would you do? Would you cut her out of your life because you don't approve of the man she loves?"

Looking down at the glass, tracing the water drops covering the outside with her fingertips, she thought over what Roderic had asked. "You've made several good points, but I don't know. Kevan's my sister, I love her very much, and I can't think of anything that would make me cut her out of my life, not even her falling for someone that the family disapproves of," Eve stated, "So there's your answer, no, I wouldn't cut her out of my life."

"Glad to hear that," Kevan remarked, pushing away from the door where she had be eavesdropping.

"Kevan," Eve sat up, seeing her sister. "You know, I certainly don't agree with everything you do, but that doesn't mean I'd turn my back on you." Eve gave Kevan a hug. "As for the rest, we'll get them on board; we may have to take a 2 x 4 to some, but they'll come around sooner or later."

"At least one of them has the ability to reason," Niall spat, joining them, heading straight for the bar.

"Oh gods," both Kevan and Eve groaned, seeing the look on Niall's face.

"Did I not tell you to stay away from her?" Kevan accused him.

"I did for an hour. I just wanted to make things better for you, I thought I could charm her into seeing things my way," he shook his head. "It's always worked before."

"That's impossible, a woman Niall couldn't charm? I didn't think there was a woman born that could resist your charms?" Caleb joked as he joined them.

"Me either," Niall admitted with a note of surprise, "but the famous Orwerth charm failed, I'm afraid. It's an odd feeling; it's never happened before."

"So who's the woman able to resist the famous Orweth charm?" Caleb pulled Kevan into his arms, watching Niall bypass the ice tea and head straight for the scotch.

"Brennan," Kevan and Eve giggled.

"You didn't?" Caleb gulped.

"Niall didn't what?" Kaitlyn questioned as she joined them.

"Niall decided he could make things better between me and Brennan."

"Oh my gods and he's still standing," Kaitlyn snorted. "You're a brave soul, my dear man. Foolish but brave."

"How was I to know that a more stubborn woman had never been born?" he whined. "She's so stubborn."

"I told you to leave it alone," Kevan admonished.

"I'm sorry; I may have made it worse," Niall stated, pouring another shot.

Kevan reflected on all she had discovered so far. "You know she'll come around," she informed them, as things suddenly became clear. "I've done nothing wrong. Sooner or later she'll realize that."

"What about the shop?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I love the shop, but it was always Brennan's baby. I want to design custom pieces. That's always been my love, and according to my good friend Niall here, he can get me a dozen or more commissions within 24 hours, so maybe I'll take advantage of his generous offer and beg Caleb for a room to use as a studio, until I find a place of my own. I have most of what I need, and what I don't will wait until I can afford it," Kevan stated with determination.

"There's a small studio on the other side of the pool, it might be exactly what you need," Caleb told her. "Tell me all you need and we'll have it here ASAP."

"That's not..."

Caleb stopped her with a kiss, pulling away, watching her eyes.

"Whatever you need," he insisted, his tone booking no argument.

"Okay," Kevan agreed.

"So you're going into business!" Kaitlyn laughed.

"I guess so," Kevan smiled at her twin. "I'm going to call it Dragon Designs. What do you think?"

"I think you're crazy, but then so am I. I'll stand behind you no matter what."

"Thanks Kait," Kevan gave her sister a hug, and then looked to Eve, wanting her opinion.

"Of course I'm behind you," Eve informed her, "but you know Brennan's going to be pissed."

"So what else is new, I don't care." Kevan cheered, "We need to celebrate."

"Yes we do," Caleb agreed. "Martha!" he shouted, "Martha?"

Caleb's housekeeper appeared around the corner, her look scolding him like a schoolboy.

"You bellowed, Sir," her voice displayed her displeasure at his yelling.

"Shi... sorry Martha, I got excited," Caleb dropped his eyes, looking at the ground.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Caleb?" Martha inquired.

"Couple bottles of champagne, we're celebrating."

"Yes sir," Martha disappeared back around the corner.

"You're in so much trouble," Kevan laughed, "She has you acting like a school boy."

"Which is really hilarious if you think about it, since we never attended school." Niall laughed, watching Caleb blush red.

Several hours later, they were all at the table having just finished another wonderful dinner, but unlike the evening before, this one was mainly eaten in silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Nobody really wanted to discuss what they were about to do.

"Who died?" Brody asked, as he strolled onto the patio.

"Brody, no one's in the mood for your rhetoric," Caleb snapped at him.

"What did I say? You're the ones sitting here looking like you are about to walk the plank, not that they do that anymore, or at least I don't think they do. Hey, do modern day pirates make you walk the plank?"

Kevan looked to Brody, and busted up laughing, "You're very strange, you know that?"

"I'm strange? Come on dudes, dudettes, why so glum? You know they are the ones of legend; it's just a ritual."

"Brody," Niall warned him, "just leave it alone."

"Dude, come on, you're the ultimate party man, and you're sitting here like you're 90 years old."

"No, it's more like 5500 years old," Roderic drawled, stopping Brody dead in his tracks.

"At least you're not moldering away in some forgotten tomb."

Niall fought to suppress his smile. One thing Brody was good at was getting them out of their ruts.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. Ladies, you're beautiful, you have your health, and you've all got a shot at me." That sent the four women into peals of laughter. "Hey, I happen to be a very eligible bachelor, I'll have you know," he tried to appear offended, zeroing in on Rhiannon. "I wouldn't laugh there Rhiannon; if you weren't like my sister, I'd consider it a challenge to change your mind on your preferences."

"Or cement her knowledge that she made the right decision," Marcus growled at his protégé. "Brody, we appreciate the attempt to lighten things up, but now's not the time."

"It's most definitely the time. Hey man, you're way too serious. They're the ones, there is no doubt in my mind, but if you're having doubts," Brody's voice took on a more serious grown up tone, "maybe you shouldn't do it."

"Brody that's enough," Marcus snarled at him.

"You tried Brody," Caleb told him.

"Whatever man, you're bumming me out. I think I'm going to see if Alexander will relent and let me back into Sanctuary, now that I helped save it."

"You're not going anywhere, Brody. You and Catherine are going to help me set up for the ceremony. The rest of you, go get ready," Niall instructed them as he got to his feet.

"Ah, we're as ready as we're going to get," Kevan told him.

"No you're not; I had Martha deliver some items to your rooms earlier. Now go, I'll see you at 11:45 pm."

"Niall, what have you done?" Caleb growled at his friend.

"Nothing," he ignored them, not wanting to get into an argument.

"We can help," Kevan offered.

"No," Niall stated, shooing them off the patio before turning to Catherine and Brody.

"He's kidding, right?" Kevan questioned, stopping dead in her tracks, lust pulsing through her body at the sight of Caleb. There was nothing between him and his leather pants, perfectly formed to his body. Kevan's mouth went dry. From the pants, her eyes traveled to the vest that clung to chest muscles that would make even Mr. Olympic drool. Gold torques encircled his upper arms, showing off his biceps; it was all she could do not to beg him to strip.

Caleb looked up from where he stood, cleaning his sword. "You were saying?" he asked.

"My gods," Kevan raised her hand to her mouth, sure she was drooling. "You should be illegal." She laid her hand on the middle of his chest left exposed.

Smiling, he gave her the once over. "You look good enough to eat, Ms. Cameron." His eyes did what his hands really wanted to do.

"I don't know about that," Kevan stepped back, throwing her hands out to give him a better look. "I don't know if biker chick chic is really my style or not." Caleb growled and reached out, pulling her into his arms.

"I think that too many people are going to see you dressed like that, and it'll inspire fantasies. I know what it's doing for my libido." Kevan smiled, her hands resting on his shoulders; she liked his possessiveness.

"You're a little prejudiced," Kevan teased, giving him a quick kiss.

"I'm more than a little prejudiced," he declared, "but I still haven't figured out why Niall is insisting we wear these get ups. We'll indulge him for now. Fair warning, when we have more time, I'm so going to enjoy stripping those from you, you'll see how prejudiced I really am," he promised. "As much I would prefer that to what we are about to embark upon, we need to get moving, it's almost time."

"Already?" Glancing at the clock beside the bed, it flashed 11:40 pm. "Wow, time really flies!" she announced, not wanting to admit to the worries plaguing her.

Caleb took her hand, raised it to his lips, kissed the back of it before turning it over to kiss her palm, and then he brought it to rest over his heart. "Don't be scared, I promise I won't let anything happen to you or your sisters. Please trust that."

"I do," she told him with complete conviction. "I know you'll protect us, even when I don't want or need you to. Our family history has made us very cautious, but I do trust you, not only with my life, but with the lives of my family."

"Hey, there is a risk taker in you, I like that. I promise to protect you and your family with my life."

"Thank you," she whispered, letting him pull her into his arms, giving in to what he really wanted, even if only for a moment, before the knock on the door interrupted them.

"Hey lovebirds, get your rears in gear!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"And reality comes knocking," Caleb sighed. "Just so you know your sister's timing really sucks."

Kevan smiled.

***

"I know Niall told us to dress in warrior mode, but don't you think this is a little ridiculous?" Marcus growled. Kevan and Caleb joined the others in the hallway.

"Oh, I don't know," Kaitlyn piped up, "I could get used to seeing you dressed like this all the time. It certainly could prove to be quite inspirational," she wiggled her eyebrows, making both Roderic and Caleb laugh. The look Marcus gave her was one that they weren't sure how to interpret.

"It would seem that Niall has a theme going. I just haven't decided what it is exactly," Eve stated.

"I said biker chick," Kevan told them.

"No way, it's totally Xena, Warrior Princess," Kaitlyn exclaimed.

"That's it, totally!" Kevan shouted, giving Kaitlyn a high five. "I knew biker chick wasn't right, but I never thought about Xena. Thank god, Kendra can't see us now," she exclaimed sending the girls into peals of laughter, as they recalled Kendra's obsession with the TV show.

"I don't know Xena, but I certainly could get used to seeing you all dressed like that more often," Kayne drawled, as he gave them the once over.

"Not going to happen," Kevan said with a shake of her head. "Leather pants and vest all the time, not my idea of comfortable, especially in the warm weather."

"Yes, that is one thing I appreciate about modern times, technology has a great many advantages," Roderic stated.

"Heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer," Caleb added.

"Ladies, after you," Roderic put on his chivalrous air, letting them move ahead, "We don't want to keep Niall waiting."

"Smartass," Caleb growled, watching Roderic play it up.

The gasps were audible as they stepped into the transformed patio area. A small-bronzed fire pit stood in the middle of the clearing, and a fire blazed within. Around the base of the fire pit were branches of willow woven into what seemed to be a chain.

Surrounding the outer edges of the patio were hundreds of candles flickering and dancing, competing with the moonlight. The beautiful glow of the area had a romantic feel to it, topped off by the sound of running water from the waterfall features on the edge of the patio. Caleb stared at the transformation of his patio before he looked to Niall.

"Is this really necessary?" he questioned.

"Yes," was the abrupt answer they received. Niall motioned them over to where he was standing. He had changed into the same type of clothing, only his vest had an embroidered crest. Kevan couldn't tell what it was from where she was standing. "We don't have much time and I want to make sure this is all just right."

"You're making this more complicated than need be," Marcus stated.

"It's not complicated, but I haven't performed a lot of spells, and I don't want to screw up," Niall explained, setting a bundle of sage on the flames. "Eve, come with me?" he asked, positioning her, followed by the other women, then the guys behind them by about a foot. Caleb noted that the compass points were covered. "Gentlemen, place your swords on the ground to your right."

Watching as they did as asked, staying quiet, he ran all the information through his head. He didn't want the others to know that he was winging it, and the only experience he had with rituals came from his days at the royal court. Not having a lot of information regarding what was needed, he did what felt right.

The wording of the spell was simple, and there wasn't a sentient entity being called, so the risk seemed minimal, but a little reverence from participants was a focal point of concentration.

Kevan watched Niall as he stormed around the patio. He was trying hard to project an image, but she could read his face and she could see his worry, and she touched his hand as he came close.

"It'll be okay," she told him quietly.

"What?" his surprise showing.

"It'll be okay," she repeated, squeezing his hand. Niall nodded, carrying on, but Kevan could see the difference in him.

A few minutes later, Niall picked up a small chest sitting on the table. His view of the eight imposing people standing around the fire settled him further. He opened the lid, reached in, and studied what he held, before approaching Kevan.

"Ladies, I'm going to give each of you a stone. Please hold it in your right hand, and when I tell you to, I'd like you to join hands. Once you have joined hands, do not let go until I tell you, okay? This is very important for you to remember," he warned all of them. "Gentlemen, stay behind the ladies, but do not touch them unless you're told its okay. You're their protectors, but touching them could cause a problem and we want to avoid problems."

"What kind of problems?" Caleb queried.

"Gee, would you relax man, everything's going to be fine," Niall turned, not wanting them see his worry. "Just don't interfere with the ceremony."

"Niall, get on with it," Marcus ordered. "We will not interfere, they're my men and they know how to do their jobs."

Niall approached Kevan and held out his hand. Kevan opened her palm. She looked down at the stone that Niall had handed her, her eyes widened with surprise.

"Niall?" she gasped.

"Brown for earth," he explained, moving to Kaitlyn, Rhiannon and finally Eve, "orange for fire, blue for water and clear for air, the four elements of the earth surrounding the heart stone."

Niall withdrew the last stone. It was twice the size of the others, glistening red and reflecting the flames of the fire. He placed it on the ground under the fire pit.

"One minute, Niall."

"Thank you, Catherine."

A hushed stillness settled over the patio as the women waited on his instructions.

"Join hands." With only the briefest hesitation, they linked their hands together. The pull of power surging within them caused Kevan to draw a sharp breath.

She could feel the other three women, their heartbeats, and something else that was stirring. The stones had linked them together. Kaitlyn's heartbeat was a half beat off her own, while Eve's and Rhiannon's were both strong and steady.

A shiver of panic threatened to divide the women, each afraid for their own sense of control over something as intimate as their heartbeat.

"Don't break the link," Niall reminded them, drawing a deep breath, affected by the panic the women released.

Standing quietly, hands clasped together, power flowed freely through their bodies. Kevan sensed her fear draining away, and let go of the concept of sight and taste, focusing on the link between them, allowing her very center to become intoxicated with the power.

Startled as Niall called out in a language they didn't recognize, but as he spoke, they began to understand the words.

"Guardians of the Earth, we call upon you;

Elements of Life, we request your assistance;

Fire, Water, Earth, Air,

The corner stones of all magic,"

Niall threw another bundle of sage on the flames.

"Keepers of the Past, heed our call.

"The time has come for the descendants of the past to be empowered, joined together, fulfilling prophecy. Descendants of the One wish to reclaim the knowledge of those who came before." Niall paused as the night sky darkened, and thunder crashed around them as the air filled with the crackle of lightning flashing across the sky.

"Guardians of earth, we command you, open a passage, allow knowledge between past and present," Niall shouted.

"We demand fulfillment of prophecy!"

Niall's voice crested to a climax, as the rumbling of thunder grew louder, rolling closer and finishing with a crash, shaking the ground as a flash of lightning struck the fire pit.

The bolt split into four, as it danced through the earth, slamming into the women's trembling bodies, forcing their heads back.

Caleb reacted instinctively, reaching for Kevan, terrified.

"No!" Niall shouted, "They're fine." He stepped closer. "Guardians of the Earth," he shouted over the crash of thunder as the flashes of light zapped across the expanse of sky, surging without end. "Welcome your new daughters!" he finished.

Another blinding flash of lightning slammed into the fire pit, splintering it in half, embedding into the ground, then rising up and capturing the women within in its power, making them glow. Swelling within them, it exploded from their hands and engulfed not only them, but all on the patio.

Observing in amazement as more energy flowed through the ground and into the women, the men instinctively took a step back, feeling the static, but not the power so brilliantly displayed.

"Niall!" Caleb shouted terrified Kevan was being hurt.

"They're fine!" Niall shouted, trying to sound assured.

The energy surrounded them, crackling off the house and flagstone of the patio. Sharp smells of ozone and molten brass filled the air, mixing with the electricity washing over and through everything. The lightning didn't let up, and continued to pour into the ground, and then up through the stones, surrounding the women in a weave of colours.

"Niall, I don't like this!" Caleb yelled, stepping towards Kevan.

"No!" Niall shouted, but Caleb refused to listen. Kevan was in trouble and he had to help her.

Ignoring Niall's shout, he touched her shoulder, and in an instant the energy burst out, penetrating and surrounding everything. It was bathing them in a light so bright they closed their eyes, as it continued in its outward journey encompassing all that it encountered.

The hum of raw power was deafening, and the pulsing vibrations that echoed through the atmosphere made every living thing surrounding them tingle, as if every nerve in the universe was on pins and needles. A surge of exploding power within a thunderous bang sent them flying, knocking them off their feet.

Darkness and silence fell over the entire house, then the neighborhood, followed by the city. It was as if the world stood still for a moment, before returning to normal.

Caleb came to first, quickly surging to his feet, checking for enemies with instincts born into his being from centuries of warring, but it was only for a moment. His concern turned to the woman lying so still on the ground only a few feet from him. Forgetting everything else, he was at her side, dropping to his knees.

"Kevan?" he cried, taking her into his arms, terror racing through his body as he checked her pulse, releasing his breath when a strong steady beat came through his fingers, and intense relief swept over him. "Kevan?" he called out gently, stroking her cheek. "Kevan, wake up." His heart leapt at the sound of her moan. "That's it baby, come on, open your eyes, I want to see those beautiful hazel eyes." His heart sang with a joyous beat when she opened her eyes and a weak smile touched her lips. Pulling her into his arms, holding her tight, closing his eyes, he thanked all the powers of the universe and beyond.

"Can't breathe!" she rasped. Caleb released her, looking into her face. "Eve, Kaitlyn?" she whispered. He looked over and saw that they were all coming around.

"They're fine," he stated.

Niall hurried over, concern on his face. "Kevan?" Niall questioned.

Caleb reacted, punching his Prince. His anger and fear ripped through him, making him lash out at Niall. Only the bark of "halt!" From Marcus stopped his attack.

"Stay away from us!" he shouted at Niall. "You could have killed us," he accused him.

"Caleb," Niall tried to reason with him.

"No," Caleb raged on, "What the hell was that?"

"Caleb," Kevan's voice grabbed his attention. "Stop," she told him.

"He could have killed you."

"You need to stop, Niall's our friend. Think about what you're saying. You know he'd never do anything to put us in harm's way. Stop thinking with your emotions, use your head."

"Caleb!" Niall pleaded, "I would never..." Caleb waved him away.

"I know, I know. Just give us a few minutes," he told him. Niall nodded and backed away.

"Be nice," Kevan whispered to Caleb, "he's worried too."

"He's a grown man, he'll deal," Caleb growled. "I'm taking you upstairs."

"No you're not; I need to see my sisters! He's not the only one that has to deal with it," she told him.

"The guys are taking care of your sisters, they're fine and I'm dealing," he argued.

"This would go a lot smoother if you wouldn't argue with me every time I tell you I want to do something you don't agree with. I'm just as stubborn as you, so let me check on everyone, and then we'll go upstairs."

He muttered under his breath about stubborn women never listening.

"Don't pout, it doesn't suit you," Kevan informed him, getting to her feet with his help. "Kait?" she called, "Eve, Rhiannon?"

"We're all here, we're okay. What about you?" Eve asked.

"No broken bones, but one hell of headache," Kevan sighed with relief. "You guys?"

"The same," they told her.

"My gods, this is the worst hangover I've ever had," Rhiannon moaned. "I shouldn't be complaining, but I didn't even get the fun of the drinking that would justify this," she made them all laugh.

"I think you all need some sleep," Niall spoke up. "You'll feel better with some rest."

Reluctantly they all agreed, and moved off slowly, leaving Niall alone on the patio. He collapsed into the nearest chair, rubbing his head, running the ritual in his head again.

"Niall!" He looked at Kevan, as she stood in the doorway watching him.

"Yes?" he asked her.

"The sleep thing applies to you, too," she pushed.

"I will shortly." Kevan walked over to him. Niall could see Caleb waiting for her just inside the doorway; Kevan took his hand pulling him to his feet.

"It wasn't your fault, Niall. I don't know what happened, but I don't think you did anything wrong, so stop beating yourself up. We're all fine, let's be thankful for that. We'll figure out what happened tomorrow." she informed him.

"Let's get some sleep and we'll deal with the rest tomorrow," Niall promised.

"If you say so, but I'm not leaving until you head for bed."

"Okay, you win Kevan," he admitted defeat and followed her into the house, "I'll head for bed."
Chapter Thirteen

Niall's defeated look spoke volumes, and he didn't acknowledge Brody or Catherine as they joined him on the patio for breakfast. All signs of the ceremony were gone. He didn't want Caleb any more pissed at him than what he already was.

Brody finally broke the silence that had engulfed them since they had walked onto the patio. Niall looked at them and he could read the concern in their faces and wanted to reassure them that he was fine.

"Hey man?" Brody questioned.

"You both can stop worrying, I'm fine," he told them. Brody shifted in his seat across from Niall as he slumped down, trying to show that he wasn't worried.

"Of course you're fine," Brody agreed. "Just like the ladies are fine." Niall looked away from them. "Niall, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Is what happened, what you expected to happen?" Brody pushed him.

"Of course not!" he stated vehemently, stopping when he saw the smile on Brody's face, shaking his finger at him. "You're not as stupid as you want everyone to think, my friend."

"Of course not," Brody admitted. "But I do have a rep to maintain, especially if we want people to trust me with information. People don't talk to people who show off their intellect."

"That's fine Brody, but do the guys a favor knock off the stupid act, it drives everyone nuts." He watched the look that passed over Brody's face and the mischievous gleam that twinkled in his eyes.

"I know," was all Brody said. Niall started to say something, but stopped to listen to Catherine's question.

"What were you expecting?" she wanted to know.

"I was expecting the flash, just not on that level. We weren't doing anything...." He paused, shaking his head. "I'm telling you, I did everything right. I've gone over that spell a dozen times since; nothing I did should have caused what happened, nothing." He let out a sigh, "I have no idea what went wrong."

"That is because you're not a sorcerer," the voice without a body told them. Jumping to his feet, ready to confront the figure that appeared in front of them, Niall stared at the man that had just materialized from thin air.

"Hello Joseph," Niall greeted, "Long time, no see."

"Niall," Both men voices echoed with contempt and mistrust, looking from Niall to the two standing just behind him. Joseph's dislike clear and evident, he didn't bother to hide it. "I see you are still mingling with them," he spat out. Niall's gaze shifted from the man, to Catherine and Brody.

"If by them you mean humans, then yes, we are still mingling with them. Unlike you, we live in the real world, and when you live here, you have no choice but to mingle with them and the other races that are part of it. We actually kinda like some of them," Niall told him, and he could read the disdain in Joseph's every move. Niall sat down and watched him take in all that was around him.

"You always did have a weakness for the unworthy, didn't you, brother?" he sneered. Niall didn't look at Brody and Catherine, both watching with shock. They had known about Niall's brother, but had never met him.

"Who are you calling unworthy, Dude?" Brody stated, taking a step towards Joseph, who faced him with an almost feral look.

"Silence, human!" he spat.

"Joseph, I would watch what you say to my friends." Niall's voice held a warning. "They're under my protection, and you don't want to mess with me regarding them, because you'd lose. Now, brother, for what reason have you pulled yourself away from L'Dern and entered the real world?" Niall asked the question even though he already knew the answer. He didn't want Joseph to see that he was concerned about what had happened. He had learned long ago never to show his brother any sign of weakness.

"Why do you think?" Joseph spat at Niall. "Did you honestly think that we wouldn't notice?"

"Notice what?" Niall questioned, still trying to play dumb as he tried to get to why Joseph was here.

"Don't be insulting, Niall, we all felt the spell you evoked last night. I'm surprised the entire world didn't notice it."

"Entire world, not likely, but the whole city, yeah they noticed it, and they're writing it off as some freak overload of the electrical system for the area. They're looking into it, but we already know they won't find anything," Niall told him.

"Maybe not, but then again, they aren't exactly the most intelligent of the races are they?" Joseph stated, staring at Brody. Niall placed his hand on Brody's arm in a signal of caution. He didn't want him to try to go after Joseph, and get hurt.

"Joseph, they may not be high and mighty sorcerers like you, but I wouldn't act so superior. They are a lot smarter, and certainly more capable, than you give them credit for." Niall came to his feet and walked around the table, coming to a halt in front of his brother. "So you sensed that we cast a spell, a whopper of a spell, so what? We do know how to cast spells, no big deal."

Joseph got a look on his face as he watched his brother try to act so calm, cool and collected. Obviously, he had changed since the last time they had seen each other.

"So calm Niall, you're getting better at hiding your emotions; it was always the thing that got you in trouble, your inability to control them," he told him snidely. "But did you honestly think I wouldn't know that you cast the spell of the ancestors? If you did, that can mean only one thing." He stared at Niall watching him closely. "You found them."

"Found who?" Kevan questioned as she walked onto the patio with Caleb and her sisters. "Morning everyone, I see that we have a visitor." She was suddenly looking at Caleb's back as he pushed her behind him. "Hey," she poked him in the back, but could sense the sudden tension surrounding them.

"Joseph, what are you doing here?" Caleb growled, ready to kill to protect Kevan and her family.

"Caleb," Joseph's voice dripped with animosity. He looked from Caleb to the woman that he had pushed behind him and the other two that had joined her. They were watching him with just as much curiosity for him, as he had for them. "So these are the ones?"

Kevan didn't say a word as she studied the man, trying to get a handle on him. His arrogance was apparent, and Kevan guessed that he was used to getting his own way. With his long flowing brown hair and his chiseled cheekbones, he made candy for the eyes, but his looks didn't overshadow his tone when he looked them over, trying to decide if they were worthy, or had come up short. "Well, I must say I'm surprised that Niall and his warriors were the ones to find you, but it is very nice to meet you finally after all these years," Joseph told them.

Kevan stepped around Caleb, knowing that he was trying to protect her but also knowing that she couldn't let him take over everything.

"Joseph!" She said the name, her face twisted with confusion, as she looked to Niall. Then her face lit up as something sprang to bloom within her mind. "Joseph, as in your brother, the asshole?" she asked Niall.

Niall nodded, as he let out a quick snort of laughter. "Yes," he told her.

"Well, I can see some of what you told me, but I'd say a lot more anal." Niall smiled, shrugging his shoulders as Kevan looked at Joseph, waiting for him to say something, but he just continued to stare at her. "So, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?" she asked, looking at Caleb as he staked his claim, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Hey babe," she snuggled into his side, allowing him to feel like he was in control and protecting her.

Joseph grimaced, not liking the closeness that seemed to be developing between Caleb and the woman.

"It would seem you discovered our long prophesied ones, little brother. Good for you."

"Yes we did," Niall told him coolly, "but what does that have to do with you, and why are you here?"

"For them, of course. Why else would I be here?" Joseph stated, looking at Kevan and her sisters. "Are you ready to go?"

"What? Whoa, slow down big boy! If you think for one moment that we're going anywhere with you, you're completely delusional," Kevan informed him, throwing her hands up, turning to Eve and Kaitlyn, who shook their heads. Kevan put her hands on her hips, and glaring at the man standing in front of them, barked, "Who the hell do you think you are anyway?"

"I will be your teacher," he stated matter of factly, "so you'll do as you're told."

"You aren't serious," Eve smirked while walking over to the server, helping herself to a cup of coffee. "He isn't serious, is he?" she asked the others gathered on the patio.

"Why do you question my actions?" Joseph inquired of them.

Kaitlyn stared at him, her mouth gaping open, and then told her sisters, "I think he's serious."

"Get out of here! How is that possible in this day and age?" Eve expressed her disbelief.

"I am not going anywhere!" Joseph told them, having a bit of a hard time following their conversation.

"It's a figure of speech," Kevan told him, suppressing the laughter that wanted to let loose, as the confusion on his face continued. He didn't understand them. "Obviously you don't get out much, do you?" she told him.

"I'm sorry, get out much?" Joseph asked, "I am out right now." He was shocked at the attitude, and especially the lack of respect. "I don't understand you."

"No kidding," Kaitlyn told him.

"Enough," he ground out. "It's time for us to leave."

"I don't think you're getting this, bud," Kevan spat.

"Bud?" Joseph questioned, "What is this bud? I am not a flower."

"You're the bud," Kevan told him.

"My name is Joseph, not bud."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Kevan demanded.

"I've informed you who I am. I am your teacher. What do you not understand about that?" His frustration mounting, he muttered under his breath, something about humans and their inability to understand simple instructions.

"Who says that we want you to be our teacher? I don't think that we need lessons on how to be an asshole. What do you think?" Kevan asked, looking to her sisters, then back at him. "Oh my gods, you're serious!" She looked at Niall, "You weren't kidding when you said that he was arrogant."

Niall sat back enjoying the show. Watching his big brother make a fool out of himself was certainly one way to get out of the depression he had been feeling over what had happened the night before.

"No, I wasn't kidding," Niall agreed with her. "They all tend to be that way."

"They...?" Eve questioned.

"Sorcerers," Marcus spat out, "Arrogant lot."

"At least we're good for more than just swinging a sword," Joseph snapped back at him. "Warriors are brainless brawn, only good for one thing," his face reddened with anger, glaring at the men in front of him.

"Oh, stop acting like children!" Eve shouted, interrupting them. "Gods, sometimes it seems men only think with the head between their legs, and not the one on their shoulders." Kevan looked away so they couldn't see her laughter. Staring at the women, Joseph didn't understand the animosity coming from them.

"I don't understand. I'm here offering you the chance to learn from the most talented sorcerers, and you're arguing with me?"

"But you see, that's the thing, you're not offering, you're telling," Kevan informed him. "We can make our own decisions, and we don't need a man to do it for us."

"Of course you do," Joseph informed them. "We know what's best." The silence that dropped over the patio was deafening. The men almost felt sorry for Joseph as he stood watching them, not understanding the phrase, open mouth, insert foot.

"I didn't just hear that or did I?" Kevan questioned her sisters.

"I don't know what you heard, but I just heard some man say that we women need to have a man tell us what to do because we aren't capable of making decisions for ourselves," Eve stated.

"Okay, so I'm not having a 50's flashback then," Kevan was calm, too calm. She turned to face the confused Joseph, and then looked to Niall who had come to his feet, waiting for the shit to hit the fan. "If you like your brother, I'd get him out of here before he loses something he really doesn't want to lose."

"Don't talk to Niall, I'm standing right here, and I'm not going anywhere without you all," Joseph informed them. "I don't understand, what have I said that has upset you so much?" Kevan confronted him, the anger shaking her entire body.

"Obviously you don't understand, so let me make this crystal clear so there's no misunderstanding. We're not going anywhere with you ever, that I can guarantee. And just because the great man," she said, using her finger quotes to get her point across, "says it's going to happen, does not make it so. I don't know what kind of women you are used to dealing with, but I'm telling you right now, these women don't like the attitude."

"You're being ridiculous. You need to learn to control your powers, and we are the ones who are the best equipped to teach you how to do that," he explained with a hint of frustrated whining.

"We may need some help with these so called powers, but I think that we'd rather figure it out on our own, than learn from someone who doesn't consider us equals," Kevan spat. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Joseph demanded his anger showing. "You're superior!" he told them arrogantly.

He heard the groans, but didn't understand why. Niall finally spoke up, even though he was thoroughly enjoying himself watching his brother squirm under the glaring looks from the women standing on the patio.

"Enough," he said to Kevan, "you're right, he's wrong. You don't have to go anywhere with him unless you want to. We may not be as good as the sorcerers when it comes to teaching you about your powers, but we can certainly help. So the question is, do you want to go with him?"

"No flipping way!" All the women standing on the patio echoed. Niall schooled his face, trying not to show how much he was enjoying himself at Joseph's expense.

"Well, my dear brother, you heard them, they don't want to go anywhere with you, so I think it would be best if you left."

"I don't understand?" Joseph muttered in complete confusion.

"I suggest you do some research, start in the 60's and don't stop until you reach the 2000's. It should be very enlightening, and maybe it will shed some light on modern women that you don't seem to be grasping. But until you have an attitude adjustment, as we say here, later 'gator." Joseph gave them a look that showed confusion and anger, and then he vanished. Kevan whipped around looking for him

"Later 'gator? We aren't in Florida, you know," Niall laughed.

"Whatever! What the hell just happened? Where did he go?" Kevan wanted to know.

"L'Dern," Niall stated.

"Where?" she demanded

"Our home," he explained to her.

"So, what, you can make yourself appear and disappear?" she demanded.

"Ah, yes, but relax, we don't unless we know exactly where we are going. In this day and age we can never predict a quiet corner or room to shimmer to so we tend to use modern vehicles, just to be on the safe side," Roderic explained. "Shimmering's kind of a last resort." Kevan looked to Niall and then to Caleb.

"I think you have some explaining to do. Why the hell would he think that he can come in here, and order us to go with him, and insist that he is going to be our teacher? Why the hell did you not tell us, Niall?"

"I promise, I told you everything. But my brother and his sorcerers believe they're superior to everyone, as you saw. And also, it would seem that we did something I wasn't expecting during our ceremony last night."

"You think?" Kevan retorted sharply, "What?"

"I'm not sure exactly," he admitted quietly.

"What do you mean, you're not sure?" Kaitlyn demanded of him. "What did you do to us?"

"I have a feeling the spell we invoked last night didn't just call the powers of the ancestors. I believe it released powers that you already possessed." He felt a strong sense of awe over the potential that had brought Joseph into the fray.

"What are you talking about?" they demanded, as fear rippled through the air.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. It would explain everything," he told them.

"Explain what? We don't or didn't have any powers," Eve snapped at him. "What the hell have you done to us?"

"Obviously you did, or what happened wouldn't have happened," Niall tried to justify his thinking.

"It would have been nice if you'd maybe told us some of this," Kevan accused.

"I would have, if I had known, but it's hard to tell you something when we didn't know. I mean, it's not as if you told me that you had powers. I know that some of your ancestors over the years have possessed limited powers, but not everyone, so when we met, and you didn't seem to know anything about it, I just figured that you didn't have any powers. I certainly wasn't expecting that you had powers and didn't know about them because they were bound! How would we know that? Come on, we just met you."

"That is fair enough," Kevan admitted reluctantly, struggling to process what he was telling them, "Did Daphne have powers?"

"Nothing that we know of, other than she was an amazing healer, one of the best we had ever had or seen. But when I think about it, your family hasn't shown any powers in a long time."

"And you think these powers we supposedly have, were bound by someone?" Kevan questioned. "How we would we not know about them?"

"I don't know, unless they were bound before you were born, and that's why you have never shown any signs of them?"

"Is that possible?" Kevan wanted to know.

"That's something you would have to ask Joseph about, but they were definitely bound." Niall shrugged.

"Why?" Kevan threw out, not really expecting an answer.

"Kevan, I wish I could answer that, but I have no idea why someone would bind them. Maybe to protect you? I just don't know." Niall rubbed his face in frustration, "Gods only know what each of you has."

"Niall, I don't like the way you said that. You unbound only ours correct?" Kevan questioned him. Niall didn't answer her, refusing to look her in the eye. "Niall?"

"Kevan, I would really like to tell you what you want to hear, but I can't. I would love to say that it was only yours that we unbound last night, but I don't think it works that way." Kevan's look was the one that the saying if looks could kill was coined about for.

"So you're telling me that last night, instead of doing something that could protect our family, we may have done something that could potentially put them at more risk? We released or unbound powers that we didn't know that we had, and now we are vulnerable?"

"Kevan, I'm really sorry. I had no idea." He tried to tell her, "If I had known...," only she wasn't listening anymore, as she ran all the things that could happen through her mind.

"Oh shit!" She grabbed Caleb's arm. "Joseph could grab anyone of our sisters and cousins." Caleb shook his head, taking her hands in his, trying to rid her of the terror he saw in her eyes.

"No, he can't, they're completely safe," he told her. "The minute I knew Joseph was here, I signaled Kayne to ensure they were protected. He will not touch your family, I promise." Kevan sagged, as relief washed over her.

"You're sure?" she pleaded.

"Yes, they're safe," he assured her, pulling her close to comfort her.

"But he could just pop in and grab one of them. It's not safe."

"You know what you have to do." He saw the grimace on Kevan's face. "You have to talk to them, get them over here." Caleb shrugged. "You have to explain what has happened; you might as well do it now."

"Damn it! I was hoping to give Brennan a chance to calm down before we talked, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen," Kevan stated.

"It'll be fine Kevan, we did this together, and we'll tell them together," Eve pleaded. Kaitlyn stood beside both her sisters, nodding in agreement.
Chapter Fourteen

"Let me go, you overgrown caveman," Brennan spat as she ripped her arm out of Kayne's hand. Spotting Kevan, she stormed over. "You know, you have some nerve," she accused her, as the tirade continued. "I can't believe you had us kidnapped!"

"I have some nerve? Look who is talking!" Kevan threw back at her. "If you would have answered any of my calls or texts, I wouldn't have had to resort to drastic measures to get you to talk to us."

"So it's us now is it?" Brennan stated glaring at her with arms crossed. "I knew it, I told the others, but they all said no, Kevan won't forget what the cairbare did to Daphne."

"I haven't forgotten Brennan, but unlike someone that we know and love, I'm willing to listen to all sides of the story."

"Yeah well, you do that, but I'm not willing. You may think they're nice guys, but we don't, and we don't want anything to do with them," Brennan screamed at her sister. "We know what they did."

"No, we know what Grandpa Joe told us," Kevan yelled back, not backing down this time. She was tired of Brennan's know it all attitude. "He wasn't there, he doesn't know what happened. He found the body and made assumptions about what he believed happened, but as far as we know, nobody has ever figured out what actually happened. Stop telling us who is, or isn't, the bad guy, we don't know, no let me rephrase that," Kevan stated, getting into Brennan's face, her finger poking into her chest. "You may think you know who the bad guys are, but I can tell right now, I know who the bad guys aren't, and you need to accept that fact."

"I don't have to accept anything," Brennan shouted, stepping away from Kevan.

"Unfortunately you do," Eve informed her. Brennan twisted from Kevan, glaring at Eve.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here, Eve? The doctor thing is going to get you real trouble, especially if you get involved with these people," Brennan slammed her sister as loud as she could.

"Oh Brennan, stop making an ass of yourself, it not very attractive," Eve informed her. "I'm about to give you a few facts about these people. One thing is that they have been involved with our family for a long time," Eve told her calmly, pushing away from where she was leaning.

"If I want to make an ass out of myself, that's my right," Brennan shouted, getting frustrated. They weren't listening to her yet again, she was the oldest, and she knew what was best for all of them; when were they going to realize that?

"Well you're right about that, Brennan. If you want to make yourself look like an ass that is your right," Eve nodded in agreement. "But the other thing you have to realize is you can't distort the truth, making it suit your point of view," Eve pointed out to her.

"Ah, but you see, as our dear sister, the traitor, has just pointed out, we weren't there. Nobody but the killer and Daphne were, so we don't know the truth. We'll likely never know the truth, unless you can speak to the dead?" Brennan stated, crossing her arms and giving them a smug look. "If I want to believe they were the ones behind Daphne's murder, then guess what, that's what I am going to believe, and there's nothing that you can say or do to stop me."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong my dear, dear sister. You see, we do know the truth," Eve stated, dropping the book she was holding onto the table in the center of the room, where it landed with a echoing thwack, "or at least we know some of it."

"What's that, the history of their lies?" Brennan joked, staring at the book, a worried look flashing across her face.

"It's Great Grandma Daphne's journal," Eve shot back. "A while ago, when Mum realized that I wanted to be a doctor, she told me she thought I might be interested in reading Daphne's journals. I phoned Mum a couple of days ago asking about the journals, and she thought that they were in the attic, so I went searching when everyone was out, and as you can see I found them. Last night I did a little reading, but I didn't discover this until this morning."

"What?" Kevan asked, feeling anxious as well as terrified to hear what Eve had discovered.

"I read her last entry," Eve told them, the tears welling in her eyes. "It was written the day she died." Her voice dropping to a whisper, they stood silently waiting for Eve to continue. This was something that affected all of them, and it was good that they were together when they finally learned the truth. Looking at them, reading the excitement in some and fear in others, she knew what she was about to tell them would change their lives, though whether for better or worse was still to be determined.

"Eve?" Kevan reached out to try to comfort her sister.

"I'm okay, really," she assured her. "It's surprisingly hard to know that the things we grew up believing were the truth, aren't." Drawing in a deep breath, she started to explain what she had discovered. "Daphne had seen someone that afternoon. She wrote that something was off about him. He was passing himself off as cairbare, but she knew that he wasn't, or at least not like the cairbare she knew. She writes it was like they were and weren't cairbare; he didn't behave like any of the cairbare she'd ever encountered before."

"A cairbare, who isn't a cairbare," Kevan looked to the guys, "does that make any sense to you?"

"Unfortunately, yeah it does," Niall admitted reluctantly.

"What do you mean?" Brennan demanded, whirling around to confront them.

"Your sister's right and wrong about who may be responsible for Daphne's murder." Caleb looked at Niall while still watching the women's confusion.

"You'd better explain, Niall," Caleb told him.

"It was a cairbare, just not a warrior," Niall stated. Kevan gasped as it suddenly dawned on her what he was meaning.

"One of Joseph's people!" she whispered.

"Who the hell is Joseph?" Brennan insisted. "What the hell does he have to do with Daphne's murder?" Kevan suddenly whipped around, as something invaded her senses. Holding up her hand, she silenced everyone, scanning the room. Watching Kevan hunt through the room ramped up their wariness and concern, especially when she caught the scent of something.

"Show yourself, you bastard!" Kevan shouted, staring at the bookcases. She needed to stay calm and focus, but a creepy feeling that buzzed through her gut made control of her senses difficult.

"Kevan ...?" Eve questioned taking a step towards her sister.

"I'm fine; I just really hate when people drop in unannounced, and eavesdrop on private conversations. He's listening to every word we're saying, and I think if he wants to hear what we're talking about, then he should show himself, join the conversation. Isn't that right, Joseph?" And Kevan reached out, grabbing hold of what appeared to be nothing, but the second she touched him, his disguise spell broke, and he became visible to all. Feminine gasps and male groans landed on the sorcerer at his appearance out of thin air, and anger washed over him from all.

"Well, well. Joseph, so nice of you to join us again," Niall greeted his brother. He wasn't happy that they hadn't sensed him. "So do you have something to tell us? Perhaps an explanation about why you feel free to trespass."

"Tell you about what?" Joseph questioned, staring at Kevan, who still held his arm. He was shocked that this woman, who'd never had a minute of training, had detected his spell. He was very good at invisibility; most people never knew when he was there, but she had known from the moment he had stepped into the room.

"You heard what we were talking about," Eve questioned; "What do you know about the murder of our great grandmother?"

"I didn't know your great grandmother; it's the warriors that mingle with the humans. We sorcerers don't, so what would I know about the murder of your great grandmother 80 some years ago."

"You are so busted, buddy!" Kevan shouted, making everyone jump.

"Excuse me?" he looked at her; she was starting to make him nervous.

"If you don't know anything about Daphne's murder, as you claim, then how the hell would you know that it was 80 years ago? You bastard, if you had anything to do with her death, I will see that you suffer."

Caleb took her hand, pulling her away from Joseph, giving her the time to get her emotions under control. Caleb didn't trust that Joseph wouldn't do something to hurt Kevan; his anger over the accusation she had hurled at him surged over him and they could all see and feel it.

"I had nothing to do with your great grandmother's death," Joseph snapped at them, before he looked to his brother, and admitted something that he really did not want to admit to them, or to anyone for that matter. "I think I may know who was responsible." Silence engulfed the room. Not even a breath was detectable as they waited for him to continue with his remarks, until a voice broke the hush that had settled over the room.

"Joseph?" Niall questioned his brother, needing answers.

"It was Dreyden," he remarked with no emotions. Kevan saw the look that passed over Niall's face, more surprise than anger, which confused her.

"What?" she questioned, wanting to know what was going through his mind.

"Who's Dreyden?" Brennan demanded sick of being uninformed, as the men all stood silent watching each other. "Who is Dreyden?" she asked again, only louder. The anger erupted as Niall stared at his brother.

"Damn it, Joseph, what the hell happened?" he yelled at him. Kevan was getting pissed that he was not listening to her, and she grabbed his arm, capturing his attention.

"DON'T talk to him, talk to me," she demanded. "Who's this Dreyden, and why would he want to kill Daphne?" Niall's attention turned back from Kevan to Joseph, who stood defiant and smug as ever.

"Well, are you going to answer them, or are you going to stand there acting like you know nothing. I'm telling you, if I'm the one that starts explaining, you will not like what I have to say," Niall warned.

"Fine!" Joseph hissed at his brother. If anyone was going to tell the story then it should be someone who knew the whole story, and the warriors didn't know the whole story, and he wasn't looking forward to informing them about what they'd missed. "Dreyden is a sorcerer," Joseph explained.

"I think we kinda figured that one out on our own. What I would like to know is what he had to do with Daphne's death," Kevan barked at him.

"Dreyden's a dark sorcerer," Joseph announced, and with that one statement, the tension in the room that was already riding high, tripled.

"What the hell is that?" Brennan ground out, resenting every second she had to spend with these people.

"Ah, I'm kinda with Brennan on this one," Kevan told him. "What the hell is that?"

"Dreyden is the former head of the council of L'Dern," he told them, expecting them to understand what he was talking about.

"Okay, here's the thing, you need to think like we have no idea what you are talking about, due to the fact that we don't," Kevan informed him. Joseph shook his head, looking at his brother.

"Have you taught them nothing?" Joseph spat at Niall.

"Hey don't blame us, we're just learning about this too," Niall threw back at his brother. "Hell, the last time you even consented to talk to me was, what, almost 100 years ago, and that lasted for all of about 5 minutes, long enough for you to not listen to me, and to tell me that you weren't interested in anything that I had to say, before you even knew why I had contacted you."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"That's not important, we dealt with it ourselves," Niall stated. "But this is something that you should have told us."

"We've been dealing with it. Besides you couldn't even look after the one thing that was your responsibility. You were to ensure that they knew the history of the races," Joseph spat. "You couldn't even do that right. So why would we want your help with anything else?"

"Sounds like you can blame yourself for it not happening," Kevan butted in, "because the cairbare weren't even in our lives until about a week ago, and even that was an accident. If it was up to my family, we'd never have had anything to do with any of you. See, my family's been blaming them," Kevan pointed at Niall and the others, "for the murder of our great grandmother, when it would seem they're innocent, just like they have always claimed. Now you, I'm not so sure about. What do you know about our great grandmother's murder?"

"Hold on, we're getting off track," Brennan stated. "We need to hear what he has to say about this Dreyden character, and I want to know why they all reacted the way they did when he told them that he was, whatever?"

"Thank you," Joseph told her, "At least one of you knows when to listen to reason. Now, have you ever heard about magic?"

"Joseph, don't push it," Niall growled a warning at him.

"Fine. As you know, there are many different types of magic. White, black, good sorcerers, dark sorcerers, earth magic etc.," He paused and looked at his audience. "Good, I haven't lost you. Magic users use all magic, but most pick one type and stick with it. Mixing magical qualities is dangerous, and if you don't know what you're doing, it can be deadly, especially dark magic. Magic takes energy, and what it takes from a user depends upon what magic or spell is cast. We didn't know that Dreyden had been practicing dark magic. We knew that he was researching it, but when we discovered that he was practicing dark magic, we had no choice but to ask him to step down from the council. He wasn't happy with the decision of the elders, at my urging, to have him removed as head of the council. He claimed that he was the only one able to withstand the corruption that dark magic instills in the one invoking it. He was ordered to stop all his research, and his practice of dark magic. He agreed, albeit with the greatest reluctance. Unfortunately, he went right back to it as soon as the eyes of the council were focused on other things. We began to notice happenings, events, and when we investigated, it was discovered that he had gone against the council, and resumed his studies, experimentations as he called them, so Dreyden was imprisoned."

"How long ago was that?" Caleb questioned.

"About 75 years ago," Joseph stated.

"So what, he left wherever, and went directly to Daphne's and murdered her?" Kevan asked, not sure how she was feeling about what Joseph was telling them.

"No, he spent almost 5 years searching for something. We're not sure what, but whatever it was, it seems to have led him to your great grandmother."

"And that's when he sliced her throat?" Brennan spat, her anger at the cairbare careless disregard for others spilled over.

"What are you talking about?" Niall questioned Brennan. "Daphne was strangled."

"No she wasn't. I know the truth. Grandpa Joe told me when I was very young that Daphne was killed by someone, a cairbare, who sliced her throat," Brennan screeched at them.

"Then he'd changed the facts to suit his belief, because Daphne was strangled. She did not die by someone cutting her throat," Niall ground out.

"Niall's not lying Brennan," Roderic spoke up. "I was there, I saw her, and she was definitely strangled. If you don't believe us, ask your mother and aunt, I'm sure they both know the truth."

"You're lying!" Brennan confronted him, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, as the emotions of the past few days overwhelmed her.

"No, he's not," Joseph commented. They all turned to face him. "Daphne was strangled. We believe he was trying to force her to tell him something. When she couldn't or wouldn't, he got angry and ended up killing her."

"How do you know that?" Kevan asked. "Why go after Daphne?"

"We're not sure. Our investigation was focused more on finding Dreyden; it was more critical at the time, which was all that mattered."

"All that mattered? How can you say that? She was a person, that's what makes what happened to her important!" Kevan cried out, furious at his lack of emotions about the murder of their great grandmother. His saying it wasn't important just made her angrier.

"I'm sorry, she was only a healer, a very good healer, but nothing else," Joseph stated.

"She was a wife and mother, and she was our great grandmother. She never got to see her only child grow up, get married and have her own family," Kevan snapped. "So you need to understand, she was much more than just a healer, as you say."

"If she was only a healer, then why go after her," Kaitlyn challenged. "What aren't you telling us?"

"I have to agree with Kaitlyn, as much as I find that disturbing," Marcus growled, eyeing Joseph warily.

Joseph looked at the general, noticing the underlying weakness in Marcus' body, but he didn't want to deal with the stubborn man right now.

Eve moved in closer to the sorcerer, demanding, "Tell us what you know about what Dreyden wanted?"

"What are you talking about Eve?" Kevan questioned her.

"He knows something, something about Daphne's murder, something that none of the rest of us knows, and whatever it is, it could explain why Daphne was targeted."

"Why do you say that?" Kevan looked to her sister, suddenly worried by the look in her eyes. There was something new yet very old moving within her sister. "Eve, are you okay?"

"I know it, I can feel it. With every fiber of my being, I know that he's holding something back. I don't know what it is but ..."

Eve's entire body shook as a sudden rush of energy exploded through her body, and faster than any would have thought possible, she latched onto Joseph's arm. His reaction was instantaneous. He tried to pull his arm from her grip, horrified when he discovered he couldn't free himself.

"Let go!" he ordered her.

"Tell the truth! I DEMAND the truth!" her voice allowed no argument. Eve's body suddenly stilled, and they all saw the energy building, beginning to emanate all around her. It was thrumming through her body on the ebb and flow of her emotions. The energy built bubbled over and surged through Eve, slamming into Joseph where she held his arm. His body jerked as he attempted to loosen her grip on his arm; he needed to get away from whatever she was doing to him. "The truth!" she demanded of him.

"I don't have anything to tell you," he ground out, cringing as the pain radiated from where her hand gripped his arm, tendrils moved outward through his body. He attempted to twist his way out of her grip, but she was a hell of a lot stronger than she looked. Roderic could see something was happening with Eve, they all could, and he took a step towards her to try to help.

"Eve?" he inquired, but she turned, throwing up her other hand, stopping him.

"No!" she yelled, making them all jump as an energy bolt jumped from her hand, smashing into Roderic. The energy picked him up and tossed him across the room, bouncing him off the far wall. He slid to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"Eve, what the hell are you doing?" Kevan screamed in horror while Kaitlyn and Marcus raced to where Roderic lay dazed, but okay.

"The truth!" Eve yelled at Joseph. Tightening her grip, they could see he was rapidly losing color, as the pain she was pushing through his body took hold. Joseph attempted to shimmer, tried using numerous spells, anything to break her grip, but nothing was working. Her grip tightened on his arm, once again. He had to get away from her, and soon, for she was unknowingly drawing on his power. Adding it to her own untamed magic, she could kill him. If she wasn't stopped, she would drain his life force, effectively ending him. For the first time in a very long while, he felt scared, his emotions felt ancient and unused, giving him a feeling of weakness unlike anything that he could recall. That was why he had trained himself to look beyond them. Emotions were useless, he didn't need or want them, and he hated that these women had exposed what he had buried for so many years.

"Eve!" Kevan shouted, as she attempted to get her attention. She shook off Caleb's attempt to stop her. "Eve, look at me." The face that turned to her wasn't Eve, it was a distortion, and Kevan felt a ripple of fear race down her spine.

"Eve, this is not you!" Kevan blurted out, anything to get through to her. "Eve, you're a doctor. Honey, you want to stop pain, not cause it." If she hadn't been watching Eve so closely, she wouldn't have seen the hesitation that washed over Eve's body. "Eve," she tried to work the hesitation, "Eve, damn it!" Kevan shouted her anger tight and visible. That got the attention she was looking for. "Listen to me, we'll get the truth, I promise, but not like this." She took a cautious step towards her sister.

She could see that she was getting through, so she pressed on, talking to Eve quietly, calmly, even though that was the last thing that she was feeling. Her heart raced and she could feel the trickle of sweat winding its way down her back as she continued to talk. "Eve, you have to stop," Kevan pleaded with her. "Stop before you kill him. If he dies and you're responsible, you'll never forgive yourself," Kevan beseeched her, as she watched the tears flowing down Eve's face. Kevan pushed her own insight, trying to see every minute change, fearing she was losing the battle, when she heard it. A weak and desperate plea escaped Eve's magical override, and nothing could stop Kevan from answering that plea.

"Help me?" Eve whispered.

"It's about time kiddo, I was just getting ready to kick your ass," Kevan cried quietly. "I'm here Eve, I'll help you, all you have to do is just let him go." Eve's eyes pleaded with Kevan; she felt like she had no control over her body. She kept trying to tell herself to let him go, but the magic split her will. Her mind and her body had two different needs, the rational doctor, and the uncontrolled truth seeker, and they were working at cross purposes within her.

"I can't," she sobbed.

"Yes you can, just let go," Kevan told her.

"I've tried, but I don't know what's going on, I don't have control of my body. I can't let go." She gasped, struggling against the control she seemed to be losing rapidly.

Taking another step forward, Kevan dropped her voice so that only Eve could hear her. Kevan could see the pain in Joseph's body. It convulsed with each wave of energy that surged through him. She knew if she didn't stop Eve quickly, she'd kill him, and Kevan couldn't let that happen.

"Help me, Kevan!" Eve begged.

"You can do it honey; see it in your mind."

Eve squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on Kevan's voice and what she was telling her. Slowly, after what felt like hours, a picture began to form in her mind. It was so hard, to think beyond the pulsing burn to know the truth that dominated everything. She liked the surging power rippling through her body, but deep down she knew if she didn't stop, she'd kill the sorcerer, and she didn't think she could live with that. In the distance, she could hear Kevan telling her to think of it like a puzzle, start with one piece then move on, so she did, thinking only of moving first one finger then the next. It was so hard, the battle continued to rage between the two parts of her body, fighting her every step.

Kevan gasped with relief when she finally saw one of Eve's fingers move. She continued to talk to her quietly, encouraging her keep going, assuring her that she was winning. Finally, Eve inched her way to gaining the upper hand, and slowly one knuckle, then a finger at a time, released the sorcerer's arm, and control was hers again for a second before she collapsed to the floor.

"Eve?" Kevan cradled her drained sister in her arms. "Eve, talk to me, are you okay?" Eve struggled to a sit up, looking around the room, faces staring back at her. Then it all came flooding back, the harm of what she had done.

"Oh my gods, what have I done?" she sobbed, as she grabbed onto Kevan's arm. "Is he okay?" she pleaded, needing to know, and crawled towards the stunned Joseph, but he moved away from her. He didn't want another lesson from the human today.

"He's fine," Kevan assured her. "What happened?" Kevan wanted to know, as she pushed Eve's hair out of her eyes, soothing Eve's mind even as her body still shook from the aftermath of what had just happened.

"I don't know," Eve cried, grateful for Kevan's help. "I just knew he was lying about something, but I don't understand what happened to me. I couldn't control it. Oh gods! Roderic," she saw him getting to his feet.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," he told her, as he moved towards her. "Are you okay?"

"I don't really know." She looked at Niall, then down at hands that understood healing instinctively, but had almost betrayed her by taking a life. "What happened to me?"

"I wish I knew," Niall told her. "I've never seen anything like that before, but if I were a betting man, which I am, that trick had everything to do with your powers!"

"I know what happened, and I refuse to let this level of power go unleashed and untrained!" Joseph croaked forcing them all to pay attention to him, reminding everyone he was still pompous. "Leave me alone, I'm fine," he snapped, pushing Rhiannon away, struggling to his feet, his body swaying as he fought to take control again. "It's your powers; they're beginning to manifest themselves. You need to learn to control them quickly, or you'll kill someone." Niall stepped into the animosity building around Joseph, but Kevan broke the tension with exacerbation of his attitude.

"Would you get off your soap box, we've already told you we're not going anywhere with you!" Kevan advised him. "You can't scare us into changing our minds."

"Kevan, stop," Eve whispered. "I know we all agreed we didn't want anything to do with what he was offering. But I'm changing my mind. If what I did to him has to do with these so-called powers, I'm willing to take his help. I don't want to ever experience anything like that again. We need to know how to control our new powers, whatever they might be. I thought I was going to kill him, and nothing I did would stop me. Kevan, you got through to me, but I can't do that again. I have to be to be able to control what rides inside." Eve felt sick at what she had almost done to Joseph, flinching over what flashed through her mind. "Trust me; you don't want to ever do what I almost did. I don't want you to have to go through it."

Kevan looked from Eve to Joseph, then back to her other sisters, wondering when she'd been appointed as the one making all the decisions for them. "Fine, you can train us," she snapped at Joseph, her voice echoing her resignation, but her attitude spoke volumes, telling him that she really didn't like this.

"Finally, you're seeing reason." Joseph accepted her answer, but in the back of his mind, something nagged at his brain.

"Not so fast mister, we have some conditions," Kevan warned him.

"Are you trying to tell me how to train you?" Joseph huffed.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist," Kevan told him.

"What?" Joseph asked, completely confused. This language that they spoke confounded him at times.

"Nothing, just agree to our conditions, and we can start; otherwise, you can just get lost."

"What?" he demanded, as he rubbed his head, which was starting to pound. He was furious that a human was able to hurt him at this level. He couldn't understand why these women were so aggressive, never trusting anything that he said. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, considering he thought of himself as an honorable man.

"We're willing to let you train us, but it has to be here, and it has to be on our terms."

Joseph scowled at Kevan, waiting for more. "Is that all?" he finally asked her.

"No, I'm waiting to see what you have to say to the first one," Kevan told him.

"It would not be my first choice, but if it means getting all of you to take this seriously, and accept training, I will not try and remove you from here." How he hated to concede to this pushy woman.

"Good. Next, no lying to us, ever," she told him, "and no zapping us anywhere without permission. No. Matter. What."

"Zapping?" he questioned.

"Shimmering," Niall explained to his brother.

"Fine, no shimmering or lying to you. I concede to your demands. Now, if that is all, we should get started as soon as possible," Joseph told them. "You all need a lot of training in the basics of magic before we even start on your powers. You are so far behind," he muttered more to himself than to anyone else.

"Agreed," Kevan told him with a nod of her head.

"Hold up there Kevan," Brennan chimed up. "You're being awfully presumptuous, aren't you?" Brennan demanded of her. "Why does it sound like he is talking about all of us? Why would we want, or need, to train with Mr. Olympic here? And what, pray tell, is Eve talking about? What powers?"

"Oh gods," Kevan whispered, realizing that she still hadn't told the rest of what had occurred the previous night. "Okay, Brennan, you saw what happened, right?" Kevan questioned her.

"I did, and don't think that I don't have a whole bunch of questions regarding that, but right now, I can only concentrate on one thing. Why would we agree to train with that person? And we are training for what ?"

"To prevent you from doing what Eve just did," Kevan stated quietly, her face scrunching up as she waited for it.

"Why would we be at risk of doing what Eve did? What the hell did Eve do, anyway?" Brennan's anger started its slow bubble to boiling.

"Well," Kevan hesitated, unsure of how to say what they might have done.

"Kevan?" Brennan pushed.

"Okay fine," Kevan gave her family a dejected look. "Did anything unusual happen last night that you noticed?"

"Nothing," Brennan told her firmly. "What are you worried about having happened?"

"Are you sure nothing odd happened?"

"Nothing," Brennan stated, then she paused, "unless you're talking about the power surge that cut the power to most of the Lower Mainland, but it was only for a minute. Why?" Kevan couldn't look her in the face, knowing what was about to happen.

"Well, you see, it wasn't exactly a power surge." Brennan looked from Kevan to Eve, and finally to Kaitlyn, neither of whom would look at her either.

"Okay, you'd better do some explaining, and quick," Brennan hissed at her.

"Calm down, Brennan."

"Don't tell me to calm down. Tell me what you did, now!" she ordered them.

"Boy, where to begin. You see, we did this ceremony thingy last night, and it was only supposed to affect us, but things kinda went haywire, and unexpected." Kevan let what she was saying sink in.

"What do you mean kind of haywire? I really don't want to hear this, do I?" Brennan asked her sister, closing her eyes, rubbing her forehead where she could feel a headache coming on. Kevan's face spoke a thousand words, and confirmed her trepidation. "Don't keep me in suspense, get on with it," Brennan said with an impatient sigh.

"Okay, here are the facts. We were attempting to access the knowledge of our ancestors, and it wasn't supposed to affect anyone else, until you were ready, but as I said, something unexpected happened when Niall invoked the spell."

"What the hell have you done?" Brennan hissed at her. Kevan cringed as she heard the anger, mingled with fear, in Brennan's voice. "Kevan, stop the stupid act, and tell me what the hell you idiots did."

"Hey, there is no need for name calling," Kaitlyn told her big sister, giving a smile when Brennan shot her a look that would snap steel.

"Nobody got hurt or anything," Kevan sighed, "but what we did last night had some unexpected consequences. The general consensus: we unlocked powers that we all have, but didn't know about because they were bound by someone. At this point in time we don't know who, or why?"

"You what?" Brennan whispered, barely holding onto her anger.

"Oh Brennan, you heard me. Shall I say it again? We fucked up, okay. Niall invoked a spell that was supposed to affect only those participating. You wouldn't have known a thing, but instead, it turns out that we unbound powers that were in all of us, who knew?" Kevan tried to joke with a little giggle, but it was weak, and not believable.

"Oh, my gods, I told you that your obsession with these people was going to cause us a problem, but would you listen to me? No, you had to be the bigger person and try and befriend them," Brennan ranted. "Now what the hell have you gotten us into?" Kevan cringed at Brennan's anger. She had never seen her sister this angry before, and in some ways, she couldn't blame her.

"I'm sorry," Kevan told her, "but I can't believe you. You're mad because we did something that you don't like! Well excuse me. Did you not hear the part about us having powers, or the fact we didn't know about them, because SOME ONE BOUND THEM SO WE WOULDN'T KNOW," Kevan shouted at Brennan.

"WE DO NOT HAVE POWERS," Brennan asserted, her entire body shaking with fury, glaring at Caleb. "Why the fuck couldn't you have left us alone?"

"I know that you don't want to hear this," Caleb stepped up to stand beside Kevan. "You'd rather bury your head in the sand, and swear at us; well, deal with it. We're here, and we aren't going anywhere. Have you even heard anything Kevan just told you? We performed a ritual last night that called upon the powers of your ancestors. But something we weren't expecting happened, and it caused the power outage." He stared at her, feeling frustrated at her stubbornness. "Your denial of your senses does not make the unbinding a lie, and bitching with ignorant prejudice, yelling at everyone, about the fact that we're part of your life... I don't understand you at all."

"Caleb," Kevan touched his arm.

"I'm sorry Kevan. She may be your sister, but she needs to start listening to us. This isn't a joke."

"I know," she told him, "but let me talk to her, okay?" He gave a snort of frustration, walking away. Brennan watched the interaction between the two of them, seeing something was happening, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what, only aware of her own anger.

"Okay, I'm listening now. So we have powers. Well, I don't. I don't feel any different than I did two days ago, other than I'm getting really pissed off."

"I don't know how to make you understand this ..." Kevan stated, only to stop when Joseph interrupted them.

"With some people, their powers come in differently than others. She might not feel different, but she is," Joseph explained. "I can sense the power now, whereas before I couldn't, so whoever it was that bound your power was a very strong talent. And you can be sure that your talents will manifest; it just may take some time."

"So tell me, if you can sense these so called powers, what are mine? Will they all be like Eve's?" Brennan spat at him.

"No," Joseph told them "All of your powers will be different. I believe that one," he looked at Eve, "is a truth seeker."

"A what?" Eve questioned. "What the hell is a truth seeker?" Joseph watched them.

"It is exactly what it sounds like," he told Eve.

"So I'm a human lie detector? Lovely, if that's what'll happen every time," Eve remarked.

"It won't. This is only the beginning. As you learn to control your powers they'll grow and evolve," he explained, talking to her like an adult would speak to a child. Joseph was getting sick of these disrespectful humans, and the fact they had to question everything that he said.

"Evolve into what? I'm a doctor. If I can't touch my patients without almost killing them, how the hell do I treat them?" Kevan reached out, grabbing Eve's hands.

"Stop, you're not going to kill anyone," She told her sister. "You haven't hurt me, and you won't hurt your patients. I swear it is going to be okay."

"She's right. If anything, your ability to treat your patients will become even better," Joseph tried to make her understand.

"How?" Eve demanded.

"A truth seeker is able to know what is wrong with their patient with a touch," Joseph told her.

"Really?" Eve remarked, suddenly thinking that these powers might not be so bad after all.

"Yes, it doesn't come right away, but when it does come, it will make you a better doctor," Joseph stated, even though he had only his belief to go on.

"You said that we'd all have different powers. What about the rest of us, what will our powers be?" Kaitlyn wanted to know.

"We won't know until they start to manifest themselves," Joseph explained. "So far, we have a truth seeker, and detector."

"Detector, huh, I guess that is me?" Kevan couldn't help grinning. "Cool, I guess, but what about the others, when will their powers start to manifest?"

"Again, that is unknown. It will come to each of you when it comes." Joseph looked around the room, seeing them all looking wary. What bothered him was the look of distrust they all carried in their eyes and that for some reason bothered him. He was a sorcerer, and it shouldn't bother him that a human didn't trust him. "If I am to train you, you're going to have to trust me. I can't do it properly if you don't." He looked at each of them. Kevan looked to her sisters, then back at Joseph.

"Sorry, can't change how we feel. Trust is something that you have to earn, not something that you get because you demand it." Her voice was firm and full of conviction. "Prove to us that you're trustworthy, and you'll have our trust. But let's start with showing us how to control our powers."

Joseph thought about what Kevan had said, and for the first time in longer than he liked to admit he began to shift his thinking. He had always believed that humans were to be tolerated, but not to be taken seriously. They were like children with their petty differences and squabbles, but these women were different; he wasn't able to put his finger on how they were, but there was something about them that surprised him, and that hadn't happened in a very long time.

"Tomorrow, sunrise, be here and we will get started," he told them.

"What?" Myrna gasped. "Are you crazy? It's Friday night the club doesn't even getting hopping until midnight, I won't be home until the early a.m., and I'm sure that some of the others work also?"

Joseph gave her a look of confusion. "Why would a club be hopping?" he asked yet again as his lack of understanding of the modern language shone brightly.

"Oh man, Joseph, you really need to get out of L'Dern more often," Niall told him.

"You misunderstood me," Myrna told him.

"I'd say that's an understatement," Kaitlyn stated with a snort of laughter.

"Give him a break you guys," Myrna snapped at them. She gave Joseph a look of sympathy. "I work at a night club, and it doesn't get busy until almost midnight and goes strong until early in the morning."

Joseph scratched his head, "I wish you would all learn to speak English," he muttered. "The way you speak is so confusing."

"We are speaking English. How hard is that to understand?" Kevan laughed yet she felt guilty for enjoying his discomfort. "But relax, you're not the first one to be confused, so don't feel bad. You just need to bone up on your slang of the 21st century. Now, about tomorrow morning, those who can make it will, but at 8:30. Nobody in their right minds wants to be doing a workout at sunrise. That's like 4:30 in the morning."

"But we can get so much more done." The sorcerer wanted to be done with these creatures as soon as possible.

"Go for it if you want to start at that time, but us being there at that time, it just ain't gonna happen. You need to understand something. We have more in our lives than just this, whatever this is. You'll have to work around our schedules, not us working around yours, capiche?"

He got the look of a little child on his face as he reluctantly agreed to their conditions. "Good, now that we have that sorted away...," Kevan shot a look at Brennan, daring her to object, but she stayed quiet. "You have a few questions to answer about this Dreyden fellow."

"There really isn't much to tell you," Joseph stated.

"Nice try, but I'm not buying. Why go to Daphne's? He went there for some reason, he went there for something, and I think you have an idea what that reason was," Kevan told him.

He shifted his weight, uncomfortable under their gaze. "Fine, this is what we know, and just so you can't accuse us of lying, we only pieced this together since your great grandmother's murder. If we had known before, we would have tried to stop him."

"Okay, what is it?" Kevan put to him, before turning to the other cairbare. "Obviously you know of this Dreyden character. But you are all shocked by the fact that Joseph believes that he is the one behind Daphne's murder, don't bother to deny it, your reaction said it all."

"Shock, I would say that's putting it mildly, but considering how long it has been since we have had any contact with the council, or with our fellow cairbare sorcerers, I can't really say a whole hell of a lot. As Joseph has already stated, Dreyden was the head of council; obviously things have changed." Niall shot his brother a look. "From what I recall of him, he was a quiet, reserved scholar, who always seemed more comfortable with a book than he did as head of the council, but surprisingly, he was very good at his job. How does someone with so much intelligence change so drastically?"

"The craving for power is addicting," Joseph apprised them. "Being head of the council of cairbare holds a lot of power, which we believe went to his head. The change was slow and subtle, so it wasn't something that you'd notice. His fascination with dark magic pulled him in; he'd studied it for a long time. We believe that he started to think he could use it, and not be contaminated as everyone else would, and from what we have been able to discover, he started experimenting with small spells and slowly worked his way up to bigger and bigger spells. When he was removed from the council, he was very upset; he convinced several of his friends on the council that he would stop. But he didn't. What we didn't know until it was too late, was how much he had been affected by the dark magic."

"Okay, I'm confused. You talk about dark magic; isn't that the same as black magic?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"No. It's much, much worse. Black magic can be used, it will cost you, but you can also redeem that cost with good magic. Dark magic, on the other hand, is all bad," Niall stated. "Dark magic is thousands of times worse. Most races don't talk even about it."

"Let me get this straight, there's dark magic, black magic, white magic, good magic? I'm so confused," Kaitlyn told them, trying to get it straight in her head. Joseph noted Marcus's snort with interest.

"There are different levels to good magic or white magic, just like there are different levels to bad magic; dark just happens to be the worst of the worse," Caleb explained.

"Oh, okay, that makes some sense," Kaitlyn told them.

"May I continue?" Joseph queried them.

"Yes, please do," Kevan told him.

"Thank you. We believed, no let me correct that, the council wanted to believe that Dreyden had stopped his studies, and his practice of the dark, but then we noticed people disappearing. We didn't think anything of it at first, but after about five people went missing, we began checking into things, and quite literally stumbled across a body. It showed all the signs of dark magic symbols. That was when we began to realize Dreyden might be the one behind the disappearances. When he was questioned, he didn't deny it; in fact, he went on about how we needed to know the dark as well as the light of magic . You could see it in his eyes, he wasn't quite right."

"So you didn't want to deal with the problem, and you sent him out into the world?" Brennan accused him.

Joseph whirled around to face her, his entire body pulsing with anger, as he exploded at her callus accusation. "We did not release him onto the world. We are not monsters."

"If the shoe fits!" Brennan snapped back.

"What does any of this have to do with the fit of a shoe?" Joseph demanded of Brennan.

"Figure of speech," Kevan explained again, "It's just a figure of speech."

"It doesn't matter; we did not send him out into the world. We locked him up, but it's hard to keep a ninth level master sorcerer locked up when he knows most spells to break the locks that hold him. I thought I had found one that he might not have known. It kept him locked up for almost a year before he was able to break it. Before he disappeared, the wardroom was broken into. It's where his spell books were stored, but he didn't attempt to take or even access any of them. The rest of the council believed that when he found them blocked with a spell, he decided to leave without them, but I wasn't so sure. I ordered an inventory done on the contents of the ward room." Joseph paused; his face took on a grim look.

Kevan got a sick feeling in her stomach. "What did he take?" she questioned, afraid of what he was about to tell them. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"It could be very bad," Joseph admitted.

Niall looked at his brother with a sinking feeling. "What did he take?" he wanted to know.

"He took the..." Joseph stopped, not wanting to admit to them what had been taken.

"Joseph?" Niall ground out; he had to hear him say it.

"He took the Samhain diary."

It was as if the room was suddenly devoid of oxygen, leaving the guys choking, as if breathing was suddenly a foreign act. Marcus attempted to speak, but words failed him. He just stared at Joseph, shaking his head.

"What the hell is this Sam hell diary?" Kevan demanded.

"You're kidding right?" Niall snapped at his brother. "You're just telling us this now? I can't believe that you have hid this for almost 70 years. You know, we may not have always agreed on anything, but I can tell you right now, we would have never hidden this information from you for so long." His anger was palpable in his words, his sun tattoo rising up, reflecting his ire. "This is something that affects all us, warriors and sorcerers alike. So much time has passed since his escape. Talk about a cold trail."

Marcus finally found his words, which he didn't mince. "How dare you allow your bigotry to put all of us in danger? As Niall said, this affects all of us. Damn arrogant sorcerers, yet again thinking only of themselves!"

"Uh, hello, I'm speaking," Kevan spoke up, only to be ignored yet again.

"What would you have done?" Joseph threw at his brother and Marcus. "We had no idea why he took the diary, or what he would do with it."

"That's absolute bullshit, and you know it. You didn't want to admit that you guys fucked up. We all know exactly why he took the diary," Caleb threw at him, raking his hands over his head. "For fucks sakes," he swore.

"FINE! We know why he took the diary," Joseph admitted. "At least we believe we know why he took the diary."

Kevan watched accusations fly back and forth between them, until she was tired of them ignoring her. Putting her fingers to her mouth, she let out a loud shrill whistle that did exactly what she wanted: she got their attention.

"Good, now that I have your attention, one of you had better start talking," she looked the men in the eyes, ending with Caleb. "We're waiting? We will hurt you so start talking right now." Still no one spoke. Kevan got into Caleb's face. "You'd better start talking, buster, before I tell Eve to go all ape shit on your ass, and don't think I won't, just because the sex is unbelievable."

She didn't even look in Brennan's direction when she heard her gasp. "What is this Sam hell diary, and why would this guy, this Dreyden, want to steal it?" Caleb glared at Joseph, barely able to contain his anger at being kept out of the loop on something this big, but now he needed to explain it to Kevan, and her family, and try to make them understand just how serious this really was.

"The Samhain Diary is the diary of a madman," Caleb stated. "According to legend, the diary is the key to finding the Drusa grimoire."

"Okay, I feel stupid, but what the hell are you talking about?" Kevan admitted.

"It's supposed to be directions on where to find the grimoire."

"I understood that, but what is this Drusa grimoire?"

"Oh gods, the Drusa grimoire is a collection of spells that have been gathered for thousands of years."

"Not just any spells," Niall interrupted.

"Niall is correct. They aren't just any spells; they are the worst of the worst dark magic spells. There is more information on magical use than anyone being can retain in life." Joseph kept his voice low, almost hushed.

"Why the hell would someone put them into a book?" Kaitlyn interjected. "It sounds like the plot of a really bad B movie."

"Yes, well, dark magic can be used by all the different races, and they all have their dark magic spells. The creator of the Drusa grimoire collected and wrote out all dark spells, creating a grimoire," Joseph explained to them.

"Okay, I understand that. I may not like it, but I do understand. What I'm still confused on, is what does this have to do with Daphne?"

"We're not sure, but we believe that he may have thought that she could lead him to the grimoire," Joseph told them.

"But you don't seem so sure," Kevan stated.

"We have no idea," he reluctantly admitted to them. "We had no idea what he thought until she came up dead, and even then we weren't sure about anything other than that one of the healers of the cairbare warriors was dead under very strange circumstances."

"Why would the Council decide to keep secret the fact one of the most powerful sorcerers in 5000 years has lost his mind, and is now searching for a book of spells that, if found, could mean the end of all of us?" questioned Niall.

"We don't even know if it really exists," Joseph stated. "Besides, what would you have done differently that we haven't done? You're warriors, not sorcerers; it's not like you could stand up to him for even a minute."

"Maybe not, but we sure as hell could have been on the lookout for him if we had been aware of what was happening. But yet again, you refuse to give us the necessary information, and now look where it's gotten you, nowhere." Niall accused his brother.

"We've had our best people tracking Dreyden since he escaped."

"And look how well they've done with that, because according to you, he's still missing," Niall interrupted his brother.

"They can sense magic within a five mile radius." Joseph threw back at Niall.

"So they're able to sense all the witches, werewolves, vampires, fairies, and all the other supernaturals, and not be confused by it all." Niall queried.

Joseph shot Niall a look that could kill for doubting his ability. "We know the difference between the magic of the races."

"Stop!" Kevan shouted at them as she stepped in between them. "I'm so sick of this, it's not even funny. You're totally getting off the subject at hand. Why would he go after Daphne for a book that I'm sure she had never heard of; we certainly never had anything like that in the family book case?"

"Well, something led Dreyden to your great grandmother." Joseph was losing his composure.

"So that is why you wanted us to go with you?"

"Yes, we would be better able to protect you within the confines of L'Dern," Joseph admitted.

"Protect us from what?" Kevan asked. "We don't know anything!" She let out a loud expulsion of air, as she tried to calm herself down. "We really appreciate that you want to protect us, but we can't accept it," Kevan told him.

"It might be safer for you!" Caleb was suddenly very concerned about her safety.

"It doesn't matter," Kevan assured him, "we can't bury our heads in the sand. We have to deal with this whether it is here or L'Dern. We need to find out why he went after Daphne, and the only place that we are going to get those answers is here. Besides, we have you to protect us." Caleb smiled at her. "We're going to figure this out, then we're going to track down this asshole, and take him out, don't think we won't. He went after one of our family. We may be new to a lot of this stuff, but family is family, you attack one of ours, and look out, because we're out for blood."

"Okay," Caleb told her, pulling her into his arms, "We'll stop him. I don't know how but we will stop him."
Chapter Fifteen

She stood silently on the patio staring into the night sky, far enough from the city lights that the sky showed a beautiful canvas of stars, sparkling like diamonds on a blue-black blanket. She wasn't sure how she was feeling when she sensed Caleb's approach.

"Did they finally leave?" she questioned, as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, relishing the feel of his breath against her neck.

"Finally," he told her.

"Kaitlyn put up much of a fight?" She felt the smile that spread across his face. "We're twins," she reminded him.

"Really, I'd never have known."

"Smart ass," she giggled as he nuzzled her neck.

"She didn't want to leave, none of them did, but I finally convinced them I'd take very good care of you."

"Oh, I'm sure Brennan had a few choice words when you told her that." Kevan laughed, picturing her big sister's reaction.

"Considering how long I've been around, she even surprised me with her mouth."

"We've learned a great many things from our family, other than mistrust of the cairbare," Kevan sighed. "You'd be shocked to hear my mother and aunt. They look like such good and proper ladies, but they would put a truck driver to shame with their mouths."

"Niall was the one who shut Kaitlyn up. He told her she was acting like a spoiled brat, and that if she didn't leave his sight, she was going to get a spanking." Kevan let out a snort of laughter, she knew how pissed off that would make Brennan.

"Damn, I'm sure that went over like a lead balloon," Kevan told him.

"She shut up, and stormed off in a huff. This will not be the end of her tirades," Caleb foresaw.

"They're protected?" she whispered, as a shiver of fear swept through her.

"Completely. I may not like or trust Joseph, but he definitely knows his spells, and the house is surrounded by a dozen warriors who'd die to protect them." Kevan closed her eyes, feeling a moment of relief wash over her.

"You ready for bed?" he enquired.

"Can we stay out here for a while?" she asked, turning to face him.

"We can do anything you want, as long as we're together." The new lovers settled into a lounger to embrace the quiet, and snuggle under the stars.

"Isn't the sky beautiful?" Kevan blurted out. Caleb just held her, knowing she wasn't looking for answers. "Caleb, with everything going on around us, I'm finding it hard to take the time to settle down and see the beauty of something as simple as the stars in the sky. Keep reminding me, okay?"

"You got it sweetie. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked.

Kevan tucked her face into his neck. "I'm really scared!" she whispered, finally. "Some guy we don't know murdered our great grandmother for some deadly book, and now we learn it might have to do with a book of spells horrid enough to make Joseph more pale than usual. A mad and dangerous fuck wad is out there trying to drag my family into his bull, and now we've done this ceremony which will likely bring us to his attention. I can't believe I was so stupid; we should have never done that ceremony!"

"Kevan," Caleb forced her to look at him. "Stop second guessing yourself, we don't know he's coming after you. We're just speculating. We need to find out why he went after Daphne. What did she know or have that he wanted? That's what we need to figure out."

"What about the book?"

"We'll deal with the book when we have to, but it's only one part of this; we have a lot of questions and very few answers, so we deal with them one at a time."

"Yeah, like what led Dreyden to Daphne in the first place? What's in that diary that made him to believe he needed to do what he did?"

"Kevan, you're going to drive yourself crazy. We'll figure this out, I promise." leaning over to caress her lips with his, he added, "we're going to get the answers we need, don't worry."

"Do you know how surreal this whole thing is?" Kevan said with incredulousness. "If you'd told me two months ago everything that was about to happen, maybe us girls would have changed our minds, not moved in together."

Suddenly something clicked in Caleb's head at Kevan's statement. "I'm sorry, repeat that?"

"What?" Kevan looked at him.

"What you just said."

"What? That we might not have moved in together? We likely would have, we all love that house." Kevan looked to Caleb's face. "What?"

"How long has it been since you've all been together?"

"What?" Kevan was confused.

"How long since you've all been together?" Caleb asked again, excitement making his pulse thump like a drummer giving a beat.

"I have no idea, years, I guess, between one of us being in school or travelling, maybe five or six years."

"So, two months ago you all moved into the old family home. Daphne's home, correct?"

"Well some of us have been there longer, but this is the first time that all ten of us have been in the house together at the same time. Caleb what are you getting at?" Kevan questioned, sitting up to study a face she barely knew, for answers.

"Since you've all been together, has someone, I don't say the youngest family member, had a birthday?"

Kevan gave him a look of surprise. "How... two actually; Aiden and Myrna turned 21, about six weeks ago."

"It's finally starting to make sense," Caleb whispered.

"What is making sense?" Kevan asked. "Caleb, talk to me."

"Up until about six weeks ago, we had no idea where you were. When we lost the connection with Daphne, we lost the ability to sense you, until about six weeks ago. It started to return very weakly at first, but it's been getting stronger every day. I think it was started when Brennan claimed the Stones of Tarin, followed by Myrna & Aiden's birthday, now you all being together. It's all starting to make sense."

"Well, I'm glad one of us understands, because I sure as hell don't," Kevan told him.

***

Standing in the middle of the gym, waiting her turn in yet another of Caleb's grueling training sessions, Kevan looked around the room observing her sisters and cousins in various areas, learning new skills. Not everyone was here; Brennan was at the shop, Eve the hospital, but the rest, when they weren't working, came over and worked out with whoever happened to be training at that time. Thinking back over how much their lives had changed in the past month made her head shake, having a hard time believing it had been a whole month since she had arrived on Caleb's doorstep in tears. How times had changed since then.

Joseph was proving to be quite the taskmaster, but they were all slowly learning from him. Most were still waiting for their so-called powers of the ancestors to come in. At this point, only Eve and Kevan had shown any signs of any type of power. But that didn't mean what they were learning wouldn't be useful, if and when their powers kicked in. The ideals worked in everyday life choices. Kevan was starting to think that Niall might have been wrong about all ten being the so-called Ones.

Kevan felt a grin on her lips, as she recalled the day she and Kaitlyn had caught the warriors in the middle of a video game competition. A trip to the mall had ended quickly one day, as the girls returned earlier than expected to a house quiet but for the shouting coming from behind the games room door that was slightly ajar. Kaitlyn was hilarious as she took stance, her training kicking in before rushing in with battle expectations, even with all the security that Caleb had. What they found instead were five immortal warriors and a twenty-something year old in a battle all right, just not a physical one. Mario Cart was playing out on one of the biggest flat screens Kevan had seen outside of a theatre. A fight over whose turn it was to take on the winner of Mario Kart on the Wii was in full roar, and the look on their faces when they were busted still made her smile. The best part, whether they be big or small, boys, they pouted when whipped by a couple of girls in what was quickly becoming a weekly ritual.

Kevan laughed to herself as she recalled how red Caleb turned whenever she teased him about boys and their toys. The others were slowly coming around in their decision about joining the training sessions, not only with Joseph, but also with Caleb. Of course there were a few holdouts who avoided Caleb's lessons with excuses of things they had to do - they hated to exercise, or whatever came to mind. But Kevan knew in her heart she'd have them sooner or later. Kevan had to remind herself to be patient, for all ten needed to come to this decision on their own, not have it forced on them.

Brennan still made sure that the guys knew she didn't trust them completely. It was starting to become a joke with the guys to see which one could push her buttons enough, to send her off on another tirade. Kevan had tried to talk to Caleb about it, but he'd told her to leave it alone. They enjoyed watching her storm around the room, threatening to never come back to work with these Neanderthals, but she always did.

Kevan would love to say she hated the workouts, but it gave her a chance to watch Caleb in warrior mode, and that was something she really liked watching. Then usually afterwards they would have fun together. She had to admit, she was in the best shape she had ever been in, and having the most fun she could ever recall. The slap across the ass brought her attention back to the present.

"It's about time, sleepyhead."

Kevan turned, looking to Caleb standing behind her. She was slightly confused at the abrupt pull from memory lane. "Did you just slap my ass?" she accused him.

"You bet your ass, you were day dreaming in the middle of a work out session," he accused her.

"I was not," she defended herself.

"Tell me, what did I just say?" Caleb asked, crossing his arms, giving a look.

"That I was day dreaming in the middle ..."

"Nice try, woman," Caleb said with a snort.

"Don't woman me!" Kevan warned him, poking him in the chest.

"Kevan, you need to pay attention when I'm trying to teach you something," he watched the pout on her face; "You never know what could be coming at you."

"Yes, I know, Caleb, expect the unexpected," she repeated his daily mantra, while adjusting her sweat pants, and running her hands through her hair, pushing it back off her face. She felt Caleb's eyes devouring her body as she ran her fingers down her neck, and over her sides, distracting him enough he didn't hear Niall shouting at him.

"Caleb," Niall yelled for the second time, finally getting his attention. Caleb turned away from Kevan, giving her the chance to attack. Taking a running leap, she landed on his back wrapping her legs around his body, her arms around his neck.

"Gotcha!" she yelled, nipping at his neck. Caleb grunted as she landed on him, and then growled, reaching around, his hands cupping her ass, holding her up.

"Yeah, you got me, but I gotta tell you, I'd prefer if you're going to wrap your legs around me, that you are least facing me, and that we don't have an audience." Caleb got hard just at the tease.

"Why? What would you do if we were alone?" Kevan teased him, giving him another playful nip on the neck. How he did it she wasn't sure; one second she was on his back, then the next she found herself pulled around so she looked into his eyes, his hands caressed her, as he held her close. A cheeky smile told her he was enjoying himself just a little too much.

"Well, now you've got me facing you, what do you plan on doing about it?" Kevan asked, lifting her eyebrows as she watched all kinds of emotions flash through his eyes.

"Lesson over," he shouted, heading for the door. Giggling as she teased him, she raked her nails down his back ever so lightly. "Keep that up and I'll forget about the fact you don't want an audience," he warned her, as they headed for their room.

"Put me down, I'll race you to the room," she purred, leaning in, nipping at his chin, rubbing her body against his, getting them both all hot and bothered; until she heard something that broke the mood faster than a drenching from a bucket of ice cold water.

"Kevan Lila Marie Cameron!" Kevan's head shot up, as she pushed herself away from Caleb, and dropped onto her feet. She twisted around to come face to face with four people standing at the front door with Martha.

"Oh gods, please tell me I'm having a nightmare!" she whispered, closing her eyes, then opening them again, but still seeing the same thing.

"Not a nightmare," Caleb told her quietly in her ear. "The parents?"

"All the parents. Oh gods, what did I ever do to deserve this?" Kevan gulped, looking over her shoulder at Caleb. Her panic-stricken look made him smile. "How the hell did they find us, and how did they get in here without us being informed?" she demanded to know.

"I put their names on the list," Caleb informed her. She glared at him over her shoulder.

"Thanks for telling me," she spat at him.

"Kevan, stop your bickering," Jason Cameron informed his daughter.

Kevan groaned as she rested her head on Caleb's chest for a second before turning to face them, plastering a smile on her face.

"Mum, Dad, what a surprise!" Kevan's voice was high and squeaky, not like her normal husky voice at all. "You look great!" She walked up to them. "You should have told us you were coming," she told her mother as she gave her a big hug.

"Oh, but I think we learned so much more this way, don't you agree, Brianne?" Kevan turned and smiled at her serious looking Aunt.

"Yes, I totally agree, Bridget. I'm so pleased we came with you. It would seem that the girls have a new friendship that we know nothing about."

Kevan groaned under her breath. "I'm so dead," she said to herself as she gave her aunt a quick hug.

"Hi Daddy," she whispered in his ear as she walked into his open arms. She always felt safe in them, and in a great many ways Caleb reminded her of her father and uncle. Maybe that is why she was falling for him as fast as she was.

"Baby girl," She smiled; he called them all his baby girls. "You look great, but if you don't want your mother to see your tattoo..."

"Kevan, Lila, Marie, Cameron," her mother exclaimed.

"Oh gods," Kevan moaned.

"Sorry, too late," her father whispered. Kevan closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for what she knew was about to come.

"How could you disfigure your beautiful body like that?" She glared at Caleb. "I hope it wasn't because this young man has tattoos as well. No, I don't suppose you've had any influence on my daughter, she's too pigheaded." Kevan turned to face her mother.

"Mum," she started to explain, only to get a reprieve when Kaitlyn came walking down the hall.

"Hey, it's the weirdest thing, I thought I heard... Mum, Dad!" she yelled when she saw them.

Her yelling brought the rest running. Kevan watched and waited as the others greeted the parents. She shifted uneasily, a childish dread building in her guts while she waited for her mother to pounce, but Bridget just stood and watched her daughter shift from foot to foot. The other women weren't feeling much better as the parents looked over their offspring. After what seemed to be hours, Kevan finally couldn't take it anymore.

"So to what do we owe this unexpected visit?" Kevan questioned.

"I think you know." Her mother gave her the all too familiar, boy you're in trouble now look. Kevan stood tall; she hadn't done anything wrong, and she wouldn't act like she was a little kid caught with her fingers in the cookie jar.

"Mum, I have no idea what you're talking about," Kevan told her, trying to look innocent.

"Oh my darling daughter, you haven't gotten away with that butter wouldn't melt in your mouth innocence act in a great many years, so I wouldn't be trying this right now."

She crossed her arms and stared Kevan right in the eyes. "I want you to answer something for me?"

Here it comes. Kevan thought to herself.

"Why is it that for the last month, you have been impossible to reach? What is really odd is none of your sisters or cousins ever seems to know when you'll be home, and tell us if we want to talk with you, to call your cell phone. I even called the shop, but Brennan tells me you're out, and that she'll get you to call. It seems strange to me that you're suddenly so difficult to get in touch with."

Kevan gave her mother a weak smile.

"Ah, but the kicker is, that when we're lucky enough to get a hold of you on your cell, we can't get you to talk more than five minutes. I know you're not twelve anymore, but I am still your mother, and I want, no, deserve some answers."

Kevan felt Caleb's hands come to rest on her shoulders, squeezing them gently, showing his support. Bridget looked from Kevan to Caleb, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him for a moment before looking back to Kevan. "I take it this young man is the reason for these problems?" She paused for a moment. A smile crept across Caleb's face at the young man comment; he reached around Kevan, holding his hand out to her mother, who just stared. He turned to her father, he shook Caleb`s offered hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled. "I can see where the girls get their good looks." Bridget gave him a look that chilled him to the bone. "Okay," he whispered to himself.

"Young man, does that line work with all the parents of the women that you are sleeping with?"

"Mum!" Kevan exclaimed.

"No Kevan, it's okay." He looked her straight in the eyes. "I don't meet the parents most of the time," he looked to Kevan and with a smile added, "I know where Brennan gets her bluntness."

"I don't believe in beating around the bush. So how long have you been sleeping with my daughter?" Kevan gasped at her mother's bluntness.

"Mother!"

"Don't 'Mother' me Kevan, I know that you're sleeping with this man."

"You know what, I'm an adult, Mother, and who I am or am not sleeping with is really not any of your business." Kevan felt her face redden more, and sweat trickled down her spine.

"It becomes my business when a man influences whether you talk to your family, or mark up your body," Bridget accused her daughter. "We walked in on the two of you molesting each other, as you were headed up the stairs. From my point of view, I think I have the right to ask questions about a man who seems very important to you."

"I think that is really..." Kevan stopped, looking at her mother, then to Caleb. "Mother you ..." She shook with anger at her mother's tone. "Mum ..." She couldn't even form a coherent thought, she was so mad.

"Kevan, you should calm down before you say something that you're going to regret," Caleb told her. Kevan looked into his eyes, nodded, but caught the look that passed between her mother and aunt.

"Okay, what was that look for?" she demanded

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Kevan," Bridget stated.

"Don't give me that. I saw the look that you gave Aunt Brianne. What could you possibly have against Caleb? You don't even know him."

"You're right, I don't know him, but at least now we know his name." Kevan clenched her fists in frustration.

"Caleb McLaren, my parents Jason and Bridget Cameron, and these are my Aunt Brianne and Uncle Gavin."

"Pleased to meet you," Caleb told them. He wasn't thrilled about how they were making Kevan feel.

"So Mr. McLaren, Caleb, tell me, are you the reason behind the tattoo that my daughter is sporting?"

"Mum, knock it off," Kevan demanded of her.

"I will not knock it off, if you did this to your body because of some man."

"I'm not a child anymore, Mother; what are you going to do to me?"

"Don't talk to me like that young lady. You're still my daughter, and I can still ground you if I want to."

Caleb couldn't hold back his laughter any more. The foyer echoed with the snickers that escaped from the crowd of onlookers that had gathered.

"Caleb, you're not helping," Kevan warned him.

"I'm sorry, but I don't like seeing you this upset," he ached to pull her into his arms and comfort her.

"Kevan, I'm really tired of you ignoring me. I've asked you a question!" Bridget demanded.

"I think that we all need to calm down." Kaitlyn stepped in, trying to diffuse the tension.

"No Kaitlyn, I want to know why your sister would mark up her body with that thing just because of a man, and this man is obviously important to her, but she hasn't told us about him; so is she ashamed of him, or us?"

"Neither," Kevan informed her mother, but Bridget wasn't listening, she was glaring at Caleb.

"I want to know if you encouraged my daughter to get that tattoo."

"Mum, damnit stop," Kevan ground out.

"No, he's obviously important to you. I want to know if you let him encourage you to get one, just because he has the same one."

"He's important to me, but I got the tattoo before we met," she shouted at her.

"What?"

"You heard me, Caleb is very important to me."

"Are you..." Kevan stopped her mum's rant.

"Mum, I really care about Caleb, and that is the end of this conversation."

"I don't think so," Bridget told her. "Do you care about my daughter?" she demanded of Caleb.

"Very much, Mrs. Cameron," he told her. "More than anyone I have before." He wrapped his arm around Kevan's shoulders, pulling her into his side. "I hope that clears up the misunderstanding regarding the tattoo. As Kevan told you, she had hers before we met. I would not encourage nor discourage her from doing something that she wants to do, unless it put her life at risk. Your daughter is smart and capable, as well as beautiful. She certainly doesn't need me to make her decisions, although sometimes I wish she would listen to me a little more."

"So, if she didn't get the tattoo for you, you did it for her?" Caleb smiled, shaking his head.

"The tattoos are just a fluke that they look so much alike," Kevan explained to her mum. "I don't know where Caleb got his, but I got mine while in England."

"I got mine in Scotland a long time ago," Caleb stated, not wanting to say how long ago it had been.

"England?" Kevan braced for her mother's anger to explode. "That was two years ago."

"Yes," Kevan admitted.

"Bridget, honey, you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Jason; our daughter has been lying to us for four years."

"Oh please, I haven't been lying, I just didn't tell you. Besides, it's not like I'm the only one who has a tattoo."

"What!" her mother shrieked.

"Kevan ..." Kaitlyn hissed in warning at her sister.

"Who? Which of your sisters have tattoos?" Bridget demanded.

"Thanks a lot Kevan," Kaitlyn groaned, giving her sister a dirty look, knowing that they were in for it now.

"If you think that I'm going to be the only one to get in shit for having a tattoo when you guys have them too, then you're crazy."

Kaitlyn gave Kevan a killing look before she turned to her mother. "Fine, I have one, too," she told her mother.

"What?" Bridget ground out, upset that they felt like they had to hide things from her.

"I have a crescent moon and stars on the small of my back, and a flower on my shoulder." She turned and looked at Kevan. "There, are you happy now?"

"Yes, at least we'll get yelled at together," Kevan told her sister.

"Mum, we all have different tattoos." Kaitlyn stated.

"I don't," Aiden whispered.

"Yet!" Myrna spoke up for her sister.

"So all of our children have decided to put permanent markings on their bodies and neglected to inform us." Bridget looked to her sister who was standing quiet.

"Oh would you knock it off, Mum. What are you going to do, make us get rid of them? We have them, deal with it. I'm sure that we are all very sorry for not telling you that we got them."

"I really don't know if I like your attitude Kevan; this is not the daughter I remember."

"Mother, do you realize how embarrassing this is? We are standing in the middle of my boyfriend's house arguing about the fact that your adult daughters have tattoos, and didn't inform you. Stop treating us like we are children."

"Then stop acting like a child."

"Fine. I'm sorry Mother that one, I didn't tell you about my tattoos, and two, about Caleb. Happy now?"

"Tattoos?" Bridget sputtered.

"Awww!" Kevan cried out, grabbing her head. "You're trying to drive me crazy, aren't you?"

"It's called revenge. You did it to your father and me for a long time, so we might as well get our licks in while we can." With that, she looked to Caleb. "So Caleb, this is your home?"

"Oh, you're in for it now!" Kaitlyn warned him.

"Yes, Mrs. Cameron, this is my home."

"Lovely home." Bridget was very aware of the understatement.

"Thank you, I think so."

"So, you must have a very well-paying job?" she questioned.

"Mother, that's none of your business. Oh my gods, I can't believe this is happening," Kevan moaned.

"Kevan, how do I to know he isn't going to try and get you to support him?"

"Mother..."

"Kevan, it's okay," Caleb told her. "Mrs. Cameron, ask any question you would like. I will try to answer then to the best of my ability."

"I do appreciate that, Caleb." She sized him up. "You say that you care for my daughter, this is good, but what I would like to know, is how long you two have known each other?"

"About a month," Caleb told her.

"And now, how long has my daughter been living with you?"

"Oh lord, here it comes!" Kevan whispered, closing her eyes.

"About a month," Caleb told her, staying cool under Bridget's interrogation.

" So you and Kevan are now living together, even though you barely know each other." Bridget's anger boiled just below the surface.

"Mrs. Cameron, we aren't taking this lightly; time is out of our control."

"We'll get back to that. I want to know what you do, that enables you to afford such a prime piece of property at your age?" Caleb didn't say a word; he just continued to stare at Bridget. "I believe that I have asked you a question, young man." Both older women tapped their feet.

"What do you want me to tell you, that I have worked very hard, and have a really well-paying job? I have worked very hard, and I own shares in a great number of businesses that make me a lot of money every month, but I think that you already know that, don't you Mrs. Cameron?"

Gasps of shock erupted when Caleb suddenly pushed past Kevan, and grabbed Bridget's wrist, pushing the cuffs of her jacket up to reveal a tattoo the size of a silver dollar on the pulse side of her mother's wrists, a tribal style intricate Celtic knot.

Kevan's eyes widened with shock as she stared at her mother. "Mother?" she questioned, as she looked her in the eyes.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting that," Caleb stated, as he looked to Marcus and Kayne. "What do think, it's been around 300 years?"

"Give or take a decade or two," Marcus agreed.

"What are you talking about?" Kevan questioned him. "Mother, Mum?" but she stayed quiet just watching her daughter's reactions.

"It certainly explains who bound their powers," Niall told them.

"What? Mum?" Kevan sputtered, looking at her Mother, then her aunt. "Oh my gods, you did, Niall's right. What the hell is going on? Who the hell are you, and how did you just give me shit without laughing? Okay, what did you do with my Mother?" They both stayed silent. Kevan wasn't the only one to stare, trying to comprehend what they had just learned.

"What does it mean?" she demanded, looking to Caleb for answers.

"You need to be the ones to tell them," Caleb warned the parental units, but still they stayed quiet. "I will tell them!" Caleb's threat did nothing to loosen lips. "This tattoo isn't worn by just anyone, it's special."

"Special how?" Kaitlyn wanted to know.

"That is the sign of a member of the Crystal Coven and the star in the middle tells the others that they are also part of the Orion Council," Caleb said to Kaitlyn, his eyes never wavered from Bridget's glare.

"What the hell is this Crystal Coven, and Orion Council?" Kevan demanded.

"It's the oldest coven in the world." Caleb could see how the revelation was affecting Kevan and the younger members of her family.

"Coven? As in witches? Are you telling us that our mother and aunt are witches?" Kaitlyn was screeching at the end.

"Since they are members of both the coven and council, I would think that they are witches of the highest order," Caleb stated. "The Crystal Coven is the most powerful coven in the world."

Kevan rubbed her temples, looking from Caleb to her parents, then back to Caleb. "Oh my gods, how is it that we did not know this?" she wanted to know. "Do we even know you?" she shouted at her mum and aunt, throwing a look of exasperation. "Okay, what about this other thing, the Ori.."

"The Orion Council is made up of representatives of almost all of the other races," Caleb explained.

"So they are what, the United Nations for the others races?" Myrna asked.

"No, that is the S.N.U.N."

"The what?" Kaitlyn sputtered as they absorbed the strange information.

"The S.N.U.N. Super Natural United Nations, but the Orion council is who the S.N.U.N. uses to back up its decisions, so I guess that they would be like the police force. The people that are invited to be a member of the Orion Council are the best of the best from their race, they are the elite. Most people, when they're approached by a member of the Orion Council run; it usually means that they aren't there to invite you to tea."

"This really can't be happening." Kevan turned to her parents, "Is what Caleb is telling us true? Are you some kind of elite witches? Why wouldn't you have told us? You have lied to us our whole lives!"

"No," Jason told his daughter, his heart clenched in pain at the look on the girls' faces. "Girls, they didn't lie."

"They just didn't tell the whole truth," Kevan told him. "I've, no, we have had to deal with so much weird stuff, creating more questions than answers, feeling turned inside out, and you fucking parental units found it convenient to keep us ignorant. Thanks so fucking much! Excuse the language."

"You're right on all points," Jason agreed, looking at his wife and sister-in-law. "But the time has come for you to know everything."

"Jason!" Bridget hissed in warning.

"No, my dear Bridget, it is time for them to know everything; if you don't tell them, we will lose them."

"No!" Bridget told him.

"No more lies Mum ..." Kevan suddenly grasped Caleb's arm.

"Kevan?" he questioned with concern as he watched her body tense, her face pale.

"There's something getting in here ..."

Then a presence was invading them all. Everyone reacted within a heartbeat of each other; the only way to describe the feeling was it was like a blanket of evil trying to cover them. The cairbare warriors jumped into protection mode as they surrounded everyone.

Kevan wasn't sure where the swords came from. The ease with which each man fell into battle mode was impressive, but not as impressive as the changes in her father and uncle. Gone were the loving, caring men they had grown up with, replaced by warriors very much like the cairbare.

Kevan began retching as the foreign energy trickled across her chest, trying to burrow in, stopping her breath. Fear choked her body as the unseen presence of hatred overran the room in pulses timed with her heart. Kevan couldn't breathe, fear threatened to overwhelm her, though she knew if she gave into the need to scream, she would be lost, they would all be lost.

"Get out!" she wailed, as she pushed away from Caleb. Glaring at an unseen enemy, Kevan shook with the power that she suddenly felt surging within her, and all she could think about was protecting her family. She brought her hands up with an instinct she didn't know she had, and channeled the power that was surging through her body down her arms and out her hands. The energy bolt slammed into what should have been the wall, but it hit something of no discernible shape. Then it was gone; all sagged in relief as the sludge lifted from the room, and from their souls.

"What the hell was that? I've got a good imagination, but I never would have thought that I could feel so violated just standing here," Kaitlyn questioned as they all looked around, checking to see if everyone was okay. That was when she saw Caleb holding Kevan; her entire body was racked with tremors as she slid to her knees.

"Kevan!" she dropped by her sister's side as Caleb held Kevan in his arms. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know! Rhiannon?" Caleb shouted, seeing her push her way through the crowd of people to help them.

"Kevan!" Bridget yelled, trying to get to her daughter, only to be stopped by her husband and the other men stepping between her and Kevan. Caleb looked to Rhiannon as she checked Kevan over.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know," Rhiannon admitted. "We need to get her upstairs and call Eve."

"No," Kevan whispered as she came around. Caleb wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank gods!" he stated. "Come on Kevan, we need to get you upstairs."

"No, Caleb, I'm fine," she told him as her voice sounded stronger. "What happened?"

He gave a look of surprise. "Don't you remember?"

"Sorta," she admitted.

"Kevan, I really think that we should take you upstairs, you should rest," Kaitlyn told her twin. "This has all been freaky and weird. I've got enough fodder to write for the rest of my life, and I can't take anymore without a stiff drink."

"No Kait, really I'm fine, honestly. Pour me a drink and tell me what happened. All I remember is this terrifying feeling of evil swallowing me whole. I've never been so scared."

Jason looked to his daughter. "We all felt it, Baby Girl. You weren't alone in that."

"Is that what you were attacking with the energy bolts?" Caleb asked.

"The what?" Kevan exclaimed.

"Don't you remember?"

"It's a little fuzzy right at the moment," she admitted. "Energy bolts from me?"

"Yeah," Kaitlyn told her. "It was kind of cool."

"Only you would think that was cool, Kaitlyn. All I remember is being terrified of whatever was touching me." She got to her feet with Caleb's assistance. "What happened to me?" she questioned.

"She reacted to protect herself and her family," Joseph stated from behind the crowd where he had materialized. He had sensed something was happening, and had come to check on them.

"From what?" Caleb demanded to know. He just wanted to be able to protect Kevan and her family, but he needed more information.

"From exactly what, I'm not sure yet, but it has certainly left a huge residual energy signature on you all. It appears to be very uncomfortable for you."

Joseph looked to the parents, who were standing quietly watching all that was happening. Kevan wasn't really thinking clearly, but she knew that something was up because her mother, never one to stay quiet, wasn't trying to control anything. She saw Joseph's interest in them.

"Well, this is something that you don't see every day, for certain," he stated. "Could someone tell me why Council representatives are here? Who are these people?" he questioned.

"Joseph, meet our parents. Aha! See, there are a few things you don't know! Not a nice feeling, is it?" Kevan questioned him.

"Them," Joseph pointed at the parents. "Why are they here, although it certainly explains a great number of things?"

"Joseph?" Kevan questioned.

"Kevan, forget about him. You need to get some rest, we should take you home," Bridget interrupted.

"No Mum. Joseph, what are you talking about?" Joseph looked at her as if she should know this.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?" Kaitlyn asked as she stepped up beside Kevan.

"You haven't told them?" Joseph looked to the parents; he could see the panic in their faces.

"Joseph, tell us what you are talking about," Kevan demanded of him.

"Witches married to Sentinels," Joseph said quite matter-of-factly.

Kevan felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs, again not knowing what the hell was happening.

"What?" The noise of everyone yelling out questions brought the focus back on to the parents.

"Dad?" she questioned.

"Kevan, we'll explain all as soon as I'm sure that you're okay," he told her.

"I'm fine, at least as fine as I can be when I've just discovered that my parents have lied to me my whole life. What are you?"

"Yes Kevan, I am your father."

Kaitlyn couldn't help but mimic Darth Vader breathing, earning a few groans from around the room.

"Then nothing that you tell us will change anything, but I remember when I sensed whatever the hell it was, you and uncle Gavin sensed it too; I saw you both change into something that wasn't our father and uncle."

"So tell us the truth. I think we deserve that. Joseph said you were Sentinels, what the hell is that?" Kevan pushed her father for answers.

Jason had two choices, incur a wife's wrath, or piss his daughter off; happy wife seemed wisest so he stayed silent.

"A Sentinel is a guardian that the powers of the universe use," Caleb explained. The room suddenly was drowning in noise at the information that Caleb had imparted.

"The powers of the universe?" Kevan questioned, squeezing her eyes shut, holding her head. "Oh my gods, what the hell is happening to our lives? Two months ago, I had a semi-normal life. Now I'm living with an immortal warrior, my mother and aunt are super witches, and my father and uncle are supernatural guardians. People appear and disappear out of thin air, what the hell else is going to happen? Are you sure this isn't the plot of one of your books, Kaitlyn, I'm not having a nightmare?"

"Hey! We're all on the same ride, you're not losing your mind, and I'm not sure I like the way you make it seem like my books are too out there, but I have to admit, I'm gonna love writing this. The convoluted plot lines, fooling readers about it all being fiction, and knowing my characters so well; I can hardly wait to see where this goes," Kaitlyn admitted.

"Kevan, please let us explain?" She looked at her father. She could see the worry and pain in his face. "I promise it will all make sense."

"A little late for that, isn't it Dad? This is something that we should have grown up knowing, not finding out in our mid-twenties that our whole lives have been nothing but a lie."

"That's not true, and you know it!" Bridget barked, stepping forward.

"Maybe not, but to be honest right now, I don't want to see you, or talk to you." She looked to Caleb; he squeezed her hand reassuring her. "Please, we all need time; there is a lot of shit to absorb."
Chapter Sixteen

Kevan stood staring at the picture of the last Christmas they had all spent together, smiling, looking so happy. Putting the picture face down, she rubbed her arms as a shiver of cold sliced through her body. She closed her eyes, sighing as Caleb wrapped her in his arms. The tears were right on the surface, threatening to overwhelm her if she let go of the tight control she had on her emotions.

"It's all lies," she whispered. "Our entire lives are nothing but lies."

"You know that is not true Kevan," Caleb told her.

"Do I, do I really, because for the moment, I don't know what's true or false; oh hell, it just doesn't matter." She pulled herself from his comforting arms and walked over to the window to stare through the glass, yet all she saw was the memory of when Caleb revealed the tattoo on her mother's wrist, and what had happened with her father and uncle. "Our mother is a witch, and I don't mean that in a bitchy way, most times, and our father is some kind of supernatural guardian. Are you sure I'm not having a nightmare?" Kevan wished it was a dream, but she knew it was all true.

"I could slap your ass," he offered with a smile.

"The tradition is pinching," Kevan informed him with a quick but weak smile.

"Pinching, sorry, that's not nearly as much fun. Now a spanking. Well think of the possibilities!" He waggled his eyebrows at her, relaxing at her weak smile. Walking up behind her again, he wrapped his arms around her once more to try and give the comfort she needed, he wished that he could protect her from the hurt and anger that she was about to wade through.

"They are your parents and they love you," he whispered into the back of her head. "I know that you're upset right at the moment, you have every right to be, but don't doubt their love. I could see it as plain as day in their eyes. You and your sisters mean everything to them."

Suddenly it was all too much, and Kevan caved into the overwhelming drama of the last month. The tears started to flow, and she didn't know if they would ever stop. Turning in Caleb's arms, she buried her head into his shoulder and let him be strong for her. Caleb hated hearing her tears; they ripped at his heart, but it was good that she didn't bottle up her emotions because that could cause all kinds of other problems. Raw untrained power mixed with unreleased emotion was deadly. Caleb held her until the sobs subsided and the tension left her body. He waited for her to speak.

"I know that they love me," Kevan told him. "You're right, that isn't even an issue. What I'm having a hard time with was why lie to us? It's not like we grew up in the dark. I mean, we've always known about the other races. I don't understand, why not tell us all?"

Caleb smiled. "Not that I have any personal experience with this, but it's one thing to tell your children that the other races really do exist; it's gotta be something entirely different to say, hey guess what, your mother is a witch, and I'm a Sentinel. Considering how cynical humans are, I can't say that I blame them. You live in a human world; maybe it was just easier on them, and you, that you grew up thinking that as abnormal as the world is, you were at least somewhat normal."

"It would have been a hell of a lot easier to grow up knowing everything, than wonder why we were able to see all the races, and have to stay quiet about it!" Kevan told him.

"I don't know Kevan, I wish I could give you the answers that you're looking for, but I can't, and you know who you have to ask." Kevan stepped out of his arms.

"I know, but I'm not really sure that I am ready to hear their answers. I just need a bit more time to get my head around all of this."

"That's fine, but this isn't just about you. Your sisters are dealing with this too, and as much as I don't want to put more pressure on you, they are going to need you to be strong, and help them deal." He stopped as they both looked up at the knock on the door to the study. "Who's there?" Caleb asked, hoping that it wasn't the parents.

"Kevan, let us in," Kaitlyn shouted. "We need to talk." Caleb didn't wait for Kevan's consent; he opened the door, ushering both Brennan and Kaitlyn into the room.

"You okay?" Kevan questioned her twin, and then turned to Brennan, and all she saw was concern and love. She walked over to her sisters, pulling them into a hug.

"I'm sorry; I've been acting like a spoiled brat, only thinking about how this was affecting me."

"Why would today be any different than any other day?" Brennan stated, but her face was lit with a weak smile.

"You know, Brennan, sometimes you really are a bitch." Kevan laughed, shaking her head.

"Right back at yah, sis," Brennan shot back.

Then Kevan got serious. "How is everyone?" she questioned, suddenly worried about what her sisters and cousins were going through while she holed up, hiding. "I left without even checking on them."

"They're okay. We've all gone to our corners to lick our wounds, and try to make sense of the implosion that is suddenly our lives. One thing for sure, when our family decides to blow up, we do it in a spectacular way. Now we just need to figure out how the hell to clean up the shit that just hit the fan!"

"Gods, Kaitlyn, not the picture I really want in my head at the moment, thanks," Kevan told her. "You're sure that they are okay?"

"No, but they are as well as can be expected, considering what has happened," Brennan chimed in. "But they are strong, and once they start processing this mess, they are going to have a whole bunch of questions. I know I certainly do."

"I'd say that was an understatement." Kevan informed them, "You know, for someone who was acting like such a bitch to the guys about everything, you're being remarkably reasonable. Should I be worried?"

"Thanks, I love you too, Kevan," Brennan groused.

"I know you Brennan; it's like waiting for the other shoe to fall. You're so calm, collected, and not ranting. Honestly, you're scaring me with how reasonable you are being."

"I'm not saying that it won't happen, but right at the moment I'm pissed and I want answers. Me doing a Brennan, as you all call it, isn't going to help. We need to talk to the P.U.'s and not let them off the hook until we know the whole truth."

"I'm amazed, for once sis, we agree, but we need to wait until everyone is here. No more having a few of us making decisions that affect all of us." Kevan looked at Brennan as she made her statement. "I'm really sorry for forcing you into something that I know you really didn't want."

"Thanks for that but ...," Brennan's voice dropped, "don't tell anyone, but I'm kind of enjoying this whole thing."

"I heard that," Caleb told her.

"Shit!" Brennan muttered, as she looked over her shoulder at him. "Why the hell do you have to have such good hearing?"

"Just lucky, I guess," he smirked.

"If you tell anyone, I will ...," she threatened him.

"Your secret is safe with me," Caleb told her, throwing his arms up in surrender.

Kevan shook her head, amazed at the sudden change in Brennan's attitude, but glad that they all seemed to be back on the same page. "Well, I'm glad you seem to be okay with what happened, but from now on we make decisions together. Let's face it, when the Cameron and Fletcher women work together, we are unstoppable." Brennan put out her hand like they did when they were younger, followed by Kevan's then Kaitlyn's, and unexpectedly Caleb's finished the stack. This started them laughing about nothing in particular.

"What?" he questioned.

"Oh, my dear man," Kevan informed him as she wrapped her arms around him, "you're a goof." She looked back at Kaitlyn and Brennan. "What about Eve and the others?"

"I talked to everyone who wasn't here," Kaitlyn said. "How the heck did you think Brennan knew about what happened? Everyone will be here as soon as possible. Eve should be here within the hour as long as there isn't an emergency."

Kevan nodded, "Where are they?"

"Marcus escorted them to the patio," Kaitlyn told her, then laughed. "I heard a comment about someone needing to have her mouth washed out with soap, and knowing where Brennan got her mouth from." Kaitlyn covered her mouth as she tried to stop the laughter that bubbled over.

"She must have really been on a roll." Brennan chuckled, "We all know what Mum's like when she gets going."

"She must have quite the mouth for her to have offended Marcus," Caleb supplied. This sent them into peals of laughter, as they pictured the uptight Marcus listening to a foul mouthed, very prim and proper looking mother.

"And they are staying put?" Kevan questioned.

"Reluctantly, Mum tried to talk to us, but we told her that we weren't ready to hear what she had to say yet," Kaitlyn explained.

"Oh gods, I am surprised we didn't hear an explosion," Kevan laughed.

"She is staying surprisingly calm, potty mouth aside," Kaitlyn admitted. "She's pissed, but Dad is keeping her calm for the moment. I'm sure that won't last for much longer."

"How pissed?" Brennan couldn't wait for the next round of Kevan vs. Mum.

"On a scale of one to ten, I'd say she's about a 25," Kaitlyn said, winking at Brennan. "Dad's silent, but you can see he's worried, not only for us, but for Mum too. He understands that we need some time. I'm glad he's the calmer of the two of them."

"Well, I know that they have a lot of explaining to do," Kevan stated.

Caleb suddenly found himself stared down by the three women. "I don't think I like those looks."

"Relax big boy, all we want to know is background information," Kaitlyn told him.

"I'll tell you what I can. But this is more Joseph's or Marcus's forte."

"But they aren't here and you are, besides, I trust you to tell me the truth," Kevan told him.

"Alright ladies, what do you want to know?" Caleb felt like he was opening Pandora's Box.

"What is a Sentinel?" Kevan asked Caleb.

"We told you a Sentinel is a guardian."

"I know you told us that, but why have we never heard of them before?" Kevan questioned. "Are they like you, a warrior?"

"Yes and no," he told them.

"Okay, you've succeeded, I'm completely confused," Kaitlyn told him. "How can it be yes and no?"

"You really should be asking your father these questions. It's his story to tell, not mine."

"What aren't you telling us? Do you know them?" Kevan planted her hands on hips.

"No, gods no Kevan, but..." Caleb looked at her. "You know about the other races."

"Obviously," Brennan snapped at him.

"Brennan, this is not the time," Kevan warned her.

"Sorry, reflex."

"Caleb, please continue."

"Well, there are many of the other races that have much longer life spans then normal humans."

"Caleb, we know this. What does it have to do with what these Sentinels are?"

"Well, cairbare are considered immortal warriors, along with several other races. We have been around for a long, long time. One of those other races are the Sentinels. The difference is that we have interacted with humans over the years, but Sentinels only do so when they have an assignment, I guess is the best way to describe it. Most of the time they aren't here, but they are when they are called upon to guard people that the powers-that-be consider important."

"Important for what?" Kevan wanted to know.

"That's just it; we never know what they are important for. Certain people, either Human or Others, suddenly have these Sentinels with them. The guards never state why they are called, or what the powers-that-be want their charges protected from, just that they need to be protected."

"So why did Joseph act like it was strange to see them?" Kevan was sure that the sorcerer was alarmed.

"Well that's the thing, usually Sentinels are sent in to protect their charges for a specific length of time. Once the need is fulfilled, they leave. We are amazed that they are still with them." Caleb shrugged.

"Who?"

"You're mother and aunt. I don't know if your mom and aunt were in need of Sentinel protection, and for a Sentinel to marry and have a family is very odd. I don't know if I have ever heard of it happening before," Caleb told them. "Any other questions, you know who you have to ask."

"Why did I know that you were going to say that?" Kevan stated, rubbing her face. "Okay, as soon as..." The knock at the door interrupted them. Caleb looked to Kevan, waiting for her to nod her okay.

"Hey you guys, let me in."

Kevan released the breath she didn't even realize that she was holding. "Come in, Eve!" she yelled out. Eve stepped through the door, concern written all over her face.

"What is going on?" she questioned them. "Why are Mum and Dad here?" Kevan looked to Brennan.

"You want to explain it to her?" she asked her.

Eve sat on the edge of the couch, attempting to process everything that Brennan, with occasional interruptions from Kaitlyn and Kevan, was getting her up to speed about what had happened.

"So if Dad and Uncle Gavin are these Sentinel things, does that mean that they aren't our fathers?" Eve questioned. "If they are, does that mean we aren't human?"

"Ladies, stop! You're going to drive yourselves crazy with all the what if questions. As to your father, you all look a lot like him, so I would say that you are definitely his daughters. Now, the human thing, I don't know. That is a question that you are going to have to ask your parents." Caleb paced in front of them. "But on the chance of sounding like an indifferent bastard, who the hell cares? You're all individuals, you are who you are, and that is all that matters."

"Caleb?" He looked at Kevan who smiled at him.

"Yes?"

"You're not an indifferent bastard, thank you for everything."

"It is my pleasure, my dear." Kevan smiled as she turned back to her sisters, and saw the look that Eve was giving her.

"What?" Kevan asked.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Nothing!" Kevan didn't like Dr. Eve's scrutinizing look.

"Don't tell me 'nothing'! Kaitlyn said that you shot energy bolts from your hands at something? That's not nothing, and since when can you shoot energy bolts?" Eve looked at Caleb. "Do you think that this is all to do with the ceremony?"

"Eve, I wish I could tell you, but I honestly don't know. We do know that things aren't what we thought that they would be that is for sure. We know that your parents, or at least your mother and aunt, are the ones that bound your powers. You're the offspring of very powerful witches and Sentinels, which means that we have no idea what kinds of powers you are going to have. You know that you need to talk to your parents. They are the only ones that can answer these questions."

"Son of a bitch, I'm still too angry, but I guess we had better talk to Mum and Dad," Kevan informed them. "Now remember, we can't give in when Mum and Aunt Brianne start doing their famous, 'You're going to shut and listen to me' thing. We have to keep at them until they tell us what we need to know." She looked at the determined faces of her sisters. "We're in this together. No matter what happens, no matter what they tell us, we will face it together as we have with everything in our lives." They all nodded their agreement.

Caleb pitied the witches.

Kaitlyn squared up and held her hand out for the door. "Well then, we had better rock and roll. For sure Mum will have had time to come up with some lame explanation that has nothing to do with the truth. Shit, if we leave her stewing for much longer, she will start storming the house," Kaitlyn declared. "Honestly, I'm not sure which scares me more."

***

An uncomfortable silence engulfed the dining room. Martha rolled a wet bar in with Rhiannon pushing a cart with carafes and service. With drinks at hand, twelve women and six men all settled in.

The warriors sat back, observing. Niall muttered; "I bet those two witches will win out ..." Caleb smiled. "I'd put money on Kevan coming up unscathed." Niall stuck out his hand, "You're on!"

Kevan rolled her eyes, shooting daggers at the smirking spectators. She got up and stood behind her mother and aunt. "The truth, the whole truth," she told them.

Bridget and Brianne looked at each other, then to their daughters, and they nodded their agreement.

"We will try and answer your questions to the best of our ability," Bridget assured them. The wariness that she saw in Kevan's eyes hurt; she recalled how close they had been when the girls were growing up, and she couldn't lose that, even if it meant betraying the oath that they had taken so many years before. This was her family, and that came before anything else; she knew that Brianne felt the same way.

Kevan watched a range of emotions wash over her mother's face as she waited until Bridget looked up, ready for the questions. "Why did you not tell us about your heritage, our heritage? Shit, what about Dad and Uncle Gavin? And you didn't tell us, why? What does that make us? You bound our powers, why do that?" Kevan's barrage left her face red.

Bridget's heart contracted with the pain that she heard in Kevan's voice. Jason and Gavin had tried more than once to convince their wives to tell the girls, because the truth was going to come out, and when it did, it wasn't going to be pretty. To have their husbands proved right, didn't sit well with Bridget. All Bridget could hear in her head was Jason telling her 'I told you so,' and nothing pissed her off more than when he was right.

"First off, as much as I hate saying this," she grunted, "your father's completely disagreed with our decision not to tell you. They repeatedly told us that we needed to tell you, but Brianne and I wanted you to have a normal childhood and not worry about all the other stuff."

Kevan stared at her Mother, a look of disbelief on her face. "You didn't just say that. Come on Mum, how the hell was our childhood normal? We grew up knowing that there are races other than human beings on the planet, and that we should stay away from all of them, especially the cairbare. According to what we heard as kids, they were responsible for the murder of our great grandmother Daphne. That is wrong, by the way," Kevan ground out. "Do you have any idea what this last four weeks have been like for us? Brennan and I argued. I know, what is so different about that, we always argue. Well this time it was bad, so bad that I moved out of the house."

"What?" Bridget exclaimed, but Kevan ignored her as she carried on.

"Do you have any clue why Myrna changed jobs? Or how about the fact that we got stuck in the middle of a fight at Sanctuary; that's where Raven got cut by a demon's blade."

"Raven!" Bridget exclaimed. Kevan carried on, still not paying attention to what her words had done. Jason grabbed Bridget's arm, stopping her from going to check on Raven.

"Do you know who helped us?" Kevan yelled as she got on a roll. "Not you, that's for sure. You want to know who saved our collective asses, the big bad cairbare, thank the gods for them having pity on ill-prepared fighters. During all of this shit, guess what we discovered? They aren't quite the bad guys we have always been told." Kevan looked at the men sitting quietly, listening. "Then to make things even more embarrassing, we find out the so-called bad guys know more about who we are than we do, thanks ever so much for that. These same men have been worried about us for a long time, considering that our family had a friendship with them that goes back for almost 2000 years."

She looked at her mother who was staying quiet, which in itself was odd, seeing as Bridget didn't stay quiet for anything, or anyone, most of the time. "What, nothing to say yet?"

"You seem to be on quite the roll," Bridget remarked.

"Why aren't you yelling and screaming, isn't that what you normally do?" Kevan shouted at her.

"I do not scream," she informed her daughter, as she sat up straight, "not much, that is," she admitted as the snorts of laughter echoed around the room.

"Who the hell are you, and what have you done with our mother?" Kaitlyn bounced out.

"Kaitlyn," Bridget warned her.

"No, I'm with Kaitlyn, this isn't like you. You hate it when we confront you on anything. Why aren't you fighting back?" Kevan demanded.

"Fine, I admit that not telling you was wrong. We should have told you the truth. It was always our plan to tell you, but after a while it just got easier not to, because the minute that we did, we knew that you were going to hate us. And we justified it, saying that it was to protect you, and if I had to do the same thing over again, I would in a heartbeat. I know that saying it was to protect you sounds like an excuse, but it isn't. We bound your powers, and didn't say anything about our family heritage, because I couldn't go through the same horror that we all went through when you were kidnapped by a crazed demon wanting to sacrifice you so that it could bring back some ancient deity to try and take over the world."

The tears flowed down Bridget's face as she recalled the terror that they had gone through with Kevan's kidnapping. "You'll understand one day. When you are mothers protecting your children, you'll find that that is the only thing that is important. I don't give a crap about the rest. By binding your powers, we protected you, all of you, and that was all that was important. It gave you the chance to become the strong capable women that you are today."

Kevan sat quietly watching her mother wipe the tears from her face. She got up and walked over to her mother, kneeling down in front of her. "I didn't know," Kevan whispered, while taking her mother's hands in hers. She looked up into her mother's face.

"Of course you didn't," Bridget told her beautiful daughter, pulling one of her hands free, reaching out to stroke Kevan's short hair before cupping her chin. "We didn't want you to remember any of it; we had enough to deal with your sisters' terrors after they witnessed your kidnapping by a monster. I cannot, and will not apologize for the choices we made." She stared straight into Kevan's face, unapologetic.

"Nobody is asking you to apologize for what you had to do, Mum. You did what you believed to be right. We were children, unable to defend ourselves, but as you can see, we are no longer children, and we haven't been for a very long time. You should have told us about all of this a long time ago, but you chose not to, that's what we have a problem with."

"As I said earlier, it just got easier to leave things alone rather than to admit to our daughters that we had held back something from them," Bridget admitted as she looked at the floor.

"Held some things back, I think that's a bit of an understatement, don't you Mum?"

"Kevan, I don't know what you want from me. We've admitted that we could have handled this better, but if you think that I'm going to get on my knees crying and wailing for forgiveness, it isn't going to happen. We're human and we made a mistake."

"Okay you made a mistake, you're human, but are we?" Kevan wanted to know. "Caleb told us a little bit about what a Sentinel is, and from the impression that I got, it would seem that they are more like the cairbare, immortal beings, but I look at Dad and what I see is my 55 year father, but you're not 55, are you Dad? We've watched you age along with Mum, we've celebrated your birthdays, but I get the impression that it's all lies, because if you were immortal then you wouldn't look older. Do we even know anything about you?" Kevan stood up and looked at her father, the one man that she knew would protect her with his life, and it hurt to know that he had lied, too.

A snap of his fingers and Kevan's mouth fell open in shock. "Oh my gods look at you," she quietly exclaimed as she took in the men standing in front of her. They appeared to be what she could remember from her childhood. Gone was the grey hair and wrinkles; they looked strong and handsome and determined.

"So, do you age with Mum and then go leave when she dies?" Kevan questioned her father.

"No!" Bridget spun her fingers in the air in a counter clockwise movement, and suddenly standing in her place was Brennan's twin. "As you can see, it would have caused a lot of questions, so we made ourselves appear to age as you grew older. We did it to protect you." They all sat dumbfounded at the revelations that they had just seen.

"You keep saying that, but honestly I think I'm just more confused than anything else. I don't know about the rest of you," she looked to her sisters and cousins, "but to me, it sounds like a cop out, this doing it to protect us."

Caleb came up behind Kevan, drawing her attention. Seeing her head shake no, he pulled her aside for a moment to allow her to get back onto an even keel. "Kevan," he spoke against her temple.

"I don't think I can do this," she whispered, so only he could hear her.

"Yes you can, but you have to let them tell you their story."

"I am," she told him, as she held on to the man that suddenly had become her rock.

"No, you're trying to make them say what you want to hear. It's up to them to tell their story; it's up to you to listen."

"But ...."

"No buts, all you need to do is listen, and remember that they love you and you love them, that is all that really matters. The rest, it happened and nothing that you learn today is going to change that fact. You need to stop acting like this is a court of law, that if you don't get the information that you want, you will throw them out of your life. You need to just shut-up for a little while, and stop thinking about cutting your parents out of your life. I don't care how mad you are at them, they are your family and family is very important."

Kevan wanted to argue with Caleb's words, but deep inside she knew that he was right. She turned to face her parents and saw their hurt, but also their concern, and most of all their love, and that comforted her more than anything. "I want to apologize," she explained, "If we have given you the impression we're going to push you out of our lives if we don't get the answers we want, don't worry. That's not going to happen, you're our parents, and we love you all very much. Nothing you say here today will change that fact, but we can't have any more secrets between us. Today has shown what that could do to us."

"We love you honey, you and your sisters and cousins are the most important thing in our lives," Bridget told Kevan as she wiped away the tears that were coursing their way down her cheeks, again.

"I know that you love us Mum, but we need to understand what happened. Our family history is important; it's part of who we are. You may not believe that, but we need to know everything that you know. Why did Grandpa Joe think that the cairbare were the ones that were responsible for Daphne's murder?"

Bridget sighed, rubbing her hands on her legs. "Kevan, I honestly wish I had an answer for you. We grew up with the same information about the cairbare that you did. Our mother told us that they were liars and murderers, and if they knew that we knew about them, that our lives could be in danger. So we tried to ignore them, until we were 18 years old."

"But you grew up knowing about them?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Of course. Like you, we grew up knowing that the other races existed. I t's hard to deny it when all of you could see them from the moment that you were born, but we did the same thing with all of you, that our mother had done with us, warn you to stay away from them. Which we ourselves had done until approximately two weeks after our mother died."

"After your mother died?" Kevan was confused. "Did Grandma Elizabeth know about her heritage?"

"Yes, but I don't believe she wanted anything to do with the other races, just like her father. She certainly never told us anything more than what we told you growing up. So when things started happening after she died, we had no idea what was going on." Bridget paused in the telling of their story to look to her sister sitting quietly beside her. "Different people get their powers at different times. We had just turned eighteen when our powers began to manifest themselves. We had no idea what was happening to us, and we were scared to death, especially after growing up hearing all about not exposing ourselves to the other races. Suddenly, we were doing things that we quite honestly thought we shouldn't be able to do; that's when we met Theresa."

Kevan looked up at them. "Aunt Terry?" she asked as the image of their godmother flashed into her head. Bridget nodded, knowing what she was about to tell them would really make them mad.

"She could sense our uncontrolled powers, and came looking for us."

"What, hold on? Did you just say that she could sense your powers?"

"Yes," Bridget admitted.

"So what, Terry's a witch, too?" Aiden's voice shocked everyone.

"We need to straighten out that misconception," Bridget told them.

"Are you telling us that you aren't witches?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Not exactly," Brianne spoke up for the first time. They all looked to their Aunt.

"Okay, let's just get everything out in the open," Kevan urged her mother and aunt.

"We discovered that our family is descended from a very long line of witches on your great grandmothers' side, but we come from an equally strong line of sorcerers on your great grandfather's side."

"So we're half witches, half sorcerers?" Kaitlyn asked as they all tried to comprehend the information that they were getting in bits and pieces. "I'm getting another drink, anyone else while I'm up?" A chorus of I do's filled the room, Aiden double shocking her family with her order for a double, seeing as most of the time she didn't drink a single drop.

"It's a little bit more complicated than just that, Kaitlyn," Bridget stated.

"Complicated? Mum, stop giving us pieces of information in piece meal, it's driving us crazy," Brennan chimed in.

Bridget gathered her thoughts as she tried to find the right words to tell them a very small but important piece of their heritage. "You're the only ones of your kind in the world," she started. "You are..." she stopped.

"Mum, come on," Kevan encouraged her after they were patient for a moment. "It's not that difficult to figure out that if Dad is a Sentinel and you're half witch and half sorcerer, then we are a mix of all three. It's a bit odd to think of it that way, considering we grew up thinking of ourselves as English and Scottish."

Bridget looked relieved that they seemed to be somewhat okay with what she was telling them. Kevan watched her face, she could see that there was something more, but a hunch told her that it wasn't the time for that information, whatever it was, to come out.

Bridget looked up when she felt Kevan's gaze on her. She could read in her eyes that she knew that there was more, but her daughter didn't seem to be pushing it, for which Bridget was very happy. At some point in the future, they would have to know the whole truth about what these girls were. Kevan pushed the conversation back in another direction.

"So, Aunt Terry found you?"

"Yes, she sensed our uncontrolled powers, and came looking. It doesn't happen too often, but every once in a while a witch is born to a human family, and members of the coven are always on the lookout for them. The coven can teach those who are fresh and unharnessed to control their powers, and ensure that they don't give us away to the rest of the humans."

"You talk like we aren't human. My blood work looks just like everyone else's, at least it does to me; does yours look different?" Eve questioned.

"You are human," Jason spoke up, "only different in some ways. We weren't sure if you would have powers or not when you were born, and it showed itself very early with you all. Brennan was only eight months old when we saw the first signs."

"We had never planned on keeping any of this from you." Bridget told them. "But we wanted to wait to explain it when you would be old enough to understand. After Kevan was kidnapped, I guess we became a bit more on the paranoid side. We tried to give up our seats on the council, and our position in the coven, but nobody resigns from the coven or the council, so we just became inactive. We told them that we wanted nothing to do with them."

"Okay, that's all well and good, but you just jumped over a huge part of your life. At 18 you discovered that you were a witch/sorceress; what happened from there?" Kaitlyn wanted to know.

"Terry took us under her wing, showed us how to control and harness our powers. She trained us, and then took us before the coven to ask that we be sworn in as members of the Crystal Coven."

"Obviously you were," Kevan told them, recalling the tattoo that Caleb had revealed earlier.

"Yes, we were. It was quite an honor that at the age of twenty, we were accepted as full members of the Crystal Coven." She paused; even after all these years she was proud of their accomplishment. "The Crystal Coven is one of the oldest, most powerful covens in the western hemisphere, and there are only a couple more powerful ones in the entire world. We studied and practiced our craft, fine-tuning, you might say. I don't want to brag, but we're very good and when we were 23, we were invited to join the Orion Council. Only the most talented individuals of the races are asked to join. It was a great honor for us at such a young age to be asked, so we've been members ever since, inactive members since you were babies."

"Okay, but what exactly does this Orion Council do?" Kevan asked them. Bridget stayed quiet for a moment while she tried to think of a way to explain what they did.

"The Orion Council is like the police force of the others. We investigate and police the others, trying to ensure that they don't expose us to the human population. We deal with territory disputes, grievances, things like that. Basically, for anything that you would go to the human police about, others come to the council."

"Well, most of the races," Caleb stated, but the tone in his voice made them look at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaitlyn questioned him.

"What it means is," Marcus explained, "the Council, for some reason, does not like us. They go out of their way to ensure that they have nothing to do with us. The other races are more than happy to have us assist them, but the Council avoids us. I believe that the S.N.U.N. would too, but they can't. We were one of the founding members."

Anger flared in Bridget's eyes as she whirled and faced both Caleb and Marcus.

"It's not like you have gone out of your way to join the Council either, so don't make it seem like we are the bad guys."

"No, that's your job," Caleb stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Caleb," Marcus warned. He stood over Bridget. "It's not worth it. We help when and where we can, the rest is your responsibility."

"The Council would be more than happy for you to help us, if you were more willing to follow the rules, but you never do. You all go off on your own, and do whatever you want without thinking about repercussions. Then we have to clean up your mess. You make it seem like we influenced the Council, when we were recruited, the Council already had a ban in place with regards to accepting help from the Cairbare. Don't make us out to be the bad guys. We followed orders, and because we believed that you were responsible for Daphne's murder, we were very happy not to have to deal with you, for any reason."

"You really don't want to go there," Niall warned, stepping up beside Marcus. "We had nothing to do with Daphne's murder."

"So our daughters have said, but we only have your word on that," Bridget snapped back, suddenly sounding so like Brennan, it was spooky.

"No," Eve stated, "We have Daphne's diary. I'm amazed you haven't read it! It would be very enlightening."

"You could have come and asked us, but instead you allowed hysteria to reign, turning away from your best protection," Marcus stated. "The other races didn't follow suit, and that really bothered the Council, arrogance fueling the need to be all powerful."

"Why would the Council be bothered?" Bridget questioned. "They work with the full support of the S.N.U.N. You all go off half-cocked."

"Now let's be honest, we do what the Council won't, we deal with things without talking them to death," Marcus muttered an expletive.

"You go into situations like there are no consequences to what you are doing, and then walk away," Bridget argued with Marcus, "leaving the Council to clean up your mess."

"We have never left a mess for the Council to clean up. You're just mad that we actually do something when we're needed, while you have to sit on the sidelines, waiting for permission to make the first move. You know that the races come to us when it's something serious," Caleb argued.

"We all know how well that went over when you went barreling in the last time, don't we?" Bridget threw at them. Her statement dripped with unspoken threats, but Kevan didn't notice it.

"Enough!" she shouted. "You're acting like children. Whatever problems you may have, deal with it at another time. Right now, the only thing that is important is getting the answers we need."

Caleb looked at Kevan's face, signs of mental and emotional overload tight around the eyes.

"Kevan's right, this is an old argument and we won't solve it here, so we'll put aside our beef with the Council for the moment. But maybe we should leave it all for the moment." he offered.

"I wish we could, but we can't, we need to know the rest," Kevan told him, before turning to look at her mother again. "You're a member of this Orion Council, you're a witch/sorceress, you obviously have powers, but still you didn't tell us the truth. You've hidden a huge part of yourself from us. I don't know about the other girls, but I'm still so pissed."

"And the 'we were just trying to protect you', isn't going to cut it," Brennan stated, coming to stand beside Kevan, linking their hands together in a show of support. It felt good for them both to be on the same side. "As we have already told you, we aren't little kids anymore."

"You're right, you aren't children and haven't been for a long time, but you are our children and it doesn't matter how old you get, we are always going to think of you as our babies."

Bridget held her hand up to stop whatever they were about to say. "Yes, we know we should have handled this differently, but hindsight is 20/20, or so they say. We could say that if we had it to do over again, that we would change what we did, but quite honestly, I don't know if we would change anything."

Kevan shrugged, "Okay, here's the thing. We understand why you did what you did, but did you think that you could keep it from us for the rest of our lives?"

"We never thought that far ahead. We argued with ourselves that you all had full happy lives without knowing any of this, and why should we interfere with that."

"You don't seem to understand how difficult this has been," Brennan told them.

"We do understand, and as I have said before, we can't change what we did, we need to move on."

"Mum's right, we need to stop the blame game." Kevan continued, "The one that started this whole thing was Grandpa Joe. Our lives would be very different if Daphne hadn't been murdered, but she was. At least we know more now, and that's important, but something is missing."

"Kevan," Caleb questioned her, "What's happening?" Kevan shook her head as the feelings sank into her bones.

"What's missing?" Bridget questioned her.

"That's just it, I don't know, I just know that we need to find them to stop them."

"Stop who?" Caleb pushed her.

Kevan looked around the table, her hand caressing the warm wood. "I don't know. I just know that something is coming, something bad, and we're its target. We are blind without information, we..., we're in big trouble, I can feel it," she spoke quietly.

"Kevan?" Niall had stepped up to her, "You're sensing something, what is it?"

"I don't know, wish I could put it into words, but I can't. It's like something is coming and it's ... this makes no sense." Kevan sighed with frustration. "I just know if we don't figure this out, and fast, we are in for a lot of trouble."

"Okay, this is just weird," Kaitlyn muttered. "I hate that you have that sixth sense thing, we trust it, but really Kev, I wish you wouldn't be quite so dramatic."

"Well, I'm sorry if my telling you that we have a big bad evil coming after us is too dramatic for you Kait, because we all know that you are never too dramatic." Kaitlyn stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"Enough, you two," Brennan hissed. "What are you sensing? Gods I hate this," she told them.

"Having to change your mind, Brennan? You like the taste of crow?" Kevan asked her.

"Not like I have a lot of choice," Brennan stated as they looked at their silent parents.

Bridget watched her daughters, taking in the changes that she had seen, but had not really wanted to acknowledge. Her babies were all grown up women, strong beautiful women, capable of making their own choices, whether she liked it or not. Kevan stood at the front of them, her quiet confidence echoing out. She might not realize it, but she was the one that her sisters always turned to for advice and help.

"We promise from this point on we will be as truthful as we can with you," Bridget promised.

Kevan started to take issue with what she had said to her but Caleb stopped her. A shake of his head told her that now was not the time.

"Thank you, Mum. Now I have a question, Dad. Caleb explained a little bit of what a Sentinel does. They're guards sent to protect someone that has been deemed important. So who were you sent to guard, and who sent you?" she looked at her father and uncle.

"You know who," Jason told her.

"Okay, your orders were to guard Mum and Aunt Brianne. Who sent you, and why?"

"We don't know who sent us, we never do, it's not like we got a memo with background, just orders." Jason shrugged. "We don't get any other information except who we are to protect from all that might cause harm. We knew that your mum and aunt were whom we were to protect, but that was all."

"So you never questioned why?" Kevan asked him." That doesn't sound like you, either of you. I don't think I can ever recall you two taking things at face value. You always have questions." She watched, trying to see if she could sense anything before she looked to Eve, who shook her head; she wasn't either. "What aren't you telling us Dad?"

"Kevan, you and your sister can try all you want. We can't tell you what we don't know, and we aren't exactly on the need to know list, anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" Kevan wanted to know.

"We are Sentinels, meant to protect our charges, not fall in love with them."

"So what, they threw you off the team because you fell in love?" Kaitlyn joked, but she saw the look on their faces. "Oh gods, they did, didn't they?"

"What?" Kevan asked.

"They kicked them out!" Kaitlyn told her.

"You aren't Sentinels anymore?" Eve asked.

"No, we are still Sentinels; we have been called upon throughout the years to protect charges, which we have done countless times, always returning when the assignment was complete. It was never a problem until we met your mother and aunt. We tried to treat them like any other ward, but you know your mother when she wants something."

"I wasn't exactly subtle with the fact I wanted your father," Bridget smiled, but the look on her face told so much more.

"Oh gods, TMI," Kaitlyn cried out, covering her ears. "TMI!"

"Agreed!" Kevan said, shaking her head trying to get rid of the unwelcome image she had. "So what happened?"

"Long story short, your mother took the decision out of our hands," Jason told them.

"How was that?" Kevan asked.

"She got pregnant with Brennan," he told them with a smile. "The decision was taken from us; we stayed with your mothers, and had our families. Take to heart that we have never regretted it for one moment."

Jason took Bridget's hand into his, bringing it up to his mouth to plant a kiss upon the back of it.

"Ah, that's really sweet," Kaitlyn told them.

Kevan looked to Caleb and the other warriors. "Do you think that this is part of your prophecy?"

Caleb shrugged his shoulders. "It's hard to say. We have been here for centuries, seen too many things, and shaded clues fit too many scenarios, at least for me." Caleb looked to Marcus and Niall. "What do you think? You both have studied it?"

"What prophecy?" Bridget questioned.

"Not now, Mum," Kevan told her.

"I guess that it could be part of it," Niall admitted.

"You've never told us exactly what it says; if you told us, maybe we could see something that you haven't?" Kevan told them.

"It's not much, like Caleb so eloquently put it, just shaded clues."

Descendants of One,

Knowledge and Powers

Theirs to Wield,

Seeking Truths Unseen,

Righting Wrongs Long Done

They all looked at Niall, his words ringing in their heads. A pensive look came over him.

"What are you thinking?" Kevan asked.

"That maybe we had this all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"What if this prophecy isn't just about you getting your powers back?"

"Niall, I still don't see why an Oracle would give a prophecy about us getting our powers back. Seeking truths unseen, righting wrongs long done? Could it be that we are to find the book and stop Dreyden from getting it, and using it to do something terrible? I think we are mired waist deep in the big picture, girls."

"Kevan ...?" Niall started.

"Go with me on this, okay. What if Daphne was murdered, but not for what she knew about the grimoire? But what someone else knew about it, and may have told her? She was a healer for not only for the cairbare, but also for all other communities. What if someone told her something, an innocent accident, making her a target for Dreyden?"

"I guess, but why wouldn't the rest of the others know more about the grimoire, not just the cairbare?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I don't know; it's a work in progress," Kevan admitted. "Any idea?"

"Yeah, may be a good one," Kaitlyn stated. Kevan could see her sister turning something over in her head before asking, "Hey, what if we are looking at this wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Kevan asked her.

"We keep looking at this like Daphne knew something about the grimoire. What if she didn't?" Kaitlyn asked, stopping as she continued to think over what was in her head.

"Your love of melodrama is quite annoying," Marcus growled at her. "Get to the point. What is going through that head of yours? You have to have an idea once in a while that makes sense."

"At least I'm not anal retentive, like someone else we know," Kaitlyn spat back at him.

"Truce you two. Once we figure this out, you can get back to tossing names at each other, but right now I would like to hear what Kaitlyn has to say," Kevan sounded like an exasperated mom. Kaitlyn stuck her tongue out at Marcus, who just rolled his eyes. "Oh, really mature Kaitlyn," Kevan told her sister. "Talk!"

"What if Daphne was murdered to prevent something."

"Prevent what?" Kevan wanted to know, but suddenly an idea began to form in her head, seeing where Kaitlyn was heading. "Oh my gods, you're brilliant, and it makes so much more sense than what I came up with."

"Glad to know that you recognize my brilliance, finally," Kaitlyn preened.

"Okay, for the rest of us that aren't as brilliant, please continue?" Eve told them. "Twins ..."

"Dreyden didn't murder Daphne because she might have some kind of information regarding the book. He thought that she was the one who would stop him," Kaitlyn stated.

"But I thought she was a healer?" Brennan questioned.

"She was, but look at it this way. The prophecy is completely up to an individual interpretation of it, and what if he thought that the descendant of the one meant Daphne, but he was wrong?"

"Huh?" Brennan queried.

"Daphne was never the one that would stop him, or even go after him," Marcus stated.

"That I understand, then who?"

"Us!" Kevan stated.

"What?" Brennan shouted. Kevan looked to her mother.

"What do you think would have happened if Daphne hadn't been murdered?"

"I don't know; I would think that things would have gone on the way that they had been."

"Except you and Aunt Brianne likely wouldn't have needed to be protected. Which means that you would have never met Dad and Uncle Gavin, and we likely wouldn't have been born," Kevan stated.

"Kevan, you are making some wild assumptions. Are you saying that Dreyden murdered Daphne to ensure that we were born?" Eve questioned her.

"No, I don't think that was his goal. It was a by-product, and if you think about how different our lives would have been ...; we can stand here all day and speculate about how things happened the way they did, but until we find Dreyden, we won't get any answers." Kevan turned, looking at Joseph. "You have been too quiet, now fill in some blanks. This book, it's nasty, right?"

Joseph sat up in his chair. "Yes, world ending bad," he informed without one hint of emotion, but his eyes showed them how terrifying it could be.

"Then I think that we don't have a lot of choice, do we?" Kevan told them.

***

Kevan watched her mother's internal struggle over the decision to stay and cluck over her girls, or to, trust the grown women she called her babies. Kevan smiled, feeling blessed that so many family members accepted the decisions that she had made; they may not like them, but that was all part of being a family.

Kevan was still overwhelmed, and found it a little hard to wrap her mind around the fact that her mother was a magic wielding policewoman of sorts. It was going to take time to reconcile the two images together. She wondered what it would be like to learn from her mother and aunt, as well as from her dad and uncle. The way the guys spoke about the Sentinels made her think that there was a lot more to be learned and it would certainly piss Joseph off to know that he wasn't the only one that they could learn from. Her reminiscing was stopped by a touch; her eyes landed on her mom watching her.

"Kevan honey, are you sure that you don't want us to stay and help you?" Bridget questioned. Kevan leaned over and hugged her mom.

"Mom, the idea of watching you in action would be amazing, but what we need, only you can get: more information. We need you go to the council, and try make them understand what is happening. Joseph doesn't believe that Dreyden has given up, and even though there hasn't been a sign of him for a long time doesn't mean we shouldn't be worried; I think we are on the radar now. Finding anything that might give us a starting point that could lead us to the grimoire would be a help." Bridget nodded, and pulled Kevan into her arms, hugging her baby girl.

"I'm very proud of you, all of you," Bridget whispered in Kevan`s ear. "You can do this, I know you can."

"Thanks, Mum," Kevan told her.

Bridget looked over Kevan's shoulders at the men standing on the steps, watching them. In many respects, the cairbare reminded her of all those years ago when she had first met Jason and Gavin. Their proud stance, the determined set of the jaw, and what was most surprising, she saw honesty. She let Kevan go before she started crying again, she walked over to Caleb, taking a hold of his hands.

"Understand this gentlemen, I am putting into these hands the one thing that I never in a million years thought that I would. These women are more important than anything or anybody, and I don't care what you have to do to protect them, but you will," she warned them. "If one hair on their heads is harmed, you will never know another day's peace, do you understand me?"

"Perfectly," Caleb assured her. "We will protect them with our lives." Bridget looked to her sister, and then to her husband, "Ready?"

"We'll be in touch once we find anything, and remember, we are only a phone call away," Jason said, shaking Caleb's hand.

"Yes sir." Caleb could see the worry in his eyes. "We will protect them with our lives, you don't have to worry."

Jason looked at him. "They are my daughters, and I can't begin to make you understand how much I love them. But I also know that they are strong capable women, but it's nice to know that they have good friends standing at their sides."

It was a bittersweet moment as they watched the parents drive away. They had some of the answers they needed, while others remained unasked or unanswered.

After the car was long out of sight, Kevan turned and looked to the men standing behind her family, feeling sure that life was about to be very different from now on.

"We need all the information you have on the grimoire, location, details about the spells, as well as the contributors over the years. Please refrain from allowing your arrogance from influencing what you divulge," she told Joseph.

Joseph nodded; in the past few weeks he learned to go along rather than argue. He had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that their unorthodox methods worked more often than not. It had been a long time since his brother and his warriors had taught him a few things about this world outside of L'Dern. Earth was very different from what he remembered from the last time he had paid a visit, and maybe it was time for the members of the cairbare council to step out of their world, and start interacting with the others.

"I'll gather everything we've discovered over the years." The sorcerer began to shimmer when Kevan said, "Joseph, bring everything!"

"Do you not trust that we would know what is important, and what is not?" Joseph demanded, getting his back up.

"Take it down a notch, Gandalf. There are things you might not see the same way we would, things that could give us clues as to what Dreyden's up to. He's got a huge jump on us, so a fresh pair of eyes looking over everything again won't hurt." Kevan almost kept her voice cool.

"I really wish you would speak English," Joseph muttered as he disappeared from sight.

"I don't think I'll ever get use to that," Eve stated as she pulled out her keys. "Looks like you've got it under control. I need to get to the hospital; my shift starts in forty-five minutes."

"Are you feeling any better, Eve, about your new talent?" Kevan wanted to know.

Eve gave a weak smile. "A bit; the blocks that Joseph taught me have certainly helped, and latex gloves preventing skin contact makes it easier. Time, I just need time, right?" she sighed. "I'll be a better doctor. At least that is what I keep telling myself. I gotta run, talk to you all later. Call me if there is anything I need to know."

Kevan gave her a quick hug. She could see the struggle that Eve was having. All the girls seemed to be having a hard time with the inexplicable things that had happened to them, all except Kevan; she felt strong, and secretly loved the power, the way it made her feel. So far, Eve was the only other who manifested any showing of power, making the others question if they would. Not Kevan; hers were growing daily, as was her control. When she called up the energy, it was a giddy rush, and within her control at a thought. She leaned back into Caleb's arms, as they snaked their way around her. She sighed with contentment, amazed at how much this man had come to mean to her in such a short amount of time.

"What's going through that beautiful brain of yours?" he whispered in her ear.

"Nothing," she told him.

"Don't tell me nothing, I can see that brain of yours racing. I can't help if you don't tell me what's bothering you." Kevan stepped out of his arms, only to realize that they were alone in the foyer. "Kevan?"

She looked to him. "Why has all of this come so much easier for me, my powers I mean? Don't get me wrong, they're way cool, and I'm having a lot of fun with them, but they seem to be growing stronger in me, and the rest haven't even shown a glimmer of power, except Eve. I can see how to make things better, don't ask me how, but I can. I know where, yet again, Kaitlyn has misplaced her keys. I touch something, and I know its history. Eve got hers at the same time I did, and she's still struggling. I can't tell you how many dirty looks Kaitlyn has given me because my powers are working and hers still seem to be dormant. Can you explain why it seems to be so easy for me?"

"I wish I could, but I can't. The only reason I can think of, is maybe yours will be needed in order to find the grimoire before Dreyden. Call your Mum, maybe she knows, or ask Joseph." He took Kevan's hand and led her into the living room, making her sit down. Kevan looked at him as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

"I don't understand? Why would you say that? If we are meant to find the grimoire, wouldn't we all have our powers?"

"Maybe you aren't all supposed to find the grimoire," he told her. "Look at it this way: the two powers that will likely play a part in finding the grimoire will be a detector, which is you, and a truth seeker, which is Eve."

"So the rest don't get powers? No, Mum said that Brennan showed signs of powers when she was eight months old. They didn't bind our powers until we were toddlers, so why would they come in at different times?"

"I don't know why. All I know is that right now, as important as your sisters' lack of powers are, finding the grimoire is more important and we need to be focusing on that," Caleb told her.

Kevan didn't like it but he was right, they would deal with everything else after they found the grimoire.

"Then what is the next step? We have to wait for Joseph to bring us what he has and go from there." Kevan paused. "What do you know about this Samhain diary, the one that Dreyden stole? Better yet, what do you know about this grimoire thingy?"

"Thingy?" Caleb arched his eyebrows.

"Oh, give me a break. Just tell me what you know."

"You're really cute when you get mad."

"Caleb, don't forget I can throw energy bolts."

"Wow, now you're just making me hot."

"Caleb, everything makes you hot."

"What can I say; I'm a horny old man?"

Kevan shook her head and changed the subject. "So what can you can tell me about the grimoire, and who else might be looking for it?"

"Talk about a mood killer," he told her.

"Concentrate. Fun stuff comes later," she promised. "Right now, I need you to tell me everything you know about this grimoire and who else might be looking for it?"

"I'm going to hold you to your promise."

Kevan crooked her head and gave him a smile. "Who else might be searching for the Drusa grimoire? Let me rephrase that. Who wouldn't be afraid to use it? Who would gain the most from having control over it? A book of all the most dangerous spells ever imagined in one place." Kevan snorted with disgust. "Who ever thought this was a great idea was seriously fucked."

"Preaching to the choir darling, but it was." Caleb declared.

"Are you telling me that you can sing?"

"Kevan, focus," he growled.

"Fine." She pouted with a smile.

"Okay," Caleb began, "the legend, or story, is that Samhain found the grimoire, and was so terrified by what he found that it drove him crazy. He wrote riddles and clues, and in the end, ramblings in a diary which, if you can figure them out, will lead you to where the grimoire has been hidden."

"At least someone was smart enough to hide it," Kevan stated, stopping when she saw the flash that came over Caleb's face. "Caleb, they did hide it, didn't they?"

"Well, that's the thing, we aren't exactly sure what happened to it," Caleb admitted.

"What do you mean, you aren't exactly sure?" She stopped, drawing in a deep breath, calming herself, and then looked back at Caleb. "I'm going to shut up, and you are going to tell me what you aren't telling me right now."

"Kevan, it's a really long story," Caleb carped, making her smile.

"You want me to keep my promise, and then you had better start talking buddy," she warned, her finger poking his chest until he grabbed it, bringing it to his mouth and biting it gently. Kevan stared at him, her body flush with excitement at the memories of what he could do with his mouth. His eyes twinkled with need and mischief.

"Fine, the Drusa grimoire was assembled before recorded histories. General belief is that even though the saved spells were nasty, they were spells that they thought should be saved. No different than housing bio weapons, I suppose. The book floated around for a while, until it ended up in the Repository."

"The what?" Kevan gave a look of confusion.

"The Repository of Wisdom, which is a whole other story for another time." Caleb's hope of ending story time made Kevan smirk.

"Okay, it was in this Repository thing, then how did it get out?" Kevan let him off easy.

"That's just it, nobody seems to know. As far as we knew, once something went into the Repository it didn't come out," Caleb told her with a shrug. "Oh course, there have been exceptions, but they were few and far between and certainly not something as dangerous as the grimoire."

"Okay, so what does this all have to with Samhain and the grimoire?"

"Supposedly, Samhain was searching for the lost repository, and found the grimoire by accident."

"My gods, how many things have you guys lost?" Kevan said with frustration.

"You know we're getting off track," Caleb told her. "You wanted to know about the grimoire and the diary."

"Well, is there a chance that it's still in this repository place?" Kevan asked.

"I guess it's possible, but then why would Samhain have gone crazy?" he pointed out. "Besides, nobody has been in the repository for a very long time."

"This is nuts. Too much fragmented information, I'm getting confused," Kevan groaned.

"You and me both. Okay, let's forget about what the repository is for the moment; it really doesn't play a part that I know, other than that this was where the grimoire was supposed to be stored in order to protect all the worlds."

"Uh," Kevan started holding her finger up.

"Not now, Kevan; I promise to explain later."

"Deal," she told him.

"Somehow the grimoire, which is supposed to be safe in the repository, is removed. A rumor is started about its disappearance and now all the races know that the grimoire no longer resides within the safety of the repository. It's a powerful artifact; if it falls into the wrong hands it could be extremely dangerous. Samhain was a sorcerer or warlock, which depends on whom you talk to. He was obsessed with finding the Repository. We can only speculate about motives."

"Okay, as much as I would like to ignore this, I can't; what is this repository thingy?" Kevan demanded.

"Thingy?" Caleb laughed. "Such elegant english."

"Knock off smart ass. Explain now, please." Kevan insisted.

"The repository is like a library, or a museum, existing on its own plane. Over the eons, all kinds of things were stored for safe keeping with contributions by all the races. According to legend, Samhain was looking for the repository, and by accident found the grimoire. The contents of which robbed the man's sanity."

"I would suspect that is a vast oversimplification of what happened, but at least it gives us a starting point." Kevan felt a bit of relief.

"How does that give us a starting point?" Caleb questioned.

"Well according to you, he wrote the diary after he found the grimoire, not before, so he followed a trail which led him to the grimoire. All we need to do is find that trail. What do you know about Mr. Dexter Samhain?" Caleb pushed himself to his feet as he went to look out the window. "Caleb?" Kevan came to stand behind him.

"I really hate admitting this, especially with all the things we've said about Joseph's ilk, but I'm a warrior, I've always been a warrior." Kevan slid her arms around him, her hands sliding under his t-shirt as she reveled in the feel of his body.

"I for one am very glad that you are a warrior, Caleb, but what does that have to do with anything?" Kevan asked him.

"A warrior learns how to fight, how to protect; we don't worry about things like the grimoire, it just wasn't important. Looking back, I realize maybe I should have paid a bit more attention about things like that, but it just isn't a fighter's focus." Caleb shrugged.

"So what, you guys don't know anything?" she asked with surprise.

"No, I'm sure that Niall and Marcus would have paid attention, but most likely it would be Joseph and his sorcerers that will have the answers that you are looking for." Caleb muttered, "Shit!" under his breath.

"And we already have asked him to give us everything that he has regarding Samhain," Kevan stated. "So we're back to a question I asked just a while ago, who else would be searching for the grimoire?" Kevan moved away from Caleb, coming to a halt in the middle of the room. "Any idea where to start?"

"Not a clue," Caleb told her.

"I might have idea." They both turned towards the voice at the doorway of the room.

"Brody!" Kevan gasped. "Oh my gods!" She ran to him as he slid to the floor.

"What the hell happened to you? Who did this?" She reached out, touching his bruised and swollen face.

"I'm alright, just help me to my feet," he told her, trying to grin, but she could see the pain in his face.

"Caleb!" she appealed.

"Rhiannon's on her way," Caleb spat, as he came to Brody's assistance. "What the hell did you do to piss someone off now, Brody?"

"I asked the wrong questions," he choked out, letting the black that swam in front of his eyes swallow him up.

***

"How is he?" Marcus demanded as Rhiannon walked into the kitchen, where Martha had gathered everyone waiting for news on him.

"He's got a lot of scrapes and bruises, a couple of cracked ribs, and a possible concussion, but he's going to be annoying all of us like as usual in a couple of days." Rhiannon promised.

"Thank gods," Kevan whispered, aware of relief washing through the warriors. Marcus closed his eyes, trying to hide emotion; Brody might be a pain in the ass, but he was their pain in the ass.

"Whoever did this is going to pay," Caleb growled. He recalled the day Marcus had dragged Brody home. Brody was one of those rare humans born with ability to see the races for who they really were. They had taken him under their wing, and Brody had come to be a great asset for them; with his intelligence, street smarts and computer skills, he had repeatedly proven himself a valued team member. Not that they would ever admit that to him; he already had a big enough ego.

"Caleb?" He looked down to Kevan who had finally gotten his attention.

"He's going to be okay."

"I know," he told her. "I'm just use to him being cocky and mouthy, not quiet and in pain."

"How long have you known him?"

"Gods, Marcus dragged this skinny kid home one day about thirteen years ago, I guess." Caleb gave a snort of laughter. "Marcus had just moved here, and was staying with me. He had been out doing gods knows what, but he had run across a demon attacking a woman, and there was this gawky kid trying to beat it off with a piece of wood. Marcus waded in, killed the demon, saved the woman, and then tried to erase their memories. He was able to with the woman, but not Brody. He wasn't sure what to do, so he dragged him back here. Brody was screaming at the top of his lungs, threatening to report Marcus to the cops for kidnapping and murder. I wanted to know why Marcus hadn't just erased his memory, and that was when we discovered that Brody was a latent."

"I know what the word means. Brody has unknown, or unseen abilities, basically."

"Right. I'd say ninety-nine percent of the human race will look at a demon, or any member of the other races, and see what they believe to be normal. However, there is a very small percentage that are either born with the ability, or something happens to them, and they develop it somehow, we aren't exactly sure how. We try and pay attention for latent's, and help them as need be."

"So Brody is like us?" Kevan probed.

"Yes and no. You have abilities because of your parents, but Brody was just born that way. As I said, we are on the lookout for those few that are out there, and befriend them."

"Why?" Kevan wanted to know. "What difference does it make, it's not like anyone would believe them."

"Brody was a big mouth," Marcus stated, composed; he even had a hint of a smile. "He never shut up, threatened to report us to the cops and the media. To have one person spouting off about seeing demons or vampires, or any one of the other races on the earth, and you're right, nobody would take one person seriously, but you start to get more, thousands all around the world saying the same thing, and then you know what could happen. Media sensation not required."

"Okay, I see your point. I can see it now, news items no longer focused on terrorism; we'd never have another moment of peace." She shuddered at the thought of what could happen. "What about Brody's parents?" Kevan inquired. "Can they see the other races, too?"

"That's just it, we don't know. When Marcus found Brody, he was living on the streets, and couldn't remember anything about either his family or where he was from. We tried to find out anything we could, but it is like he just suddenly appeared at the age of ten. He was smart, and we couldn't send him back to the street. We already had guardianship of Rhiannon, so we figured what was one more, they were about the same age, and so we took him in."

"What about a birth certificate?"

"Kevan, that's nothing. On paper Rhiannon and Brody are brother and sister; they came to live with us after the death of their parents."

"But ..." Kevan stopped, "Forget it, I really don't want to know," she told them. "So who do you think Brody pissed off?"

"I have no idea. I assure you, we are going to have a talk with them," Marcus growled. Kevan watched the looks that past between the men in the room, and she almost felt sorry for the ones responsible, because they have no idea what they had just unleashed on themselves.
Chapter Seventeen

She tossed the papers on the desk that she had appropriated as her own, and pushed away from it. She walked over to the bar in the corner and poured herself a glass of iced tea, then made her way to the window, looking out but not seeing. Kevan ran idea after idea through her head, trying to get the pieces to fit together. She was on her third run through the information that Joseph had brought them. Considering how long they had been searching for Dreyden, the information they had was little, and most of it was useless; all it had done was raise more questions than answers. She stood lost in thought, jumping when she heard someone speak to her.

"Morning, Kevan." She looked to the door, smiling when she saw Brody holding the doorframe to prevent himself from falling over. "I'd say Beautiful, but you just never know when Caleb might show up, and I hurt enough as it is."

"Should you be out of bed?" she wanted to know, moving to help, only to halt when he threw up his hand to stop her.

"Trust me, I know my limitations." He shuffled into the room, making his way slowly to lower himself gingerly into one of the large comfortable chairs. "Now I understand why Marcus complained as much as he did. There is only so much that a person can take of being in bed. Now, if I had a beautiful woman at my side that would be an entirely different scenario."

Kevan took the chair across from him, smiling as she studied him. One thing for sure, none of these men lacked in the ego department, she thought to herself.

Brody said, "Ask your questions, I can see it on your face." Kevan looked down at her hands, gathering her thoughts before she spoke. "What the hell happened?"

"I got beat up," Brody told her, cracking a smile, then grimacing from the pain of the split lip, and reminding him of numerous other bruises that covered his entire body.

"Don't be the smart mouth, light-heart idiot," she told him as she jumped to her feet, pacing back and forth across the floor. "Do you have any idea how worried Caleb and the others were about you?" she shouted at him. "This isn't a joke. Do you understand how much you mean to them? As it was, I had a difficult time stopping them from annihilating someone, anyone, for the beating that you took. They didn't even know who had beaten you up and they didn't care. They were ready to start a war with the entire supernatural community in order to send a message to everyone that you do not mess with someone under cairbare protection. If you had been hurt any worse, gods, I don't know what they would have done."

"I don't know what you qualify as worse, because I'm telling you; I hurt a whole hell of a lot." Brody grimaced as he shifted to make himself more comfortable.

"Not the time, Brody; who the hell messed you up?" she wanted to know.

"I have no idea," he reluctantly admitted.

"What! How can you not know?"

"I had just come out of Inferno's, heading for my bike to come home after getting exactly nowhere in my questioning, when they came at me from behind. All I saw was fists and boots, and I had to protect the money maker and the family jewels. I can tell you that it was more than one. I heard them talking after they were finished, but I don't recall what they were saying. The next thing, I woke up in a whole world of hurt. I got very lucky getting here without a problem."

"We aren't even going to say a word about you driving in the condition you were in. Except to say, next time use your fucking cell!" Kevan hadn't meant to be so angry. "Sorry."

"Yes Mum," he teased, but Kevan just ignored him.

"So you're telling me that they jumped you from behind, and you have no idea why? You heard them talking, but don't recall what was said? Great, your memory is as good as Marcus'."

"Hey! Not fair! My brain was scrambled from someone beating on it, and as to the Marcus thing, you will have to take that up with him."

"You're lucky to be alive, Brody; what were you thinking, going into Inferno's by yourself anyway?" she asked. "All you had to do was ask, and anyone of the guys would have gone with you."

"And I would have gotten exactly the same thing I did by myself, nothing. It was routine. I asked about the grimoire. I wanted to see if anyone knew anything, but they all just laughed at me, told me that it had disappeared, and that I was chasing an illusion."

"Obliviously not or why would someone send someone to beat you up?" Kevan pointed out. "Unless of course, someone has another reason for beating you up. Is there something we need to know?"

"Trust me, I leave them wanting more." Brody teased with a groan as he shifted against his bruised body. "The only thing that makes sense to me is..." Brody stopped as they turned.

Barin, one of Caleb's security men stood in the door waiting. "Sorry for interrupting, but we have someone at the gate asking to speak to you." He looked to Brody.

"Me? Why would someone look for me here?" he questioned, knowing that most of his contacts would call his cell, not show up at Caleb's. "Who is it?"

"He says his name is Mullin."

Kevan looked at Brody, who shrugged his shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine," he stated. "I don't know anyone by that name."

Kevan looked to Barin, who was waiting for instructions. "Where's Caleb?" she inquired.

"He's on his way," Barin informed her. "He wouldn't want an unknown in the house." Kevan nodded her agreement.

Brody struggled to push himself to his feet. "Escort him to the front step; I'll meet this Mullin there."

Kevan stepped over to help Brody. "Maybe this isn't such a great idea," Kevan warned him. "You can barely move. I know I'll talk to him."

"No way!" Brody yammered, his eyes wide with panic. "I'll handle it until Caleb gets here," he assured her.

"Brody, look at yourself."

"Kevan, I'll be fine. You wait here, I'll be right back."

"Nothing I say is going to stop you?" she asked him.

"I'm perfectly capable of meeting someone at the front door by myself," Brody told her.

"Okay, then let's go." She offered an arm.

"What? No way! Are you crazy?" he exclaimed with panic.

"What? It's okay for you, who can barely move, to meet with this person, but not for me?"

"Yes." All kinds of horror ripped through his mind of what Caleb would do to him if anything happened to Kevan. "If you think I'm letting you go with me, you're nuts."

Kevan waited, she allowed him his rant about her staying in the house when she would be safe. She figured she might as well let him get it out of his system now, and then it would be so much easier in the end when she got her way. And she was going to get her way, she didn`t let Caleb stop her, so why Brody thought he'd stop her, well, she had to make allowances considering who had raised him. When he finally wound down, she tilted her head, giving him a look that Brody knew was going to get him in big, big trouble, and he had no idea what to do about it.

"Are you finished?" she asked him.

"Are you staying here?" he shot back.

"Of course not," she told him.

"Then I guess we stay right where we are until Caleb gets back," he stated.

"Brody, you can stay here if you want. I'm going to go see what your visitor wants. Relax I'm not going to invite him into the house. I'm on home territory, surrounded by the good guys. I'll be fine. Besides, if we make him wait too long, he'll think that we're afraid of him, and that is the last thing we want. So you have a choice, sit here in the dark cowering, or come with me and find out what he wants, because I'm going with or without you." Brody gave her a look.

"Oh my gods, you stubborn, impossible ..." he muttered. "If anything happens, and Caleb gets upset you'll..."

"Oh, would you relax, Brody? I'll protect you from the big bad Caleb, don't worry," Kevan told him. "Gods, considering all the others you have fought, and you're worried about Caleb? What is wrong with this picture? Now move your butt."

"I'm not worried about Caleb. I'm worried about what he will do to me, and I'm moving as fast as I can," he told her as he shuffled along, taking his time.

The first thing Kevan noticed when she stepped outside was the quiet. No birds, or breeze, disturbed the stale atmosphere bleeding in from the visitor. He looked like your average businessman, nothing remarkable except for his eyes. Kevan shuddered as they raked over her, leaving her feeling dirty.

Brody spoke up, "Can we help you?"

"Are you Brody McNarama?" The man's voice held contempt.

"Depends on who's asking?" Brody shot back, not liking this at all.

"I must say that I am severely disappointed in your lack of hospitality." The man looked around at his surroundings, sniffing at the men standing behind him, prepared to do what was needed to protect Brody and Kevan. "I would prefer to do this in a civilized manner," he said to his nails, inspecting the manicured sheen.

"This is as civilized as we get with strangers," Kevan told him, wishing she hadn't when she felt his eyes raking her again, nausea rising as a smile crept across his face. He knew that it was making her uncomfortable.

"My name is Mullin," he told them, his eyes never leaving Kevan's. "My employer would like to talk to you regarding your inquiries of late."

"And your employer is who?" Kevan demanded. She was really starting to wish that they had waited for Caleb.

"Nobody you know," he stated.

"Then I guess we have nothing further to discuss," Kevan told him, wanting nothing more than for him to be gone. She looked to the guards standing behind him. "Escort our visitor off the property," she ordered before she turned to head back into the house.

"For someone so new to all of this, you're awfully confident, almost cocky I would say." Something in Mullin's voice stopped Kevan dead in her tracks. In those few seconds that her back had been turned, Mullin had changed.

Gone was the meek businessman, and standing in his place was a human male specimen, too perfect to be real. He was Hollywood perfect, gleaming white teeth, perfect bronzed skin, ripped body. But it didn't matter, the image that the world saw; the one that most women would fall lusting on the ground for, fell away if you looked into the eyes close enough. Behind the glamour lived darkness.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Kevan spoke cautiously, as she watched warily. His quick image change had made her question what he was and what he would do next.

"Oh Ms. Kevan, you really do need to work on your lying skills, especially if you want to have even the slightest chance at fooling anyone, because you really suck at it," he drawled, tsking while staring at her chest.

"How do you know my name?" Kevan snapped, as her body filled with dread.

"You may have fooled the humans here, but then again, they didn't feel the power you released last month. Ah, retraction, they did, but passed it off as something else, again." He watched her intently. "But we all know how easy it is to fool the humans, really no capacity to think beyond what is in front of their faces. They really are quite stupid, aren't they?" His voice dripped with disgust as he thought about humans.

"What are you talking about?" Kevan whispered, backing into the door jam.

"Are you enjoying the powers, aren't they a rush? I love the ability to do whatever comes to mind." Mullin's voice dropped so only Kevan could hear him. He lifted his head; drawing in a deep nasal breath, making her body shudder, but her mind still couldn't help finding the humor in how bad Mullin's imitation of Hannibal Lector was. She loved Silence of the Lambs.

Her skin crawled when Mullin breathed, "Oh the erotic pleasure of untrained powers. I can feel them surging within you. Intoxicating isn't it?" He was getting off on the horror that shone in her eyes. A smile slid across his face at the shiver of fear that rippled through Kevan's body; he liked the feeling of power she had no idea she was handing him. Kevan fought to control the pulsing need within her to draw on her powers, fear and rage sparking off her fingers. She pulled back from the power, steeling her determination so as not let him get to her.

"What do you want?" Kevan spat, her anger released in her recklessness. She took a step in his direction, refusing him the last word. "Who the hell do you think you are you?" she ground out.

It happened so fast. Mullin suddenly pressed into her space, his hand ringing her throat. Her breath stalled, fighting the feeling of repulsion that washed over her at his touch. "What do you want?" she demanded through clenched teeth.

"Tell them to back off or I will break your neck," he warned her, his fingers tightening ever so slightly, just enough to scare her but not enough to hurt yet.

"Stay back," she told them, swallowing the unease settling within her body.

"Ooh, so scared." He humped his groin into her, whispering against her ear, "You know we could have done this without having to resort to this, but no, you had to play the queen bitch, didn't you. So now we'll do this the hard way." He sighed as his fingers stroked the skin of her throat.

Kevan fought to remain calm, her mind shying away from the intimate posture. Hope sped her heart when his fingers got close to her shield stone. His fingers caressed her necklace like he could read her mind, moving dangerously closer to the stone, and she closed her eyes in anticipation. She felt him move, albeit only a fraction back and she opened her eyes to his lecherous smile.

"Now we wouldn't want to that, would we? Very risky touching a shield stone, especially when the wearer is so upset, "he told her, taking another step back from her. But he was still too close for Kevan's liking. His fingers traced the neckline of her t-shirt, his excitement showing through with every movement as his tongue shot out, licking his lips. "Our little witch is scared and it tastes so delicious." He lifted his shoulders and gave a shiver of excitement. "It's like a drug isn't it. That barely restrained energy surging through your body." His tongue flicked out, his noxious breath assaulted her senses, making Kevan want to gag almost as much as she wanted to slap him. Mullin's surety of his hold over women blinded him to Kevan's revulsion. He leaned close, licking her cheek. He really had a thing for his tongue, Kevan thought, as her entire body convulsed with revulsion at him touching her with that thing. Gods only knew where it had been.

"I could teach you so much, show you how to use all that lovely power... the orgasms I could give you," Mullin whispered just before he took another step back.

Kevan willed herself to calm, praying he wouldn't touch her again. He was really getting off on his little game, but she had no idea how to stop it. Suddenly her senses were flooded with a feeling of something that she couldn't quite describe. She jumped slightly when she felt an arm wrap around her, lifting her up and moving her out of Mullin's reach. Caleb growled as he turned to confront Mullin's smirk, the smile on his face showing that he knew he had pissed Caleb off, exactly what he wanted.

Relief sang through Kevan when it finally sank in that she was safe, but she still hated that she had let Mullin get to her. She looked around Caleb, wanting to smack the smug smile off Mullin's face. What was he up to, she wondered?

"What are you doing here?" Caleb demanded, his anger spiking, as the picture of Mullin touching Kevan flashed through his mind.

"You know him?" Kevan questioned when Caleb's words finally penetrated her brain, but he ignored her.

"Caleb, finally! I'm so glad to see you." Mullin greeted him with open arms, like he was going to embrace Caleb. "It has been much too long, my friend, but don't worry, we kept each other entertained while we waited." Mullin acted the part of a long lost friend. "Although, I must tell you, your girlfriend, well, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but she is sadly lacking in hospitality skills. I do so hope that she makes up for it in other ways."

"What do you want?" Caleb growled, as he struggled to keep from smacking the smug smile off Mullin's face. He had seen how scared Kevan had been, even though he knew that it wouldn't last.

"What? No time for small talk? Don't want to catch up?" he questioned. "I'm so disappointed." Caleb just stared, silently waiting for an answer. "Oh well, your loss," Mullin signed with a shrug of his shoulders, "My employer wishes to talk with you."

Kevan watched, as yet again, Mullin transformed himself, and gone was the happy go lucky personality, leaving a seriously deadly, scary individual that would rather kill you than help you. Demon kind are like that.

She pushed to get around him, only to have Caleb's arm wrap around her again, forcing her back, shooting her a look that she didn't like.

"Hey!" Kevan shouted at Caleb. She was at the end of her rope dealing with overbearing men, and once more she tried to step around Caleb; she wasn't going to let him think that he had the upper hand.

"Kevan!" Caleb warned her.

"Oh, knock it off Caleb!" she blew up at him; he needed to realize that she was capable of protecting herself. "Listen to me; if he wanted to hurt me, he would have done it by now. He's already got what he wanted. He wanted to scare me, which in turn would scare you, and then all you'd think about is protecting me. They want you focused on something other than what they are really up to!"

"Well, well, Caleb, she's smarter than she looks," Mullin teased. "Beautiful, powerful, and smart could be a deadly combination." Caleb shot him a look that would have made most men tremble with fear, but Mullin just smiled. "I don't think you're man enough to handle her, but I'm willing to lend a hand."

"I'll ask you again, Mullin, what do you want? What does Leonard want from us?" Caleb ground out.

"He would like to talk to you regarding the information that young Mr. McNarama has been seeking."

Brody shuffled forward, glaring at Kevan before he looked to Mullin. "Told you he wouldn't be happy! Caleb, honestly, I tried to stop her," Brody told him.

"Save that for later, Brody. Right now, I want to know what the hell you have been up to that you have drawn Leonard's attention." Caleb demanded of him.

"It was nothing," Brody told him, shrugging his shoulders. "I just asked a few questions," he admitted.

"Don't be so modest, Mr. McNarama. We have been aware of your exploits, have been for a long time," Mullin chimed. "Besides, did you think that asking questions about the Drusa grimiore wouldn't be brought to our attention?"

"All I asked was whether or not anyone thought that it existed?" Brody tried to deflect, for he could see Caleb's building anger. Mullin crackled with laughter over the silent dissension between the three of them; he was really enjoying himself.

"You all think you're so secretive. When will you learn there is nothing that we don't know, or can't find out?" He stood inspecting his nails, as if they bored him, but Kevan saw through the look of ease almost immediately.

"You're lying!" Kevan spat at him.

"Young lady, you have no idea what you..." Kevan cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Oh please, it is so obviously pathetic. If you knew anything, then you wouldn't be here asking us what we know about the grimoire." Kevan watched his reactions; she wished Eve was there, and then she saw it. "You're scared!"

"What? You really are delusional," he growled, drawing himself to his full height. Kevan scrutinized him, suddenly not quite so worried about him, wary, but no longer worried.

"No delusions where you are concerned!" Kevan laughed at Mullin, turning to Caleb. "He's scared. Brody's snooping about the grimoire has them worried. What could have them so worried about you wanting to know about this grimoire?"

Caleb listened to Kevan, and then took a closer look at Mullin. They had had dealings over the centuries, but only when absolutely necessary, so he knew him somewhat, at least as much as you could ever know one of them, and sure enough, there it was, just like as Kevan had pointed out. If you weren't looking, you would have missed the flash in the eyes, the subtle twitch in the body.

"Kevan's right," Caleb told him. "Something's got you running scared."

"You're as crazy as your girlfriend," Mullin shouted at Caleb. Good thing looks usually couldn't kill.

"Yeah, yeah, big bad demon, nothing scares you." Kevan gasped at Caleb's taunts. "You can deny it till the next century, but I can see it in your eyes, something's got you seriously worried, what is it?" Caleb wanted to know. "If you had something to do with the beating that Brody got, so help me ..."

"We had nothing to do with your protégé's lesson, but maybe he should watch out to from whom he seeks answers in the future," Mullin advised. "Now, I came here looking for a mutual exchange of information, but if you aren't interested ..." He started to move away.

"I don't know what information you thought that you would find," Caleb said, before Mullin got off the steps. "But a mutual exchange of information was not one of them; you came here on a fishing expedition. You're trying to find out what information we have on the grimoire. Sure makes me wonder why Leonard is suddenly so interested in it. What good would it do you?" Caleb asked, watching for anything that might give him an idea. "Tell Leonard that we might be interested in an exchange of information, but then again, we might not be. If we decide that we are, then we'll contact him, but he had better be ready with truths, and if we do decide to talk with him, you're no longer welcome."

Caleb's challenge altered Mullin's demeanor, revealing one pissed off demon. Everyone was aware of the surging anger whipping through the air, pulsing and sparking as it bounced off unseen energy lines. Human eyes disappeared, narrowing, and the perfect teeth became rows of what looked to be miniature daggers.

"How dare you treat me like a human?" he roared, springing towards Caleb. Red energy lines flashed back and forth between the demon's hands, and the glint in his black eyes said he wanted to do some damage, only this time Kevan was ready for him. Reacting like as they had trained her, stepping up as she reached down within herself, Kevan grabbed the simmering, swirling tide of power that was bubbling deep within her body, and focused on holding onto its slippery threads, bending it to do her will. She had learned a lot, but it still didn't come naturally for her. Ego-fueled determination to protect those she loved drew her hands out, visible power growing around her fingers, and licking at her wrists before bolting out, slamming into Mullin with enough force to send him flying back thirty feet. The demon lay on his back, smoke swirling around him, then with a flick of a wrist, he put out the fire that engulfed him from Kevan's energy bolt. His hatred burned bright in his glare at Kevan, daring Caleb to start something so he could make the witch pay for this humiliation.

"I dare you to try that again." Kevan taunted, waiting and watching to see what Mullin would do. However, his eyes never left the warriors that surrounded him. "No? Good plan," she told him. She wouldn't, and didn't let this asshole see how scared she really was. "Now, Caleb told you we'd be in touch when, or if, we wanted what you might have. Get the hell out of here." Mullin pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his suit, back to his form of business man, his every movement precise and deliberate, but the anger was there, boiling just below the surface, and they could all feel it.

"Leonard will know of this insult, and not be happy." He glared at Kevan. "Watch your back, witch," he threatened. "You never know when you will need our assistance, because now it will cost you more than you'll ever know." He then vanished.

Kevan attempted to throw herself into Caleb's arms. "Oh gods, that was really a demon?" she cried, as her fear took over.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Caleb yelled at her. He held her at arm's length, looking into her eyes, trying to shake some sense into her, before he pulled her into his arms, crushing her to his chest. "He could have snatched you, and we wouldn't have been able to follow him." Kevan stayed quiet. Caleb's arms crushed the ability to breathe, never mind to answer questions.

"Hey big guy, you need to ease up, she needs to breathe," Brody told him with a touch to Caleb's arm. Kevan felt Caleb loosen his hold, but he didn't let her go.

"Thanks, Brody," Kevan gasped. She pushed herself back so she could see Caleb's face. "He didn't want me," she told him. "He wanted to know what we knew. They're after the grimoire."

***

"You know something; you're going to have to explain this to me once again. Tell me why this Leonard character wouldn't be after the book?" Kevan asked them again. "Because I gotta tell you, your explanation makes absolutely no sense. Demons sound like the kind to want this grimoire."

"Oh for god's sake, woman," Marcus growled, as he planted himself in one of the chairs. "What is so difficult to understand?"

"I don't know, you telling me that it doesn't matter that this demon, and let me get this right, this high level demon, according to you guys, who is asking us about the grimoire, isn't after it," Kevan spat back at Marcus, getting pissed off at his highhanded attitude. Just because they were new to this supernatural stuff didn't mean that they were stupid, and what he was telling her was just plain stupid.

"Well then, here it is again, for the fifteenth time," Marcus drawled. He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his legs, tenting his fingers together, and staring straight at Kevan. "I will try and make this as simple as possible for you to comprehend."

"Marcus!" Caleb warned his brother.

"No Caleb, I'm tired. We have been at this for hours, and they refuse to accept that we know what we're talking about. We are warriors, but we aren't stupid," he snarled, and glared at Kaitlyn and Kevan, who were just as frustrated over the communication chasm.

"Yeah well, we may be humans, but we aren't stupid either," Kaitlyn chimed in.

"Oh gods, here we go again." Marcus rolled his eyes, as he leaned back in the chair. Kaitlyn barely resisted the urge to smack the smug look off his face.

"Oh you ... if you would get your head out of your ass, things might not take as long; you might even hear what we're telling you. You keep telling us that Leonard, a high-level demon, specifically sent someone to talk to you when he discovered that we were asking questions about the grimoire, but it doesn't matter. Are you smoking crack, or what?" Kaitlyn pointed out.

"Excuse me?" Marcus barked at her, and jumped to his feet to get in Kaitlyn's face.

"Your explanations are the biggest load of bull shit that I have ever heard, and no, I will not excuse you," Kaitlyn snapped at him.

"Marcus, you're not stupid, don't start acting like it now," Kevan shot at him.

"Hey, you all need to calm down," Caleb shouted, trying to defuse the situation.

"I'm not going to calm down. Think about this for one second, you should know us well enough by now to know that telling us a demon doesn't want the grimoire, just because he's a demon... it reeks like a huge load of crap," Kaitlyn finished at high volume.

"It can't use it, it's a demon, so why would it need it, or want it?" Marcus bellowed at her. "The Drusa grimoire is a spell book made up of spells that can only be used by witches, warlocks, and sorcerers. It's a demon, it can't use the spells."

"So what? That is the most asinine reasoning that I have ever heard," Kevan shouted, getting frustrated with Marcus' one-dimensional thinking. "Oh my gods, you are the most frustrating man."

"At least we know that someone had a sense of humour," Kaitlyn joked, trying to break the tension that was engulfing the room.

"Excuse me?" Marcus roared, confusion reigning on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, think about it. It all makes perfect sense. Can you think of a better way of evening the playing field? It wouldn't do to let everyone have the same ability, now would it?"

"You're a strange woman," Marcus muttered, as he threw his hands up in aggravation. "Your mind comes up with the weirdest ideas, going off in different tangents; how does someone even think like that?"

"You know that I'm right," Kaitlyn smiled, enjoying herself as she watched Marcus run his hands through his hair in frustration. "Okay, for the slow ones, listen up. If all the races had the ability to cast spells, then the stronger ones would have enslaved the weaker centuries ago. The PTB's have given us a fighting chance of survival." Kaitlyn felt she had explained herself quite clearly.

"The PTB's?"

"Oh, come on, you should know that. PTB, the powers that be," Kaitlyn told him.

Marcus stared at her, wanting to scream, wanting to tell her that she was crazy, that she had no idea what she was talking about. Instead, he had to clench his jaw and grind his teeth. "As much as I don't want to admit this, and believe me I really don't want to admit this, but what she ..." he pointed in Kaitlyn's direction, "said, actually makes some sense."

"Yes!" Kaitlyn cheered with a fist pump, and then stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't let it go to your head," Marcus growled. "Most the time, the stuff that comes out of your mouth makes absolutely no sense."

"Enough," Caleb interrupted. "We're getting off the subject at hand."

"You're totally right, we are," Kevan told them. "But you're still wrong."

"Kevan," Caleb sighed.

"No, I mean it, listen to me, okay? You say that Leonard is a demon, therefore can't use the book to cast the spells, fine, I understand that, no big deal. But what's to stop him from hooking up with someone that can, and somehow getting them to do the dirty work?"

"Hooking up, now we are to think like fifteen year old teenagers?" Marcus uttered, wishing for his orderly life back.

"You know, you're really are very impressive," Kaitlyn told Marcus, her face very serious.

"It's about time you noticed," Marcus declared.

"Yeah, the fact that you're able to walk upright with your head shoved up your ass is amazing," Kaitlyn spat at him.

"Oh gods Kaitlyn, knock it off!" Kevan sighed. Marcus had a grin on his face. "I wouldn't look so pleased with yourself, mister. You know, we may be new to all this shit, but that doesn't mean that we can't add two plus two. Why wouldn't a demon gain control of someone that could cast the spells in the grimoire? He would have the entire world under his thumb. However, you act like I'm the crazy one who doesn't know what she's talking about. You both have to come up with explanations for dismissing a demon with a great interest in this book, as well as the fact that you KNOW both Mullin, and this Leonard character."

Caleb looked to Marcus, who had paused, thinking for a moment before he nodded his agreement. "We've dealt with It a few times over the years," Caleb admitted.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" she teased. "You guys would know better than I would; so do you think he's asking about the book just for the hell of it, or does he want something more?"

"It wants something more," Caleb reluctantly agreed with her. "But I'm still with Marcus on the fact that _It_ doesn't want the book."

"Okay stop, why do you keep calling him, _It_?" Kaitlyn demanded to know. "I don't know about you, but Mullin certainly looked like a man to me?"

" _It_ wasn't a man. _It_ was a demon that has taken on the image of a human." Marcus saw no point in Kaitlyn's interest in humanizing a creature.

"Whatever, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck ..." Kaitlyn argued.

"Doesn't make it a real duck!" Marcus ground out. "It's not human, it's a demon!"

"How about, rather than confusing us further, we say he or him, rather than _It_. We know that _It_ is not human, but it would make things so much easier for us to say, and think of Mullin as him."

"You need to learn this shit," Marcus growled at her.

"We are, but you have to give us a chance!" she shot back, hands planted on her hips, not backing down from the glaring general. "As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day."

"I know that Rome wasn't built in a day," Marcus shot at her. "I was there." Kaitlyn's mouth dropped open as she clued in to just how old these guys really were.

"Okay, now that we have had our history lesson, can we continue?" Kevan wanted to know.

"Sorry Sis, please carry on," Kaitlyn told her, as she continued to watch Marcus very closely.

"Thank you, now where was I? Oh yeah, you keep saying that he doesn't want the book but..."

"He doesn't want the book," Caleb reiterated.

"But what if he does?" Kevan argued.

"Kevan, you don't understand, even if he," Caleb looked to Kaitlyn who smiled, and nodded her head, while Marcus groaned and rolled his eyes. "Even if he did have someone who was able to cast the spells from the book, he wouldn't have ultimate control, and I don't think that Leonard would trust someone enough to allow them that amount of power. It doesn't make sense."

"Why not?" Kaitlyn argued. "Okay, okay, you've made your point, but now listen to mine. Somewhere out there is this book of catastrophic spells, according to you, right?" She looked for confirmation from Caleb, who nodded his agreement.

"Why wouldn't he want it? Even if he can't use it, if he has it, he still holds a lot of power," Kaitlyn speculated. "Maybe he just wants to make sure that no one else gets it! You know, the whole, I've got the biggest cock, attitude."

"Now she starts making sense," Marcus muttered to himself. Kaitlyn flipped him the bird.

"Love the analogy, Sis." Kevan smiled at the mischievous grin plastered on Kaitlyn's face. "So here are the facts: this book is a threat to all of us, right? So what kinds of spells are in it?" Kevan wanted to know. She watched as they all shot looks back and forth to each other but stayed silent. "Hello, I'm talking to you, asking questions, what kinds of spells are in this book?"

"That's just it, Kevan, we don't know," Caleb stated.

"Excuse me? What do you mean you don't know?" she yelled at them. "I'm so goddamn tired of not getting information. You guys must know who would have knowledge. I'm sick to death of feeling like an idiot. Fuck, for all we know, it could all be nothing more than an urban legend." Kevan shook her head with frustration. "Or it could be some dusty old book that has nothing but nonsense in it. Daphne was murdered, and it could have been for nothing more than a rumor."

"Kevan, it's not nothing," Niall spoke up. "Samhain went crazy after he supposedly found it."

"And that is the key word, isn't it? Supposedly." Kevan pointed out, "You all believe it, they believe it, and all the races know about this book, that it is supposed to be locked up in the .... They all looked confused, as she tried to recall what Caleb had called it. "You know the library thingy?"

"You mean the Repository of Knowledge," Caleb supplied.

"Yes, that thing, but now this horrid book is floating around out there somewhere."

"Well, I doubt it's floating," Caleb teased her. Kevan looked at him, rolling her eyes.

"You know what I mean; this thing could be absolutely nothing."

"You could be completely right. This whole thing could be about nothing, but what if it's not? What if the book is real and the threat is real?"

"Well then, I guess we had better do something about it, shouldn't we?" Kevan informed him. "If this whole thing started because Dreyden wanted the book, then it is up to us to ensure that he doesn't get it."

"So that is the plan?" Kaitlyn questioned. Caleb looked at the rest standing in the room. They each nodded their agreement.

"I guess that's the plan," Caleb stated.

"I hate to break the news to you bad boys, but you need to work on your planning skills, because this one really sucks," Kaitlyn informed them.

***

She shifted her gaze from the house to the man seated next to her, "Are you sure this is the right place?" They had been parked in front of the older home, waiting for Niall and Marcus to join them.

"Kevan, for the fifth time, yes we're sure, at least as sure as we can be," Caleb told her, turning her to face him, cupping her cheek, his thumb caressing her bottom lip. Her eyes searched his, trying to reassure herself that he really wanted to do this. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" he asked her.

Kevan smiled as she leaned over, kissing him. "I would love to say that we should slow down, but I'm beyond the point of no return. Before I met you, my life was as boring as plain toast, and as much as I like plain toast, I really prefer peanut butter and jam on it, too."

Caleb smiled. "I'm glad Marcus isn't around to hear you compare us to peanut butter and jam on toast. I really don't know how he would take it."

"Well, just so you know, I really like my peanut butter and jam," she whispered, pressing in for a kiss.

"I'm really glad you like your peanut butter and jam, just so long as they stay in the kitchen," Caleb teased.

"Oh, but baby, the fun we could have ..." Her eyes twinkled with promise, as their lips met, parting to give way to their mounting passion. She slipped closer to Caleb, until she finally slid over his legs, straddling his lap, and Caleb didn't lose his control over her mouth, nor falter in his caress of her back, timing her straddle with a pull of her shirt from the waistband of her jeans. Kevan jerked back with surprise at the knock on the window, which brought her crashing back to reality. Looking out the driver's side, her eyes encountered a smiling Niall, who gave her a wink and finger wave. Kevan moaned, as Caleb reluctantly moved her off his lap.

"Ready?" Caleb asked her one more time.

"I guess," Kevan told him, stepping out to join Niall and Marcus.

"Did we keep you waiting? We do apologize for the interruption." Niall smiled and winked. "Hey," he rubbed the back of his head as Marcus shot him a look, as well as a smack, "What is your problem?"

"You!" Marcus growled. "Would you stop acting like a horny teenager?"

"Just because you haven't gotten any, in like forever ..." Niall teased him, as they moved through the gate, and up the sidewalk towards the house. Kevan shook her head as she watched them.

"We really need to get them girlfriends," she muttered, tweaking her clothes, tucking her shirt in.

"Yeah, I'll jump right on that," Caleb told her, as he tried to will himself back under control.

"I'm serious. As much as I don't want to agree with Marcus, all Niall thinks about is sex."

"Just so you know, I always have, and always will." Kevan turned bright red when she twisted to face Niall and Marcus, who had moved back into hearing range. He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Don't worry, Kevan. Caleb's already told me that he's not willing to share ..."

"Why me? I'm surrounded by randy, immortal horn dogs," Kevan muttered, as she forced her way through them, heading up to the front door, chuckles of laughter following her. Pushing aside everything else, she concentrated on the house that they were approaching. Taking a calming breath, she looked to Caleb, who took her hand, squeezing it to reassure her that all would be fine.

The grand old house would have been the queen of the neighborhood, once. But now it was showing its age with remnants of peeling paint, broken shutters, and overgrown weeds sprouting out of the cracks in the walk way that wound its way to the old, faded front door. Kevan's powers responded, foretelling that everything was about to change the moment that they knocked on the door. Caleb waited, watching the looks that flashed across her face.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"No," Kevan whispered.

"We don't have to do this Kevan. We can try to find another way, if you want?" he told her.

Kevan smiled, "Thanks but no, it's okay. I'm just feeling a little emotional at the moment, for some reason. I know, it doesn't make any sense to me either, but I just have a feeling in my gut that the moment I knock on this door, everything is going to change. I can't explain how I know, I just do."

"Kevan, everything in your life has changed, from us to what you learned about your parents; this can't be any worse, and no matter what, I will be right beside you." Reaching out, she kissed his cheek and soaked in the warmth of his hold, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Let's do this," she told him. Stepping up to the door, she paused, looking around, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had invaded her body. It was a feeling that occurring with increasing frequency over the past few weeks, comparable to sensing a spying Joseph, yet different. Since they had stepped out of Caleb's Expedition, the feeling had been growing steadily. Someone or something wasn't happy that they were here, and she could feel it stalking her, and the others as well. She knew that they were going to have to stop it.

"Kevan?" Niall questioned. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," she whispered. Kevan gave her head a shake, looked at the guys, then back to the house. "I'm fine, let's do this."

"Yes, let us talk to the crazy man's family," Marcus drawled, the sarcasm dripping in his tone.

"Like that attitude is going to help us," Kevan snarled at him. "How about you let me do the talking, that way we might get something that might actually help us, rather than getting kicked out the front door."

"He went crazy," Marcus stated. "That's a fact."

"So what, this is his family and we need their help. Stop acting like you are so superior, because you aren't."

"The man has been dead for almost a hundred years. Why the hell would they care how I talk about him?"

Kevan shook her head in disbelief; the cairbare may have lived among humans for a long time, but they still had a lot to learn.

She pointed her finger at Marcus in warning. "I will do the talking, and that is the final word on that subject."

"A little discipline would do wonders for your attitude," Marcus warned her.

Caleb gave his brother a hard look. "Marcus, enough," he warned with a growl.

"Fine, let her take control, but if she makes a mess of it, I will be the first to say I told you so."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Kevan muttered, as she bound up the creaking steps onto the front porch, headed for the front door, pausing a moment before she pushed the doorbell. The booming echo, which reminded Kevan of the sound of an old fashion gong, reverberated throughout the old house, making it shake from the rafters to the foundation, and into the far reaches of the house. All that was missing was the old, hunched back, grey haired butler to open the door, and it would be the start of a horror movie. Stepping back from the door, she welcomed the comfort of being surrounded by three seasoned warriors, as the images of all those horror movies that Kaitlyn had forced her to watch over the years flashed through her mind.

They waited patiently for the door to open, hearing a clearly audible sound of someone on the other side making their way to the door. Shifting from foot to foot, Kevan was starting to think that the door would never open, when the door handle turned, and the old door swung freely inward, the old wood seeming to sigh. The individual who was standing in the door way certainly wasn't the image they had been expecting.

"Yes?" She was about ten years old, and cute as a button. Crystal clear blue eyes framed by long blond hair that hung half way down her back, made better with a smile. She was a tiny thing. "Can I help you?" she questioned. Kevan wasn't aware that she was staring; the girl's soul held such great age. She shifted her stance, making Kevan snap to.

"I'm sorry," she said, crouching a little. "We're looking for the relatives of Dexter Samhain. Would that happen to be your family?"

"That would depend upon whom it is that is asking?" Kevan's brow crinkled, as she stared at the young girl who had spoken like an adult.

"How old are you?" Kevan questioned, as all kinds of ideas raced through her head.

The girl asked. "What difference does that make?" Kevan watched her carefully; worry flaring with that hinky feeling that they had walked into a trap.

"Are your parents' home?" Niall questioned her.

"Well, considering they are both dead, I'd say that is highly unlikely," she stated very matter-of-factly.

"Then what about your parental figure?" Marcus requested. She looked them over for a few seconds, sizing them up before she turned, yelling over her shoulder.

"Nans! Visitors!" she screeched as only little girls can, before turning back. "You might as well come in. Nans will be with you in a moment." She stepped aside to let them in.

"You're rather trusting, aren't you?" Kevan questioned, concerned that anyone could walk in with such relaxed attitudes. Something about this girl reached out to her. "You have no idea who we are, or what we could want or do?"

A smile lit on the girl's lips and travelled to her eyes. For someone so young, she was certainly very confident, and it showed with every movement and gesture that she made. "You wouldn't have gotten as far as you have, if you had ill intentions towards us." With that, she turned and escorted them into a sitting room just off the front foyer. As run down as the outside was, the inside was well cared for. It still showed its age, couches and chairs showing decades of use, the faded drapes of a bygone era teasing the eye with a ghost of past glory. Kevan took it all in, appreciating the hard work, ensuring that even as old as it all was and it had been taken care of, clean and homey.

"Good day lady and gentlemen." They stood to face an older woman who joined them. "Please have a seat."

"Nan?" the girl took on the role of protector.

"Hush child, all's fine. Go put the kettle on, and check your sisters for me, please."

"But Nan, please?" she begged.

"Julia, child, go. I need to talk to these good people, privately." Julia's shoulders sagged, as she walked slowly to the door, hesitating to look over her shoulder, the older women propelling her along with her fingers, and then she carried on out the door. They all watched Julia exit the room before they realized that the old woman was speaking to them. They turned their attention back to her.

"Well, I knew someone would be coming, but I certainly wasn't expecting cairbare royalty, or you, young lady," she told them, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Excuse me?" Kevan inquired, feeling confused.

"Nothing to be excused, young lady." A tired smile lit her face. Caleb looked at her closely, before he leaned over and whispered something to Niall, whose eyes widened with surprise, before he looked closely at the woman sitting across from them.

"Yes," she told them with a smile. Kevan flashed back and forth between Caleb, and the woman seated across from them.

"Okay, would you tell me what the hell is going on?" she questioned Caleb.

"Kevan." She turned to look at the woman, her mouth dropping open.

"How...?"

"How do I know your name?" she asked Kevan, as she reached out to take Kevan's hand, but Kevan moved away, a sudden feeling of panic gripping her. "It's all right, my dear, I won't hurt you. I know your name, and I know what you are, because I'm a seer."

"A what?"

"A seer," Caleb whispered to Kevan. "She can see the future."

"So what, she's a psychic?" Kevan asked with doubt.

"Similar, but not quite the same." She reached out again for Kevan's hand, only this time Kevan didn't pull away. "I'm like an oracle without all the riddles; well, that's not true either, how about we say I don't have as many riddles, and leave it at that." Kevan stared at her.

"The young girl, is she your granddaughter?"

"Oh, thank you my dear, but no, Julia is my great-great-granddaughter."

"How old..."

"I'm 98 years old, my dear." Kevan was shocked. She looked very young for her age, but Kevan was shocked that she had custody of her great-great-granddaughters, from the sound of it. "So you have come looking for answers, answers that I'm willing to give you, but they will cost you," she told them, all business.

"How much?" Marcus, ever the practical, questioned. She turned to study him, and they watched as a smile slowly spread across her face.

"Yes, you will do very well," she told him.

"Excuse me?" Marcus asked of her.

"Relax young man, please have a seat, we need to talk." She held out her free hand towards the empty chair next to her. Marcus watched her warily before he moved to do as she requested. "So, as I was telling you, I have been expecting someone for a long time, but I'm surprised that it's you-all."

"Are you disappointed?" Kevan asked, hoping the owner of the hand holding hers would never pull away, never take away the warmth and protection the soft, aged skin gave.

She smiled at Kevan again. "Oh, my dear, disappointed that is the last thing I am in who has finally come to find me."

"So, as a seer, I assume that you know why we are here?" Caleb asked her.

"Yes dear, you are looking for my dear great-great-grandfather's research," she told him. "And like I told you, I am more than willing to give it to you, but it's going to cost you."

"Fine," Marcus told her. "How much would you like?"

"Oh, my dear boy, I'm not seeking money." She chuckled while patting Marcus' knee. He shifted uncomfortably under her watchful eyes.

"But you said that it was going to cost us. What do we have that you would consider payment?" he asked, exasperation showing on his face.

"Oh, there will be payment demands, from you maybe more than the others, as it would seem that you will be willing. But it is not about money, not for this." Marcus continued staring at her with confusion. Kevan leaned forward, grabbing the old woman's attention.

"What would you like then..." Kevan looked to her.

"Astral, Astral Samhain Mason," she supplied them with her name. "You are here for all the research that Dexter Samhain, my great-great-grandfather gathered in his quest for the Lost Repository."

"Astral." Kevan greeted, she paused before continuing. "Yes we are looking for anything you have or know about Dexter's research."

"You know that you aren't the first to come looking for it?" she asked.

"No, we figured that there had been others before," Niall said.

"Yes, there has been, but not in a long time," Astral whispered, as memories of the past floated through her mind. Then she looked to them again. "Not all have been searching with the right intentions."

"Who has been here?" Kevan asked her.

"They aren't important now. You're here, and you're whom I'm going to entrust my family's legacy to."

"What?" Caleb started in shock. He hadn't expected it to be quite so easy.

"Don't look so surprised, young man; I am a seer," She smiled. "I have always known there would come a day that I would pass it on, but I certainly never expected that it would be to you-all."

"You act like you know us," Kevan said. "How come?"

"In some ways, my dear, I do." She reached out, touching Kevan's chest right above her heart. "I know what is in here, and it's good. That is why I know that you're the ones to whom I should entrust my family legacy. It's fate, even if you like to believe that you make your own destiny." She leaned over, and whispered to Kevan. "I know your beliefs, but there are certain things that come, no matter what your choices are. Fate keeps things interesting. This is one of your interesting moments, my dear. I have known that you would come since I was a very young girl, long before you were even a twitch in the universe. I just waited for the stars to align, and now they have." She gave them a grin, mischievous intelligence shining brightly from her eyes. She might play the role of a sweet gentle woman, but cross her and watch out. "Now I know that you have some other questions. Please ask, I will answer everything that I can."

Kevan sat, unsure what to ask her. Astral spoke with such confidence, and the hope Kevan felt about success left her feeling on solid ground, for a change. She looked to Caleb, who smiled, feeling the same thing as Kevan.

"What do you know about your great-great-grandfather?"

"Well, I do know that he wasn't crazy like the stories claim," Astral asserted. "No better way to put people off than to play the part of a crazy person. I'd say it worked, wouldn't you?" Kevan liked the pride in Astral's voice. She knew a lot more than she was saying.

"Did he find the Drusa grimoire?" Niall asked her.

"I don't know," Astral admitted. "He found something, but he never told anyone what it was. He hinted at its importance, but if it was the Drusa grimoire, he never said. What he found disturbed him greatly, I do know that. My grandmother would talk about how he changed so suddenly from a happy open man, to a paranoid person without trust for anyone, or anything."

"What about the diary?" Caleb inquired. "Did it have directions?"

"It might have, but I never saw it; I just remember hearing about the stories of how it was stolen."

"Stolen?" Kevan was pissed about that. "Gods, this is turning into some hokey mystery novel."

Astral laughed at the analogy. "You will find life mimics art, not always the other way around. Anyhow, the diary was stolen from this house."

Niall cleared his throat, "The diary was stolen from us, too. That was about seventy years ago."

"So it was stolen again, was it? Stolen twice, once from our family, and then from yours," Astral said, mostly to herself.

Kevan leaned back with surprise. "Are you saying that the cairbare stole it from you?"

"Girl, you don't think we gave it to the cairbare for safekeeping, did you? It was stolen shortly after Dexter's death, from right here in the house. We were never sure who had it over the years; now we know it was the cairbare."

Kevan groaned, "Damn, no one here has seen the diary for seventy years, or more," then asked Astral, "do you have any sense of where it might be?"

"No. I'm sorry my dear, my gift doesn't work that way," Astral admitted.

"It was worth a shot." Kevan sighed, "Alright, what can you tell us about Dexter's diary; anything would be a great help?"

Astral watched Kevan closely, before she pulled her close into a hug, saying low and soft, "My dear, you and your family are destined for great things; this is just the beginning. So much strength, compassion, and the love you have; seems fate has decided to reveal some players."

She let Kevan go, and turned to look at the three cairbare sitting in the room. "I have a few things to tell you all." Astral came to her feet, and walked over to Caleb, who had also gotten to his feet. The warrior towered over her by almost a foot, but nobody would ever think that this woman wasn't powerful when she easily focused Caleb's attention with a grip of hands.

"Hold her close, trust her strength. When you think she is at her weakest, remember, she will be at her strongest." Caleb felt her influence leave him when Astral turned her look and touch to Niall. "The Prince. You have led your warriors well. You must trust that you will have the answers you seek, but only when the time is right. Trust yourself, and those near you; they will not let you down. You must practice patience to face something unexpected. It will take time to see the treasure for what it is, but once you do, it will be something that you will cherish for all time." Niall shook his head clear when she turned to Marcus, stretching to cup his cheek.

Kevan could see a tear in the old woman's eye as she stared into him. "Your answers are coming, not as soon as you would like, and not in the way you're expecting, but they are coming. Also, much will be asked of you, but nothing that you cannot handle. You will grow to love it." Marcus gave his head a jerk at the release of Astral's hand, too slow to catch her when she sagged. Kevan raced to her side, and helped her to a chair.

"Thank you, my dear, they are harder than they used to be," she muttered.

"Did you just have a vision?" Kevan was quite intrigued by what she saw.

"That is one way of describing them." She patted Kevan's hand. "You are on the right path. Carry on the way you are headed, and it will lead you to what you seek."

"What?" Kevan gasped with surprise, wondering at the twinkle in Astral's eyes. "Do you..."

"Dear, I have known that you were coming for a long time; everything will be delivered by the end of the day. I wish I could tell you more of what lies ahead, but all I see is clouds. It will get harder before it gets easier, I do know that. But don't despair; you are all up for the challenges ahead, all of you."

"What becomes harder? This is why I don't trust prophecy, too many riddles, and not enough answers," Marcus pushed, wanting to know more.

Astral shrugged. "Only time, and the paths that fate helps you choose, can answer that. Now as I told you, this comes with a price."

"What?" Marcus asked, suddenly very wary.

"A promise," she told them.

"A promise of what?" Kevan asked her, as she looked to the others.

"A promise that when the time is right, and I call for my payment, you will do as I ask without question or hesitation." She watched them carefully.

"What is the promise?" Marcus asked her, not liking this.

"We promise," Kevan spoke up. Astral smiled, as she looked to the men. "Promise, you guys!" Kevan ordered them.

"But we have no idea what we are promising to do. It could be anything," Marcus argued. Caleb watched her for a moment, before he nodded his head in agreement.

"You have our word that we will honor our debt to you, Astral Samhain Mason." Astral gave them a smile that lit up the room.

"You honor me," she told them. "Thank you; now please be seated, join us for tea, it's not often that we get visitors. I'm sure that Julia has it ready; she has been listening to us for the past fifteen minutes." They all looked to the doorway where Julia had exited earlier, grinning when they heard the muttered curse. "It's alright; dear, just please bring the tea."

***

Astral stood at the doorway with her arm wrapped around her great-great-granddaughter's shoulder, watching her visitors climb into their vehicles.

"You heard?" Astral questioned.

"Yes, Nan." Julia told her.

"You have the address?"

"Yes, Nan."

"Commit it to memory," she ordered Julia.

"But Nan ..."

"My dear Julia," she tipped Julia's chin up, wiping away the tears that gathered in the corners. "No tears, my darling child. I do love you, and your sisters very much, but you have to follow through with the promise you made me, when the time comes. Promise me."

"I promise, Nan," Julia told her.

"Good, good, now where are your sisters?" Astral asked. Julia wrapped her arms around Astral's waist, holding onto the only family besides her younger sisters that she had left in the world.

"I love you, Nan."

"I love you too, honey. Now come on, let's go find your sisters."

***

Caleb looked in on Kevan. "Come up with anything yet?"

"No, nothing," Kevan groused, as she scanned yet another pile of papers. Looking up, she felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume that still awaited her. "How the hell am I going to find anything in all this mess?" She looked as if hopelessness would was threatening to overwhelm her. "I design jewelry. I'm not a researcher. What made me think I could do this?"

"Kevan!" She just stared at the piles of boxes that were stacked all around the room. "Kevan!" She looked at Caleb, tears threatening. "No tears, you can do this," he promised her.

"How? Look at all this stuff to get through. I know that we'll get through it, but it's going to take forever."

"Then use your ability," he told her.

"What?" she gave him a strange look? "What are you talking about?"

"Kevan, you're a detector. That means that you find hidden things." His hand swept around, encompassing the entire room. "I would certainly say that is the case here, wouldn't you?"

"How? It's like looking for a needle in a hay stack. There has to be ten thousand pieces of paper here, and we have no idea what we're even looking for. What was it that he found that led him to the grimoire, if that is what he found?" Kevan whined. "How is my gift going to help us?"

"I don't know, but why not give it a try, and see what happens? It's certainly better then standing here complaining about it."

"Oh, you're a big help, telling me to use my gift. Thanks! I never thought of that," Kevan laughed weakly. "I have no idea how to even go about doing that. If you have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated."

"Kevan, it's your gift; only you can work it. But I might be able to help you with how to use your ability. Come here." He held out his hand, and pulled her out of the middle of the mess, then turned her so she was faced everything. He positioned her in front of him. "Close your eyes." Kevan sighed in frustration, but did as he asked her. "Now think about what you want to find. Push everything else out of your mind except that one thing, and then concentrate on that one thing." Kevan squeezed her eyes shut and tried, but nothing happened. She half turned to look at him. He gave her a look before he turned her back towards the boxes. "It'll work Kevan, you just have to believe; now try again. Close your eyes, relax, let everything else go, think only about what you want to find. You can do this, Kevan; your power is exactly what this is meant for. All that time with Joseph must have taught you something about state of mind, so use your training."

"We need to find the information about the grimoire; I'll think about that, but don't be mad if this doesn't work," she warned him. She closed her eyes again, her breath slowing, letting her body relax as her thoughts focused in on the one thing that she wanted to find.

His hands rested lightly on Kevan's shoulders, and he could feel her body beginning to relax as she let things go.

Kevan let Caleb's voice get filtered through a blanket, then she felt herself floating, her body free of the earth's gravity. Her eyes opened to look at the room around her, finding what she was expecting to see layered with a new overlay. The papers had their own auras, as she had only seen around other living things. Her eyes lit on box after box, moving on, knowing that it didn't hold what she was seeking. Slowly, she moved around the room, at first randomly, until her entire body tensed, and she moved with purpose to the boxes sitting in the far corner of the room. She tossed three boxes until she exposed a fourth. The lid dropped to the floor, and her fingers began seeking what she was looking for, knowing that she would feel the right thing the second she touched it. She was about half way through the box, when she touched an envelope that was in the middle of another stack of papers, along with a wooden box. It was like an elastic band stretched to its maximum tension, and then suddenly broke. Her body sagged, and she only avoided collapse when Caleb grabbed her.

His shouting out her name snapped her eyes open.

"Wow," she gushed. "That was the best experience! I'm going to grill Joseph about out of body stuff. Wow!"

Caleb picked her up, carrying her to the couch that had been shoved into the center of the room.

"That was terrifying!" he told her, his body radiating his tension. "It was like you disappeared. I kept calling your name, but you couldn't hear me." He held her crushed to his chest, kissing her forehead. "I didn't like it."

Kevan squeezed him back, trying to let him know that she was fine. After a few minutes, she eased out of his arms, anxious to look at what she had found. Caleb reluctantly released her, watching her cautiously to ensure that she was fine. Kevan pulled the papers out of the envelope that she had focused on. A short time later, she looked up. Caleb saw her face fill with excitement and shock, as she handed them to Caleb. He took papers in hand, and did a quick scan over what she had just read. Looking up, his eyes danced with excitement equal to how Kevan was feeling.

"Damn woman, you're good." She launched herself into his arms.
Chapter Eighteen

Checking her watch again, Kevan shifted anxiously from foot to foot, smiling when she felt Caleb's arm encircle her waist.

"Stop bouncing, you're driving me crazy."

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm nervous."

"You have nothing to be nervous about; everything is going to be okay." He kissed the side of her head.

"Awe, true love, ain't it grand!" They jumped apart, turning to face the two who had appeared behind them. Caleb glared at the two men, as Kevan looked them over, thinking to herself, that if this was their real appearance, it was no wonder why so many people fell into their aura. Caleb's touch broke the allure they cast, and suddenly they didn't seem so attractive to her anymore.

"I told him that he wasn't welcome," Caleb growled.

"Like I would do what you want. Mullin is my right hand man, besides I wouldn't be here if he hadn't insisted that I come and listen to you. Personally I think that you have nothing of interest for me." Kevan found she couldn't take her eyes off him, not because she was attracted to him, but she was having a hard time reconciling all that they knew about him.

"You wanted this meeting," Caleb drawled.

"I was under the impression that it was to be a mutual exchange of information. But after Mullin came back from your last meeting, he made it seem like you weren't interested." Leonard pouted. "I moved on to other more interesting things." The unwanted visitors projected a supreme look of confidence.

"That's because we couldn't figure out what your interest in the grimoire would be; it's not like you can use it." Caleb shot him a look. "But you seemed to be eager for an exchange of information, so we thought we would meet with you, and see what you have that could be of interest to us." A sudden look of wariness settled over Leonard, and his movie star looks dimmed, as his mind was occupied with something else.

Caleb saw the shift, and smiled to himself as he watched Leonard's shields come back up; he know something was up. "Relax, Leo!" Caleb enjoyed himself while he watched Leonard bristle at the use of the hated nickname.

"You called me!" Leonard informed them through clenched teeth.

Kevan stated unexpectedly, "You know, I just can't get use to the fact that we can just pick up a phone, and call a demon any old time we want. What happened to the good old days when the only way to call a demon was to do a spell? Modern technology is great, but in some ways it doesn't make you guys feel quite so scary anymore."

"What?" Leonard hissed. Kevan knew she was pissing him off. "What do you want?"

"No, actually I think the question should be what do you want?" Kevan became very serious. "Why do you want the gimoire so badly?" She watched the emotions, if that was what a demon had, flash across his face. Whatever it was he wanted, he wanted it really bad, she could see it in his black soulless eyes.

"We're leaving!" Leonard stated, as he turned away from them.

"Uh, before you leave, can I ask you about Leila?" Kevan asked very causally, watching and waiting for a reaction. The change was instantaneous. The sky blackened with a threat of a storm, flashes of lightening streaked across the sky, his glamour dropped, and the real Leonard stood in front of them, warts and all.

"I think we've touched a nerve," Kevan whispered loudly to Caleb, who shook his head. He enjoyed Kevan's sense of humour, but sometimes it came out at the worst possible times. Leonard wasn't to be toyed with; he could do some very serious damage.

"Kevan!" he shot her a warning, and she gave him a wide eyed innocent look before she looked back at the hissing, spitting, eight foot tall, black and red demon. His eyes looked like they were made up of flames, pulsating anger flaring within them. Kevan smiled to herself, liking that she was able to knock an all-powerful demon off balance. She could sense the rising anger, which her question had invoked. She wanted to appear calm and unconcerned with his reactions, but all she had running through her head was, hurry up Kait, as they waited for the text message.

***

The vehicles pulled up in front of the address that they had tracked down for one Leila Lafayette. They had been shocked to discover on Google that she lived in Mission. The little information was the basics about her. She had taught high school science for two years before she left for some kind of medical reason; what, they hadn't been able to discover. A check into her family history showed a very long line, dating back hundreds of years. Someone unknown had been into the family tree stuff, and worked it back for almost 1500 years, which in itself was amazing. At one time, the family had been quite wealthy, but along the way both the family and money had slowly eroded away. Leila was the last of her family's line, her mother having died only a few years earlier, just before Leila had quit teaching. Now she was living isolated in the old family home, not communicating with the world. They had tried to call her by phone, but she didn't have one.

"I'll tell you one thing, Dexter Samhain was an amazing researcher," Kaitlyn stated, staring out the window at the vine covered, old, and run down house. It was dark and foreboding and you could almost feel the vibe of something being off around the house, but nothing that they could put their finger on. "This place would make an amazing back drop for a murder mystery." The writer within Kaitlyn was already spinning scenarios with which she could draw the readers in, until Eve smacked her shoulder, bringing her back to the here and now.

"Would you stop day dreaming about your stories and stay alert; sometimes, I swear Kaitlyn ..." Eve muttered, as she stepped out of the back of Roderic's SUV, rubbing her sweaty palms against her thighs, taking in the group assembled in front of the house. She was glad that Kevan had insisted that they be here. Eve suspected that this would have been a snatch, grab and deal with the consequences later operation, if Kaitlyn and Kevan hadn't argued that they needed this woman's assistance, and that they needed to try to make her understand how serious a threat this was, and ask for her help. Marcus hadn't agreed; he had tried to pull the general card with the others, but Eve told them that they weren't going to do anything that would hurt this poor woman.

"Now remember that..." The scream that ripped through the air sent a chill down their spines, and adrenaline surged through their veins, as they raced towards the house. Kayne and Marcus surged ahead of everyone, as they shimmered through the door, followed by Roderic and Niall. Kaitlyn shouted after them, as the guys disappeared into the house, while they still had to go through the front door.

"That is so not fair," she shouted. They had to take the old fashioned way. They burst in on the guys battling with a half dozen of what could only be described as half man, half some kind of weird animal out of a science fiction book. They looked around for some way to help, when Eve caught out of the corner of her eye saw someone disappearing around the corner.

"Hey!" Eve shouted. She took off, and rounded the corner, spotting a body struggling to get away from the thing that was dragging her towards the back of the house. "Let her go!" Eve screamed. She saw the thing dragging the body pause, and look back towards them. Kaitlyn was right behind her. Eve pushed her out of the way, as a black energy bolt slammed into the wall beside them, right where they had been standing only a second ago.

"Shit, that was close," Eve whispered to Kaitlyn, who snuck a quick look around the corner.

"I don't who the hell that was but I think that they are dragging who we came here to find towards the back door." Kaitlyn threw at her sister. "If we don't act quickly it's going to be too late."

Eve hung her head before she looked up at Kaitlyn, nodding her agreement. "Okay, how do you propose that we do that?" Eve wanted to know. "It's shooting energy bolts at us!"

"No shit, Sherlock," Kaitlyn stated, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, watch the language," Eve hissed, making Kaitlyn smile. "So what is the plan?"

"I'll go high, you stay low. You get her, and I'll go after whatever the hell that is," Kaitlyn informed Eve, and then she sprang to her feet, and took off after the struggling bodies.

"Hey! I didn't agree to your plan!" Eve shouted after her.

Kaitlyn raced around the corner, bouncing to the right, avoiding another energy bolt thrown in their direction. Her back pressed against the wall, panting as the fear and excitement she was feeling surged together, making her feel more alive than she could ever recall. The shaking of more energy bolts slamming into the other wall had her hugging the floor.

Damn, she thought to herself, she wished she could draw power like Kevan could, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. A scream forced her into action, as she pushed off the floor, breathed deep, and then raced around another corner, bursting into the back foyer. Heart pounding, blood racing, suddenly she felt a surge of power unlike anything she had ever felt before, and with it, a knowing of how to avoid the barrage that was coming her way. At the back door, she could see the struggle happening between the woman, and the thing attempting to drag her out the door. Another scream tore through the air, terror visible. She did not want to go with this thing.

"Let me go!" Leila screamed, as she beat on the arm that was wrapped around her. She was desperate to get away from it, she needed her medication they were the only thing that was going to snap her out of her delusion. Only this one was different from any that she had ever had before. This one felt so real. She kept a repeated her mantra in her head, it's not real, it's not real, but the monster continued to drag her towards the back door.

Leila twisted and searched for anything to use as a weapon, spotting the kitchen scrap pot left by the boot rack. She flailed about, just getting her fingers wrapped about the handle. Picking it up, she twisted, and swung as hard as she could. The pot collided with what she thought was its head, the aftershock zinging back up her arm. Her delusions didn't usually feel so real, but it worked. The arm dropped her to the floor, and she scrambled to get away.

Kaitlyn raced into the room screaming her head off, hoping to scare off whatever it was into dropping the body. It took one look at Kaitlyn and took off, bursting through the back door and sending wood flying in all directions. Kaitlyn dodged the shrapnel of splinters as she jumped through the door hot on its heels, trying to get it before it disappeared.

Leila stared after the screaming lady, before she pulled herself to her feet. She slid along the wall, moved into the kitchen, and stumbled to the sink. Gripping onto the counter stopped her from slipping back to the floor, but did nothing to stop her body from quivering in fear. Grabbing the bottle from the counter, she tried to open the child proof lid, but her hands didn't want to function normally. She struggled with the lid, finally getting it off, and shook out a couple pills into her hand. She reached out to grab one of the glasses sitting in the dish stand beside the sink, her attempt to fill it with enough water to take her pills failed with a crash, the glass in the sink shattering into shards.

Eve walked up behind Leila, making her jump again as she reached around, taking another glass. She passed the glass under the tap, and then pressed the glass into shaking hands before she stepped back. Reaching over, she picked up the bottle that sat uncapped on the counter, took a quick glance at the label on the bottle, then back to the woman who was tossing back the pills.

"Are you okay?" Eve questioned. Leila jerked at the sound of Eve's voice; turning, she stared at Eve, disbelief on her face as she reached out her hand toward her.

Eve took the shaking hand into hers. "I'm real," she reassured her.

"Real," Leila whispered. "You're real!"

Kaitlyn raced back into the kitchen, bending over, trying to get her breath after chasing the thing. "It got away," she panted. "Damn it was fast. Oh, by the way, I don't do running!" She looked to the woman standing at the counter, who was staring back with a look that said that she didn't know if this was real, or a nightmare. "Is she okay?" Kaitlyn questioned her sister.

Eve looked up from the woman as the guys flew through the door, checking to ensure that they were alright.

"They all disappeared," Marcus stated. The women stared at the warriors, covered in indefinable gore. Leila wondered where the hell they had come from, as she didn't recall seeing them before they had come into the kitchen.

"We need to get out of here right away; if reinforcements are called, we will be outnumbered. Let's get moving." He looked to the women watching him with an expression that could only be described as utter horror. "Is she ready?"

"Not yet," Eve told him. "We haven't even introduced ourselves yet."

"Well, make it quick. I don't like us in the open here. Get what she needs, and we'll get moving."

"Marcus, I don't think that it's going to be quite that simple," Eve told him.

"Who are you?" Leila questioned, stopping all conversation. "What are you doing in my house?"

"Are you Leila Lafayette?" Eve questioned, focusing her attention onto her.

"Who are you? How did you get into my house?" she looked around, seeing the damages. "Did you do this?"

"Leila?" She looked up at Eve. "Leila, my name is Eve Cameron. Do you remember what just happened here?"

"We don't have time for this!" Marcus growled at her, but Eve shot him a look that told him to be quiet. Marcus stormed out of the room. He hated taking orders, and he really hated taking orders from a woman; he gave orders, he didn't take them.

Eve ignored Marcus' pout, and Kaitlyn shook her head, rolling her eyes. Eve once again concentrated on the woman standing in front of them, staring in disbelief that what was happening, was real.

"Leila?" Eve pushed her. "Do you remember the attack, or that someone was trying to kidnap you?"

"I think you mean something, don't you?" Kaitlyn supplied, and then clamped her mouth when Eve shot her a look that said, shut up.

"No," Leila told them, shaking her head. "That was a delusion." She muttered it more to herself, than to anyone in particular.

"A delusion?" Eve and Kaitlyn exchanged looks.

"Leila, Leila?" Eve kept repeating until she got her attention. "Leila, honey, that wasn't a delusion; I wish it was, but it was real."

"No, it isn't real, it is something my mind made up, monsters don't exist," Leila insisted. "I'm going crazy," she cried. "Just like my mother, and her father." Her eyes glazed over, as her entire body started to shake.

"Oh, damnit!" Eve shouted as she grabbed her, trying to stop her as she sank towards the floor. "She's going into shock," she told them, snapping into doctor mode. "We need to get her lying down." Marcus walked back into the kitchen.

"What's the problem?" he demanded.

"She's going into shock," Eve stated.

"Then do something about it!" he ordered.

"Really? I never would have thought of that." She looked to Kayne and Roderic standing off to the side of the room.

"What do you need?" Roderic questioned.

"She needs to be on her back; her feet elevated, and get a blanket for warmth. The body is pulling blood away from the body core to feed the brain; we need to ensure that doesn't happen. Shock can be a killer if not taken care of."

They all watched Leila sipping a cup of sweet tea that Kaitlyn had made. Finally, she felt like she was getting back on a more even keel. She looked up at the strangers who were crowded into her living room.

"Look, I really appreciate all of your help, but I'm still waiting for an answer about who you are, and what the hell you're doing in my house?" Eve sat down beside Leila, taking her hand.

"Leila, we're here to help you," Eve told her.

"Help me?" Leila demanded. "What the hell could you help me with?" She shouted at them as she jumped to her feet, looking at them all staring at her.

Eve drew her attention back to herself.

"Leila, Leila." She looked at Eve. "Why are you taking Haldol? That is pretty heavy duty medication."

"Not that it's any of your business, but schizophrenia is pretty heavy duty." Leila collapsed on the couch, resting her head in her hands. "What are you doing here?" she asked again.

"We're here to help," Eve explained. "I'm a doctor."

"Well, bully for you," Leila threw at her. "Let me guess, you have the next big cure for schizophrenia? Well, come on, I'm listening."

Eve watched her, reading far too much pain in such pretty eyes. Leila was dealing with a lot; the diagnosis of schizophrenia was major, and it put a lot of strain on a person.

"I don't have a cure for schizophrenia," she admitted to Leila.

"Then there is nothing that you can do for me, and I really want you to leave." She got to her feet, walking towards the front door. "Now!"

"This is getting us nowhere," Marcus griped. "I'll handle it."

"No you won't!" Kaitlyn ordered him. "Eve will handle this," she told him, doing the side-step dance, preventing Marcus from moving towards Leila.

"I hope you're prepared to deal with the consequences for getting in my way," he warned Kaitlyn.

"Oh! Would you stop acting like a complete ass!" she spat at him. "Let Eve do her thing."

Eve ignored the discussion happening between Marcus and Kaitlyn, and looked at a stunned Leila. "Why do you believe that you are schizophrenic?" Eve asked her.

"Again, this is your business, how?" Leila's natural stubbornness kicked in.

"Look, I just want to help," Eve reiterated to her. "So please indulge me."

"Fine, if it means getting you out of my home, then I will tell you. I believe that I am schizophrenic because my mother had it, my grandfather had it, and so did my great- grandmother. I would say that the odds are pretty good that I have it. It's what explains all my symptoms. There you go are you happy?" she demanded. "Now get out of my house."

"Tell me about what it was that lead to this diagnosis?"

"You know, you are really pushing your luck, lady." Leila was getting down right pissed. "I don't know you, I certainly don't trust you, and you're asking some really personal questions."

"All I want to do is help you," Eve tried to make her understand. "Please just tell me, okay?"

"What lead to this diagnosis? I'd say hearing voices in my head and seeing things that don't exist are pretty big indicators that something is definitely wrong with me." Her voice echoed resignation to her fate, but her eyes pleaded for another chance. Eve stood in the middle of the room, trying to think of a way to explain this all to her. She could tell already that Leila wasn't going to open her arms and embrace the truth; they were going to have a fight on their hands, but she knew that Leila wasn't sick.

"What if I told you that you're not sick? That everything that you have seen and heard is real. What would you say to that?"

"I would say that I'm not the only one who needs drugs," she tossed out with a snort of disbelief.

"Why couldn't it be true?" Eve wanted to know, trying to reason with her. "Science doesn't know everything."

"Lady, sometimes I don't see men who look like monsters. I see demons, and vampires, or some shit, crazy thing. They aren't real, they're fairy tales," Leila told Eve. "If that's not crazy, I don't know what is!"

Marcus was tired of waiting, getting antsy, and pussy footing around her disbelief wasn't getting them anywhere. Moving towards Eve and the disbelieving Leila ran him into Kaitlyn, but he wasn't waiting for one more minute. So he picked Kaitlyn up, and plucked her out of the way.

"Well, even fairy tales are based on facts," he told her. "Now, this is done. We are out of time."

Eve glared at Marcus, getting mad at his unwillingness to let her do what she had to do in order to convince Leila that she wasn't sick. "Marcus..." she tried to argue.

"No," he cut her off. "We do not have time for this. Those things could be back at any time, and we need to get back to Caleb's. We have already wasted enough time doing things your way," Marcus informed them. "I'm sorry Leila, but we need to get going."

"Fine, then leave," she told them. "It's not like I asked you to be here, anyway."

"You don't seem to understand. You're coming with us," he told her.

"Like hell I am. I'm not going anywhere," she told him. Marcus looked to Kayne and Roderic. They both nodded, getting up, and headed towards the front door, ushering Kaitlyn and Eve ahead of them.

"Ladies, we need to get going," Roderic informed them.

"But, we can't. What about Leila?" Eve argued, but he wasn't listening to them. "Roderic stop, we can't leave her like this. What if they come after her again?" He still wasn't listening; he just continued to push them gently towards the vehicles.

"What is wrong with you?" Kaitlyn demanded. "We have to help her," she pointed out.

"Get in the car," Roderic ordered them.

"I will not leave that woman..." Eve told him, attempting to get around him, to head back into the house. Roderic picked her up and put her into the back seat. Eve struggled to get out, but he had locked the door, trapping her inside, before he raised an eyebrow at Kaitlyn, who was standing with Kayne, trapped.

"You have two choices. Get in under your own power, or else we will physically put you in, your choice," Kayne muttered.

"We have to help her," Kaitlyn argued to no avail. Roderic unlocked the door so Kaitlyn could slide in beside Eve, who was fuming mad at their complete disregard for this woman's needs. Roderic climbed into the front seat, started the SUV and drove away from the house.

"Of all the..." Eve muttered. "So help me, if something happens to her that we could have prevented, I will never forgive you."
Chapter Nineteen

Kevan and Caleb walked through the front door of Caleb's house and into utter chaos. "What the hell is going on?" Caleb roared, getting everyone's attention. "We can hear you in the driveway." Eve, Kaitlyn, Roderic and Kayne all turned, to face Kevan and Caleb who stood just inside the door.

"What's going on, you want to know what is going on? I'll tell you! Your jackass of a brother refused to listen to reason, and won't let me go help Leila." Eve looked to Kevan her concern evident. "Kevan, she thinks she's crazy. You have to come with me. Help convince her that she's not crazy."

"Okay, would someone please take a moment, and explain what the hell happened?" Kevan demanded as she shot looks at Kayne and Roderic, who stood silently stoic, arms crossed, they refused to let neither Kaitlyn nor Eve, leave. "Guys?"

"Everything is under control," Roderic told her. "If your sisters would shut up long enough to listen, I would have explained that it is not necessary to go back."

"What don't you understand?" Eve barked at him. "She is not crazy, and we have to convince her of that." She pleaded with Kevan. "She's like Brody and Catherine, but she wasn't lucky enough to have someone that was able to tell her the truth, so she thinks that she is schizophrenic." Eve stamped her foot. She knew it was childish, but she couldn't do what she really wanted, which was to punch them.

"Eve, let Roderic explain," Kevan told her.

"Thank you," Roderic stated. "Trying to get her to listen has been difficult."

"Well, if you did what Eve thinks you did, she isn't the only one who'll be pissed. So I would start explaining real fast," Kevan warned him.

"Eve tried to explain to Leila that what she has seen is real, but she wasn't buying. She would rather think that she's sick than listen. Marcus did what we had discussed before we even got there. He decided to convince her, another way." Roderic fell silent.

"How else would he convince her?" Eve questioned, alarm rippling across her face as she listened to what Roderic had told them.

"Oh no, he shimmered," Kevan guessed, and Roderic nodded in agreement.

"With her," he clarified. "I'm sure that they'll be here soon."

"Hold on, let me get this straight," Eve said. "You idiots decided that the best way to convince a woman, who thinks that she's crazy, is to take her and send her flying with some man she doesn't know, or trust, through time and space." She just stared at them with disgust and disbelief. "Unbelievable!" Shaking her head, she walked away before she could do something that she was sure that she wouldn't regret. Looking to her sisters, she could read the anger in their faces. At least she knew that she wasn't the only one upset.

"Eve, it's happened; now we'll have to deal with the consequences." Kevan couldn't believe how quick shit could land.

"Yeah, easier said than done," Eve whispered, unsure what she could do to fix this. Kevan looked at the men watching them. "Marcus could have given us a bit more time!"

"Oh, please Eve," Kayne snorted. "She wasn't listening to you, and nothing you said was going to convince her. The only thing that was going to convince her was action, so that's what Marcus did." Kayne softened his tone, asking, "You touched her, Eve; was she sick?"

Eve shook her head. "No, she's perfectly healthy," she assured.

"So, she's like Brody?" Kayne questioned. "Just like you said?"

"How would I know?" she told him, her anger and frustration spilling over.

"You're the doctor, think, what did you notice when you touched her?" Caleb questioned her.

"I don't know!" she snapped. "You all seem to think this is so simple. Well it's not. Yes, I'm a doctor, but I'm use to x-ray's and tests, not closing my eyes and seeing it in my head."

"It's okay, Eve," Roderic attempted to assure her.

"No, it's not!" she vented. "She's not sick, I know that much, but there is something different about her. We may never know what that might be after what you morons did."

"Well these morons need your assistance," Marcus stated as he stalked into the foyer, carrying the unconscious Leila in his arms.

***

"Eve?" She glanced to Kevan who stood in the doorway observing them. "How is she?"

"Fine," Eve informed her, rubbing her face. "She's okay physically, just unconscious."

"Eve, this is dumb. I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. But do you honestly think that they wanted to hurt her?" Kevan questioned. "After everything we've learned this past month, can you tell me that was what they set out to do?"

Eve's shoulders sagged in defeat. "No, I know they weren't trying to hurt Leila, but if they would have just listened to me ..." Eve grumbled.

"Oh honey, I totally agree with you, but you have to understand these are not the sit back and let the woman handle the problem kind of men. These are, I need to protect this woman, and she's not listening to me, so I'm going to do this my way and deal with everything else later, warriors."

"But?" Eve started to argue.

"Honey, there is no but with these guys. Hell, I fight with Caleb all the time about his protectiveness, I also try and understand where he's coming from." Kevan walked over to where Eve was sitting next to the bed, attending to Leila. "They're good men, but let's face it, they may be immortal, but they are still just men." Eve smiled, as she watched the twinkle in Kevan's eye. Their conversation stopped at the moan from the bed. Leila opened her eyes, and blinked at the strange ceiling, frowning. Turning her head, she saw Kevan and Eve watching her.

"You?" she spat at Eve, as she sat up suddenly. Her entire body swayed from the head rush, and Eve reached out to help, but Leila pulled away.

"Take it easy," Eve cautioned. "I just want to tell you, that it wasn't my idea. Please let us explain." Leila pushed her herself off the bed, holding the post at the corner until she felt steadier on her feet.

"Get away from me!" she shouted. "I want to go home!" She looked around for a clock. "Oh gods, what time is it?"

"It's almost seven o'clock. You've been here almost six hours," Kevan chimed in, trying to help Eve get through to this woman.

"My meds, I need my meds!" she moaned more to herself than to them. Eve looked at Leila; she was at the end of her rope.

"Sit!" Eve ordered her. Kevan smiled as she watched Dr. Cameron step up. Leila looked to Eve, shocked because, until this moment, this woman had been very polite and helpful. "Sit down!" Eve ordered again.

"You are not my mother!" Leila shot back at Eve.

"You're correct; I am not your mother. I never claimed that I was," Eve informed her. "But I am someone who is trying to help you. I'm a doctor who is telling you, for the last time, you are not sick. And, once again, I'm telling you to sit down; by the way, that is not a request, it's an order."

"What gives you the right to order me around?" Leila demanded.

"I'm a doctor trying to help you, that's what gives me the right. You're not sick."

"Like you would know? Have you done any tests, or talked to my doctor? No you haven't," Leila argued. "I met you what, eight hours ago? You have no idea about the things I've seen, the voices I hear in my head. Hell, I thought I imagined that he brought me here... I don't know how he did it, it was like he ... transported me?"

"Shimmered," Kevan piped up.

Leila turned and peered at her. "What?"

"They don't call it transporting... well it is technically, but they call it shimmering. I know. I know it sounds goofy, but hey, I wasn't the one that named it," Kevan stated, with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh my god, you're both crazier than I am!" Leila blurted out. Kevan snorted in amusement; she looked to Eve, who shook her head.

Eve made Leila sit back down on the bed. "Why are you fighting us? I would think that you would be excited about finding out that you're not sick."

"Then explain to me why I am hearing the voices in my head? Why do I see what I see? I don't see a man; I see a vampire or a demon. If that's not the definition of a mental disorder, then I don't what is. Jesus, I've said all this to you already."

"It's not crazy when what you are seeing is real," Eve tried to explain. Leila looked through the tears in her eyes.

"I don't know what is crazier, seeing the things that I'm seeing, or wishing what you're saying was real." Leila's voice cracked, by the unexpected emotions. "But they aren't real. Demons, vampires and the other things that I see aren't real, they don't exist."

"Oh my gods, I think she might be more stubborn than Brennan," Kevan snorted, as she and Eve both laughed. That moment of distraction gave Leila the opening she had been wanting for. Leila sprang to her feet, pushed past them, and raced out the door and down the hall. Eve and Kevan, dashed after her in hot pursuit as they holler for her to stop. Leila hit the top of the stairs, gripped the banister, as she scrambled towards her goal, the front door.

Brody had barely gotten the front door closed when he heard the sounds of Eve and Kevan yelling. Reacting to the fear that he heard in their voices, he barely cleared the front entry when someone barreled into him, knocking him flat on his ass. He held on to the body that was on top of him, trying to prevent any more injuries to his still bruised and sore body, and preventing escape.

"Brody, don't let her go!" Eve yelled as they saw Leila barrel into Brody.

"I've got her." He grunted as she landed her knee somewhere very painful. "Hey, watch the family jewels!" he yelled at the woman struggling to get away.

"Let me go, you ass!" Leila shrieked.

"Ass, I'm an ass? You're the one who ran into me!" Brody shouted, nearly losing the struggle to hold onto her.

"LET. ME. GO." she screeched, trying to push out of his hold on her.

"Ain't happening darling. Kevan, Eve, where are you?" Brody bellowed. Then he spotted them watching, smiles on their faces, getting entirely too much enjoyment out of his predicament.

"Thanks a lot!" he yelled at them. "A little help here or do you want me to let her go?"

"NO!" Eve and Kevan yelled together, as they stepped forward.

"YES!" Leila shouted at the same time as she pushed away from Brody, stumbling back into Kevan and Eve, who each grabbed an arm. "Let me go!" she shouted. "You're all crazy."

"No we aren't, Leila. Really, we just need you to listen with an open mind," Eve told her as she held on her.

"No! There are no such things as vampires, demons, or the flipping Easter Bunny."

"Well I can't vouch for the Easter Bunny, but vamps and demons most definitely exist," Brody stated, as he scrambled to his feet. "Have we got ourselves an unbeliever?" Brody straightened his clothing, and then looked at Kevan, Eve, and the still struggling Leila.

"Brody McNarama, please meet Leila Lafayette," Eve did the honours. "Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated," she told him.

Brody smiled as he looked to the woman, but then something tickled his senses. "I would be happy to help you guys, but where is everyone else?" he wanted to know; surprised that Caleb would have left the ladies alone with someone that they didn't know. Eve and Kevan both stopped, realizing that Brody was right. The house was never this quiet; there was always someone wandering around.

Abruptly Kevan grabbed her stomach, a feeling of evil surged through the room, whirling around grabbing onto her. "Oh shit!" she gasped, and staggered away from Eve and Leila, in an attempt to protect them.

"Kevan?" Eve barked. "What's wrong?" But Kevan didn't hear Eve, her only thoughts on getting away from whatever was about to happen.

"Move!" she ground out, strangled by horrifying sensations pouring through her. Darkness crawled into her mind, replacing her memories with a need for more. It wanted her to let go and it would take control, and Kevan craved it. It was like the feeling of an ice cold drink running down your throat on a desert day. Kevan was in her body but she wasn't controlling it. She could see something pulling itself through the closed door; it was dragging her to it. Kevan was fighting with ever molecule in her body, but she didn't have control over her physical form, it was like she was in her body but also not. The urge to join with the thing by the door was growing stronger with each passing second. A small part of her wondered if this was what a junkie felt, needing that next fix, that need that annihilated every other desire that the brain required, in vain. She wanted it, to be part of it.

"No!" Kevan shrieked trying to force it away as she had once before, but this time she was losing the battle. It beckoned to her, sucking her closer to the distortion that used to be the door. Kevan, in that logical part of her brain, knew this was sickeningly wrong, but her mind and body were reacting separately, and helplessness made it stronger. She reluctantly moved towards the entity that seemed to be beckoning her closer.

"Kevan!" Eve called as she reached out to her, only to be stopped as a crippling pain flooded her; she collapsed to the floor, unable to do anything, watching as Kevan moved forward towards an unseen enemy.

Brody stood frozen. He tried with everything he had in him to get his body to respond, but it didn't recognize the signal anymore. This couldn't happen; Caleb would kill him if anything hurt Kevan.

Leila was shaking as she watched the events unfolding in front of her. Her logical mind kept saying that what was happening wasn't possible, but she was awake and it wasn't a dream or delusion. This was different, this wasn't just affecting her, it was affecting all of them. Unless they were having a joint delusion, then what was happening was real. Things like this didn't really happen, they didn't exist.

Leila shook her head; the voices that were always there began roaring, shouting, telling her something. She was tired of it all, tired of fighting. She just wanted to give in to them, but she one fear of ending up in the psych ward, tied to a bed, fed mind numbing meds like her mother, grandfather and great-great-grandmother, until she died or killed herself, forced her to keep fighting. But what if what Eve and Kevan had told her was true. Could she just let go and accept that it was real. Then it happened; with a whisper of relief, the constant nagging drone that had been in her head her whole life stopped, with what she could only describe as a sigh and a cheer.

Kevan felt like she was drowning as she drew steadily closer and closer to whatever was manifesting itself by the front door. Nothing she did was making a difference; she could feel the tears streaming down her face as images of her family, friends and Caleb flashed through her head.

"I love you Caleb." she shouted into the air, wishing that he were here. "Help me," she silently begged, wanting nothing more than to see him burst through the front door and save her. Think, Kevan told herself. Don't let this thing get the best of you. She struggled to stay alert against the crushing sensations that were threatening to drag her under. Then her entire body convulsed, as whatever was trying to steal her body had been hit with something. Then she heard it something building in the background, a chanting from far away. Her body continued to move against her will. So much for all this power she was supposed to have. It wasn't helping her one little bit, she told herself, struggling against this mental rape. She could feel herself tiring against the power that was trying to steal her away, and she closed her eyes, ready to give in, until she thought about Caleb.

She watched the haze shift and it dissipated slightly, then swirl and reform. Then the chanting came through again, only louder. It didn't like the chanting as it twisted and turned like it was being pelted with rocks, trying to get away from it. With each repeated phrase the entity would weakened, making the distortion shift and But it was what she beyond that gave her strength. Kevan could see Caleb beating on the front door, trying to get in. Her heart jumped with joy, and she knew that she couldn't give up. She had too much to live for, and way too much to do.

The chanting grew louder, and though she did not understand the words, she could feel the power of the words as they formed around her, surrounding her in a protective sheet, and she felt control the thing had been exerting over her start to slip.

Her rapidly draining strength seemed to reverse, as the chanting became stronger and stronger, and then Kevan was in control of her entire soul again. She felt the threads of power, tapped in, and when her fingers tingled, she let her anger flow, surprised by how it pulsed in sequence with the chant.

A scream of fury ripped through the air, as Kevan threw out her hands, releasing a bolt of energy at the haze before them, and it vanished. The energy bolt slammed into the wall, causing the entire house to rock with the power that Kevan had thrown into it. Her anger kept swelling as she pulled more and more threads of power. She could actually see the faint traces of lines of power growing stronger, continuing to build within her, amplifying alongside the swelling sounds of the chanting. She could feel it within her like never before; the power was responding to the increasingly frantic words. Her body pulsed and throbbed, as she starting shaking with the power simmering within it, and if she didn't release it, she felt it would implode within her. Extreme caffeine overdose jitters were mild compared to the buzz bouncing through her now.

Caleb burst through the door as he barreled towards the quivering Kevan. She could see Caleb moving towards her, and she screamed at him to stop, throwing up her hands. She was terrified she could hurt or possible kill him if he touched her.

"Stop Caleb," Kevan sobbed. Marcus was right behind his brother, and grabbed him, preventing Caleb from touching Kevan. Her body pulsed as the chanting grew louder and louder, in a dead language that Marcus hadn't heard in a long time.

Caleb looked beyond Kevan to where Eve was pinned against the wall, and Brody stood frozen. Leila stood in the centre of the hall, her legs braced, and her hands up in chant position by her side, head tilted back, and her eyes glazed over as if she wasn't even in control of what she was doing. They heard the chanting growing more and more frantic.

"Brody, you have to stop her!" Marcus yelled, holding onto the struggling Caleb, who only wanted to get to Kevan.

Brody could see the terror in both warriors' faces; they wanted him to stop her. But he had no idea how to do that, when he couldn't move. But he had to try. He closed his eyes, and focused his energy on getting his entire body to respond. Brody could feel the sweat pouring down, as he fought the invisible chains that anchored him in place, and slowly but surely he began to win the battle, and inch his way towards Leila.

Caleb struggled to get away from Marcus, his focus on Kevan, but his eyes shifted back to monitor Brody's movements. He could see Kevan's eyes on Brody, and the fear that was residing within them. He wanted nothing more than to snatch her up into his arms, and hold her close, to protect her from the world.

"Move, Brody, move ..." he kept repeating quietly, as he watched Brody's progress.

Kevan didn't know which was worse, having an anguished Caleb there watching, or not having him there.

Brody slid his foot across the floor, agonizing inch after agonizing inch, making his way towards the out-of-control Leila. It seemed to take hours to plow through whatever Leila was doing to him and Eve; he felt like he was packing bricks. Using the last of his rapidly fading strength he forced his arms up. He was so near, a heartbeat away from reaching her, but he felt himself losing his balance, and crashed into Leila, sending her toppling to the floor. The chanting cut off when her head hit the tile.

Kevan's entire body sagged as the last restraint on her will let go. Caleb broke away from Marcus' hold, and raced forward, grabbing her just before she hit the floor. She felt the gathered power flow out of her body, back into the ether from whence it had come.

"Oh gods," he whispered, cradling her to his chest. Every muscle in her body ached. Her arms felt like lead weights when she tried to wrap her arms around Caleb; she could barely move. "Please be alright," he soothed as he searched her eyes. Kevan looked into his face, her hand reaching up to smooth out the worry lines on his face, and she gave a weak smile.

"I'm okay," she reassured him. "Sore, but whole."

"Let us be the judge of that," he growled. "Eve?"

Kevan cupped his cheek. "Ssh, I'm okay."

"That bitch almost killed you!" Caleb barked, looking over to where Brody held Leila, Eve checking her out. "Get her out of my house," he ordered.

"No!" Kevan countermanded his order, struggling to sit up. "She saved my life."

"Kevan, I saw what she was doing; she was chanting a spell that could have killed you. She blocked us from the house, and we couldn't get in to help."

"Caleb, listen to me." However, his face told her that he wasn't in a listening mood. Picking Kevan up in his arms, he headed towards the stairs. "Caleb, stop!" she ordered.

"Kevan," he argued, not liking that he wasn't in control, that someone had almost hurt her, and he hadn't been there to stop it.

She looked him in the eyes. "You have two choices, listen to me or argue. I would choose the listening because if we argue it won't matter, we're still going to end up doing what I want anyway, so let's cut out a step, please, because I'm really not up to arguing right at this moment."

"I don't like this," he informed her. "You are the most stubborn creature I have ever met, except for Queen Elizabeth 1. Now that woman was a barracuda."

"Quit bragging about the dead celebrities you knew. You're going to make the right choice in the end, so suck it up." She laughed at his face. "I'm okay for one reason only, Leila. I don't know what she was chanting, but quite honestly, until she started, I was losing control to whatever the hell it was that invaded the house."

"Kevan, I saw her stopping you from releasing your power. It could have killed you!" he argued.

"Yes, you did see that, but you didn't see what was happening before you were able to get into the house. It was like the last time, when my parents were here, only this time it was stronger. I wasn't able to break free of its hold, it was drawing me in, and I would have been lost to that nasty vortex. I was really scared, and so tired I almost gave up, but that was when I heard the chanting. Whatever that presence was didn't like what she was chanting, and when I figured that out I focused on it. That was when things began to turn in my favour. So you see, she wasn't trying to hurt me, she saved my life, all of our lives." Kevan could see the disbelief in Caleb's eyes. "Look, you can believe me or not, the choice is yours. But I am going to check on them, and make sure that they are okay." Caleb reluctantly gave in, carrying her over to Eve, because he refused to let her walk.

"Eve?" Eve looked up at Kevan. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you? Why is he carrying you?"

"I'm fine, he's just being overprotective." She wiggled around until Caleb put her onto her feet, but stood right behind her. "What about Leila and Brody?"

"Brody's fine and Leila seems to be physically fine. Now emotionally, I'm not quite so sure about." Eve looked down at the unconscious Leila. "What the hell just happened? Who the hell is Leila, and how the hell would she know to do what she did? If she has so much power, why does she believe that she is crazy?" Eve pondered.

Kevan began to speculate. "What happened just now? That one I have no idea, but what I think is that we've pissed someone off. As for Ms. Leila Lafayette, her family was referenced in Dexter Samhain's research. So we did some of our own research, and were able to trace her family from where Samhain stopped, to her. But as to what is so important about her, that I'm not so sure about, but I would say it's because she is so strong."

"Actually I think I may have an answer for that question." They all turned, looking to Niall who had just joined them. "Are you okay?" he wanted to know, concerned about his friends, seeing the scorched front door and surrounding walls.

"I'm fine, what did you find out? Did Joseph have any information as to why the Lafayette family seems to be so important to Leonard?"

"Nothing that jumps out at us, but we did find a reference in one of the history books referring to a human named Leonard Le Pierre, who took a demon oath around seven hundred years ago."

"Why would a history book make reference to a human taking a demon oath?" Caleb questioned, "It happens, unfortunately more often than we care to admit, but never recorded in a human history."

"Okay, I'm confused, a demon oath?" Kevan questioned. "What is that all about?"

They looked to the women who were watching them. I sometimes forget how much you don't know," Caleb stated, shaking his head. "A demon oath is exactly what it sounds like, a human that takes an oath to become a demon. When they do, they give up their soul for the powers of a demon, and all the so called perks that go with it."

"So they become a demon?" Kevan questioned.

"Yes," Niall confirmed.

"Okay, I understand that, but what I would like to know is why would someone make reference to it specifically with this one particular demon?" Kevan questioned.

"Niall, any ideas?" Caleb asked. Niall only shrugged.

"It could be that there was something about this oath that was different, and that is why they made note of it? I guess the question is what was different?" Eve queried. "And what does that have to do with Leila?"

They all looked up as Kaitlyn came running down the hall, waving something in her hand.

"What the hell happened? One minute I'm going through Samhain's papers, and the next minute I'm pinned to the floor, unable to move. It was crazy, but you wouldn't believe what I found out. Oh man, it's so good." She stopped, and gawked at her sisters. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, Kaitlyn, what did you find out?" Kevan asked her.

"Oh man, you aren't going to believe this. Samhain, he may have been crazy, but he was a hell of a researcher."

"Kaitlyn, focus please," Kevan prodded her

"What?" she looked to them again. "Oh yeah, sorry, what was I saying?"

"You found something in Samhain's notes?" Kevan reminded her, trying to keep her focused. Her twin was very smart, and a fantastic writer, but she had the attention span of a two year old when she was excited about something.

"Samhain's notes?" she looked confused for a moment. "Oh yeah, sorry I got excited. It is amazing..."

"Kaitlyn," Kevan snapped at her.

"Oh sorry, I was doing it again, wasn't I?"

"How she's capable of making a living is beyond my comprehension," Marcus muttered to himself, but they all heard.

"Oh, can it, Mr. Personality," she snipped at him. "I found it on one of the papers that I was lying on. It would seem that Leonard is or was, depending on how you look at it. Let me start again, do you think that they still have family ties after they take a demon oath?"

"I think that you need to focus and tell us what you found?" Marcus yelled at her. He was beyond frustrated with her, and hated how she jumped from one thing to the next, without finishing what she was telling in the first place.

"You know, there is no need to be rude?" she pouted.

"Oh my gods, Kaitlyn, would you please focus," Kevan ground out, not really feeling up to this.

"Sorry Kevan... hey, are you sure you're okay?"

"Kaitlyn, just tell us what you found, right now please," Kevan ordered her.

"Oh, okay, Leonard was a relative."

"What, our relative?" Kevan questioned.

"No, at least I don't think so. No he was her relative." Kaitlyn looked at Leila.

"Leonard was one of Leila's relatives?" Kaitlyn nodded her excitement evident on her face.

"Yup, he is. I don't remember how many generations back, it's all in Samhain's papers, but he had it traced back to Leonard from Leila's great-great-great-grandfather, which is what we used to find her. So come on, ask me why? Why would he have been so excited about finding some relatives of Leila?" Her excitement bubbling over, "Oh, come on people, one guess, anything?"

"Kaitlyn, enough already, just tell us," Kevan told her.

"You know, Kevan, you're no fun." She laughed, not letting Kevan's grouchiness spoil her excitement. "Fine, since you're all going to be party poopers, I will tell you. I started checking through the papers where you found the name Lafayette, and found the name Le Pierre Lafayette. Well then, I was reading a bunch of other boring stuff... you know, he has given me so much to work with, and I'm going to use some of it in my next novel. Hell, there is enough for an entire series."

"Kaitlyn, I'm going to forget I took an oath to do no harm, and hit you if you don't tell us what you found," Eve snapped.

"Focus," Kevan reminded her again. "What did you find out?"

"Huh?" Kaitlyn looked back to them, having lost herself yet again in the planning of her novel. "Oh sorry, I did it again, didn't I?" They just stared at her.

"What did you find out?" Caleb prompted her.

"Find out?" Kevan closed her eyes, drawing a slow deep breath to fight the need to strangle her twin. Suddenly Kaitlyn clued in to what Kevan was referring. "Relax, I remember now." She shook the papers that she held in her hand at them. "It would seem the Le Pierre – Lafayette families are very important, or at least at one point they were."

"Explain?" Leila questioned. They all turned to see Leila push herself away from Brody. Eve helped her to her feet, which she accepted reluctantly. "You're talking about my family, correct?" Kaitlyn nodded. "Then I want to know."

"It's her family," Kevan shrugged her shoulders when Kaitlyn looked to her.

"Thank gods, because I don't know if I could quit. What I found is so good, if I wasn't living it, I'd say it was the plot of a book or a movie."

"Kaitlyn, get on with it."

"Okay, okay," Kaitlyn bubbled. "Samhain was searching for the lost thingy right?"

"The what?" Leila questioned. "What is she talking about?" Kaitlyn looked to Caleb and Niall.

"The Lost Repository," Marcus spoke up. "That is what it is called, the Repository of Wisdom. Not some lost thingy." His face spoke volumes of his frustration. His revulsion towards the misuse of the spoken word had his ire up towards Kaitlyn again.

"Yeah, that's it. Why the hell didn't they just call it a library, because basically that is what it is, right?"

"Kaitlyn, continue," Kevan pushed her again.

"Okay, okay, he was looking for the Lost Repository of Knowledge." She looked to Leila, hoping that it would trigger something other than annoyance, but Leila just looked at her. "What do you know about your family history?"

"I don't know as much as most people, I guess, why?"

"Tell us what you know about where you came from, stuff like that?" Kaitlyn pushed her. Leila gave her a look of disgust at the unwelcome intrusion into her life. "Please?"

"Whatever! There isn't much to tell. I'm the last of the Lafayette's. We haven't used Le Pierre since the family came to Canada. We are originally from France; at some point someone went to England, and we stayed there until the family came to Canada in the 1800's, I guess."

"What about cousins, aunts, uncles?" Kaitlyn asked, walking tight circles.

"Not to my knowledge, I'm the last of the line. Look, what is this all about?"

"Yes, Kaitlyn, what is this all about?" Kevan questioned.

"It would seem that Samhain did a whole family tree of the Le Pierre – Lafayette family."

"Who is this Samhain that you keep talking about?" Leila wanted to know.

"Dexter Samhain was an archaeologist of sorts, I would say."

"And this has to do with my family, how?" Leila asked, her frustration starting to get to her.

"Sorry, everyone tells me I can get carried away," Kaitlyn laughed.

"Like now," Kevan reminded her. "But before you say any more, can we find somewhere more comfortable to sit?" Caleb scooped her up into his arms.

"Before you go bounding up the stairs, trying to take me to bed, my warrior man, just know I will just being walking right back down," she told him. Caleb gave her a look, and Kevan smiled, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. "Thank you," she whispered. "I will make it up to you."

"In more ways than you know," he told her with a fire burning in his eyes, sending shivers of anticipation through her tired body.

"I look forward to it," she promised him.
Chapter Twenty

Leila watched as Caleb set a fire in the patio fire pit, and could feel herself starting to relax. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore, but since she had been here she hadn't had one episode, and the voices that had been a constant roar in her head were now a minor livable humming in the back of her mind. She had become wary as the men and women began to talk about her family history. It was weird to hear stuff about her family from strangers. She came out of her thoughts when she heard Kaitlyn say something about a demon oath.

"What... Say that again?" she demanded

"Leonard is one of your distant ancestors," Kaitlyn explained.

"Leonard?" she enquired.

"Leonard Andre Le Pierre, age 34, disappeared approximately 1630 years ago, give or take a couple of years."

"But didn't you say something before, about someone taking a demon oath?" Caleb enquired.

"Actually, it was Niall who gave us that information, and he was completely right about Leonard. He liked power! Your ancestors survived all kinds of hardships, and did some underhanded things for wealth, but never for power over others. From what I have read through, they were a thrifty bunch."

"So he gave everything up to become a demon, just to gain power?" Leila questioned, as disbelief echoed through her voice. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that one of my ancestors gave everything up to become a demon. Come on, what kind of drugs are you all on? I really would like some."

"You are such a skeptic!" Kaitlyn teased her. "I hate to tell you this, but no drugs will change the fact that we're telling you the truth. Don't feel bad, we girls are in the same WTF boat as you. Anyhow, when a human takes a demon oath, they relinquish their immortal soul, and in exchange they get power and immortality," Kaitlyn explained.

Niall added, "Souls are very potent as a power conduit for good or bad. That's why magic works."

"So my ancient great whatever will live forever? Yeah right! I hate to break it to you, but people don't live forever," she told them with a snort.

"Leila?" She turned and looked at Kevan and Caleb, who were cuddled up in an armchair together. "Why are you fighting so hard to disbelieve everything we tell you? Why can't you take a chance and accept that there are things that can't be explained, and that we don't know everything?"

"Things that can't be explained, you're kidding, right?" Leila told them with a shot of cynical laughter. "You want me to believe that demons are real, that vampires go around sucking people's blood, and that a full moon causes men to change into wolves. Oh please, if you expect me to believe all that is true, then I have a bridge to sell."

"No thanks on the bridge, but FYI, only some vamps are interested in your blood, _weres_ can change at any time they want once they are old enough, and hell yes, demons are real." Kevan's voice allowed no argument.

Niall got up to pace, and said, "Leila, the human race has become so cynical. It used to be that mankind believed in us. Cairbare have always been advisors, and highly respected; now we get the smart ass comments."

Kevan shook her head. Leila was proving even more stubborn than they thought possible. "Okay, you don't want to believe that anything we've told you is true, even after everything that you've seen over the past few hours. I would like to know what you think is going on? How do you explain all that you've witnessed?"

"I can't," Leila admitted

"Then you have to agree that there is a chance that what we all just went through is real, and you might not be nuts."

"I don't have to agree to anything," Leila told Kevan, as her natural cynicism kicked in.

"Oh, my gods," Kevan growled with frustration. "Fine, tell me, what can we do to prove to you that this is all real?"

"I don't know," Leila stated. "What sane person wants to believe in this stuff? It takes the concept of good versus evil to a whole new level, which I don't know if I am comfortable with."

Kevan looked at Caleb, then to her sisters. "Do you think that you're the only one who is having a hard time believing that things are different from what you have always wanted, or needed to believe? Because you aren't," Kevan explained to her. "You just found out that your family history isn't what you thought. Well whoop-tee-do, join the club, you aren't the only person in this room that found out that their family history wasn't what they thought. I'm not saying that this is going to be easy, but you know what, the things that don't kill us make us stronger. So you either roll with it, or you lie down and let it roll over you."

"Well, bully for you!" sarcasm rippled through Leila's words. "Please understand, almost every one of my relatives have either died in a mental institution or committed suicide, all because of the things that they have seen and heard over the years. Now you want me to jump up and down, yelling goodie, I'm not crazy after all because it's all real. If it's real, why hasn't anyone ever said anything before now? Why did we suffer this alone, until you found us?"

They all sat quietly listening to everything that Leila had asked, and they could all empathize with her. To learn that her family had suffered needlessly; they understood her anger and frustration.

"You know what, we aren't the bad guys here, and we understand that this is making you mad. That is to be expected, but we need you to meet us half way and keep an open mind."

"Or else what?" Leila spat back at Kevan.

"Or else nothing," Kevan shot back. "My god, do you really think that we would ..." Eve touched Kevan's arm, stopping her.

"Let me." Eve looked at Leila. "I have no idea why you're spouting all the bullshit that's coming out of your mouth, but let me tell you, I know when people are lying, like you are right now."

"I'm not lying!" Leila shouted at her jumping, to her feet.

"Oh, you so are," Eve, yelled back at her. "So let's cut the crap, and talk about things."

"Talk about what?" Leila argued. Eve just sat and stared. Leila finally shifted under her stare. "Stop it!" Eve just continued staring at her. "Do you think trying to stare me down will make me change... okay, okay!" she shouted. "Maybe there is something to all of this, I'm admitting it, but I sure don't have any faith that this is going to be a good thing."

"It's about time," Kevan shouted. Eve let out a huge sigh. "My gods, are you sure that she's not related to us?" Kevan looked at Kaitlyn, who shrugged her shoulders. "You are just as stubborn as one of us."

"Well, what do you expect; this is all so out there?" Leila asked.

"We know, Leila. We may have grown up knowing about the other races, but some of the stuff we have learned in the past month has made us realize how much we really don't know, and we do understand that accepting some of this stuff is like taking a leap of faith. It is so far out of the box of what most think of as reality that it's hard to comprehend at times."

"Okay, if we are done with the movie of the week moment?"

"Kaitlyn!" Kevan groaned. "Enough, just tell us what you have."

"Finally. Like I told you, Samhain was an amazing researcher, but in his quest for the quote unquote, Lost Repository, it went nowhere fast, until he started looking for the missing link."

"What missing link?" they wanted to know.

"Oh come on? Not even one guess?" Kaitlyn pleaded

"Kaitlyn, you're really pushing it today," Kevan warned it.

"Oh, come on you guys, one guess. Kev, Eve, Niall, Marcus?" She threw her hands up in frustration. "You guys are no fun, no sense of imagination."

"I'm warning you, Kaitlyn, knock off the dramatics! Tell us what you've learned, now," Kevan demanded.

"Fine," she pouted. She took a second before the need to tell them what she had learned burst through. "What does every library or museum need?"

"Kaitlyn!" Kevan watched the pleading looked that passed over Kaitlyn's face; she needed this. "Fine, just this once I will play along. What does every library or museum need? Let's see... a museum needs art, a library needs books. What else?" Kaitlyn's face dropped.

"Not things," Kaitlyn told her sister.

"Not things? Alright then, they both need protection." Kaitlyn shook her head. "Then I don't know what else ..." She stopped as something popped into her head. Kaitlyn could see the look on her twin's face; things were starting to gel for her. Kevan looked to Kaitlyn; who was vibrating with excitement. "A museum needs a director, and a library needs a librarian." Kevan told her sister.

"Yes," Kaitlyn shouted as she pumped her fist into the air. "Finally!"

"So what does that mean?" Eve questioned, not understanding what they were getting at.

"Well, I'm not sure," Kaitlyn admitted. "I can only tell you what I have discovered so far. They don't call it a librarian. They're called a claviger, and they have complete access to the Repository; they are the only ones that do."

"And what does this have to do with my family?" Leila wanted to know.

"Well, from what I've read so far, your family has produced this claviger for a very long time."

"How long?"

"Well the notes didn't mention exact time, precisely but I can tell you that it has been a long time." Kaitlyn focused on the men. "You guys should know more about this than I do."

Leila turned and looked at the men, confusion all over her face. "What is she talking about?"

"Oh lord, how do we explain them?" Eve stammered.

"Explain what?" Leila needed to know. "Who are you?" she asked, looking at the men.

"We're cairbare warriors," Caleb answered her.

"Cair what?" Leila questioned.

"Cairbare," Kevan told her. "Don't say care bear, they're a little touchy about that one."

"Kevan," Caleb growled.

"What, you are," she defended herself.

"Talk to me," Leila demanded.

"Okay, here are the facts. Cairbare warriors are immortal," Kevan said.

Leila's mouth dropped open. "That's not possible," she whispered.

"I'm afraid it is totally possible, and in our case, it is a fact," Niall chimed in. "We could tell you how long we have been around, but that is just talk. We have nothing other than our word that we have been around for a very long time. You're going to have to just trust that what we have told you is true."

"Look, we've already had this conversation," Eve said. "Just keep telling yourself that there are more things out there than we know about, and know that sometimes you'll just need to accept that what we're telling you is real." Leila looked like she wanted to argue, but then she nodded her agreement.

"We know that it's a lot to take in, but it'll get easier," Kaitlyn told her. "Shall we get back to topic at hand?"

"What?" Leila looked back at her.

"We told you about your family being the claviger of the Lost Repository."

"Okay, say I believe you, and that all of this is true, what happened at my house earlier really happened, and none of it is a delusion, why now?"

"Why now, what?"

"Why come after me?" Leila wanted to know.

"Well, that I can answer," Kaitlyn spoke up. "As I said before, Leonard is... was a relative, I'm not really sure how you would classify him anymore. He was the last known claviger of the repository before he took the oath. Not long after that, the Repository was lost."

"So, if this Leonard is a member of my family, why hasn't he been in touch? Why didn't he try and help?" Leila felt like crying.

"Well, considering he's the reason behind your family problems for the past 1000 or so years, it's not much of a surprise that he hasn't been in touch," Kaitlyn told her.

"What do you mean?" Leila questioned.

"This is where things get really interesting. It seems when a person takes the demon oath, they must give up all contact with their family, present and future. No reference as to why, it's just part of it. The other thing is that they can't bring anything from their human life with them. So, when they take the oath, they go with only the clothes on their backs, and that's it."

"What are you saying?" Leila questioned. "That he couldn't get in touch and help us, because of what he did?"

"Leila, did you not hear what I told you? He's a DEMON, he's the one that made sure that you didn't know who or what you are, and made sure that no help came your way." Kaitlyn couldn't help being a bit sarcastic.

"I feel so weird and grossed out... I don't understand?" Leila told Kaitlyn. She was too damn tired, nothing was making sense.

"What I have read so far is that the job of claviger is very interesting, and with it comes a lot of things, including a lot of power. They have the ability to understand the information stored within the Repository. At some point, the control of the repository passes from the retiring claviger to a new claviger, the trainee being the eldest son or daughter. The older claviger teaches the everyday workings of the repository. In Samhain's notes, he says that he believes that the repository can communicate with the claviger; let me clarify, he believed that the claviger had the ability to communicate with everything in it."

"What do you mean, like talk to it?" Kevan questioned.

"He wrote that they are connected. That they could talk to the books and objects within the repository."

"Oh! Holy shit!" Leila gasped, as what Kaitlyn had told them sunk in.

"Yeah, he made note of rumours that floated around about a human who took a demon oath without asking enough questions. Samhain had pieced together that before Leonard took the oath, he refused to pick another claviger. Leonard believed he would remain claviger, and not only would he have the power that came with being a demon, but the power that came from being the claviger."

"Sneaky bastard," Niall snorted. "I never have liked him, ever."

"Motherfucker!" Leila swore. "You're saying that good ole Uncle Leonard, the demon, is a relative, and he was this claviger thing, but he wanted more power and thought that by not picking a successor, he would retain control of the repository, but it didn't work. And because he was a greedy bastard, not wanting to share, my family has been paying the price ever since. He made our lives hell. We were all convinced that we're crazy, when in reality it's this thing, this repository, trying to communicate with us?"

"Yeah, that's it in a nut shell," Kaitlyn told her. "At least that's what I have pieced together. Told you it was cool."

"Okay, what do you guys want with it?" Leila wanted to know, her suspicion coming through. She felt maternal, all of a sudden.

"We aren't looking for the repository exactly; we're looking for something that was part of it, The Drusa grimoire. It's a book of spells, which has potential for world-ending stuff, if it falls into the wrong hands," Kevan explained.

"So Leonard has the grimoire?" Leila questioned them.

"Nope, he's looking for it, too," Kaitlyn stated, "and if what Samhain wrote in his notes is correct, then because it was part of the repository, you as the claviger should be able to find out where it is, and help us get to it before anyone else."

"Well that's a good reason, as long as it goes back home. But why would Leonard want this book?" Leila questioned.

"That is the million dollar question," Kevan admitted to her. They all stopped as Leila gasped, looking around, her eyes widening with shock. "Leila?"

"It doesn't know why Leonard wants the grimoire," Leila whispered.

"Who doesn't?" Kevan questioned.

"It, the repository," she told them her eyes wide with awe.

"How do you know that?" Kaitlyn wanted to know.

"It told me," she told them, tears began rolling down her face. "Oh god, please tell me that this is real, that I'm not crazy."

"Leila, you're not crazy," Eve told her, taking her hand and squeezing. "You are very special."

"That's so not fair," Kaitlyn whined.

Marcus rolled his eyes at the pouting Kaitlyn. "For god's sake, now what is your problem? She's starting to believe in her destiny," he growled at her.

"I know, but she gets to talk to the books and stuff in the repository. That's so cool. I would love to be able to do that," Kaitlyn told him, crossing her arms, and shooting Marcus a look that said a great deal, without saying an actual word. "I wish my powers would hurry up."

"Leila, how are you feeling?" Eve wanted to know.

"Fine, great actually, better than I have in a long, long time, but I have a question?" she looked at them all.

"We'll try and answer what we can, but we are really new to all of this, too," Kevan told her.

"So what I was hearing before was this repository trying to communicate with me, correct?"

"That's what we believe," Kevan told her.

"Then why can I hear it so clearly now, whereas before it was like a million voices at once, and I couldn't understand anything other than bits and pieces?"

"I don't know for sure, maybe because it's got your attention, and you're starting to accept your destiny," Eve speculated.

"Eve, whatever the reason, to no longer have all these voices yelling at me is just a bonus," Leila told them. "Another question, if this has been part of my family for so long, why hasn't anything been found in family writings, or letters? It's not some minor part of the family's history, it's huge."

"This is where Dexter's research comes in handy," Kaitlyn told her. "It would seem that once Leonard took the oath, and discovered that he had been lied to about a number of things, mostly about the repository, he was mad. Let's just say, being a member of the Le Pierre – Lafayette family for about the next five generations wasn't such healthy thing to be."

"Why?"

"Leonard took out his anger on the family," Kaitlyn explained. "Although I think some of this is speculation on Dexter's part, it does make sense."

"Kaitlyn, you're wandering," Kevan warned her sister.

"What?" Kaitlyn looked to her sister. "Sorry, from what I have been able to piece together, Leonard was so pissed about losing control of the repository, that he decided if he couldn't have it, then nobody could. He had the family tracked, and everyone that showed promise of being the possible claviger, was killed. It wasn't long before all the running and hiding from an unknown enemy scattered the family, some to the new world. This is the point where he lost track of the family. Leila's family had no idea what was happening to them; they just thought one person in every generation was going to be crazy. When Leonard found them again, it suited his disposition just as well for them to suffer, which your family has."

Leila sat quietly, processing all that they had told her, and then looked up. "I would like to know where this repository is." She stopped suddenly, her breath caught in her throat so she could listen to the unheard voice that was speaking to her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" Kaitlyn asked her. "Oh man, this is so not fair, you all have powers, and I have nothing." She pouted as they watched Leila. Finally, she seemed to be back with them. "What did they tell you? Where is the repository?" Leila lifted her eyes up to look at the others watching her. "Leila, talk to us."

"They don't know where they are. Only the way that they said it, doesn't make sense to me."

"Tell us," Kevan pushed her. "Maybe we can help."

"They said that they are where they have always been, but not quite, as if it was shifted, maybe." She saw the looks that they all were giving her. "Hey, I told you that it didn't make sense. They told me something else."

"Why do I have a feeling that we aren't going to like this?" Kevan muttered. "Come on, tell us." Leila took a minute to put into words all that it had told her.

"They said that we have to find the grimoire. That it's extremely important that it does not fall into the wrong hands, something about shifting the balance of the universe, and the end of the world as we know it, if it's not protected."

"Oh shit," Kevan whispered, grabbing Leila's hand. "Where's the grimoire, then?"

"I don't know. But it seems that in the wrong hands, the grimoire is really bad news."

"We had already made the decision to find the grimoire, now it's our number one priority." Niall stated, as he stepped away, pulling out his phone.

"So if you can communicate with the repository, can you communicate with the grimoire?" Kevan questioned. "Cause if you can maybe it will give us an idea about where it is?"

"I guess I can give it a try," Leila stated. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on trying to hear anything from the missing grimoire, but all she heard was silence. Opening her eyes, she looked to them, seeing the hope in their eyes, but shaking her head, told them everything that they needed to know.

"I guess it was too much to hope that it would be so easy. Nothing we have done so far has been easy, so I hoped maybe we might catch a break."

"Sorry," Leila told Kevan.

"Oh, no Leila, it's fine. You have nothing to be sorry for, if it had been that easy, someone would have found it long before now." She pushed herself to her feet, wobbling as a wave of tiredness rippled through her.

"That's it," Caleb growled, picking her up. "I let you have your way earlier, now I am taking you to bed." Kevan smiled as she laid her head against his strong chest, drawing on his strength. "Amazing, no arguments?" he teased her, as he strode out of the room, headed for the stairs. Kevan shook her head. "Good." Caleb murmured.

Kevan stared into the distance, not focusing on anything, as she tried to make sense of all that had happened since Leila had joined the search. She knew in her head that she was over thinking this, and if she just backed off a bit it would come to her, but it was easier said than done. Since the attack in the house and Kaitlyn's discovery, the feeling that had been building for weeks was only becoming stronger. Whoever was after the grimoire had focused its energy on them. Kevan knew that if they didn't figure it out, and soon, that someone would die, and she couldn't let that happen.

Turning, she smiled as she watched Caleb make his way towards her. He was a walking billboard for sex, and every time she saw him it was all she could do to refrain from jumping him, demanding that he take her immediately.

"I hope that glint in your eye means that you are ready to make good on your promise?" Caleb stood over her, crooked grin on his face.

"And what promise would that be, big boy?" Kevan questioned him while he pulled her to him. Her arms circled his neck, as her legs wrapped around his waist. He growled, loving the feeling of her in his arms, and he carried her across the room, dropping her on the bed. Kevan giggled as she scrambled backwards, her eyes never leaving his.

"You know what promise," he told her. He grabbed her ankle, pulling her back to him. Kevan reached out, grabbing his t-shirt, and pulled him down to her. His mouth captured hers, and both began devouring the other to appease the need that swamped them. Kevan rubbed herself against denim, her gasp of frustration bringing the moment to draw oxygen back into their lungs, while they pushed at each other's clothing.

" We have lots of time," Caleb told her, then took possession of her mouth again. Kevan moaned, as his hands brushed against her bare skin, her body demanding more. Pulling back, she grabbed the hem of his t-shirt, stripping it from his muscle bound torso. She leaned in, seizing his nipple with her teeth. Caleb gasped at the shock of pleasure ensnaring him, his hands threading into her hair to still her. Kevan licked the now sensitive nipple, as her hands slid down over his abs, heading for his belt.

"Kevan," he groaned.

"We may have lots of time," she told him between nips of her teeth and licks of her tongue, feasting on his taste. "But I don't want to take our time." She looked up at him, moving her caresses and kisses lower, her every scent thrilled beyond control, as more of his amazing physique was exposed to her seeking lips.

Caleb's head fell back, as his whole body hummed with pleasure. Kevan teased the zipper open, pulled him out, and with a smile took him deep. A moan of pleasure ripped from his throat as he held onto her head, gently letting her continue what she was doing.

"Babe, I love what you're doing," he ground out. Kevan pulled back, letting him pop out of her mouth. His hands made short work of what remained of her clothes. "So wet..." She needed what he wanted to give her desperately. Picking her up until he was looking in to her eyes, he settled between her legs, hands on her knees pulling her wide, making her ready for him. When he came to rest at her entrance he captured her chin, drawing her eyes to him before they closed in anticipation, and desperation. Gods, he knew her so well already. "Kevan, what do you need? Say it."

"I want you, Caleb," she whispered. She felt his body shudder with need as her words sank in.

"Tell me," he demanded of her. "Tell me, what you want me to do?" Kevan's hands slid up his arms, over his shoulders to his neck, then cupped his cheeks. Her eyes never left his, as her legs tightened around his waist, pulling him close.

"Fuck me, Caleb" she whispered, her voice shaky with need as it exploded within her. "Now, hard, fast, and don't stop until I can't move," she told him. Her entire body felt the rightness, as he drove into her body, filling her completely, his body shaking as he held himself still, wanting to do as she asked, but still not wanting to hurt her. He waited for a sign that showed she was ready for more, and then he held still even longer, making her desperate in her need.

"Wait," he ordered.

"Caleb, gods I need you," she sobbed, her body burning with need, as she arched her body to get what she needed. Caleb moved slowly, dragging out every ounce of pleasure he could, it wouldn't last long, he knew, but he wanted her begging him to take her over the edge.

"More," she panted, as the building pressure of need within her body was all she could feel. Caleb slid his arms under her knees, and then pulled her towards him, allowing him to control her pleasure, leaning into her. Kevan reached above her head, grasping the rungs of the headboard, as her body moved in a rhythm as old as time. Desperate need swept over them both, as all thought was abandoned. They functioned only on feeling. Kevan clenched down on him, allowing her body to move thrust for thrust.

"Oh gods!" she screamed out, as she went hurtling over the edge. The need that had been building exploded over them. Flying in a haze of soaring sensations, she distantly heard Caleb roar his release, and then he collapsed on top of her. Her entire existence focused on sensations pouring through her body, which was still pulsing, beating with her heart, amplifying release. Slowly, she drifted back to her senses.

Caleb rolled them to their side, and he gently eased out of her. His eyes searched hers, "You okay?" he asked her.

"Yes, no, I don't know. I do know why they call it the little death. I feel like I've died, and come back a changed person," she told him, as her body slowly settled down, the same, but different. "That was amazing," she told him.

"Right back at you," Caleb told her, as he kissed her gently, going from the demanding lover, to whom she was addicted, to a gentle, caring man that she loved more than she even knew how to explain, to him or even to herself. Looking into his eyes, as her fingers traced the features of his face, she heard herself whisper, "I love you," her fingers stopping him from saying anything until she had finished. "I never understood that statement before. Gods, that doesn't make any sense, I've said it before, lots. It gets used too causally. I love my parents, my sisters and cousins, but this is different, saying those words to you means so much more. I feel you within in me, and I know that if anything were ..." This time Caleb stopped her.

"Kevan Cameron, I have never felt for anyone the way I feel about you. I've been alive for so long, and thought I would never be overwhelmed, and then you ran into my life, and did just that. Age leaves a person arrogant about what is left to experience, and having you with me is humbling, because I didn't know what was missing in my life until you were there. I feel the same awe the same way you do, and that's amazing." He paused, stroking her hair, as he watched an entire spectrum of emotion flash through her expressive eyes. "What's wrong?" he wanted to know, as she burrowed into his strong arms, wishing she could lose herself in them, rather than tell him about the sudden feelings that were settling over her.

"Nothing," she avoided.

Caleb pulled back so he could look into her eyes. "Don't tell me nothing, Kevan, I can see it in your face, something is wrong. We can't fix it if you don't tell me what it is."

"Caleb," she stopped, knowing that she had to tell him, but not ready to let go of this feeling of closeness that they were enjoying.

"Kevan, it'll get better when you tell me, because then we can deal with it together. Everything is better when we deal with it together. I promise."

"I know Caleb. I just don't want to make what just happened less than what it is," she told him. "I needed you."

"I'm always glad to be needed, especially that way," Caleb laughed, "Nothing can make what we do together less than what it is, it's just not possible. So please, tell me what is bothering you?"

"Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we ever get the chance to be normal?" she questioned, not really expecting an answer.

"We don't do normal," Caleb informed her. "You do realize that, right, Kevan?"

"Well, as normal as we can then, with no worrying about a crazy man or some nutso demon coming after us, because of a stupid book," she told him.

"They can't change anything, if we don't let them. This is our lives. It could be worse, considering that our friends and family will likely always be crazy too," Caleb winked

Kevan looked into his eyes. "I just want you to promise me that we'll always take time for each other."

"Kevan, I promise. Now tell me, what's bothering you?" he asked her, as he wrapped her in his arms.

"Something big is coming, Caleb. I don't know what, I just know that something is, and we're all in danger." A sob of fear escaped her, as she buried her face in Caleb's chest. "I wish I knew more, but it's something that we can't stop, and that scares me more, because I know it will change everything," she told him.

"Then we'll deal with it together. No matter what, just trust me." Caleb hugged his bundle of worry.

"I do trust you, Caleb," she told him, closing her eyes, slipping into a much needed sleep. Caleb watched the lines of worry on her face relax. He used his fingers to gently ease the others, trying to give her a chance at a worry free sleep.

***

Kevan spun around, taking it all in. The beautiful open field filled with waves of wildflowers, and birds playing in the scented air gave her the perspective to see how big the valley was. Turning in a complete 360o, she saw nothing familiar, but the beauty entranced her, negating a ripple of fear that ran through her. She wondered if what she had warned Caleb about had happened, and she couldn't remember it.

"Don't be afraid." Kevan whipped around, coming to a sudden stop when her eyes fell upon a woman unlike any she had ever seen before.

"Who are you?" Kevan demanded, stepping back to see if there was anything, she could use as a weapon. "Where am I?"

"You're safe. I did not bring you here to harm you. I brought you here so we could talk," she explained to Kevan.

"I don't understand?" Kevan questioned. She glanced around again, as all kinds of scenarios ran through her mind of who this woman was. "Who are you?"

"I'm known by many different names, by many different races, but you may call me Tatiana."

"Well Tatiana, you still haven't told me who you are, and what you want from me."

"No, I haven't," she told Kevan, a smile lighting her face. Kevan looked away. Tatiana was overwhelming to look at; her being radiated light and beauty unlike anything Kevan had ever seen before. "It's not important who I am. What is important is the information that I have for you."

"Are you a god?" Kevan felt small.

"A god. Kevan, please, do I look like a god?"

"How would I know? I have never seen a god before," Kevan shot back at her.

"And you still haven't. I need you to listen to me. I have something I need to tell you, and we don't have much time."

"Why not?" Kevan wanted to know.

"Kevan, we certainly don't have time for me to explain to you why we don't have the time. I need you to listen to what I have to tell you."

"I'm sorry. As my sisters will tell you, I can be very stubborn when I want to be. You've kidnapped me, now you won't tell me who, or what, you are. Those two facts certainly aren't working in your favor, so no I don't think I will cooperate with you." She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"What are you doing?" Tatiana questioned, frowning as she watched her.

"This has to be a dream. I don't think that you could have taken me without waking Caleb, and you certainly couldn't have hurt him. So that means I must be asleep, and now want to wake up."

"Well, your logic might work if you were asleep." Kevan's eyes shot open as she glared at the woman standing in front of her.

"What do you mean, I'm not asleep?"

"It would have been easier if you were, but you're not, and neither am I. I guess that means that were we're both awake."

"This isn't possible," Kevan muttered.

"You really are one stubborn woman."

"What did you expect? The last thing, I remember was having s ..." Kevan blushed, as she quickly changed what she had been about to say. "I remember falling asleep safe in Caleb's arms, and now I am standing in a field of wildflowers, with a stranger, who isn't willing to telling me anything about herself. Are you human? How were you able to bring me here without alerting Caleb? If I appear to be skeptical, tough. With all that we have been through, if you want me to listen to you, I need answers."

Tatiana's long, flowing golden curls floated over her shoulders, and down her back. The colour was stunning, either the best colour job Kevan had ever seen, or it was supernatural. Kevan shook her head from the distraction, and then looked away from Tatiana. Kevan wasn't sure what the lady had done, but Kevan was sure that she had done something, because she was forgetting the questions that she wanted answers to.

"Whatever you're doing, stop, I'm not going to forget my questions. Who are you, and where am I?" Kevan watched her closely, trying to get a handle on this woman.

Tatiana watched Kevan just as closely until a smile lit her face, and Kevan was filled with feelings of what she could only describe as pure goodness. "You've surprised me; I never expected you to be quite so stubborn, or beautiful. I always knew that you would be strong and determined, and so far you certainly have shown that."

"Why are you acting like you know me?" Kevan demanded of her. "I don't know you?"

"No, you don't know me, but I know you, Kevan."

"That's not possible," Kevan argued.

"Sure it is," Tatiana told her.

"How?"

"I think I underestimated just how stubborn you would be," Tatiana said, but Kevan felt like another was being addressed, not herself.

"Who are you talking to?" Kevan demanded of her.

"It's alright, Kevan. I have forgotten what it's like to interact with a human. It's been a very time."

"What are? Are you a member of the cairbare sorcerers?"

"No, I am not a cairbare. I am of another race, which for reasons we deemed necessary, removed ourselves from the human realm a long time ago."

"The human realm? What are you talking about?" Tatiana, was getting antsy, Kevan could see that, as she looked over her shoulder yet again.

"Look, Kevan, I wish I had time to explain all of this to you. You're going to have to take a chance on the fact that I really am the friend that I am claiming to be. We don't have much time. Caleb has discovered that you are missing."

"Then take me back, and tell us both, what you want to tell me."

"If only it was that simple I would, but it's not. Leila's information about protecting the grimoire is correct, but you will need all the help you can get."

"How do you know what Leila said about the grimoire?" Kevan asked warily. "What do you know about the grimoire?"

"I know that it is a mix of pure evil, and pure good, a balance of both, like life, and unfortunately you need to have both to ensure that proper balance."

"Okay."

"Now I need you to listen to me."

"You know, for someone who claims that you've lived apart from the human realm, you sure seem to know a lot of what is happening."

"Yes, television and the internet are wonderfully educational," Tatiana laughed. "We need to focus." She handed Kevan a rolled up piece of paper.

"What is this?" Kevan wanted to know, shaking it at her.

"It's our contribution to your search."

"What search?" Kevan tried to play dumb.

"Oh, Kevan, please don't act stupid. We both know that you aren't. You're about to embark on the search for the grimoire, and this is to help you on your quest. Trust that we have your best interest at heart." Tatiana glanced behind her again. Kevan saw the look of concern that flashed across her face.

"What's got you so worried?" Kevan asked her.

"I'm running out of time. We will do what we can to help, but you need to find the grimoire, it's the first step. You need to stop those who would seek to use it to destroy all we hold dear."

"Tatiana, I don't understand, what do you mean about this being the first step? And who has you so scared?"

"Don't worry about the first step. You'll understand when the time is right," Tatiana told her. "I have gone against my council's orders to stay out this, but I cannot. They don't understand that they are wrong," she hastily explained to Kevan. "You need to find the grimoire, and I can help you. When it is safe, I will try and contact you again, or get you information when I can, but they are coming. I have to send you back now, before they catch us."

"Back?" Kevan questioned, as she looked around her. "Who is coming?"

"Be strong, Kevan. You are destined for amazing things," Tatiana told her, as she reached out, grasping Kevan's shoulder.

Kevan gasped, as a sharp burning sensation flared across her shoulder blade, easing down to multiple stings when Tatiana lifted her hand off. Then Kevan was swept away, and the feeling of falling off a cliff overwhelmed her senses.

"Kevan!" Caleb roared as he barreled down the stairs, his heart pounding with fear as he tore through the house looking for her. "Kevan?" he shouted, needing her to answer him.

"Caleb?" He sagged when he saw Kaitlyn stepping into the hallway.

"Is Kevan with you?" he prayed.

"No, I haven't seen her since she went upstairs a couple hours ago," Kaitlyn told him. "What's wrong?"

"I woke up, and she wasn't in the bed. I went looking for her. I can't find her. I've searched the entire house and grounds, she isn't here." The terror that he was feeling threatened to take control; a need to rip everything apart to find her began to build within him. Kaitlyn could see how scared he was, and she tried to calm him down.

"I'm sure you have just missed each other. I'll bet she is in the kitchen getting a drink, or something to eat. She's fine, I would know if she wasn't," she tried assuring him.

"Kaitlyn, you don't understand. I can't sense her. I've always been able to sense her. Something is wrong, somebody has taken her ..." He stopped his rant and staggered, gasping at the sudden bombardment of Kevan's essence. He turned and raced back up the stairs, followed by a very worried Kaitlyn. He stopped when Kevan stepped into his line of sight. "Kevan," his voice was relieved, as he took the final dozen steps two at a time to get to her. Pulling her into his arms, crushing her to his body, he inhaled her scent. It was uniquely her, but something was different, it reminded him of wildflowers. "Thank the gods," he whispered against her neck, where he had buried his face. "I woke, and you were gone."

Kevan wrapped her arms around Caleb's broad shoulders and held on. She didn't want to let go of him, ever. "I'm sorry," she told him. "I don't know what happened."

"Where were you?" he demanded as his anger replaced his fear. "I couldn't find you anywhere!" Kevan held onto him, trying to figure out how to explain, what had happened to her, even though she really didn't understand it herself.

"Kevan?" She looked over her shoulder to her concerned looking twin.

"Hi, Kait."

"You okay?" she asked. Kevan smiled at her, but emotions started to bubble to the surface, and the tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm not sure," she told her twin.

"Do you need to talk?"

"Yeah, but give us a minute." Kevan kissed Caleb's neck, before she stepped back, turning in his arms, which he refused to remove from around her. Kaitlyn cocked her head to the side as she stared at Kevan.

"You feel different," she told her sister. They had always had a connection between them that let them know how the other was.

"I know," Kevan acknowledged the difference that she could feel within herself while Caleb ran his hands over her shoulders. Kevan hissed as a shooting flash pain radiated across she shoulder blade where his fingers brushed the spot Tatiana had grasped.

"You're hurt!" he barked, as he pulled the t-shirt away from her shoulder so he could check her out. Kaitlyn moved around so that she could see. Kevan saw the look of surprise that came over her twin's face.

"When did you get a new tattoo?" Kaitlyn demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Kevan asked her, as she tried to see what Kaitlyn was seeing. "I haven't gotten any new tattoos," she told them as she moved to look at her shoulder in the mirror hanging on the wall. There it was. On the upper part of her back, right above her shoulder blade, lay a tattoo of a tiny fairy. She looked to both Caleb and Kaitlyn, and then took off running to Caleb's bedroom.

"Kevan?" Caleb followed her, watching as she searched the bed for something, flipping the covers, and then dropping to the floor to look under the bed. "Kevan?" Caleb questioned her again. Kevan stopped, and reaching under the bed, she pulled out a roll of paper that had fallen down between the bed and the nightstand. Her hands shook when she looked to Caleb and Kaitlyn, who were both watching her with a look of real worry on their faces.

Kaitlyn walked over, taking the rolled scrap, and holding it up, asked Kevan, "What is this?"

"The reason I disappeared, I think." Kevan informed them. She looked to her twin. With shaking hands, she took the scroll gently; undoing the string that held it closed, and unrolled it. Pausing for a moment, she tried to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do. Her guts told her this was going to add more changes to their upside-down lives. Looking down she took a few minutes to read it repeatedly, before she looked up at the anxiously waiting Kaitlyn and Caleb. Letting Kaitlyn take it from her trembling hands, she got to her feet, staying quiet while Kaitlyn read, then held it out for Caleb.

"Just tell me," he told her.

"It's a map," Kaitlyn told him.

"A map to what?" Caleb wanted to know, as he watched the emotion of fear replaced by joy on Kevan's face.

"It's a map or better yet, it's directions on how to find the grimoire," Kevan laughed.

"What?" Caleb roared. "Where the hell did you find a piece a paper that gave you directions to the grimoire? Where the hell were you, and who were you with?"

"I don't know," Kevan told him with a smile, feeling far better about their task ahead.

"What do you mean you don't know? What do you remember?" Caleb wanted to know.

"I remember everything," Kevan told them. "I don't know where I was, but I remember it."

"You had better start talking," Kaitlyn informed her.

"I remember falling asleep in Caleb's arms, then the next thing I know, I'm standing in a field of wildflowers." Caleb drew a sharp breath, but signaled her to carry on. "When I turned around, I wasn't alone. There was this beautiful woman there. She said that she was known by many different names, but I could call her Tatiana." Kevan sensed the escalating tension in Caleb's body. She looked at him, but once again he signaled for her to continue. "Well, we argued for a bit. She told me that she had something to contribute to our search for the grimoire. I asked her what she knew about it, and she told me that the book contained both pure evil and pure good, mimicking life. She was scared, I could see that, she told me that she was going against her council, and that was when she gave me the scroll. She said finding the grimoire was just the first step, and when I asked the first step to what, she informed me that we would know when the time was right. She knew about Leila." Kevan stopped as she recalled one of the things that Tatiana had told her. "Is there more than one world?" she asked Caleb.

"What?"

"It's a simple question. Is there more than just our world?"

"Yes," Caleb stated simply.

"Wow," Kevan whispered.

"Seriously cool!" Kaitlyn chimed in.

"At one time, it was very common for the races to move back and forth between the different realms. Now L'Dern is one of the few places that is still accessible. How did you think all the different races came to be on earth, anyway?"

"I never really thought about it. It just was what it was," Kevan stated. "I certainly never thought that there were other worlds."

"So, are they on different planets? Is getting there like stepping through a stargate? Can we go visit them?" Kaitlyn badgered Caleb, wanting to know more.

"Not another television reference," Caleb muttered. "Okay, I'm not exactly sure how to explain this to you. The worlds are all here, just not here on this earth. I guess the best way to describe it, is that they are in different dimensions. At one time, as I said, there were races that could step through certain portals, and be on another world or realm."

"What are they like, the realms?" Kevan asked, her curiosity kicking in.

"I don't know, some are amazing, some are very similar to earth. Time moves differently in the different realms. If you compared them to earth, you could step into a realm that is more like the 1500's or 1800's, or what you think it might be like in 2800. This realm, or earth's time line, doesn't seem to fluctuate like other realms; it seems to be more stable for some reason. When you are in different realms, and want to return to earth at the same time frame that you left, it can prove difficult."

"You said that at one time it was very common to move from one world to another. Tatiana said they had withdrawn from the human realm a long time ago, but she talked like us. She knew me, and when I asked her about it, she told me that television and the internet were very educational. So they must have some kind of connection?" Kevan looked to Caleb; something on his face told her that he knew more than he was telling.

"Caleb?"

"What?" he asked.

"You know something. Don't tell me you don't, I can see it written all over your face."

Caleb looked away as he started talking. "These worlds hold many different magical races that, over the centuries, interacted with the other races on earth. Since the beginning, really, we all mixed together, humans, cairbare, demons, vamps, everyone. It was common until the passages between the worlds began to close down, and disappear. At one time, there were hundreds of worlds. Now, as I said, only the access to L'Dern is still open, which has always baffled us."

"You know who this Tatiana is, don't you?" Kevan pushed him. He closed his eyes, and nodded his head.

"I am not positive, but I have my suspicions," he admitted. Kevan drew a deep breath, suddenly terrified about the answer to the next question she had to ask.

"You loved her," Kevan stated, catching Caleb off guard.

"If it is who I believe, then yes, I loved her, but not the way you're thinking." He took a hold of Kevan's hands. "I was not in love with her like I am in love with you." He pulled her close, kissing her forehead. "Please don't ever doubt that; I'm sorry if I made you feel otherwise."

"Then who is she?" Kevan questioned him.

"Tatiana is like a sister to me," Caleb explained with a smile, as he recalled memories of his friend.

"But she told me that she wasn't cairbare," Kevan stated in confusion.

"I said like a sister, not that she was a sister," Caleb corrected her. "If it was Tatiana you talked with, she is Elfame."

"A what?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Elfame are a race of fair folk. They are immortal, wielders of magic, and very private. The best analogy, they are like elves, and don't you dare come up with a movie analogy, Kaitlyn," Caleb groused. "They don't have pointy ears; I have no idea where the hell that came from. They are like the cairbare, they aren't human. There are many different classes of elfame, think England in the 17th and 18th centuries. Elfame have a monarchy, which have ruled the Elfame for thousands of years. It's not really all that different from earth's own history. The biggest difference is the fact that magic was very much a part of their lives, whereas here on earth, it isn't, it's hidden."

"What happened to them?" Kaitlyn asked, with the impatience of a child.

"As the human race developed, it became clear that magic was not going to be tolerated. Unlike many of the other races that use magic, elfame magic is not something that they use, it is part of them, woven within them differently than most of the others. When they did not want to hide that fact, it was agreed that no elf would live, or spend too much time, in this realm. Only short visits were granted, always returning to Farren, their home realm. One day I received a summons to Farren, that they needed our help. Marcus and I attempted to shimmer, but we couldn't. The portal was closed, and nothing that we tried would allow us to pass through," Caleb explained. "You talked to her? You saw Tatiana?"

"I talked to a woman who called herself Tatiana," Kevan corrected. "How long has it been since the portal closed to Farren?"

"A very long time," Caleb stated.

"Caleb, just tell us. You have to know how long it has been."

"Kevan," he warned her, hating to bring up the years that he had lived before her.

"Caleb, please just tell us."

"You're a pain in the butt, woman," he growled, making Kevan smile. "Fine, it's been almost 1800 years," Caleb told them. Both Kevan and Kaitlyn rocked on their heels in shock.

"Holy crap!" Kaitlyn whispered. Kevan's mind raced with so many ideas. "I knew you were old, 'cause Kevan told me, but it is amazing to hear you say it."

"Kaitlyn, enough!" Both Kevan and Caleb said in unison.

"But the questions, I have to know."

"Not the place, and certainly not the time," Kevan interjected.

"Well, excuse me for being curious," Kaitlyn spat at her twin. "It's not like we're talking eighteen years, we're talking eighteen centuries. If that doesn't deserve a holy crap, I don't know what does."

"Okay, Kaitlyn, you are right. Caleb, you're telling us that 1800 years ago the doorways between the worlds started disappearing. Now, all of a sudden, she can pull me between the worlds, and can hand us directions to the grimoire that we just happen to be looking for. What about this is wrong?" Kevan looked at her twin. "She knows about television and the internet, but instead of pulling someone she knows, like Caleb, she grabbed me." Kevan scrubbed her face with her hands. "Don't you think this is nuts? I wish I could talk to her, I wish I understood ..." Kevan let out a scream, as she swatted at her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Kaitlyn cried out.

"There's something under my shirt!" Kevan cried out. Caleb grabbed the collar of the t-shirt and ripped it. The edges fell apart as he pulled the pieces off her shoulder. They all gasped, as something flew out from under the pieces of ruined t-shirt. Kaitlyn let out a screech, taking a swat at whatever it was that flew out from under Kevan's shirt, only stopping when Caleb grabbed her.

"No!" He reached his hand out. Kevan watched it hovering above them, and then it flew towards Caleb, settling on his outstretched hand. His face lit up with a smile, at the tiny woman that settled on his hand. "Kira!" he said with surprise.

"Caleb, warrior of the cairbare, I bring welcome." The voice reminded Kevan of the way one sounds after inhaling helium. "Greetings, and welcome from Tatiana of the Elfame."

"Oh my gods, it's a real live Tinkerbell," Kaitlyn screeched, as she smacked her sister's shoulder. Kevan just shook her head, and looked at the tiny little person that was standing on the back of Caleb's hand, watching them just as intently.

"Please tell me that," Kevan stuttered as she pointed to the tiny person standing on the back of Caleb's hand, "thing did not just come off my shoulder!"

"I can't!" Caleb told her. "Kira is a Fay, and she did come off your shoulder," he explained.

"What the hell is that? And how the hell did it get on my shoulder?" Kevan demanded.

"Kevan, calm down, it's going to be alright, Kira is a guardian Fay." He paused, "She was one of Tatiana's, and she must have given her to you."

"She sent me to help you," Kira told Kevan, as she flew up and towards Kevan.

"This is so cool!" Kaitlyn exclaimed, holding her hand out towards Kira, who was busy showing her air ballet moves. Kaitlyn laughed at the still shocked Kevan. "You've got your very own Tinkerbell."

"I'm glad you're so excited about this whole thing, Sis, but she didn't come off your shoulder, and how the hell is she supposed to help us? How do I explain this if anyone sees her?" Kevan's voice dropped off when she became aware of the suddenly still Kira, staring at her, looking pissed, her hands on her hips, sparks popping off her head, her foot tapping thin air. Caleb cleared his throat, getting Kevan's attention.

"Kevan, don't let Kira's size fool you. As an elite member of the Guardian Fays, she is very capable of much more than you would ever think."

"I am to assist with your search," Kira piped up, her anger dissipating as quickly as it had risen. "Tatiana thought I would be an asset." Caleb shook his head, confused at Kira's statement.

"Kira, how does Tatiana even know what we are searching for?" Caleb asked. "We haven't had contact with the elfame or Farren in almost 1800 years. Unless something has happened... has the portal opened?" Kira floated towards Caleb until she was right in his face.

"I don't understand it myself, Caleb," Kira told him rather seriously. "But in the past hundred years, things have been changing in Farren."

"Changing? How?" Caleb's curiosity rose.

Kira recited, "Where once there was a door, then a wall, now holds a window. Only the most trusted know that an access into another of the realms has opened. Tatiana has argued that we need to try to open the portals again, but the council are being old men, and think that it's better if they stay closed. They convinced King Elric that it would be dangerous to let it be known that the portal had opened a window, but not a door. They think that the elfame should stay away from the other races, because most only try and use elfame for their skills with nothing given in return."

"Okay Kira, that's too much information," Caleb told her. "The portals are opening?"

"I don't know," Kira told him.

"They built a wall around the one portal, but they didn't know that Tatiana had discovered another one, another window to your world," Kira explained, "Tatiana watches it whenever she can, and not telling anyone except her most trusted confidantes about the window. She says that we need to be prepared for when our help is needed."

"That makes no sense," he muttered to himself. "What help are you talking about?"

"Caleb, let me," Kevan told him. "Kira?"

"Yes Kevan." Kira floated towards Kevan. "You're pretty, Kevan." Kevan shook her head at the sudden change in direction of the conversation.

"Thank you, Kira," Kevan told her, redirecting her back to what they had been discussing. "Did Tatiana give you any other information for us?"

"I don't understand?" Kira looked at Kevan.

"Both you and Caleb said that Tatiana sent you to help. Did she tell you anything that might help us? How did she even know what we were searching for? How would she even know how to find the grimoire?"

"The window," Kira stated, as if they should know what she meant. "She can see things; she has shown me many things so I would know about your homeland."

"But how?" Kevan needed to know.

"She asks, and it shows her."

"Oh my gods, the portal didn't open. Somehow it's been changed to a looking glass," Caleb explained, his voice ringing with shock. "Kira, did Tatiana ever find out why the portal closed between our worlds?" Kira tilted her head to the side, as she studied first Kevan then Caleb. "Kira?" he pushed her; she could be just as bad as Kaitlyn for going off on tangents.

"No, our warrior Caleb, she believes that we know who is behind it, but requires proof to take to the council, something that is going to get them off their butts, and make them realize that if they don't do something, that Farren could be the next target."

"Kira, the Tatiana I knew never talked like that," Caleb laughed.

"1800 years of isolation changes a person." Kevan stared at Kira; she sounded exactly like Tatiana. Kira giggled and smiled as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Tatiana says that she is tired of dealing with grumpy old men, too scared to do what needs to be done in order to help our people, before it is too late."

"Too late for what?" Caleb questioned Kira, watching as she continued her air ballet.

"I don't know. Tatiana comes away from the window with all kinds of ideas I don't understand. She is Tatiana, and we obey."

"So who does she suspect?" Kevan wanted to know. Kira looked at Kevan and shrugged her shoulders.

"She does not tell me that. She only told me about the window a while ago, so I would be ready when the time was right for my journey, but at times she talks to the window and I overhear things. She's worried that if the council finds out that she has access to one of the other realms; they would do something to stop her from watching, and trying to help. Tatiana says that she needs all the information that she can get in order to make things right again." Kira's wings drooped, and she looked to Caleb. "Caleb, I'm hungry," she told him, rubbing her stomach, which they all heard growling.

"Kevan." She looked to Caleb. "Kira is your Fay. You need to take care of her."

"What?" Kevan asked confused at what he was getting at.

"Kira needs to be fed," he told her.

"In a minute," she said off-handedly, stopping when he reached out, touching her shoulder.

"No, Kevan, now," Caleb told her.

"But?" she started to argue.

"Kevan, you need to understand something of the honor you have been given. I don't ever remember anyone outside of the elfame that have been given a personal fey, it just isn't done. Tatiana is one of the heirs to the Farren throne; her father is the King. Kira isn't just a regular fey; she is one of the royal guardian fays. In order for Tatiana to give her to you, she would have had to volunteer."

"I get it Caleb, and I am very honored by her trust." Kevan gave him a look that said she understood what he was saying, but she didn't understand what he was trying to tell her. "We'll see that we get Kira back to Tatiana ASAP."

Caleb shook his head. "It doesn't work that way," Caleb stated.

"What do you mean, it doesn't work that way?" Kevan stopped, drawing in a calming breath. "Please explain how it works," Kevan asked Caleb. "Your acting like I have done something wrong and I don't understand why?"

"Kevan, honey," he paused, still trying to deal with all that had happened in the last little while. "I'm sorry, you haven't done anything wrong, but you need to take care of the gifts you are given. Kira is a gift, you will see."

"Okay." Kevan watched him, still confused by his attitude.

"That means that she needs to be fed." Kira landed on Kevan's shoulder, grabbing onto her earring. "You need to feed her."

"I think we are going to be great friends," Kira chirped in Kevan's ear, as she swung back and forth on the hoop, "but I'm hungry." The stomach grumble was really quite loud for such a tiny being.
Chapter Twenty One

Kevan sipped her coffee, as she watching in amazement as Kira demolished yet another of the donuts that Caleb had pulled out for her. For such a tiny thing she could pack it away.

Settling down on the table, Kira let out a huge belch. "Sorry," she giggled, covering her mouth, making then all laugh at the sound that came out of the miniature body. "I like you're ..." she looked to Kevan.

"Doughnut, it's called a doughnut," Kevan supplied.

"Dough - nut," Kira repeated with a smile, and a nod of her head. "I like your doughnuts, Kevan, can we get more?"

"Kira, you tell us everything Tatiana wanted us to know, and we will see that you have a never ending supply of donuts," Kevan promised her.

"I think I'm going to like it here," Kira told them, as she did a twirl; she seemed to do that a lot.

"Like it here?" Kevan questioned as she looked to Caleb. "What does she mean; she is going to like it here?"

"Kevan, don't get upset," Caleb told her.

"I won't get upset if you tell me what she is talking about," Kevan told him.

"Kira volunteered to come to you," Caleb explained.

"Yes, you already told us that, but what does that have to do with her staying here?"

"When she volunteered, that means whomever Tatiana gave her to becomes her new ..." he stopped, trying to find the right words to explain it to Kevan.

"I belong to you now," Kira chirped at her. "I am your guardian fey."

"Only until we get you back to Tatiana, correct?" Kevan stated.

"No Kevan, Kira is yours now. She is part of you." Caleb admitted.

"What do you mean she is part of me?"

"She is your living tattoo. When she sleeps, she will sleep on your body. She likely will travel that way also. She is your guardian fey." Kevan stared wide eyed at the little fey standing on the table.

"But, won't Tatiana want her back?"

"Tatiana sent me to help you," Kira informed them, "all of you. I am the guardian fey for the women of destiny. That is what Tatiana called them."

"So what does that mean?" Kaitlyn asked her curiosity was piqued.

"That you have been doubly honored," Caleb informed them. "Kira is the guardian of your sisters and cousins, but she is still part of you, Kevan, and as much as she will protect you, you will need to protect her. This brings us back to something very important." Caleb looked to the fey, who had watched their entire exchange with amusement. "I'm glad that you think that you will like it here, Kira, but there are some rules!" Caleb informed her.

"I don't like rules," Kira pouted, as she crossed her arms and stomped her foot. That looked odd, as she was floating in the air about five inches off the table.

"Kira, you have never liked rules, but they are for your protection and they will be obeyed, understood?" Caleb told her. "Earth isn't like Farren. People here don't know about fey, and if they saw you, it could cause all kinds of problems."

"But Tatiana sent me to help, so that you would be able to help open the portal again," she told him, as she continued to eye the donuts sitting on the kitchen counter.

"How would we be able to help open the portal, when we don't know who closed it, or how?" Caleb wanted to know.

"Whatever closed the portal had to have a very powerful spell," Kaitlyn supplied. "Maybe like the spells that are in our doomsday grimoire?" Kevan looked to her sister, surprised she hadn't thought of that herself.

"Well, that makes sense. Okay, if that's true, then that may explain some things," Kevan stated. "Like maybe the person that closed the portals hasn't been able to access them since Leonard shut off access to the repository and moved the grimoire?" Caleb took Kevan's hand, squeezing it. "Why does it seem like we are getting more questions than answers?" she asked him, her voice sounding weary.

"We have directions to the grimoire," Caleb argued, "That is more than we had a couple hours ago."

"Oh, come on Caleb, you've read the scroll," Kevan threw at him. "They make no sense; maybe it was just was wishful thinking."

"It's supposedly been done before," he pointed out.

"That isn't much of an incentive, Caleb, seeing as everyone claims that Samhain went crazy because he found the grimoire. Yeah, like that fact really makes me excited about finding this thing."

"We can't prove that Dexter ever found the grimoire," Kaitlyn informed them. "I'm sorry, I wish I had something that showed that he really did, but from everything I read so far, he was on the trail of something, but then he got paranoid, and I'm struggling with his notes now. Honestly, if I was a betting person, I would say that he didn't find the grimoire."

"Then what did he find? What was it that Dreyden was after?" Caleb questioned, for he was the one not being the voice of reason, but possibilities, which was a change for him.

Kevan looked at him, suppressing a smile at his struggle with trying to be the one to encourage them to continue on their quest for the grimoire.

"He was following something that was leading him to the grimoire, and we know that the only thing that he took from L'Dern when he escaped was the Samhain diary, which supposedly leads to the grimoire," Kaitlyn spoke up.

"Okay, let's say you're right, how does your friend Tatiana, whom you have had no communication with for almost two thousand years, suddenly have directions to the exact thing that we are looking for?"

"Kevan, I'm only going to tell you this once. Tatiana had nothing to do with any of this. She has risked her life to get us this information," Caleb pointed out.

"But how the hell do we know what to do with these directions? It's not as if they say go to Highway 10 and Ladner Trunk Road, and turn at Highway 17A to the ferries. It says that the grimoire is in a dark place surrounded by water in the, whatever ..." she trailed off.

"Okay, so it's not exactly precise, but we're closer than we were twenty four hours ago. Think about all that you have discovered so far. You have Leila, who can communicate with the repository, and now you have Kira to help."

"Don't forget me," Kaitlyn piped up.

"Your sister wouldn't miss this, and you have me and the other cairbare. You know that we will do everything that we can to help." Kevan laced her fingers with Caleb's. "We can do this. We'll find the grimoire, and make sure that nobody can use it to hurt everyone we care about." Kevan watched him, her heart swelling with love.

"I love you, Caleb, for trying to make me feel better," Kevan said, then took a steadying breath before continuing, "It's not like we don't know who is after the grimoire. Both Leonard and Dreyden want it and I know that we can deal with them, but someone else wants it, and that person is willing to kill to get their hands on it."

"Then we need to make sure that we stop them. We get it first, and ensure that it is put somewhere out of their reach." Caleb sounded so positive that they could do this. Kevan wasn't as positive, but she smiled and tried to fake her belief that they could do it.

Kevan watched the warriors prepare for war, and as uncomfortable as that thought made her, she was very glad that the cairbare were on their side. The guys looked amazing, from the form fitting black pants, to the tight t-shirts that clung to every ripple, and muscle on their board chests. They all moved with such pleasurable grace, even as they strapped on enough weaponry to take on a small army. What amazed her was how the variety of weapons ran the gauntlet, from modern day semi-automatic pistols, and AK 47s, to swords from across the eons. She had even seen a couple cross bows strapped across their backs.

Kevan recalled her shock when Kayne opened a secret room beside the gym. They had walked into one of the armories of the cairbare, stacked floor to ceiling with weapons. He had lovingly touched each one, checking each weapon over, before handing it over to the men. She had learned from Caleb that one of Kayne's jobs, as well as his passion, was weapons; no matter how big or small, he loved them all.

Kevan and her family had tried to refuse the smaller guns that Kayne handed them, but he refused to accept a no. Kevan knew she had way more control over her powers than her sisters, but it still wasn't enough that she could be without something to protect them. So reluctantly, they accepted the offered guns. After a quick overview on how they worked, she had slid hers into her backpack, hoping that she wouldn't need to use it.

Standing with Kaitlyn, Leila, and Eve, she could see the escalating anxiousness within all of them. Kira flew around the room, going from one shoulder to the next. She was bubbling with excitement about the journey they were about to undertake.

Standing on the other side of the room was Brennan, and the rest of the family watching as they prepared for the journey. Kevan could see that Brennan was still looking to continue with the argument that had been ongoing since Kevan had had her encounter with Tatiana. Caleb, Marcus, Niall and Joseph along with Kevan and Kaitlyn, had pored over the directions that Tatiana had passed on to them until they were all going crazy, trying to decipher it, until Kaitlyn finally figured out what they had all continued to overlook.

Tatiana's message, although somewhat vague, had given them a starting point, and now as they prepared to embark on their quest, they all secretly hoped that it would become clearer as they searched for the elusive grimoire.

START AT THE END AND WORK YOUR WAY BACK

WHAT YOU SEEK SITS IN A PLACE OF PROTECTION

THAT SEES NEITHER THE LIGHT OF DAY

NOR THE DARK OF NIGHT

SURROUNDED BY WATER AND FIRE

IT AWAITS ITS RELEASE

BY THE TRUTH SEEKER

THE ALL SEEING

THE TALKER

AND THE WARRIOR

SURROUNDED BY THE PROTECTORS

THEY ALL MUST WORK TOGETHER

TO SHINE THE WAY THROUGH THE DARKNESS

DON'T BELIEVE THE FALSEHOODS

TRUST IN THE TRUTH

KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO

WHAT HAS BEEN SET IN FRONT OF THEM

THE MOST UNLIKELY OF ALL

WILL DO WHAT SEEMS TO BE IMPOSSIBLE

ALL WILL BECOME CLEAR

AS YOU WILL FIND WHAT YOU SEEK

"Kevan," Brennan demanded. "This is crazy, what if you need our help?"

"Brennan, we have been over this," Kevan sighed, "You can't come."

"But ..." Brennan argued.

"No. Look, Tatiana's directions tell us that we need the truth seeker and that's Eve, the all seeing which is me, the talker is Leila, and the warrior."

"At your command!" Kira piped up, as she swung her sword around with a twirl.

"So, why is Kaitlyn going?" Brennan demanded.

"You know why. Kaitlyn was the one that figured out the first part of Tatiana's clue, that's why," Kevan told her, seeing that Brennan wanted to argue about it more. "Brennan, enough. I know you want to come and I understand, if the shoe was on the other foot, I would be doing exactly what you are doing. But we need you here, looking like everything is carrying on as normal. If we all disappeared, that would send up red flags for whoever is watching us. With you here, making things looking normal, maybe we have a better chance of getting the grimoire without alerting our enemies."

"Without alerting them? Are you kidding me, look at those guys," Brennan pointed at the men. "They're preparing for a war. Why would they do that, if they want to keep this so undercover?"

"Because, as we all know, things happen that are out of our control, so we're going in prepared for the worst, and hoping for the best," Caleb informed Brennan.

"Brennan, trust that we can do this," Kevan pleaded with her.

"Kevan, that was never a debate, I know that you can do this. I even trust that they will do whatever they can to protect you," Brennan stated, looking at the well-armed men. "What I don't like, is that yet again, you're doing this without us. We agreed that we wouldn't do things on our own anymore."

Kevan let out a snort of laughter at Brennan's twist of their promise, to suit her needs.

"Brennan, nice try, what we agreed to was that we would not do things without everyone's knowledge. Everyone that needs to know knows. That's all that's important; besides, the more people that are involved, the higher the odds that we'll be discovered."

"But you have no idea what you are getting into!" Brennan tried to argue.

"Brennan enough!" Eve snapped. "You're not coming, and trying to argue your way into this is not going to work. We know that you're scared for us, but we've promised to keep in touch. We all have our phones, and we'll call whenever we can."

Brennan sighed; she knew that they weren't going to give in. Giving them each a hug, she reluctantly released her need to try to control this. She was terrified that this could possibly be the last time that she saw her sisters, and she wanted them to know that even though she wasn't happy with the situation, she supported them.

Coming face to face with Caleb, Marcus, and the others preparing to take her sisters away, she tried to look strong, though she felt anything but as she warned them, "You had better take care of them, or else."

"With our lives," Caleb promised. Nodding, she turned and walked out the door. She didn't want to let them see her break down. Caleb looked to Kevan and the other women, seeing unshed tears.

He asked, "Ready?" Kevan looked to him. "We need to get moving, if we want to keep this under wraps."

"I know," she told him. "We're ready." She picked up the backpack sitting at her feet, and looked to the rest of her cousins and sisters who were standing, watching.

"We're going to be okay, and we will be back before you even get a chance to miss us," she told them. "I promise."

"Don't make promises that you may not be able to keep, Kevan." Myrna's warning came from experience.

"Myrna ..." Kevan started, but stopped, understanding how lame the platitude, I promise, sounded.

"Good luck, be safe," Myrna told them.

Kevan looked at her sisters and cousins, then to Caleb.

"Let's go," she whispered, wanting to get out of there before they changed their minds. Caleb gently cradled her face, his love shining through his eyes, warming her.

"It's going to be okay," he told her

***

Kevan found shimmering a bit consuming. The physical world dissolved into energy, which seemed to swirl, leaving her standing in the eye of the tornado. It was all-silent and calm, a vortex of peace, surrounded by chaos. The constant moving swirls, was nauseating, and she focused on Caleb's arms holding her. The nausea and Caleb's arms were the only things that confirmed her existence. She didn't feel the bruises on her knees, or the sweat rolling down her spine; her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. Then the calm was gone, and she felt heavy, her ears sensitive to the noise of the real world engulfing her, crying calls of gulls, crashing waves of the ocean against cliffs. Her eyes saw the group surrounded by misty trails of fog, and Kevan shivered as the damp air chilled her to the core in an instant. Shimmering was an interesting experience.

"Are we here?" she questioned, looking around to make sure that the others were whole. "Or better yet, where are we?"

"Well, if Kaitlyn is right, then this is where we need to start," Caleb told her.

Marcus turned to Leila, who was looking around, taking it all in. In a matter of seconds, they had moved from Caleb's gym to this open field.

"Leila, do you sense anything?" Marcus asked her. Closing her eyes, she relaxed her body, allowing her mind to float. She reached out with what she could only describe as her consciousness, to see if she could touch any part of the grimoire. It was getting easier with every try, as she became more comfortable with the idea of her role as the claviger of the repository, almost relishing it. The roar at times could still be deafening, but it didn't overwhelm her as it once had. Her eyes popped open, and laughter fell from her throat. "It was here. I can hear them all yelling at me," she told them.

"Are you okay?" Eve questioned, worried about the woman who, a short time ago, did a mental over-haul.

"Oh yes, Eve, I'm fine. I wish I could make you understand how I really feel. The more I talk with them, the better I feel, and the less yelling they do. It all feels so good, so right. It's a part of me. A part that I didn't even know was missing, until you came into my life. I can never thank you enough."

"It is part of you," Roderic spoke up. "When you ignored it, because you didn't know what it was, that was the problem. It needs to be part of you, and when you all kept trying to shut it out, it responded by getting louder and louder, to get your attention. At least that is what we believe."

"Well, it certainly seems to be working," Leila stated. "But why are we here?" She steered the conversation back to the present.

"Well, according to Dexter's research, this was the last place that he traced the repository to," Kaitlyn told them. "So, with what we have pieced together from his research, along with what Tatiana gave us, this is what we came up with. The last place was the place to start, Tatiana told us, start at the end and work our way back. We figured nobody knew what Leonard was doing just before he took the demon oath, and that he took the grimoire out of the repository. It would have had to happen almost simultaneously, or else someone may have figured it out, and might have stopped him."

"Where is here?" Leila questioned, looking around at the dark forbidding countryside. "It looks a lot like what I have always pictured the Moors of Cornwall to look like."

"Close, it's the Highlands of Scotland," Caleb stated. "Tatiana stated to start at the end. As Kaitlyn has explained, this place made the most sense to us, the last known spot for the grimoire and repository. What I want to know is how did a smart-ass like Kaitlyn see the coded coordinates?" Caleb winked at a very angry face, and ducked a tossed clod of dirt. The laughter lightened everyone's mood, and calm settled over the group, lending normalcy to people who felt tossed into a fictional story, suddenly come to life.

"So the last place was here?" Eve questioned, refocusing. "The highlands of Scotland. Why not someplace like New York, London or, hell, if it had to be Scotland, why not Glasgow or Edinburgh?"

"Do you not sense it?" Joseph asked, as he looked around the field.

"Sense what?" Leila asked. "I'm with Eve. Why in such a remote place? If what we believe is right, and Leonard took the grimoire from the repository. Why here of all places?"

"Why not?" Kaitlyn stated. "Leonard never would have taken it someplace where he would have to worry about the other races discovering what he was about to do. This is such a remote place. He could do what he wanted to and didn't have to worry about anyone catching him. We should just be grateful that he didn't choose the top of Everest, or the South Pole."

"This place is full of magic," Joseph stated, not familiar with the flavour, undecided if he liked it or not.

"What do you mean, full of magic?" Kevan asked, suddenly worried.

"Its natural magic," Joseph told them. "Nothing to worry about."

"That's easy for you to say," Kevan muttered, as she looked back to the others. "Okay, so we believe this is the place that Leonard decided to make his last stand, more or less. I'm sure he had hoped that it wouldn't be the last time that he had access to the repository, but he took out a little insurance, just in case. He put it somewhere around here, but why hasn't he come for it before now?" Kevan pondered. "Why doesn't he have it?" They all wondered the same, looking around the empty barren land that surrounded them.

Kaitlyn broke the silence. "Don't you just love this stuff? This is awesome. Are we sleeping out here tonight?"

"Kaitlyn! Focus! What else did Tatiana's directions tell us?" Kevan questioned, only to suppress a chuckle, as she watched her sister pull out her Blackberry, where she had all the information stored, even though she knew that she had a photographic memory. "Kaitlyn, only you would bring a Blackberry to what could prove to be a magical showdown."

"Hey, you never know when you might need it," Kaitlyn told them. "Besides, I take my Blackberry everywhere." They all laughed at her. "Do you want to know what she told us, or are you going to stand there laughing at me?" she asked.

"Kait, tell us, please," Kevan said, biting the inside of her lip in order to keep from laughing at the image Kaitlyn presented, dressed entirely in black, with a pink Hello Kitty backpack, holding the bright pink Blackberry in her hand.

"I don't get any respect," Kaitlyn muttered, as she pulled up the information that she had stored.

"Okay, here's what she gave us. 'Start at the end and work your way back. What you seek sits in the place that never sees the light of day nor the dark of night."

"Something that doesn't see the light of day nor the dark of night, what the hell does she mean by that?" Eve questioned, interrupting Kaitlyn.

"It could mean a room, or dungeon," Niall threw out, trying to be helpful.

"Or maybe a cave?" Kevan chimed in.

"A cave with its entrance hidden, which would call for a detector," Kaitlyn finished Kevan's statement, the others picking up the twins excitement, energy rippling through all of them. "Surrounded by water and fire, it awaits its release by the truth seeker, the all seeing, the talker, and the warrior, surrounded by the Protectors." Kaitlyn took a deep breath, trying to get her excitement under control, even though she was doing a happy dance in her head.

"She's so doing the happy dance in her head," Eve whispered to Kevan.

"Totally," Kevan agreed. "You're enjoying yourself way too much." she told Kaitlyn.

"Sorry, I know I shouldn't, I should be all sullen and moody, no wait, that's Brennan," Kaitlyn joked. "What can I say? I love a good mystery, although I am a little disappointed that this one has proven to be so simple. I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge."

"I for one am glad that it seems simple. That would be nice for a change," Kevan admitted, "but we're getting off the topic."

"Yes we are," Eve told them. "Kevan, why don't you do your thing, and see what you come up with?"

"Okay," Kevan agreed. She turned and saw the look of worry that flashed across Caleb's face. "I'll be okay," she told him.

"I know," he lied to her, not wanting to admit he really hated when she did this, because it always felt like she was gone, and he was scared that one time she might not come back. "But I'm still going to be at your side."

"Sounds good to me," she told him. "Alright, let's do this," she told them. She smiled at the squeeze that Caleb gave her shoulder.

"Okay, beautiful, do your thing," he told her. Kevan nodded, drawing on his strength. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind of everything, until all she was thinking about was finding a hidden doorway. Her breathing evened out, and a calm settled over her. Opening her eyes, she scanned the horizon and found the same view, yet it was different, enhanced somehow. As far as she could see, the hills seemed to float, and the moors danced. Life itself came into focus, as nature seemed more like a movie than real life. It reminded Kevan of watching a 3D movie; the entire area had changed to three dimensional view. Normal sight was going to seem very flat after this. Then something caught her eye, and she let herself draw closer, covering the distance as quick as a thought. As more of the real world swelled with energy the enhancements brought in, she explored the land searching each nook and crevices for a hidden cave. A voice murmured from far away, almost not real, and the words didn't make sense at all. Her connection to her body, her vessel, became thin, and her concentration slid back to what she was seeking.

Watching Kevan sink into a trance made Kaitlyn shift uncomfortably. She hadn't told her twin, but she didn't like the feeling that she got when Kevan did her thing. She hated losing her ability to sense her twin. This had happened a bit too frequently lately, from when she disappeared with Tatiana and this trance thing of hers. Rather than continue to watch Kevan, she turned and scanned the land surrounding them.

It was then that something in the distance caught Kaitlyn's eye, something moving on the horizon towards them. Marcus and Kayne had been seeing flashes of something as well, and followed the direction that Kaitlyn was looking. They had seen it, they didn't know what it was, and they didn't like it, so they flashed the prearranged signal to the women to get behind them.

"This place has been enchanted!" Joseph shouted at them, as he was suddenly able to read the magic that drenched the plain. "Black spells have been entwined with the raw natural power that lives here," he warned, as he moved to pull on his sorcery to counteract, or filter, the black that was everywhere.

"Dreyden?" Niall questioned his brother.

"I don't know, maybe, or Leonard, before he took the oath. I can't tell but something has disturbed the magic here, and it doesn't like that," Joseph stated. "I can't get a fix on what exactly we are about to be up against, all I can tell you, whatever it is, it's coming fast." He braced himself, shaking his arms out at his side, as he prepared for battle. Marcus positioned the men so that they surrounded the women and the still entranced Kevan. They each pulled out their weapon of choice and prepared for battle.

"What's happening?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Oh my gods, do you see them?" Eve whispered as they slowly became visible to her. "What are they?" she asked, as she stared, horrified at what appeared to be rotting, corpses of old Scottish warriors wearing the rags of kilts, carrying swords, lances and maces.

"A battle took place here once!" Joseph roared a witness to the indignity of these brave warriors. "These are the spirits of those that died."

"Oh, so déjà vu, "a" la Lord of the Rings," Kaitlyn shivered with mock fear. "So, mighty warriors, what's your oh so brilliant plan to make them go away?"

"Stand back, I'll deal with them," Joseph told them, as he pulled on his power, forming an energy ball in the palm of his hand, ready to throw it at any second.

"No grand standing. We all fight them. Together," Niall told his brother. "Besides, we have a few moves of our own." Joseph shrugged his shoulders.

"They're ghosts," Joseph argued. "You can't fight them with swords, or bows and arrows."

"So cast a spell, make them solid!" Niall shouted at him.

"It doesn't work that way," Joseph spat at him. "A spell like that takes time and energy. I would be incapacitated for hours."

"Okay children, knock it off." Eve stepped in between them. "Your petty squabble can wait for another time, because if it hasn't sunk into those things on the top of your necks, those things are flipping ghosts, and I didn't sign up for ghosts. I can do immortal crazy men, demons; maybe even the possible vampire, but not flipping ghosts. So put your heads together, and figure out how to take these things down." They all stared at Eve. "Now!" she yelled at them.

"Hold hands!" Leila shouted over the rapidly rising wind.

"What?" Joseph demanded as the sky darkened ahead of the rapidly approaching storm of corpses. Thunder rumbled across the plain, and lightning streaked across the sky. The fog seemed to have a life of its own, as it snaked around their legs, clinging, trying to pull them down.

"What is controlling the fog?" Marcus shouted at Joseph, but Leila's voice was heard over his through the roar of the wind. "Hold hands!" Leila shouted at them again. "Do it now!"

They did her bidding reluctantly, as it gave them little chance to protect themselves without weapons in hand.

Leila began chanting. Joseph shot her a look of surprise, recognizing the simple spell. He was shocked that she knew the simple spell, and yet it could just possibly be the answer to ridding themselves of the menace that was about to descend on them.

"Spirits of the land unite. Take back what has been disturbed. Return to them their eternal rest. Spirits of the land unite. Take back what has been disturbed. Return to them their eternal rest ...."

A roar of anger ripped across the hills. Leila screamed and jerked, feeling an alien something; rip through her body, leaving her gasping for breath.

"Leila!" Eve screamed, trying to break free of Roderic's hand.

"Don't break the circle!" Joseph shouted at them over the deafening wind. It was alive, trying to rip them apart, to stop them, pelting them with anything that lay in its path.

Joseph took up the chant, "Spirits of the land unite, take back what has been disturbed. Return them to their eternal rest ..."

Joseph froze in disbelief, as he felt something invade his body, making him convulse, as it tried to take over, halting the chant.

Eve and Kaitlyn, standing on either side of him, held on tight, not letting his jerking break the connection that Leila demanded. Joseph's body kept jerking, as the invading force continued to attempt to take over. Kaitlyn stared horrified, not wanting it to touch her or her family, and picked up where he had left off. "Take back what has been disturbed. Return them to their eternal rest. Spirits of the land unite; take back what has been disturbed. Return them to their eternal rest."

Kaitlyn's mind screamed with horror, as she felt something trying to drag her down. It was intelligent, dragging a cold grimy feel of a hand, washing a creepy caress over her shoulder, and down her arm. She closed her eyes, swallowing her repulsion, and her desire to pull away. She pushed the feeling away, turning her focus back to the chant; she wouldn't let spell bound ghosts defeat them. One by one, the living joined in, chanting, asking the spirits of the land for help. They didn't know if it would work. Whatever had enchanted this land was powerful, and it didn't like what they were trying to do.

The ghosts bombarded them, trying to stop them, as they were spelled to do. Moving with a surprising amount of force, considering the fact they looked like nothing more than wisps of fog, the ghosts smacked into the group of the living, trying to throw them off balance, rushing through their bodies, making them gasp, as the sensation robbed them of breath for a few seconds. But still the living continued to push their way through the attacks. The wind hurled around them like a tornado, it was like fingers grabbing at them, trying to rip them from their goal.

Eve let out a scream when she felt herself lifting off the ground. The wind grabbed a hold of her and tried to rip her from the rest.

"Eve!" Kaitlyn screamed in fear as she watched her lift from the ground.

"Don't move!" Marcus ordered her. "Keep chanting. I think our voices are starting to break down the spell."

Roderic stood beside Eve, his fingers laced through hers, holding tight. He wasn't going to let anything take her away. They all continued the chant, and slowly, they could see a change starting to take place. The ghosts weren't attacking them quite so often. A weave of energy, built by the chanting, was building a protective shell around them, refusing the ghosts entry.

"Keep going," Marcus shouted. He could see that they were all tiring, but they had to keep at it, or else they would be in even bigger trouble. "Don't stop." The energy was building within them. They felt the rise of power from within the land reaching up, surging through their bodies, binding with their intent. The land began to shed the corruption, able to resonate with the chant, giving the power to break the spell.

The ghosts began to sense a change, and they started to retreat, but it was too late. The power that they had sensed building from below surged, bringing horror as the ghosts twisted and turned, ethereal bodies pulled apart, to be woven into a melting pot, the invoking of the chant taking back what had been stolen from the land. The wind continued on its destructive path, and lightning flashed across the sky, before slamming into the ground not far from where they were standing. The energy from the bolt bypassed them, and exploded from the ground surrounding the still writhing ghosts.

The dim grey of the early morning suddenly became the like the brightest hour of the day, power and intensity swelling and growing with each of the jagged bolts that streaked across the sky in increasing numbers, a crashing of thousands of cymbals deafening, warring with the chant. The chanting continued through the deafness that the living had to endure, over the roar of warring forces.

The power struggle finally reached its climax, with an explosion of arc flash, fireworks, sparks, and sputtering fire filling the sky. With one more flare of energy, the entire world around them shook with a fury that won the battle, and then it was over, anticlimactic in the silence, the chanting stuttering to an end. The wind blew out, and debris rained down, including Eve. The lightning vanished and the remaining ghosts disappeared, as if they had never been there. The day was what they had started with, a grey foggy drizzle, a typical rainy coastal day. The living panted as they absorbed all that had just happened to them, turning to look at Kevan when she spoke up.

"There's something over there," she told them, as she came out of her trance like state. Kevan looked around at everyone, then looked at herself, hair a mess, with pieces of moss and twigs sticking out, their faces covered with a thin layer of dust that made their skin grey in color. "What the hell happened to you?" she questioned, confused by what she was seeing.

Eve looked at Kevan, then back to the others, shaking her head. No way was she going to be the one to try to explain this to her. "Nothing!" she muttered, as she turned and walked away. "I hate ghosts."

Kevan looked to Caleb who was standing behind her, picking things off his clothing. "Did I miss something?" she asked him. He just grabbed her neck, leaned down, and gave her a quick hard kiss.

"I'll explain later," he told her, as he rested his forehead against hers for a moment.

"But ..." Kevan tried to argue with him, but he gave a look that told her to leave it alone for the moment. "You had better explain," she told him, then looked at Kaitlyn rinsing her mouth with a bottle of water, clear disgust at the taste of dirt that she had swallowed. "I would say I missed something big," Kevan said.

"How about we just concentrate on what we are here for," Marcus told her. "Where are we headed?"

***

Kevan stood at the edge of the cliff, looking back to the others standing behind her. "It's there!" she yelled over the rhythmic roar of waves against the cliff side. "Trust me, the cliff edge is enchanted; the true cliff edge actually goes out quite a bit further than it appears."

She stepped forward to show them, when Eve reached out, grabbing her arm. Kevan looked at Eve with a smile. "Eve, its okay," she tried to reassure her, but Eve wasn't buying.

"Kevan, it's not real. What you're seeing is a lie, a falsehood." Eve pulled her back from the edge. Kevan snorted with exasperation. Her powers had shown her that it went out farther.

"Trust me," Eve told her. Picking up a stick, she threw it.

Kevan's eyes followed as it sailed through the air, and then down out of sight through what looked to be solid ground to Kevan, disappearing into the water below. Her entire body shook with the realization that if Eve hadn't stopped her, that would have been her in the water, being pulled out to sea. Turning, she staggered a few steps away, before puking, with pictures of her friends and family lying dead at the base of the cliff flashing through her mind. Suddenly, she didn't trust what she was seeing. Entrenched in a rare moment of life, she doubted herself.

"It's a very complex spell, mixed with enough real elements that it would be very difficult to detect, unless you are lucky enough to have a truth seeker with you," Joseph spoke up.

Marcus grabbed Joseph's arm, "So why didn't you detect it? I would assume that is what you would do. Isn't that why we asked you to come along?"

Joseph shook off the hand. "You assume too much, General. I suggest you step back and let me work." Marcus reacted as the good soldier he was, but he continued to scowl at the sorcerer.

Stepping back, the group observed Joseph unroll a bundle from his backpack. The rolled bundle opened up to show multiple pockets with a variety of dried plants. Joseph picked what he needed, and stood tall, crushing the dried plant with his hands, the wind dragging the smell of sage back and around them. He was disciplined and precise, each move and incantation calculated. His hands released the crushed pieces of sage into the air, and then he dug his hands into the ground, finishing his spell with volume, and tossing his fistful of dirt.

They all stumbled backwards, and things began to shift. With awe and shock, the group watched the landscape fluctuated, and began to fold in on itself until it was gone. Kevan stared into where she had thought she had seen the entrance to a cave, but now all she saw was a wide-open sky. The cliff was as Eve had seen it. With the glamour spell gone they saw they land as it truly was.

"Oh god, I could have gotten you all killed," Kevan whispered, as she looked up at Eve.

"Kevan, you were fooled by a spell, which even Joseph said was difficult to detect. So beating on yourself for a mistake is stupid, so just stop it." Eve said.

"But," Kevan tried to argue.

"No buts," Kaitlyn interjected. "We all make mistakes. What I want to know is what do we do now? Do we go back to the beginning?"

"It's here," Leila whispered as her body swayed to the feeling of intoxication and power that washed over her. They all turned to look at her.

"Leila?" But she couldn't hear them. Her body began to vibrate, with what, she wasn't sure.

Kevan, concerned about her, reached out to bring her back to them, only to have Joseph stop her.

"No," he told her.

"But there is something wrong with her," Kevan argued.

"There's nothing wrong with her. She's getting her first taste of the unblocked powers of either the grimoire or the repository."

"What?" the girls all questioned.

"As you know, the claviger can channel the powers of the repository, and all that is within it. I would say that what she has recently experienced was dimmed down by the enchantment that I just broke, and now she is getting her first real taste of the power that she controls and wields."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Marcus growled at Joseph.

"It could be," he told them casually.

"It could be?" Kevan gasped at his blatant lack of concern. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what I said. It could be dangerous, but if you would let me finish what I was going to say," Joseph's dislike of being interrupted rang in his voice, "I believe she'll be fine. Her family has been the claviger for centuries. They have resisted the lure of power that the repository holds for all that time, so she should be fine now."

"Excuse me, what about Leonard?" Kevan threw at him, his superior tone pissing her off. "Or Dreyden?"

"Leonard was a weak individual, or he wouldn't have been compromised in the first place. It wasn't his lust for power that caused his downfall. And Dreyden had nothing to do with the repository; his desire for the grimoire is a completely separate issue."

"But Leonard was corrupted," Kevan argued.

"Yes, he was corrupted, but it was the lure of black magic which had nothing to do with the repository," Joseph shot back at her.

"So basically, both Leonard and Dreyden wanted to be all powerful, and went about it any way that they could," Kevan stated. "So that means that anyone could be corrupted in the same way."

"Of course anyone can be corrupted. Mankind has had desire for things that don't belong to him for eons. Would you like me to list off the examples that are littered throughout your history? What does this have to do with anything?" he threw at Kevan.

"Ah, I'm okay," Leila chimed in, which was ignored.

"You know, you are really an ass, you think that you know it all, and you know nothing."

"You're acting like a child. If you don't like, or agree with what I am telling you, fine, but I don't understand why you are arguing with me. Leonard made his choice, as did Dreyden. They were flawed individuals, with motives we can only speculate about."

"You can't seriously be saying that you really believe they were men, who made mistakes, are you? Gods, they are both murderers. Leonard killed his own family members in order to hold control of the repository, and Dreyden, he killed our great-grandmother for a book of spells. A murderer is still a murderer." Kevan insisted.

Kaitlyn's head bounced back and forth, as she watched them launch volley after volley at each other, both trying to make their point. Her natural objectivity picked up both sides of the exchange; both had some things that she agreed with, and others that she didn't. When the arguments became repeats, Kaitlyn put fingers to her lips, and let out a loud shrill whistle that echoed across the field, getting their attention.

"That's better," she told them. "Now, if you are finished shouting at each other, Leila stated almost 10 minutes ago that she was fine." Kevan and Joseph both looked to the silent Leila standing beside Eve. She gave them a weak smile, and a small wave.

"Are you okay?" Kevan wanted to know.

Leila looked first at Joseph, then Kevan. "I think so. It was like a sugar rush, all tingly, and I felt like I could do anything, but then it passed, and I feel like myself again."

"So, no urges?" Kevan questioned warily.

"To do what, take Marcus' sword and cut your head off?" Kevan stepped back, stopping when she saw the twinkle in Leila's eyes. "Oh, you can relax, you're safe, but no promises about the future," Leila laughingly informed Kevan.

"Excuse me, when did you get a sense of humor? You're supposed to be the moody crazy person," Kevan teased her.

"Hang around you guys for long, you have two choices, get a sense of humor, or go crazy. Tried the crazy bit, didn't work so well for me, so I thought I'd try the sense of humor bit, see how that went." She gave them a half smile. "How am I doing so far?"

"Wonderful." Kevan laughed again.

"Good, so, now do you want to hear what I learned?"

"Learned, what are you talking about?" Kevan questioned, as a wave of excitement washed over her.

"I can sense it," she told them.

"The grimoire, no shit, where?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I don't know, its close, but not close, if that makes sense," she told them. "It's just... when Joseph broke the enchantment, I felt swamped by it, and it's lonely. I don't know any other way to explain what I felt."

"You talk like it's a real person," Eve remarked to her.

"It's the only way that I can think of it," Leila told them. "I don't know exactly what's in this repository, I imagine books, things like that, but what you need to understand is all that those things have their own personalities, and they talk to me. It's as if they can hear our conversations through me, and know what we are discussing. And sometimes they start yelling out solutions before we have even finished, and I have a difficult time getting them to shut up. They are like little kids who haven't had anyone to talk to for a long time, and they just want to talk and talk. It drives me crazy at times."

"What about the lure of the power of the repository ..." Kevan dropped what she was saying; she didn't want Leila to think Kevan thought that she wanted the power.

"I can sense it, but it's not calling to me. The knowledge is what I am being drawn to, not the power. I guess that I'm not affected the same way as others."

"That's great!" Kaitlyn told her. "So do you know where all the relics are? Even the ones not part of this repository place?" Leila paused, looking off into the distance, as she listened to what she alone heard, before she finally answered Kaitlyn's question.

"I am only able to sense items that have been officially catalogued into the repository."

"So you're saying that if an item has been placed into the repository, but not catalogued, you can't sense it?" Kaitlyn repeated.

"That is what they are telling me." Leila paused for a moment to listen again. "It has quite an inventory backlog. Apparently, the mundane tasks of the job weren't a favorite of the previous claviger's, especially

Leonard. They tell me that there are untold numbers of items sitting, waiting for someone to catalogue, and that they would really like it cleared up." Leila gave them all a smile. "They are tired of the mess, their words, not mine," she told them, throwing her hands up.

"As interesting as this is, we need to get back to the matter at hand. You claim that the grimoire is close but not. Feeling dumb here, but what the hell does that mean?" Kevan looked at the men standing around them, silently listening in to the conversations. Facing the stoic looking Caleb, she spoke up. "You're awfully quiet; nothing to add to our conversation?"

"Yeah, no witty sarcastic remarks? Ah, come on Marcus, you're usually very good at those," Kaitlyn chimed in.

"We're on guard." Marcus refused to look at Kaitlyn.

"I'm amazed! I never thought I would see the day that Marcus McLaren was struck dumb," Kaitlyn told then with a teasing look. "Wonders never cease."

"I guess that happens when I hang around you too long," Marcus drawled as he continued to watch over the land.

"Kaitlyn don't," was all Kevan said to her, and then she looked to Caleb. "You know, we really would like any input that you might have regarding this. We haven't been dealing with this shit as long as you have, so you might know something that we don't." She spotted the look that passed between them. "What was that look for, and don't deny it, because I saw it, and you know that I did." Caleb looked away from Kevan, pointing to the edge of the cliff. Kevan turned to look, and gasped in shock. A hole was opened in the air. There was movement in what could have been tunnel walls, and the deep bone sense of being Dorothy from Oz flooded her.

"A portal," Caleb stated.

Joseph, who hadn't sensed any magic, turned, looking in the direction that Caleb was pointing, shocked that yet again, he hadn't noticed something. "How is it that I could not see, or sense it?" he ground out. "There is something wrong on your beloved world that sucks up energy, and gives nothing back. No wonder sorcerers abandoned this realm eons ago." Joseph wrapped a protection spell around the group, hoping it wouldn't just unravel itself.

"Maybe because it's unstable," Caleb said to Joseph. "When you broke the enchantment, it wasn't visible to begin with, but it has become so over the past few moments."

"So what does that mean, it's unstable? We can't use it?" Kevan badgered.

Eve butted in. "Use it? No one is going through some hole in the air. Are you completely nuts, Kevan?"

"It's too dangerous, Kevan," Caleb warned her.

"Dangerous, like we haven't already done things just as dangerous. How is this any different?"

"We have no idea where it goes, or who opened it."

"So we go through, and find out," Kevan told him.

"Kevan, it's more than probable that if we go through this portal, we could get stuck wherever this leads to. Hell, it could dump us into the middle of gods knows what, do you really want to take that chance?"

"But if Leonard is the one that created the portal, and took the grimoire through, there must be a way to get back," she argued.

"Maybe, maybe not. It might not be so simple."

"Let me ask you this, what are the chances that this is the only portal to this unknown world?"

"You already know the problems that we are having with getting the portal system to work. The grid keeps shifting, and some lines have completely stopped working. Are you willing to take the chance that if we go through, that we could be stuck on the other side permanently?"

Kevan walked over to where Caleb was still standing guard. Taking his hand into hers, she made him focus his attention strictly on her.

"Caleb, I love the fact that you are worried, but we started this because some crazy man decided that killing our great-grandmother was a means to an end. He didn't want us to embrace our destiny. I know that we started this whole thing as a way to find out the truth of what really happened to Daphne, and part of that truth involves the grimoire. If we turn back now because we are afraid of what might happen if we go through that portal, and someone gets hurt, I could never live with myself. We cannot risk letting that damned book fall into the wrong hands. We made a promise to find the grimoire, and I intend to keep that promise."

Reaching out, she cupped his face with her hands. "I know that we will find a way to get through the portal to home."

"Kevan, it's too dangerous."

"I understand that, Caleb, but we're stilling going, aren't we?" Caleb looked away before he swore and looked back at Kevan, hanging his head in defeat.

"Yes," he admitted reluctantly. "Kayne will go through first, followed by Marcus with Kaitlyn, Roderic and Eve, Joseph and Leila, then myself with Kevan, followed by Niall. Stay together, and ladies, until we can assess what we are in for, you will do as you are told without an argument."

Eve and Kaitlyn both said. "Don't we get a say in this?"

"Uh oh, not to be pushy, but we need to go now," Kevan urged, as she looked around them.

"What is it?" Kaitlyn questioned, knowing that look on her sister's face.

Kevan hugged herself, as a look of worry washed over her face. "Something's coming, and whatever it is, it's pissed. I mean really pissed."

Caleb did a quick scan of the open field, seeing nothing until movement caught his attention. He watched it for a moment before he turned to the others and started barking orders. "Move it!" he yelled, getting them jumping into action at the urgency in his voice. Kayne looked at his friends before he pulled the sword off his back, preparing to confront anything that they might interrupt when they went through. A quick nod and he took off running, his sword by his side. Then he leapt from the edge of the cliff to what appeared to be certain death, only to suddenly vanish from sight.

Kaitlyn stood beside Marcus, not really sure how she ended up with him. The shock of Kayne's sudden disappearance was weird, and Kaitlyn was starting to wonder if this was really such a good idea after all.

"I don't know about this!" Kaitlyn screamed, but Marcus didn't listen. He slung her into his arms, and took off running towards the edge then leapt, Kaitlyn's yell cut off. Kevan watched people she loved follow suit, leaping to what seemed to be certain death, and then disappearing from sight.

"Ready?" Caleb questioned her. Kevan really wasn't, regretting her previous bravado. She couldn't be the one to chicken out, though, so Kevan nodded, and Caleb swung her up into his arms and took off running.

"Oh, SHIT!" she screamed at the feeling of weightlessness when he launched them both into the air.

Mixed in with the whistle of the wind came a heart-chilling scream of anger. Kevan looked over Caleb's shoulder at Niall racing after them, the thing that had been barreling across the plain towards them nipping at his heels. Time seemed to slow, as a deranged looking bear-thing shredded the ground. Waves of skulls, trophies of past victims, bounced in its wake, and its roar was deafening, nauseating, when it saw it would not win the race.
Chapter Twenty Two

The portal didn't allow sight, only feelings of falling through a void, no up nor down. Kevan's stomach lodged into her throat, competing for the space while she screamed. It all ended with too much light and noise, and a hard landing slammed her to the ground, as a warm wetness splashed across her face, her nose assaulted by the smell of blood and entrails.

Sounds of crashing metal against metal, grunts of men in combat surrounded them. Kevan scrambled to her feet, ducking to avoid the swinging sword headed in her direction. Caleb jumped to her rescue and pushed her out of the way, knocking her to her knees, blocking the enemy sword with his. She didn't know when he had been able to get his blade out. The warriors seemed to do that with such enviable ease; she was going to have to talk to him about that. Kevan came to her feet, watching her man move with grace and power. Turned on by how beautiful he was, she was distracted until Leila's screams broke through to her.

Looking around a wide, long field, Kevan spotted Leila across the battle, and took off running. A soldier raised his sword with deadly intent at Leila, so Kevan barreled into his back, knocking him out of the way. Kevan grabbed Leila, yanking her to her feet, pulling her out of the middle of the battle that they had dropped into. Looking at Leila, she stopped as a certainty swamped her.

"Stay," she yelled at Leila, before she raced back into the middle of the melee, looking for Caleb. He was enjoying himself way too much. Kevan ran into the man he was fighting with, knocking him out of the way just as Caleb swung his sword, missing Kevan as she hit the ground.

"Kevan!" he roared. He pulled her into his arms to protect her. "Get the hell out of here," he ordered her.

"I will, but he's one of the good guys!" she yelled at him. Caleb gave a look of shock.

"Not possible," Caleb countered, as he blocked another attack. "You're wrong."

"Don't argue, trust. The uniforms, they are the bad guys. Now big boy, show me your stuff, and kick their butts." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she ducked out from his arms to let him do his thing, while she did hers. Caleb looked around at the battle that they had landed in, and did a quick assessment. The guards, or uniforms as Kevan had called them, definitely had the overwhelming numbers. He knew the uniforms, but Kevan was so sure, and he had to trust her; she had proven more than once that she was right on with her instincts.

Caleb let out a fighting roar, getting the other cairbare warriors' attention, before he turned his sword on the nearest uniform. They saw, hesitated for a moment, then followed his lead and turned against the ones that just moments before they had been fighting alongside. It was the turning point of the battle.

Kevan ducked and weaved as she attempted to stay out of the way of the fighting. She spotted Eve and Kaitlyn, just as they jumped onto the back of a man that was coming after them. A smile lit her face, and she sprang into action. Racing towards her sisters, she attempted to grab onto the threads of powers she could feel pulsing within. She came within a few feet of her sisters, and threw her arms up to send a bolt of energy into their attacker's butt. Nothing happened. Kevan ground to a stop. She attempted again to grab the threads of power; she could feel it tingling in her fingertips, and she threw her hands out in front of her, but again nothing happened. Screaming with frustration, she gave up, then picked up a fallen sword, taking her anger out on the soldier grappling with her sisters. The man lost his guts, and his neck barely held the head.

The battle carried on for what seemed eons. It hadn't been going so well for the rebels, until the strangers had changed sides unexpectedly. The overwhelming numbers began to dwindle as these five men worked in harmony. To see such poetry in motion, their skills honed over the centuries, producing spilled blood and guts, carnage and fear, the injured and the dead littering the ground at the cairbares' feet was something that no one would forget. The warriors battled back the King's guard. Caleb knew that was whom they were fighting, for at one time, he and Marcus had trained most of the guards, but he didn't recognize anyone that they were fighting, only the style. But, then again, he didn't know how much time had passed since the last time that they had been here.

Finally, the last of the guards looked around, saw that they were losing, and turned tail and ran. Throwing his arms out, Caleb released a roar of victory, only to be cut off by metal pressed to his neck.

"Who are you?" the man demanded of Caleb. Kevan yelled, as she raced towards Caleb's side, only to halt when Marcus grabbed her around the waist, stopping her from getting in the middle of them.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" she screamed at the man holding a sword millimeters from Caleb's throat. "They saved your collective asses, and you're holding a sword to his throat."

"Quiet, Kevan," Caleb growled, as wary men surrounded them. She watched in fear, terrified that she might lose Caleb, after insisting to him that they were the good guys.

"I ask you again, who are you? Where did you come from?" he demanded of Caleb, his sword never wavering.

"I would be happy to answer your questions," Caleb stated, as he held his sword to his accusers throat. "Just not at the end of your sword, I'm afraid."

"Oscar let him go," the man standing behind ordered.

"Grey, we have no idea ...," he argued, but the man stepped forward and put his hand on his sword arm, pushing it towards the ground.

"Oscar, let him go. We owe them an opportunity to speak, and I agree that the end of sword is not the way to possibly start a friendship." The man called Oscar stared at Caleb for a moment, his distrust shining bright, but he stepped back, dropping his sword as he had been ordered, even though that was the last thing that he wanted to do. The other man stepped forward, looking to Caleb; it would appear that he was in charge.

"We thank you for your assistance; it was timely and welcome." Caleb watched as something about this man triggered his memories. The man held out his hand to Caleb. "I am Greyson, and you are?" Caleb's eyes widened with shock, as his memories flared to life of the man standing before him. It had been years, going by how much older than a boy Greyson was now.

"Greyson, as in Crown Prince Greyson?" Caleb questioned. He stepped towards Greyson, only to stop when a dozen men surrounded him, the ends of their swords pointing to some very personal areas of his body that he would rather not see harmed, holding him off and pissing Kevan off yet again.

"I knew you reminded me of someone. I don't know why I didn't see it. You're so much like your father." Grey pushed through his men, staring intently at Caleb and the others. "You knew my father?"

"Yes, which is why he would be so disappointed that you are fighting your guards," Caleb argued. "They are trying to do their job of protecting you, so why are you fighting them?"

"You have no idea what you are talking about. Those aren't my guards, and they aren't trying to protect me, they are trying to kill me," Greyson stated.

Caleb was silent as he took in what Greyson had just told them. He didn't really understand. Tyrone was a well-loved and respected ruler, fair to all, so how could he have changed that much? "But your father always treated everyone fairly," Caleb told Greyson. "I don't understand. What happened that changed him so much?" Caleb relaxed his hold on his sword, which he had been gripping, ready to fight their way out if necessary.

"He was murdered," Greyson ground out. The pain in his voice was apparent, shocking them into silence.

"Look guys, not to break up the pow wow, do you think it is such a great idea for us to be standing here? I mean, we're a little exposed here, out in the middle of the field." They all spun around, looking at Kaitlyn. "I mean, who knows how many more of the bad guys are around? Wouldn't it make more sense for us to put the reunion aside for a minute, get our rears in gear, and get while the going is good?" Marcus let Kevan go, and she raced straight into Caleb's arms, while Marcus stared at Kaitlyn. Marcus shook his head.

"What?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"You are the oddest woman," he stated, then turned back to the rest. "But she is correct. We should not be standing out in the open. Those guards that escaped may have gone for reinforcements, and it would be best if we were gone when they returned."

"I don't know who you are, but you are both right." Greyson turned to his men, ordered them to gather up their wounded and dead, and to make their way to the far edge of the plain, right on the edge of the forest, on the opposite side from where the guards had run. They would wait there. When Kaitlyn attempted to ask what they were going to be waiting for, they just ignored her and carried on. It took time for them to make their way to where Greyson was leading them, but even weighed down with the few dead and the wounded, they made good time.

Soon they found themselves on the edge of a forest unlike any that Kevan had ever seen before. It was more than old, it was ancient, and the trees towered hundreds and hundreds of feet into the air. The bases were so large that it was like doing a full lap around a running track to get around the base of some of the trees at the edge of this old growth forest.

Kevan looked around the field, watching as they were preparing themselves to leave, but she just wasn't sure where they were going. Looking at Caleb, she saw he was busy talking with Greyson; well it was more like arguing. She could see that Grey had said something that none of the guys seemed to like, and she watched Marcus grab Caleb's arm and pull him away from Greyson and Oscar, the one that had held the sword to Caleb's throat. Kevan moved to join them, only to have Kaitlyn stop her.

"Let them be," Kaitlyn told her sister.

"I don't want any of them hurt."

"Kevan, as pissed as they seem, I don't think that they will hurt each other. Now if someone wanted to wallop that arrogant prick Marcus. That I would pay to see."

Kevan looked at her sister. "What did he do this time to piss you off?" Eve questioned as she and Leila joined them.

"Nothing, it's just the general principle of it. He's an ass, and he's arrogant. The chance to see someone knock him down a peg or two, well," Kaitlyn shrugged. "What can I say? It would be great fun to see someone ... Hey!" Kaitlyn whirled around to confront the person that had just smacked her in the ass, only to see Marcus glaring at her, his arms bulging as they crossed over his well-defined chest. Kaitlyn had to tear her eyes away from it, not liking the fact that he was able to distract her without even trying. It was annoying as hell. "What is your problem?" she demanded of him, as she resisted the urge to rub her ass where he had left his mark.

"You, obviously," he growled. "Are you ready?"

"For what?" Kevan asked, smiling as she watched the frustration that washed over Kaitlyn's face.

"For that," Caleb told her, as he pointed to the sky. A commotion drew their attention skyward, and the men smiled at the almost simultaneous gasp that escaped from all four women.

Kaitlyn's mouth dropped open, as she stared in awe at the sight before her eyes, and then she turned to Caleb. "Okay, either I'm having a really wicked cool dream, or you're about to tell me that those are really what I think they are," she said with awe.

Marcus spoke up. "You can see what they are, you're not asleep. I will never understand why you would doubt your own sight, but then again, your imagination would lead you astray."

"Oh you ..., But ..., How ..., Oh my gods ..., Do they breathe fire?" Marcus smiled to himself at the look of wonder that floated across her face.

"Kaitlyn?" Eve admonished her sister.

"Do you see them? They're ..." she sputtered.

"Dragons," Marcus supplied.

"You're sure that they're real, and I'm not having a dream?" Marcus leaned over, and pinched her arm. "Ouch," she cried as she smacked him with her hand. "What the hell was that for?"

"If you felt it, you're awake, and it's not a dream."

Kaitlyn rubbed her arm where Marcus had pinched her, and gave him a dirty look, before she turned to look back at the huge dragons that were landing not far from where they were. "Kevan, would you look at that? Well, surreal is the word that certainly comes to mind. Hey, do they breathe fire?"

Kevan just stared at them. Her heart raced as she watched them spread their wings as they landed without a sound. They were beautiful, their skin glistening in the sun, reflecting multitudes of colors, their bodies moving with grace as they settled down, tucking their wings over their backs.

"Kevan?" Caleb questioned, sensing her bubbling emotions.

"I'm okay, they're ... words fail me," she told him as she moved towards them slowly. She needed to be closer to them. She approached carefully, scared it was a dream, and if it was, she didn't want to wake up. Her hands reached out, yearning to touch the one thing that she had always believed wasn't possible. She jumped back when the body landed in front of her.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you," the young woman told her. Seeing the awe on Kevan's face, she smiled back. "It's okay, Mattus loves attention, just not too much, don't want it going to his head." She gave the dragon a slap on its side; the dragon turned its head and let out a snort. "Watch it, big boy," she shot back at the dragon.

"You watch it, rider," it rumbled at her.

"Oh, looks like you have an admirer, Mattus."

"Of course I do." The dragon stretched its body like a cat, and then began making what Kevan could only describe as a purr when she stroked its side.

"Oh that's it, you know that he's going to be bugging you all the time to pet him," the rider warned her. "He loves it when I take a brush to him, and get all the old scales off, but I gotta warn yah, it is so messy, they get everywhere." Kevan turned and stared, her eyes wide with both shock and awe. "Hi, I'm Wren." She held out her hand to Kevan.

"Kevan," she told her, taking the offered hand. "These are Eve and Kaitlyn, my sisters, and Leila, our friend." Wren's eyes jumped over the girls, and landed on the men standing just to the side of them.

"Are they yours?" Wren asked, as she gave them the once over. Kevan looked over her shoulder to the men and smiled when she saw them shift uncomfortably under Wren's admiring gaze.

"Well, kind of yes, kind of no. That one," she pointed to Caleb. "That one is mine, the rest, well they're friends."

"Welcome gentlemen, so very nice to meet you," Wren greeted, as she strode directly to them and shook all of their hands, but stopped in front of Marcus, her eyes showing her interest. Marcus took a step back, but a sly smile tipped the corner of his mouth as he gave Wren the eye. Kevan turned to look at Kaitlyn when she heard the snort of anger, and the mutter under her sister's breath about all men being jackasses.

"So people, where are you from?" Wren questioned. They all stayed quiet, shooting looks back and forth between each other. "Ah yes, the ever so effective silent treatment," Wren teased, as Greyson and several others joined her. "Whatcha' trying to hide?"

"You're imagining things, we aren't hiding anything," Kevan told her.

"Oh, I think the lady doth protest too much," Wren joked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you're standing there staring like you've never seen a dragon before, which tells me that you aren't from Elden. According to Grey, you all fell out of the sky into the middle of their fight with the Red Guards, and that until you changed sides, they weren't doing so good." Wren paused, letting what she was telling them sink in.

"You know, just because we aren't familiar with the live action dungeons and dragon games you have going ..." Kaitlyn argued.

"Oh man, I knew it," Wren shouted making them all jump with surprise.

"Knew what?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"I saw you, and I just knew." Wren smiled and laughed, slapped her legs with her hands.

Kaitlyn studied the woman standing before them. "I know you!" she told her.

"Kait?" Kevan questioned, as she looked closer at Wren. "How?"

"Don't you remember about 4 years ago, the youngest daughter of billionaire Robert Hunter and Margo Chasin vanished? Their daughter, named Wren Chasin-Hunter, was believed to have been kidnapped and murdered, the body dumped." They all turned and looked to the young woman standing before them.

"Four years, huh? I wondered how long I had been here," she told them. "Time doesn't flow the same here. It feels like it's been a lot longer at times and then not nearly so at others." She looked back to them. "Is my family okay?" she questioned.

"They still have a reward offered for any information that would lead to your body, so that they can bury you." Kaitlyn admitted.

"Ah yes, the ever wonderful joy of money," she replied, but they could hear the note of disdain in her voice. "So how much was the reward?"

"$10 million," Kaitlyn told her.

"Really, well it's nice to know that they cared," she stated wistfully, before she shifted as the look of loss that only a moment ago had been in her eyes was gone, replaced by the mischievous glint that they had seen to begin with.

"So, you know each other?" Greyson questioned

"Oh no, we don't run in the same circles," Kaitlyn stated. "It was all over the media when it happened, and every year since. How could they not play it up? The daughter of a billionaire disappears without a trace and no ransom demands. Talk about a media circus."

"Media circus?" Greyson asked, with a look of confusion on his face.

"Oh, my dear man, I don't think we have nearly enough time to explain the whole media thing to you right now," Kaitlyn laughed, as she looked to Wren. "So how did you end up here?"

Wren waited, trying to think of a way to explain how she ended up in Elden. "Let's just say that it involved a very stupid move by me, and a complete accident," she told them.

"What?"

"I tried to commit suicide. I went to this isolated place in Scotland that my grandmother had taken to me to a few times; I always felt good there for some reason. I took a running leap off the cliff, and headed for the rocks below, when I fell through a portal. The same portal that you came through, if the looks on your faces mean anything."

"You tried to kill yourself?"

"Oh, don't worry, it was a really stupid thing to do, and I regretted it the moment I jumped off the cliff. I screamed that I wished I had another chance. The next thing I knew, I landed in the middle of a bed. At least it was a soft landing, but the people that I landed on weren't all that impressed."

"The portal keeps moving," Joseph spoke up. "It is not a permanent one that is stabilized in one spot; it was ripped loose, so it can open anywhere along its line."

"So this portal is like a doorway between our worlds?" Kevan asked. "That could be a way to get home."

"It's hard to say, as it moves around and we can't see it, or call it at will, so it would be a challenge. Even if it is visible again, there is no surety that we will get home," Joseph stated. He was not happy to be stranded on Elden.

A soldier walked up to Greyson, saluted fist to chest, and said, "As intriguing as this conversation is, we really need to get moving. Troops of royal guards are headed towards where the battle took place. It won't take them but a moment to track the route we took. We need to be gone from here, now."

"Absolutely, Ronan," Greyson agreed. "Mount up people."

"Well if they can track where we went, why wouldn't they be able to track us when we leave here? Unless are we going into the ..." Kevan stopped and stared at the forest of trees standing not far from where they had come to wait. A shiver raced down her spine at the thought of going into those trees. They gave her a feeling that she didn't quite know how to explain to anyone. It was so odd to be living fantasy book concepts. Wren saw where Kevan looked and laughed.

"Relax, we don't plan on going through the forest," she promised. Kevan released her breath, not even realizing that she was holding it. "We are going over it," Wren finished with a grin. Kevan and her sisters shared the same reaction, eyes wide; all swung their gaze to the resting dragons that looked at the humans. One gave Kevan what could only be a wink and a smile.
Chapter Twenty Three

Her eyes flickered open as the sounds of the waking camp invaded her thought process. Drawing a deep breath, her senses were overwhelmed by the many different scents that humanity, dragons, and the sweet smell of clean dirt mixed with a hint of something fresh and green produced. The air was cool with the dampness of early morning; missing the warmth of Caleb at her back told her that she was alone.

Pushing herself to a seated position, her entire body protested the aches and pains of a night spent on the ground, and her stomach grumbled empty complaints. Her nose took in the smell of food, and she did a quick scrub of sleep from her eyes, raking her fingers through her bed head hair before letting the amazing smells drag her to her feet and point her towards the fire not far from where she had slept.

She didn't remember much from the night before, as it had been dark when they had arrived at the camp. Riding dragons felt pretty cool, but anti-climactic in darkness, until they landed in the low light camp. That was the most terrifying thing she could think of; dropping out of the dark, and into camp within one breath. Cold bread and cheese, or least what she thought that it had been, had chased off the hunger before the need for sleep had taken over. The last thing she could really recall was Caleb carrying her to the sleeping bag that he had pulled out for them.

She looked to the woman standing at the fire. "That smells amazing," she told her. "Hi, I'm Kevan." She held out her hand.

With a smile, the woman took the hand that she offered. "Jaynceson," she told Kevan.

"Coffee! My first born for a coffee!" Kaitlyn moaned, as she stumbled up to the fire.

"Coffee?" Jaynceson asked them with a look of confusion.

"Oh gods, please don't tell me that they don't have coffee," Kaitlyn cried in horror, grabbing at Kevan's arm. "How will I survive without my coffee? I knew that I shouldn't have listened to that jackass, and brought that can of coffee with me." Kevan looked at her sister shaking her head.

"Kaitlyn," Kevan admonished her.

"What? It's true, I was going to bring a can of coffee, and he saw it in my backpack, and told me that I couldn't bring it. Oh, the elixir of the gods, however will I survive?"

"Well, it's not coffee exactly, but we have something that you might like," Wren stated from behind them, they turned to face her. "It's no Tim's, but it works as a decent substitute." She looked to Jaynceson. "Two cups of chira," she told her. The woman nodded, grabbing two large metal cups, and handing them to Kaitlyn and Kevan. She then poured a thick, black, steaming liquid into the cups. The scent that drifted up to Kaitlyn as she brought the cup up to sniff at it, was earthier than most of the coffee that she liked, but it smelled not too bad, and reminded her of home.

"I always thought that it was a blend of tea, coffee, and with a pinch of jasmine," Wren explained, smiling to herself as the looks of repulsion washed over their faces. "It's all we've got. You'll learn to like it. The jasmine sweetens it," she told them with a shrug of her shoulders. "Honestly, it's not as bad it sounds."

"I will never listen to that man again," Kaitlyn muttered. "Chira?" she questioned as she cautiously raised it to her lips, taking a sip. Kevan watched Kaitlyn as she tried it; they all knew how Kaitlyn loved her coffee.

"Well?" Kevan inquired. Kaitlyn braved another sip before she glared at the smiling Wren.

"You're such a bitch," she spat at her, as Wren doubled over with laughter.

"Kaitlyn!" Kevan gasped.

"Oh, don't do the older twin thing," Kaitlyn shot at her sister. "Wren must learn that to tease about coffee ... making us think ... coffee, tea with jasmine! Thank gods, its coffee!! Kevan, drink it. It's no double, double, but it beats the hell out of the swill that Raven calls coffee."

Kevan took a cautious sip of the cup she held, closing her eyes as the hot strong liquid coursed its way through her, flooding her body with its warmth.

"Welcome to Elden," Wren laughed, as she strode away from the campfire where they had gathered. Kevan looked to the smiling Jaynceson.

"I take it Wren is a bit of the jokester?"

"Let me just say, Wren does like to lighten things up when Grey and the others get too serious. She means no harm."

"So, other than riding the dragon ..."

"Dragon rider," Jaynceson corrected her. "Wren is a dragon rider."

"Dragon rider," Kevan rolled the words off her tongue, shaking her head as she was still having a hard time believing that it was real. "So other than being a dragon rider, and the camp comedian, what does Wren do?"

"Wren does whatever is needed, just like we all do," Jaynceson explained, "We have all learned to do other people's chores or tasks, because you never know when they might not be coming back."

Her words sobered them, as they recalled that they had dropped in on a battle that hadn't been going well before the guys had rendered their assistance. "Wren has taught us some moves; she called them karate. She has also taught us some of her healing ways. She tried to help with the cooking once, but she will tell you her talents lay in others areas."

"She is a pain in the ass," Ronan told them, helping himself to a cup of chira. Kevan and Kaitlyn watched him; his tone said much more than his words.

"So, has she ever tried to get home?" they asked.

"More than once, but after a while she stopped, and even stopped talking about it, accepted that this is her home now. At least until you showed up." Ronan took a sip of the chira. "I'm sure that she would like to know what you have planned in order to get back home."

"What makes you so sure that we have a plan?" Kevan asked him. "Maybe we came through without one."

"You and your men don't strike me as the type to come through without a solid plan on how to get back."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but at this point, we have no idea how we will be getting back," Kevan informed him.

She jumped slightly as arms encircled her waist, pulling her back against a hard chest, lips caressing her neck.

"Morning," Caleb whispered in her ear, as he nipped at her lobe, sending shivers of desire through her body. "I was hoping that you might still be asleep."

"I got cold," she told him. "I don't like waking up alone." Kaitlyn stared at her sister, shaking her head with disgust at the whine.

"Sorry babe, Joirdean and Greyson wanted to talk to us," he informed her.

"Oh really, and what was so urgent that they needed to talk to you about it at the crack of dawn?" Kevan asked, not really sure that she wanted to know, and when she saw Caleb hesitate, she knew that she wasn't going to like what he wasn't sure he wanted to tell her. "Caleb?"

"Kevan, it's nothing, really." Kevan whirled to look him in the face.

"Don't tell me it's nothing. When you do, it makes me think that it is much more than nothing. Now what was so important?" Caleb struggled; he knew that she was going to be pissed and he wanted to enjoy what little time they had without her being mad at him.

"Kevan, can we discuss this later?" he asked.

"Will I be any happier if we wait for you tell me?" she wanted to know.

"Probably not," he admitted.

"Then no, we can't wait until later. Tell me now," she told him.

"Tell you what?" Eve questioned, as she joined them. Soon everyone had joined them at the fire, and Kevan was standing, waiting for Caleb to tell her his news.

"It would seem that Caleb had a discussion with Greyson and Joirdean," she looked at Ronan, who refused to meet her eyes, and neither would the rest of the men. "Well, let me rephrase that, I'd say that from the number of men that refuse to look at me, that they had a whole big meeting and decided that the woman folk weren't needed." Her eyes drilled into Caleb, as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot waiting.

"That's not ..." Caleb stopped when he looked at Kevan. Her anger and hurt shone clearly on her face. "Look, nothing has been ..." he stopped again, unable to lie to her.

"Obviously the men folk," Kaitlyn started, "have decided on a game plan, so why not admit it, and just tell us. It's not as if we're not going to find out, so let's make it sooner rather than later. After all, we are part of the team, at least we had better be part of the team," Kaitlyn finished with a glare identical to Kevan's.

"Of course you're part of the team," Caleb told them. "But we just need to delay your part for a few days, while we assist Greyson."

Kevan threw her hands up in the air as she started yelling at Caleb. "I knew it, I just knew it," she ground out. "You're going to help him, aren't you? We don't have time for this ... shit."

"Yes," Caleb told her, giving her a look that dared her to object.

"Fine, you want to go play your warrior games, no problem, we'll go after the grimoire on our own," she stated.

"Kevan, it won't take long, and then we'll all go after the grimoire," Caleb argued.

"Oh, so what, we're supposed to sit by the fire, twiddling our thumbs, awaiting your return like good little women?" Kevan asked with a snort of laughter. "You are greatly mistaken; that's fantasy, not reality."

Caleb looked at them. He knew that Kevan wasn't the sitting on the sidelines type of woman. He scrubbed his face with hands, looking from Kevan to the others, then to his brother, before his eyes came back to rest on Kevan again. "You couldn't wait just a few days?"

"Caleb," Kevan warned him, "I think you know better than that. Since this whole thing started, when have we sat back and let you do your thing?"

"Never," he admitted, as resignation trickled through him. "I had hoped that you might be reasonable, but I didn't think you would sit on the sidelines, and wait."

"I'm glad that you have seen reason," Kevan said.

"It's dangerous, and if you head out on your own, I would be worried about you all the time,"

"Just like I will be for you, Caleb. Remember, this is a two way street. My biggest concern is not communicating with Brennan. We've been here two days with no way to get a message through; we all know what Brennan's going to be like."

"But time moves differently here on Elden than on earth," Caleb argued.

"Yeah, that's what Wren said. Any guess how long we've been gone, a day or two, a week, a year, what?" Kevan demanded.

"That's the problem, it changes all the time. So you never know how long it's been until you go back."

"So we could get back, and it's been a thousand years? Well lovely, I really didn't want to know that, it doesn't make me feel a whole lot better," Kevan admitted. She had been the one to insist that they had to do this, to come after this grimoire, and look where that had landed them, in a completely different world, with very little chance of getting home, and even if they did, it could have been so long that everyone that they knew and loved, could be dead and gone. "We need to find the grimoire, and then find a way home, because quite honestly, I don't really want to stay here any longer than needed. No offense, but I like our bed our shower, and I'm not afraid to admit it."

"Coffee, real coffee," Kaitlyn whimpered, as she glared at Marcus, causing a snicker to ripple through the group.

"See, do you honestly want to put up with Kaitlyn's moaning about coffee?" Kevan pointed out.

"Fine, so what is your plan?" Caleb caved. "We don't know where the grimoire is."

"Or even who has it, or who else may be here looking for it," Niall added.

"Well it's here somewhere. Leila, you can sense it, right?" Kevan questioned

"Yes, ever since we came through, it's been getting stronger. I don't exactly know where it is, just that's it's definitely here," Leila admitted.

"Okay, I don't mean to interrupt, but what the hell are you talking about?" Wren pushed her way into the conversation. "What are you looking for?" She watched the looks that passed back and forth. "Don't avoid my question. You just admitted that you came looking for something. You want to help us, tell us, and maybe we can help you in return."

Kevan looked to Caleb; he nodded his approval before she turned to look to both Eve and Kaitlyn, who also added their approval.

"Wren's right, we don't know this world, so that will make it more difficult. We need to take a chance," Eve stated.

Kevan nodded her agreement. "We're looking for a book."

"Okay, a cookbook, self-help, romance? What kind of book are you looking for?" Wren questioned.

"It's a very old book," Kevan stated.

"Look, I understand that you don't know me or even trust me, but if we are going to help you, stop evading, and tell us the truth," Wren demanded.

"I'm not evading, well maybe I am, but it's hard for us to trust people outside of the family. Here's the deal, we came here looking for a book called the Drusa grimoire, it's a book of spells."

"Spells, as in magic spells?" Ronan questioned.

"Yes," Kevan admitted.

"Why would you think that we would have a book of magic spells here? As you might have noticed, magic doesn't work very well here anymore," Greyson told her.

"What do you mean, magic doesn't work here anymore?" Caleb questioned.

"Well it doesn't. Even at the best of times, magic didn't work the best here, but since the portals closed, it's gotten worse. The bigger the magic that you try to use, the less likely it is to work. Small magic, for the most part, no problems, but big stuff will really get you in trouble," Greyson explained.

"Maybe that's why Leonard hid it here in the first place, a book of great magic hid in a place that magic doesn't work properly," Kevan suggested. "Well at least you don't know what we are talking about, so that means that nobody at this point has found it."

"That we know of," Caleb added.

"So this book is a book of magic spells; that can't be the reason that you are looking for it?" Greyson asked.

"Not entirely," Kevan admitted.

"Carry on," he told her.

"The grimoire is made up of dark magic spells, the worst of the worse," she told them.

"And it's here, on Elden? How it is that we don't know this?"

"We didn't know anything about it until a little while ago ourselves," Kevan told him. "But we tracked it here, and now we need to find it, and hide it or destroy it, we don't know what, before someone else finds it."

"How bad are the spells in this grimoire?" Greyson questioned, worried about his people.

"If it falls into the wrong hands, it could be very bad," Joseph explained.

"How bad?" Greyson needed to know.

"World ending bad," Joseph admitted to him. "If even one of the spells that are rumored to be part of the grimoire get invoked, well, life as we know it could end."

"You speak like you don't know for sure what is in this book," Ronan questioned them, "Haven't you seen it?"

"No, most of what is known about the Drusa grimoire is rumor. What we do know is that at one time, a very smart person decided that a book containing some of the most powerful and dangerous spells ever known, shouldn't be left to chance, and placed it within the repository." That got the Eldenites attention.

"The repository of knowledge?" Greyson asked. "The one on the Crannog? I haven't heard about that since I was a child. Does it really exist?"

"Yes, it's the one place that is supposed to be neutral for all the races and worlds," Joseph said. "At least until it vanished as well."

"Okay, you may as well tell it all," Kevan pushed Joseph.

"The Crannog, or the Isle of Magic, as the legend goes, all the different worlds and races came together to create a place to store the most dangerous, and also the most precious treasures of the races. They worked a magic that combined all the different magic's of the races, so that no one race could claim control of it. It became the one place for different races to meet to resolve their problems. For a millennium, it was just that. The Repository was given to the care of the claviger, and each race was given an opportunity to be the claviger. However, over the years, many of those appointed as claviger were unable to resist the temptation that was at their fingertips. The repository of knowledge holds within its walls an immense amount of power, and the temptation to use even a little bit of it could have untold consequences."

"So this repository thing is what, like a library?" Wren asked.

"It is so much more than just a library, or at least it was. It was a work of wonder; the storage area for the books alone was a work of wonder, but what do you expect when you have one of the greatest architects design it."

"Excuse me?" Kaitlyn questioned. "Are you telling me that it was designed by ..." she left it unsaid. "Michelangelo?"

"Are you crazy?" Marcus growled at her. "Michelangelo was good, but he wasn't the only great architect; besides, we never said it was a human that designed it."

"Well, excuse me for living, but Michelangelo was a great artist," Kaitlyn spat at him.

"He was a great artist," Marcus told her. "But FYI, he was an artist, Da Vinci was the architect."

"So what are you telling me, that it was Da Vinci that designed this repository place?"

"Da Vinci lived in the 16th century, and the repository was already missing, so no."

"Well, how would I know that!" Kaitlyn yelled at him. "I guess I missed something."

"Oh gods, would you two knock it off already?" Kevan demanded. "This is getting tiresome."

"Then tell Mr. Know It All, to knock it off first," Kaitlyn pouted. Kevan glared at Marcus; she could see that he was gearing up for one of his and Kaitlyn's fights, and she didn't need to have that right at this moment. Just at that point, Leila spoke up.

"Have you seen it?" she asked Joseph, as she thirsted for any and all information that she could get regarding the repository.

"Once, a very long time ago, the power that radiated through the building made it feel like a living thing, and everywhere you looked there were books and other items. It was like a living history, not only of the earth, but of all the worlds and races. I believe it was the repository that inspired the idea that grew into the Library of Alexandria."

"Oh wow, seriously?" Leila gasped in surprise.

"You know, as interesting as your history lesson has been what does it have to do with this book that you're looking for?" Wren asked.

"Nothing, its background information," Joseph stated, his tone showing his irritation at her interruption.

"Well, as much as you might think that we need it, we don't," Wren told him. "How about we stick to the facts?"

Joseph let out a snort of annoyance. "Facts only, alright, here are the facts as we know them.

"Fact One – the grimoire was in the repository for eons and there were very few people allowed to see it; the exception to that was the claviger.

"Fact Two – the claviger has access to the power of the repository, but unless their lives are at risk, it is my understanding that they cannot draw on the power store within it.

"Fact Three – unlike a library, when an artifact is entrusted to the repository, it's there to stay. People don't come and take things out, so we have no idea how, or what, Leonard had to do to get it out.

"Fact Four – the grimoire is a very powerful artifact, and if it falls into the wrong hands, life as we know it could be over. Leonard had to be working with someone in order to get the grimoire out, and mess up the portals between worlds; even as the claviger, he would not have been able to do that.

"Fact Five – that was when the repository disappeared, the one stable thing between worlds vanished, and nothing we have tried, or found, has given us access to the Crannog or the Repository.

"Fact Six – with Leonard having taken the demon oath, as we have learned, he lost all the information that was his, and we lost the one connection we had to the Repository and how to locate it." Joseph finished his little speech, looking satisfied."

"Until now," Kevan stated.

"What?" Greyson and Ronan both said together. "What changed?"

"We found the new claviger, and she understands what she is, and has accepted what her destiny is."

The silence of the group was strange, and they shifted, uncomfortable, waiting for someone to say something.

"Who you?" Greyson asked, looking at Kevan. He had never been to the Crannog, but he recalled his father telling him about how important it had been to his world, and to the others, a place of neutrality that allowed warring sides a place to resolve their differences, without conceding defeat.

"Me? Gods no!" Kevan exclaimed. "Sorry, I don't think that I would have the patience for something like that."

"Then you?" Greyson looked to Kaitlyn.

"I wish, but no, yet again I was jipped," Kaitlyn complained.

"Kevan said I've accepted the title, but understand, well that's a whole other matter entirely. God only knows, this could be one hell of a hallucination on my end," Leila stated, a halfhearted smile indicating she was joking.

"You?" Ronan wondered. "You're the claviger?"

"So they keep telling me," Leila admitted with a shrug.

"What, you don't believe them?" Wren asked, still not sure what the fuss was all about.

"Would you, if you've spent your whole life thinking that you are destined, like all your family members before, to go crazy? Then one day, out of the blue, strangers appear with some bizarre story about being immortal warriors, and I'm this strange thing, this claviger to a place that disappeared almost two thousand years ago, and the voices that I have heard in my head for years was the Repository trying to talk to me. You tell me, if you grew up like I did, not knowing about the other races, to find out that it is all true, and that not only are you not crazy, but none of the family members were crazy either. I would say that it is sounds a lot like an urban fantasy novel, not real life," Leila finished and looked to Wren.

"Okay, I can see your point; it would take some time to make sense of it all, but now?"

"Well, it's not a long story, but it is certainly complicated, so the bottom line is yes, I have accepted my destiny as Kevan calls it, but do I completely believe it all? I won't say yes and I won't say no; I'm working on it."

"Do you know where this grimoire is?" Greyson inquired.

"Not exactly; I can sense it, and at times even get more of a feel where it is, but directions like find the tree and waterfall, ten steps north, turn right, and x marks the spot, no, that's not quite how it seems to work."

Ronan looked to Kevan. "So if she can sense it, but doesn't know where it is, how do you plan on finding the grimoire? You must have a plan."

"Well, that's just starting to come together. It's not like I've had a lot of time to think about this. We discovered just fifteen minutes ago that the guys are going to help you, so give me another five, and I'll have something going." Kaitlyn leaned over and whispered something in Kevan's ear, and a grin spread across her face.

"Oh gods, here it comes," Marcus groaned.

"What's your problem?" Kaitlyn barked at him.

"I just know how your mind works," he mumbled. Kaitlyn stuck her tongue out at him, deciding that was a better response than words. "Oh, very mature," he snarled back.

Kevan just shook her head at the interplay between the two of them. "Are you two finished?" she wanted to know. They both just glared at each other. "Fine. Now Kaitlyn pointed out that you have the means with which to make our search that much easier." The grin on her face grew that much wider when she heard Caleb's groan. He knew what she was about to suggest.

"What is that?" Greyson inquired, although he believed that he had an idea.

"If we take the dragons, we would cover a lot more area in a shorter amount of time. Leila could tell us when she senses the grimoire, and we could at least narrow the search grid." Kevan explained.

"That's all well and good, until you're spotted," Ronan told them.

"What you do you mean? What would stand out about dragons flying around? It would seem that they are normal here?"

"They are, and if you were talking one dragon maybe, but you're talking about a half dozen or so, and that is going to draw attention. There are spies everywhere, and if Bart or Dreyden get wind of that many dragons flying together searching for something, you can be sure that they will send troops."

"Hold on, did you just say Dreyden?" Kevan asked, as they stood waiting for his answer. Greyson could see that something was up.

"Yes," he told them.

"Well that answers at least one question!" Kevan stated, as she looked to the nodding Caleb.

"Do you know Dreyden?" Wren asked, as a look of repulsion rippled over her face.

"Personally, no," Kevan told her as she scrutinized her closely. "But I would say from the look on your face that you do." Wren took a step back, a look of astonishment that Kevan had seen it.

"How do you know that?"

"Well, I would love to say that like Eve I'm able to detect it, but that'd be lying, it was the plain old look of abhorrence on your face when you said his name. What did he do to you?"

Wren looked away, as the show of strength that she normally showed everyone slipped for a moment. The tears that welled up in the corner of her eyes threatened to spill over, and that wouldn't do. Closing her eyes, she pulled in a couple of deep cleansing breaths and fought to control the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her control, and for just a second, she thought she had her control back until Grey's hand slipped over hers, trying to instill some of his strength.

"Wren?" Kaitlyn pushed, appreciating the conflict that Wren was struggling with, and not wanting to make it any harder on her, but they needed answers. The information that she had could help them, but she also knew that talking about it would help Wren. "I know that you don't want to talk about it, but it might help you if you did?"

"I never did understand that statement, I want to forget, not dwell on what happened," Wren argued. "But I will never forget," her voice was a whisper full of anguish.

"Then stop giving him power over you," Kevan told her, moving to stand by Kaitlyn; they both had their suspicious as to what had happened to her. "If you talk about it, maybe it will help you."

"Help me! Talking about it won't make the guilt go away, nothing is ever going to make the guilt go away," Wren argued with them.

"You have nothing to feel guilty about; he raped you, that is not your fault," Eve told her.

"Hold on, rape me?" Wren gave them a look of shock. "He didn't rape me."

"He didn't?" they all peered at her with shock.

"Oh, Dreyden brought me to Bart, whose plan was to rape me. Dreyden wanted to watch, but I wasn't raped."

"Then why the emotions, I mean I understand almost being raped can be just as emotional, but this seems more," Eve grilled her.

"You bet it's more, he's a cold blooded bastard, who murdered my friend." Wren cried harder, Grey gathering her close, as it all came pouring out of her. "I was given the wonderful news that Bart had seen me, and had decided that I was to be his, just because he could. He told Dreyden, who came to me: I was to be the next to have the honor to bed the King. Dreyden didn't get a kick out of my response. He arrested me, and when my friend Azure tried to help, he arrested her, too. He threatened us, but said if I slept with Bart willingly, that he would release Azure, but he lied. He took great pleasure in telling me that he'd had her killed, once they had me tied to the bed." Wren sobbed into Grey's chest, reliving the helplessness that had she felt. They could see Grey was close to succumbing to anger; he didn't like that they had upset her. "If it hadn't been for Ronan and Grey hearing my scream, and coming to save me, I don't know what would have happened. Bart and Dreyden are both nuts."

"You would have fought him, just like you were doing when we burst through the door," Grey assured her. "So now you know about our experiences with Dreyden, tell us what you know."

"Well, as I said, we don't know him personally, but Joseph does," Kevan stated.

"Dreyden is a level 9 Sorcerer," Joseph stated. "He was a high ranking member of the cairbare council, but we had him removed when it was discovered that he was dabbling in dark magic. It has corrupted him."

"Well that certainly explains some things," Ronan reluctantly admitted.

"Like what?" Joseph asked.

"You already know, Elden is too weak; magic users have problems here, but it would seem that Dreyden has overcome the problems that most have with the ley line powers, which is where we draw the power for magic."

"Yeah, I had a problem when I tried to use it when we first arrived," Kevan stated. "I just thought it was me, you know, because I'm so new to it."

"No, since the portals closed, we have had problems with magic back firing on us, so we keep to very small spells. Dreyden showed up, and for some reason, he has a lot control. If he is using dark magic, then he doesn't have to draw on the power of the ley lines. Which just proves that he's ..."

"Nuts!" Wren supplied, making them all laugh.

"We think Dreyden has been searching for the Drusa grimoire for a very long time," Caleb said to those listening. "He must have come through the same way we did. So what has he been up to?"

"Other than murdering my father and helping my cousin Bart steal my throne?" Grey's eyes glistened with hatred.

"You need to get your emotions under control, man," Niall told him. "We're going to help you."

"As long as you give me the pleasure of killing them, I would be very happy to accept any help that you could give us."

"That may not be as simple as you think," Joseph told him.

"I plan on revenging my father's murder, so I don't think this will be simple," Grey growled.

"Dreyden is a cairbare sorcerer, a very powerful one at that," Joseph started to explain. "And on top of those things, he uses black and dark magic, so killing him will not be an easy thing. You would have to completely drain his power reserves in order to make him vulnerable to other magic or weapons, and no one here has that kind of power."

"Don't you?" Kaitlyn asked. "You keep telling us how powerful you are, so couldn't you drain his powers?"

"Yes, I probably could, but I would also be drained, rendering me useless; then I wouldn't be able to assist you," Joseph explained.

"If I take off his head, would that stop him?" Grey snarled, as he pictured it in his head.

"Oh, I'd say that would definitely put a kink in his plans, if nothing else," Caleb laughed.

"Get me close enough to Dreyden, and you won't have to worry about draining him of his powers," Grey stated, his tone completely devoid of emotion.

"I don't think Grey has learned the meaning of the word subtle," Kaitlyn said, and a snort of laughter floated around the circle.

"He murdered my father and Wren's friend Azure, and forced me to flee from my home. He put his puppet, my cousin Bart, on the throne of Elden. I am the crown prince, and I am tired of waiting to take back what rightfully belongs to me. So subtlety is no longer an option, because he came here looking for this grimoire, at least that is what you believe, and once he discovers that you have come through the portal, then he's going to go after it and we can't have that. If it is as you all claim, then I have an obligation to the citizens of Elden to protect them, and the only way to do that is to get rid of him."

"And how do you plan on achieving your goal?" Kevan demanded. "Run in, guns blazing like it's the fight at the OK Corral?" Her anger bubbled to the surface. "Cause I gotta tell yah, I think that would get a lot of people hurt, including my warrior, and I happen to like him just the way he is."

"You wouldn't like her when she is angry." Caleb warned with a smile on his face.

"No, you wouldn't," Kevan stated, as she stared at Greyson. "And since you have already asked for, and gotten my man's help, I want your assurances that you're not going to do anything stupid to get him killed."

Grey stared at her with a look of both surprise and shock on his face. "I have no intentions of getting them killed." He looked at Caleb and the other men. "The ladies of your world certainly have changed since the portal closed," he remarked.

"You have no idea," Joseph muttered, causing a ripple of laughter at his recent introduction to modern women.

"Yes, it is amazing that we have a brain in our heads, and aren't afraid to use it," Kaitlyn chimed in.

"Wren has tried to change a few things that she tells us are ..." Greyson looked to Wren.

"Outdated and old fashioned; basically I told them to stop acting like male chauvinist pigs, but I'm a newcomer; I've decided that talking to the women works better."

"Yes, it's happening faster than we are able to keep up with," Ronan told them. "She likes to corrupt the women of Elden."

"Hey," Wren hissed, as she smacked Ronan's shoulder. "I haven't corrupted anyone; it's called evolving, due to information."

"Enough," Kevan stated. "We are getting off the subject at hand. Why would Dreyden and the king ..."

"HE IS NOT THE REAL KING!" Grey snarled at her.

"I'm sorry, why would Dreyden and the false king care if there are groups of dragons flying around together?"

"They are paranoid; a couple dragons together aren't going to attract attention, but more certainly will, and they will send someone out to investigate."

"So we distract them," Marcus told them.

"What are you talking about?" Caleb questioned him.

"We're already talking about two teams, one to search for the grimoire, and another to restore Greyson to the throne."

"Yes?" Caleb questioned his brother.

"Well if the throne team keeps them busy, then maybe they won't pay attention to what else is happening around Elden, and that gives the grimoire team a chance to search without interference," Marcus explained his idea. "The simple plan works the best."

"This is why I made you the general," Niall piped up.

"Yes, it almost keeps them safer if Bart's resources are focused on us trying to get the throne back," Caleb agreed.

"You agree we should split into two groups?" Kevan asked, shaking her head at him.

"Not yet," Caleb informed her.

"Now what?" Kevan questioned, knowing that he wanted something else.

"Would you stop acting like I'm being unreasonable for wanting to keep you safe? I love you and with that comes my protective instincts. I understand that the best way to attack this problem is just like Marcus laid out, one distracting from the other. I would like to know that I have done everything within my power to ensure your protection. So don't give me that look, I know that you can take care of yourselves, but I can't help myself, and if I can't be there to protect you, I know that my brother will. I want Marcus to go with you."

"What!" Marcus roared with disapproval. "It's my idea; why don't you go with them?"

"Yes, I know, but we both know that both Kayne and I are much better at the espionage missions, it's what we are trained for. You, my brother, are a great general, but you suck at spying and you know it."

Marcus grunted his dislike of what Caleb had pointed out, but he couldn't argue that Caleb and Kayne both were very good at getting into places without being discovered. "Fine, I will go with them," Marcus agreed.

Caleb looked to Kevan, waiting for her to agree with them. "You want Marcus to come with us, that is fine, I don't have a problem with that, but you have to agree to take Eve with you."

"What, why?" Caleb questioned.

"You want to protect us. I want you protected to. Eve's a doctor. Both Kaitlyn and I have first aid training, so we should be able to handle things on our own; we aren't doing the risky stuff, like you are. So you want me to have Marcus, I want you to have Eve with you."

"Kevan, we're immortal, we heal quickly," he tried to argue, but he saw the look come over her face, and knew that he wasn't going to win this argument. "Fine, Eve comes with us, Marcus and Joseph with you, no argument."

"But won't Joseph be needed to help with Dreyden?" she asked.

"We have no idea what Leonard did to the grimoire; he might have booby traps on it, and we know that Joseph is likely the only one that could unravel them. We'll be fine."

"Deal then," she told him, holding out her hand in agreement. Shouting interrupted them.

"Oscar, Greyson," a young boy yelled, as he came tearing into camp.

"Zeke, what's wrong?" Greyson asked the boy panting to a stop in front of them.

"Guards," he panted, trying to get enough breath to relay his message, "King's guards coming."

"How many?" Greyson demanded.

"Hundreds!" Zeke gasped.

"Damnit," Oscar spat out, "How soon?"

"An hour, maybe two; Phillips sent me to warn you. He is going to trigger the traps in the pass if he can get to them, which will hopefully buy us another hour or two."

"Damnit," Oscar muttered.

"How do they keep finding us?" Ronan wanted to know.

"Doesn't matter now," Greyson told them as he took control. "We need to plan fast." He looked at the group gathered around him. "Wren, you and Ronan, you'll take Kevan and her group to find this book." He turned to face Caleb and the other cairbare warriors. Caleb came to attention as he watched a man that he had known as very young boy take on the mantle of his heritage. "You offered your sword to fight at our side; was your word true?"

"It was," Caleb told him. "I gave you the oath of a cairbare warrior. Your father and uncle were both my friends. Your uncle would not like what his son has done." He and the others dropped to their knees. "You have my oath and sword, that we will fight at your side to restore the throne of Elden to its rightful ruler."

Grey looked at them, and for the first time in a very long time, he had hope. He had always known that he and his rebels would eventually beat Bartholomew, but with the swords of four cairbare warriors fighting at his side, they would succeed most certainly. He had grown up hearing about the legendary prowess of the cairbare warriors, and how they had come to the aid of the people of Elden against their enemies. Now he would have the opportunity to fight alongside them! Just the idea of it got his blood racing, and he would have his revenge against his father's murderer.

"Thank you," he told them when they came to their feet. "Once again the cairbare are coming to the aid of the people of Elden. I shall be forever in your debt."

***

Kevan checked her backpack one more time. She knew that nothing had changed since the last time she had checked it, but she had to do something as she watched all the activity happening around them. They were breaking the camp down, and already half of the people that had been with them, had disappeared into the forest. She knew they had done this before, many times, by the speed with which they had done it. This was it. She knew it. She could feel the surging of adrenaline in her veins. they were about to start the search for the grimoire, they were going to find it, and make sure that it was put somewhere that nobody ever had access to it again. The only thing that was making it bittersweet was the fact that Caleb wasn't going to be by her side.

Since they had gotten together, they hadn't been away from each for more than a few hours, and she knew that this was going to take a lot more than a few hours. She had no idea how long it would be before she saw him again. Her thoughts drifted to the rest of her family, and she prayed that they weren't going crazy with worry. She hoped that with this time difference thing, that it hadn't been years since they had jumped into the portal.

"Kevan," her train of thought was happily interrupted when Caleb pulled her into his arms, holding her close.

"Is it time?" she asked, burying her face in his chest, trying to absorb some of his essence into her.

"It's time," he told her, closing his eyes, holding her tight, never wanting to let her go. "We need to go now; it won't be long before the guards are here." Kevan's heart ached at the thought of leaving him.

"Promise me that you'll be careful," she begged him.

"I promise I will be careful. You trust Marcus. He may be arrogant, but he is a hell of a leader, always was." Kevan nodded, as she fought the urge to hold onto him and never let him go.

"I love you, Caleb MacLaren." He leaned back, and looked into her eyes, his thumbs caressing her cheeks.

"I love you, Kevan Cameron." He bending over, kissing her more gently than he ever had before, as if he were memorizing her taste. A shout broke their moment, and they stepped back from each other. He wanted nothing more than to haul her into his arms and never let her go. Taking another step back, his eyes never left her face, as he fought his instincts to not to change his mind about letting her go on this quest without him.

"Be safe," he told her.

"You too," she whispered, and then he turned away, striding across the camp to where the horses were waiting to take them to Galen. Stopping one last time, he looked over his shoulder at Kevan, who still stood where he had left her.

Kevan stood watching him walk away from her. She hated that they weren't going to be doing this together.

"Kevan?" she jumped as Kaitlyn interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, you okay?"

Kevan looked to her sister. "He's going to be alright," Kevan needed her assurance. "Won't he?"

"Kevan, my dear, he's an immortal warrior who has fought god knows how many battles."

"That's not helping, Kaitlyn."

"Kevan, he's going to be just fine. He has something to come back for," Kaitlyn told her. "Come on, we've got to get moving. Wren says we can't risk the dragons flying into camp, so we need to get to the edge of the forest to meet them." Kevan nodded, as she threw one more look in Caleb's direction. He looked at her and smiled; a quick nod from him was her last view before he turned away. Kevan took a deep breath and turned to Kaitlyn.

"Okay," she told her. "Let's get this show on the road."
Chapter Twenty Four

Wren and Ronan set a brutal pace getting them to the edge of the forest.

"Can't we slow down?" Kaitlyn yelled.

"No," Ronan threw back at her. "If we are to escape the King's guards, we need to keep moving and get to the dragons. That is the only way that we are going to escape."

Kaitlyn moaned, but she continued to run after them. "Damn, I thought I was in better shape than this, but oh my god, I don't know if I will be able to keep this up for much longer," she complained to Kevan.

"Well, suck it up Kaitlyn, we need to keep moving," Wren yelled over her shoulder like a drill sergeant. Kaitlyn let out another groan, but kept moving.

"I'm really starting to hate you, Wren!" she yelled.

"That's fine, as long as you keep moving."

An hour later the trees began to thin, the runners given a sense of hope when they spilled into a wide empty clearing. They all collapsed to a stop.

"Mattus, where are you?" Wren yelled, as she strode into the middle of the clearing.

"Here, Wren." She turned around, looking skywards, waiting to catch a glimpse of the dragons that would take them on the start of their search. "There they are," she told the others. "So are you ready for this?" she asked Kevan.

"As ready as we can ever be," Kevan told her, watching five dragons land one after another.

"Wren, we must hurry." Mattus told her.

"The guards?" Ronan asked.

"Yes."

"How many, and how far out?"

"I would say almost two dozen, only about 30 clicks out; we need to move so that we are out of range of their weapons." Wren nodded her agreement.

She told the group gathered behind her. "As you heard, the guards will be here soon, and we have to get moving." Wren looked to Leila. "Since you are the one that can sense this grimoire, you ride with Ronan; he will take the lead. The rest pick your ride, and get on board." Wren looked at Kevan, understanding the fear and excitement that rode on her face. "This is going to be nothing like your last ride. Are you ready?"

"Terrified is the word that comes to mind, but so excited, you wouldn't even believe it." Kevan admitted.

"Then climb aboard and let's get moving."

The rush of wind set her heart pounding. Feelings of absolute terror and complete exhilaration pumped through her body at the same time. The night ride that had taken them to the rebel camp could not compare with this ride, as they soared high above the ground during daylight. Kevan felt such strength flowing through dragon muscle with each lift of his wings, carrying them in the direction that Leila had directed Ronan. Kevan clung to the back of her dragon rider, wondering why she wasn't scared to death of falling, the thrill of on the being the back of a dragon, overrode her common sense. Kevan felt safe and free like never before. She wanted it to never end. She could see for miles and miles, amazed at the foreign landscape, colors and smells crisp, larger than life, and it reminded her of the dream that had kept her up the night before, a déjà vu of reality. She would always cherish these moments.

***

Caleb crouched down as they observed the coming and going into the castle. Looking to Greyson, who was staring with such longing at his home, he knew that they had made the right decision to help him.

"So, this insider, what has he told you about the watchmen of the towers and gates?" he questioned.

"They walk the perimeter every hour, which takes them approximately twenty minutes; the rest of the time, they sit in the gate house." Greyson passed on the information that he had gotten. "The tower guards walk from tower to tower about every half hour."

"That means that timing will be critical," Caleb said to Kayne and Niall. "You're sure that you can trust that your inside man isn't lying to us?"

"As much I can trust anyone," Greyson told him. "Our last communication with him was two days ago. He is to meet us at the back door of the kitchen entrance at midnight."

"I know what he told you, Grey, but I'm asking you for your gut instinct: can he be trusted, because if you have any doubts we need to know now." Greyson paused, thinking about Caleb's question for a moment. "He hasn't been wrong yet, so my gut tells me that he can be trusted. Besides, it's not as if we have a lot of choice. This is our way into the castle," he told them.

"Good enough for me; so we need some place that we can hide out for the next eight hours," Caleb told him. "Oh yeah, we also need a detailed plan of the inside of the castle. I think I remember, but it has been a long time." Greyson nodded, and moved away to talk to his men that had come with them. Caleb looked to Kayne, Niall and Roderic.

"So what do you think?" he asked, knowing that they would likely pick up anything that he might have missed.

"Other than a few men, most are farmers or herders. They only have the most basic knowledge on how to fight. Now, if I had a month, I might get them ready with the most basic ability. Greyson has done the best he could, but honestly, I don't know how they will react when they are in the middle of a real battle," Kayne admitted.

"So we're screwed," Niall grunted with disgust.

"Challenged. It sounds better," Roderic conveyed.

"Roderic, don't try and make it all politically correct; as enthusiastic as they are, they are relying on the four of us to take on the King's Guards," Niall grunted angrily.

"What is your problem, Niall?" Caleb challenged. This wasn't like him; he was usually one of the first behind Kayne when it came to a fight. "You're acting like a pompous ass, and that isn't like you."

"Have you looked at these men? They have no idea what they are getting into," Niall told him. "And quite frankly, neither do we. We are about to trust a source of information we don't know, and storm a castle literally to restore a man to a throne, and we have no idea if he should be there or not. We are taking an awful lot on faith, and I'm not sure that we really should." Caleb scrutinized Niall, cracking a smile while he listened to his rant.

"Do you know who you sounded like just now?" Caleb kidded him. "You sounded like Marcus, because that is exactly what he would be telling us right now if he was here."

"Maybe we should listen to your brother more often," Niall complained.

"Niall, I hear your concerns, I do, but I knew Grey's father, and he was a great king. I have nothing more to tell you."

"I knew Tyrone also, Caleb, and I agree that he was a great king, but we don't know this man. What if it is all a lie?" Niall pointed out.

"I need you to trust my instincts on this, Niall. Just like I had to trust Kevan when she told me that these were the good guys. Greyson reminds me of his father, and I know that we need to put him back on the throne. That is what is best for Elden, and I think that you know that, too."

"I do trust your instincts, Caleb. I just worry that we are walking into another situation like before. We all know what happened the last we did something like this without having all the facts, and look at all the problems that caused."

"Niall, this is nothing like then. We learned from our mistakes, and I know that this isn't a mistake." Caleb looked over his shoulder at Greyson, who was observing them, before he looked back at his friends. "Well, at least we are in this together. Now let's go see what Grey's got for us."

***

Waiting on Leila as she attempted to see if she could find a trace of the grimoire had everyone on edge. Kevan looked around at the grim looking faces in front of her. She knew that every hour that passed without them finding a trace of the grimoire brought the king's guard that much closer to finding them.

"We'll find it," she voiced, trying to sound more positive than she was really feeling.

"When Kevan? It's been two days of searching, and so far nothing," Ronan complained. "We can't just keep flying around without a destination, because that's a great way to get caught."

"Do you have a better idea?" Kaitlyn defended her sister, and friend. "Cause if you do, we sure would like to hear it."

"Hey, we're on the same team here, so let's not start fighting each other," Wren butted in. "You said that she could sense it? If that's true, then why can't she right now?"

"Look, this isn't an exact science," Kevan defended Leila. "We are doing the best we can."

"I'm sorry," Leila whispered from behind them. "I know that it's here in this area, I just can't tell you more than that right at the moment. Unlike the other things in the repository, it doesn't like to communicate. The best way to describe the sense that I get from it, is that it's paranoid and protecting itself."

"You talk like it a living thing?" Ronan questioned her.

"I guess in a way it is, at least to me it is," she told him. "They speak to me, answer questions, demand attention, whine and complain. It's like a child, and at times, completely exhausting."

"So this grimoire doesn't want to give you information about where it is?" Ronan asked.

"No, it doesn't. Like I said, it's protective and paranoid, but it also can't tell me anymore than it has, because it doesn't know any more than what we already know, that it is in a dark, warm place, surrounded by water," Leila told him.

"Alright, so we know where it is, just not exactly where it is," Kaitlyn indicated as she looked at Leila. "Nothing else?"

"I wish I could tell you more, but it's like something is between us. I don't know quite how to explain it to you," Leila told her, feeling frustrated that she couldn't pin down better what she was feeling. "You know what it reminds me of?"

"What?" Kaitlyn probed.

"Like when we first arrived at that field in Scotland." That statement made them all come to attention.

"Before Joseph broke the spell?" Kevan queried, looking at Joseph shaking his head, telling her that there wasn't any enchantment that he could sense.

"Sort of," Leila stated. "More like before you did your thing, and thought you found that cave, remember?"

Kaitlyn suddenly got excited. "That's it; he disguised the entrance to wherever he hid it."

"Then why wouldn't Joseph sense a spell?" Kevan pointed out.

"Maybe it's not a spell," Joseph spoke up.

"What do you mean?"

"It could be a natural entrance not easily spotted. You wouldn't need a spell to disguise it then, and I wouldn't be able to sense it, but it would be visible to the detector."

"That means you're up," Kaitlyn informed her twin. "You're the all-seeing, so do your thing and tell us what you can see."

"Fine," Kevan replied. Kevan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes, turning full circle to get a sense of how the land lay. Her next breath helped her slide into a trance, her vision shifted, all sounds of the outside disappeared, and her entire focus was on the landscape surrounding them. Things that her normal vision missed stood out now, drawing her attention, a panorama picture in her head, as she slid over every crag and chasm, until her eyes followed the lake, to the edge of the waterfall. There it was, shimmering behind the waterfall, beckoning to her, and then she was awake, fully alert.

"The waterfall, behind the waterfall, that's where the entrance is." She smiled in satisfaction.

"See," Kaitlyn said, as she pulled on her backpack. She turned and looked at how far away the waterfall really was. "Any chance that we can get the dragons to pick us up, and drop us over there?" she asked.

"Why would we do that? It would just give our position away," Ronan told her, as he picked up his pack. "It's only a half day hike around the lake."

"Half day," Kaitlyn groaned, "What I wouldn't give for a couple of ATVs," she muttered under her breath, as they pushed off, heading towards the waterfall.

***

Moving silently along the edges of the outer wall of the castle, the rebels made their way towards the back entrance of the kitchen as instructed. Midnight was fast approaching as they neared the rendezvous point.

Greyson, who was leading them through the silent grounds of the castle, came to a sudden halt when a hooded figure suddenly appeared in front of them. Caleb, who was behind Greyson, slowly and silently pulled his sword preparing for a betrayal. The hands came up, and pushed back the hood, exposing a petite face with enormous blue eyes.

"Olivia!" Greyson whispered with shock, as he recognized the face before him.

"Oh the gods, I'm not too late," she cried when she saw them. "I don't know how, but they know you're coming. They have an ambush planned. You need to leave, now, before it's too late," she warned them, as she looked around, worried that the guards could show up at any time.

"Dammit," Greyson swore, and then looked to Caleb. "What do you want to do?"

Caleb thought for a moment. "Do you trust her?" he asked.

"Yes, Olivia has been a friend since childhood," Greyson told him without reservation. Caleb nodded, and looked to Olivia.

"Do they know how many are coming?" he asked her.

"They know that it's Greyson, Oscar and some of their men. I don't think that they know who else, beyond that," she explained to Caleb.

"What are you thinking?" Greyson and Oscar both wanted to know.

"Can you get us inside?" Caleb needed to know.

***

Standing at the edge of the cliff, they all stared down at the endless surface of rock below them. Surrounded by clouds of mist rising from the avalanche of water that cascaded over the edge, the river became a graceful, but deadly arch of never ending water. It was a beautiful deathtrap of ragged rocks under the never-ending surge. Kevan's eyes followed the perilous path that Ronan pointed out. It was the only way down to the base of the waterfall, sheer, narrow and wet, not a good combination. Its twists and turns from this angle were stomach dropping, and she didn't want to think about the descent.

"That is the only way down?" Kaitlyn questioned Ronan; he nodded and she looked back at the path. "You have got to be kidding me, its suicide!"

"Not suicide," Ronan assured them. "Dangerous definitely, but it can be done. It has been done."

"You're totally nuts. We can't even see all the turns, and the ones that we can see don't look hopeful. How the hell do you expect us to navigate that, and not think that one of us won't be killed? Now if we could fly, that might be a different matter," Kaitlyn whined.

"Oh my gods, Kaitlyn, you're a genius!" Kevan shouted, as she pulled off her sweater, exposing her shoulder. "Kira, we need your help," Kevan requested. She felt the pull of Kira lifting herself off her shoulder.

"It's about time you remembered me," Kira complained, as she floated around Kevan's head.

"Kira, I never forget about you, especially when you get the hiccups," Kevan informed her.

"Then how about remembering me the next time you and the big guy decide to do the wild thing. I'm really not into the whole voyeur thing." Kevan blushed at Kira's words.

"Kira!" Kevan warned her.

"Well, I'm not."

"Kira, we need your help."

"Of course you do. What do you need me to do, who am I to fight?" Kira asked, as she flashed her sword, swinging left and right.

"Ah, no fighting Kira."

"What! I am the warrior. If you don't want me to fight, then what do you need me for?" Kira demanded, as she buzzed around them.

"We have to get down that path," Kevan told her, pointing it out to her. "We need your help guiding us around the blind spots." She could see the disappointment on Kira's face. "Kira, it's very important that we get to the bottom safely. So your help is absolutely critical." Kira flew a little taller.

"You need my keen eye to direct you through the perilous path?"

"Yes, Kira we do," Kevan begged. "Will you help us?"

"Kira, Guardian of Tatiana, Defender of Elfame, at your service!" Kira shouted, as she lifted her sword into the air, and then bowed to Kevan. "I'm hungry; do you have any of those donuts?"

***

Greyson sat leaning against the bars of the cell, wondering how he let Caleb talk him into this, when the door slammed open, allowing two men to enter the underground dungeon.

"Well, cousin dear, I always knew you would get desperate enough to attempt to storm the castle. I just never thought that you would be stupid enough to get caught without a fight; it's so unlike you."

Greyson felt his body coil, as he pushed himself to his feet, turning to face his cousin.

"Bart," Greyson acknowledged his cousin. His soul pulsed with the desire to wrap his hands around the usurper's throat, and squeeze the life out him, but his time would come. "You won't get away with this," Greyson promised him.

"With what? I did nothing wrong, I repaired a wrong and took back what was rightfully mine."

"Rightfully yours? Are you crazy? My father was king, not yours," Greyson spat at him.

"But my father was the true heir, not yours, which makes me the true King of Elden," Bartholomew snarled.

"What fantasy are you living in?" Grey laughed. "My father was the oldest. Trying to rewrite history doesn't change the facts. The people of Elden know the truth, and they will rise up against your false rule sooner or later."

"You are so wrong, cousin. The people of Elden have embraced me as their true King. Especially after they discovered that you were the one responsible for your father's murder."

"You bastard, I did not kill my father, you did!" Grey yelled out, as he tried to get through the guard, making Bartholomew stepped back a bit.

"I'm afraid that's not what our witnesses say."

"What witnesses?" Grey demanded, "If they told you that I killed my father, then they are liars."

"You dare to call my beautiful fiancée, and my loyal manservant, liars?" His words stopped Grey dead. "Ah, I see your shock. Yes cousin, my fiancée. You know her, I believe. Your former fiancée begged me to protect her from your out of control rages and beatings. She told me how you terrified her with your ranting against my beloved uncle. I promised to protect her from your violence." Greyson turned away from Bart's sneer. "I see you didn't know that she had seen you."

"She didn't see anything," Grey choked out. "I would never have hurt my father."

"It won't matter soon," Dreyden stated as he joined Bartholomew.

"What are you talking about?" Oscar questioned. "What are you up to?"

"You have been found guilty of the murder of our beloved King Tyrone, so today you and your cohorts will hang for your crimes, at noon." Dreyden watched them, his eyes sparkling with what Grey could only describe as lust.

"I so look forward to it," Bartholomew boasted, as he rubbed his hands together, getting off on the idea of Grey's hanging.

"You won't get away with this," Grey spat at him.

"Who's going to stop me? Your pathetic rebels? My guards will make mincemeat of them when they even attempt a rescue."

"You have no idea," Grey hissed at him.

***

Caleb stood at the ready behind the door, sword in hand as the door swung in. Olivia stepped through, checking to make sure no one saw her, breathing easier, then jumping when she saw Caleb.

"So?" he demanded

"They have them locked up in the dungeon," she told them in a panic.

"Prefect, tonight you'll show us how to get down to the dungeons to release them, and then we'll overpower Bart, and give Greyson back his throne." Caleb rubbed his hands together; he loved it when a plan came together.

"It'll be too late by then," Olivia cried.

"What are you talking about?" Kayne questioned her.

"Bartholomew has released a declaration claiming that Greyson was the one behind the murder of Tyrone, and that he and the others have been captured and will be hung today at noon," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

"How can he claim that Grey murdered Tyrone?" Caleb demanded.

"He says he has a witness," Olivia told them.

"Who?"

"Helene and Fredrick," Olivia spat. "The bitch betrayed him, once again."

"Who's Helene?" Caleb questioned.

"Greyson's former fiancée, until she got engaged to Bartholomew," Olivia explained.

"Fredrick?"

"Bartholomew's manservant. He'll say whatever Bart tells him to, he's so loyal to him."

"Not exactly objective observers, are they?" Caleb stated. "Where are they going to hang them?"

"The town center," she told them.

"So, not here at the castle." Caleb saw his plans go down the drain.

"No, they want as many people as possible to witness the hanging. It's a way to keep the people in line," Olivia surmised.

"Scare tactics 101," Kayne piped up.

"Yes, Bart and Dreyden like to rule by fear. I sometimes think that it turns them on." She looked at Caleb, her eyes begging for his help. "You have to save them. Bart used to be jealous of Greyson, but since Dreyden showed up, I think he's gone crazy." Caleb looked at her, as she clung to his arm.

"You love him," Caleb probed.

"What? No!" she protested.

"Yes you do," he advised.

"He's my king, and my friend. I don't want to see him hang for something he did not do," Olivia informed him.

"Deny it all you want," Caleb told her. "But have no fear, nobody will hang today." Caleb gave them a smile.
Chapter Twenty Five

Kevan's throat was so dry, she couldn't swallow. They were moving at a snail's pace down the side of the cliff face. She tried to keep herself from looking down, but lost yet again, as she glanced to bottom of the cliff, her entire body frozen over the fact that they were hanging off the edge of a sheer cliff. She closed her eyes against the absolute stupidity of their situation, and focused in on the voices that were around her.

"My god's, we'd better find another way to get out of here, because I don't know that I'll be able to climb this path again, it's already going to give me nightmares," Kaitlyn panted behind Kevan, as she kept up a never ending voice of doom monologue.

"It's not that bad." Kira chirped.

"Says the four inch flying fairy," Kaitlyn complained. "Trying being five foot nine and having a ledge the width of a balance beam to walk along, and then we can compare the definition of not bad."

"Enough woman," Marcus growled behind her, "We're all making the same descent, and we really don't need the running dialogue."

"Says the immortal warrior who won't die if he happens to slip off the edge, and plunges to the bottom," Kaitlyn spat at him. "And DON'T CALL ME WOMAN!"

"One more word, and I swear to the gods, the first chance I get, I will take you over my knee and give you the spanking that you so richly deserve," Marcus threatened, but he wasn't so sure that he wouldn't do it anyway, as the idea of teaching her a little discipline appealed to him.

"As if that would discourage me, big boy. Who knows, I might like the idea of you spanking me," Kaitlyn teased the tiger. Marcus muttered under his breath, and his cheeks reddened as all kinds of pictures flashed in his head. Kaitlyn smiled to herself; she loved it when she got one over on Mr. Personality.

"You know Kaitlyn, Marcus is only voicing what the rest of us are feeling. So now, knock it off and watch what where you're going. I don't want anyone falling, immortal or not, that's not part of the plan."

"Fine!" Kaitlyn told her sister with a pout.

"How much further, Kira?" Kevan questioned the Fay, who was doing somersaults in the air.

"You're half way down, Kevan," Kira informed her, as she hovered not far from Kevan's shoulder. "Kevan?"

"What Kira?" Kevan asked, as she reached out for her next handhold.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Can't it wait?" Kevan asked, as she pulled herself along.

"It could, but I'm curious about why you would use this path, when the other one looks so much easier?" Kevan's head shot up, almost making her lose her balance. "What other path?" Kevan demanded.

"It's right next to the one that you are on, only it's on the backside of those rocks." Kira pointed to the ones they were clinging to.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kaitlyn whined. "Why the hell didn't you tell us that there was another path?"

"You didn't ask," Kira told her. "Besides, you're the ones who asked me to show you the way down this path, so I thought that you had to go this way for some reason."

"Kira, is there any way for us to get from this path to the other one?" Kevan questioned.

Kira did a twirl in the air before she floated up, pointing ahead of them. "Around the next bend, there is a passage through the rocks." A short time later, they all stood on solid ground, with rock on all sides, feeling safer than they had in a while.

Kevan looked to the still dancing Kira, shaking her head, just as Kaitlyn spoke up. "Next time, if you think that we are about to embark on a crazy idea, and you have a better idea, speak up Kira."

"Okay," Kira chirped with another twirl. "Kevan, I'm hungry."

***

Caleb stood at the far edge of the town square, observing the gathering crowd coming to watch the promised spectacle. From his position, he had a perfect observation point of the people coming into the square, and from all that he had gathered; things were fitting together in his mind. People were of mixed opinion on Grey's guilt or innocence, but what had Caleb completely puzzled were the different accounts of Tyrone's death, and Grey's involvement in it. Rubbing his chin, he was beginning to wonder if something else was at play here. He looked up as he heard the sound of someone approaching. He relaxed when he saw Niall, but the look on Niall's face said it all.

"What did you find out?" he wanted to know.

"Something strange is going on here," Niall admitted to him.

"You sense it, too?" Kayne questioned, as he appeared from the other direction.

Niall nodded as they looked to Caleb. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, and if you tell him, I will make your lives a living hell, but I wish Joseph was here," Niall commented.

"So you think that it's a spell?" Caleb looked back at the crowd of people gathered in the square.

"Maybe, but how is that possible? If what Grey told us about how magic is working here in Elden is true, then how would someone be able to cast a spell big enough to infect the entire population, and not have it noticed?" Niall questioned.

"Because it's not one big spell, it started with just one person," Caleb stated.

"What are you talking about?" Kayne probed.

"Why cast a whopper of a spell, when a small one works just as well," Caleb explained.

"Still don't understand," Kayne told him.

"Someone cast a small spell, but they made it so it would spread like a virus. Whenever the person infected touches another person, they pass it on."

"Since when do you know so much about spells?" Niall asked him.

"I don't know, it's the only thing that makes sense," Caleb said with a shrug. In all his long life, he wondered at the oddity of what the brain forgets. They all must have experienced a similar scenario, yet they still needed to puzzle it out, experiencing anew.

"Considering all the different stories about how Tyrone died, it would make sense."

"So I'm not imagining things," Caleb said to Niall.

"It seems everyone remembers what happened differently. If there were two versions of the same story, I would understand that, but when every story is different, that means there is something more happening." He stopped when they heard Roderic's signal, and scanning around, they spotted him across the square.

They made their way across the square, trying to stay out of the notice of the dozen or so king's guards that were wandering the crowds. Caleb noticed their diligent manner, scrutinizing everyone they could. The cairbare made their way into a darkened alley, away from prying eyes.

"What did you find out?" Caleb could see by the look on Roderic's face that he had found something.

"Obviously, you heard all the different versions of Tyrone's death and Grey's part in it, I assume?" Roderic asked

"We did, and from the shit eating grin on your face, you have something more, or else you wouldn't have pulled me away from my position," Caleb tried to keep his impatience buried.

I did," Roderic told him, pausing. He was waiting for something.

"Do you plan on sharing?" Caleb demanded quietly.

"You know, you really are grouchy when you don't get your daily dose of Kevan," Roderic needled him. "Need her to soothe the savage beast, do you?"

"Oh man, don't get him going. He doesn't share," Niall pouted, shaking his head.

"This is not a joke," Caleb growled.

"Relax, Caleb," Kayne tried to placate his cousin. "None of us think that it is."

"Yeah man, chill," Niall told him, before he turned to Roderic. "You better tell him before he has a stroke."

"I overheard several of the guards talking."

"About what?" Caleb wanted to know.

"That just it, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. They were talking about how relieved they are that their troop hadn't been picked to guard the special prisoner that Bart is holding."

"Special prisoner?" That piqued Caleb's curiosity. "Where is this prisoner being held?"

"That's why they were so relieved; it is at the old watch tower at the edge of the Darkling Mountains."

"Old watch tower ..." Caleb ran it through his memory.

"That is what they said," Roderic told him.

"Didn't Grey and Oscar tell us that they had abandoned that tower because it was falling apart, and that they had built a new one about fifty miles east of the old one?" Caleb asked Kayne.

"Yeah, they did. I remember them telling us, because it was odd that they had moved the new one so far from where the old one was," Kayne told him.

"So the question is why would Bart guard a prisoner so far from the city?" Caleb posed. "In an old watch tower that most think is abandoned. What is so special about this prisoner?" Caleb had something brewing in his head. "Why such a rush to hang Grey?" he asked.

"What?" Niall questioned, trying to keep up with his change of thought. "What does that have to do with Bart holding someone in the old tower?"

"It has a lot to do with it," Caleb told them. "Okay, hear me out. We know that Bart has someone under guard at the old watchtower. He is accusing Grey of murdering Tyrone. There is no consistency in the murder rumors, and Bart is in a big hurry to execute Grey for said murder. Tell me, what does all of this add up to?"

"Seven," Niall joked. "I don't know Caleb, you tell us, because you have come up with something."

"Just go with me on this for a moment, alright. What if the special prisoner is Tyrone?"

"That's crazy!" Niall snorted. But both Kayne and Roderic stayed quiet as they thought about what Caleb had just proposed. "It's crazy guys; it's been almost two years since Tyrone's murder, wouldn't someone have figured it out before now?"

"You know, I want to agree with Niall, but it's just far enough out there, that I think that it could be true," Kayne reluctantly admitted.

"It would be one hell of a plot," Roderic agreed. "Tyrone's murdered, at least that is what everyone is told, while he's locked up. Bart plays the outraged nephew at the murder of his beloved uncle, and he places the blame on the absent Grey, makes him out to be the bad guy. He catches Grey, hangs him, and then suddenly they discover Tyrone isn't dead, but being held prisoner. Suddenly the beloved King returns, rescued by his nephew, who suddenly becomes the hero, and the villain, having already been hanged for his crimes, has been punished, and nobody can prove if he was or wasn't involved in the plot. Bart comes out the hero, and as the only surviving relative of the king, he also becomes heir to the throne, all without having to dirty his hands."

"But, hanging Grey? How does he explain that to Tyrone?" Niall pointed out.

"He was doing the will of the people, he had no choice, and it was the demand of the citizens of Elden."

"Oh shit," Niall swallowed. "It makes a perverted sense. So what do we do?"

"What do we do? Well first, we have a hanging to stop," Caleb informed them. "I have a plan."

***

"So, can you see it?" Marcus questioned as he continued to scan around for unseen enemies. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching their every move.

"It's there, I can see it. The problem is finding a way to get behind the water without having to go under the main falls," Kevan told Marcus, as she studied the waterfalls.

"And what, pray tell, is your brilliant plan to get us around that?" Kaitlyn whined. "It's millions of gallons of fucking water crashing into rocks. This is so stupid!" They all looked at Kaitlyn; all she had done since they had gotten to the bottom of the trail was complain about everything.

"Who the hell pissed in your cornflakes this morning?" Marcus barked. "I have been reduced to speaking this base, modern lingo, shit!"

"I didn't have cornflakes," she snapped at him. "I had something that looked like oatmeal, and I hate oatmeal. Take the broom out of your ass; you might be able to go with the flow better."

"Well little Ms. Sunshine, you got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, fine, but stop taking it out on the rest of us. We don't need to suffer through your PMS moods," Eve yelled at her sister.

"I AM NOT PMSing," she shouted back at them.

"Enough!" Kevan yelled, stepping in between them. "Stop acting like children."

"They started it," Kaitlyn pouted.

"I don't know what your problem is, Kaitlyn, but I need you to suck it up, and be the sister I know and love, not this crazed bitch that is not you." Kevan looked at her sister, and she could see something in her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Kaitlyn looked at Kevan, and Kailtyn felt her whole body shake. "I don't know," Kaitlyn admitted. "I can't control myself."

Kevan looked to Joseph, who took a step towards Kaitlyn. "What do you mean, you can't control yourself?" he questioned.

"That's just it, I don't know what is going to come out of my mouth, and everything just rubs me the wrong way. It's as if someone else is controlling my body at times, and I'm watching but can't do anything to stop it."

"Joseph?" Kevan asked with alarm, as she stepped towards Kaitlyn.

"There is no spell that I can sense, but with the way that the magic works here, there might be, but I'm not picking it up." Joseph informed Kevan.

"Can you can do something that would, I don't know, isolate us? If someone is using a spell, maybe it wouldn't be able to work while we figure this out?" Kevan asked.

"Yes," Joseph confirmed. "That might be useful."

"Do it," Marcus ordered him.

"That may be easier said than done," Joseph told them. "We don't know if it is a spell, or something else."

"I don't care what it is," Kaitlyn informed them. "I just want it gone."

They watched Joseph work for a couple a minutes. He spoke some words while drawing a circle around them, and they watched as what looked like an invisible wall snapped into place.

"We are isolated, but we can't move on with it in place, so we need to find out what is happening with Kaitlyn, and resolve the issue quickly," Joseph explained.

"When would someone have put a spell on Kaitlyn?" Marcus posed the question, "What has she told them, since she admits lack of control?"

"I haven't told anyone anything," Kaitlyn growled at Marcus, and he looked at her and finished his sentence.

"What has she told them unknowingly?" He glared at her. Kaitlyn had to look away, as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "We cannot carry on; it would be an unacceptable risk to ourselves until we know what is happening." Marcus looked at all gathered around. "We need to be able to trust all of our team members."

His tone and attitude raised Kevan's hackles.

"We can trust Kaitlyn!" she defended her sister, only stopping when Kaitlyn touched her arm.

"You don't know that positively, Kevan," Kaitlyn told her. "I love that you want to defend me, but Marcus is right, we can't risk the rest of you if somehow, someone is using me, which could hurt you. I would never be able to forgive myself if that happened."

"Kaitlyn, you're my sister, and more than that, you are my twin. You would never do anything that would hurt me," Kevan avowed, her eyes never leaving Kaitlyn's face.

"Kevan, stop. You need to understand. I would never knowingly do anything to harm you, but I can't control what's happening to me, and it is getting harder to snap myself out of it when it does take over. We need to let Joseph do his thing so that I don't put the whole quest in jeopardy."

"Kaitlyn?"

"Don't argue, Kevan," Kaitlyn told her sister. "It's what is best for all involved."

"But what is he going to do? What if you get hurt?"

"Stop," Kaitlyn grabbed her hand, seeing the worry in her face. "We don't have a choice."

Kevan stepped back, hating that Kaitlyn was right. She looked to Joseph and Marcus who were waiting for her approval, which she gave, albeit reluctantly.

Joseph turned back to Kaitlyn, and started asking questions. "How long have you felt like this?"

"I'm not quite sure, maybe a couple days."

"Before we came through the portal, or since?"

"Just since, I would say that it started when we were at the rebel camp," Kaitlyn admitted.

"Well, that narrows it down," he told her. "Sit still. I can try a seeking spell to see if you have been spelled."

"It may not be a spell," Ronan suggested.

"What else could it be?" Joseph asked.

"Before I did anything else, I would check her for a bug."

"A bug? You would need a computer, and electricity for a bug to work," Kaitlyn teased, trying to make light of the situation.

"I have no idea what a computer or electricity is, but for a listening bug, you wouldn't need either," Ronan told them. "It attaches itself to the body, uses the body to make it work."

"And if this thing was on Kaitlyn, someone could hear everything we were saying or doing?" Kevan questioned.

"Are you talking about a real bug? Oh man, that's just gross," Kaitlyn told them.

"They would only be able to hear what we are talking about when they are listening. The only problem with a bug is, the longer that they are attached to the body, the harder it is to remove them."

"Who controls this bug?" Marcus demanded his anger visible around him. "And how the hell would they have gotten it on her in the first place?"

"It's small, and all they would have to do is place it on your clothes. It would seek out and attach itself somewhere where it would be concealed, and have a supply of blood," Ronan explained. "I have heard it described as feeling like you have been bit by something common, like a mosquito."

They all looked when Kaitlyn gasped in remembrance, and she reached towards her right ear.

"What?" Joseph asked, stepping forward while Marcus grabbed her hand.

"Just before the kid ran into camp, I thought that I had been bit by something. It hurt once, and then it was gone. It never bothered me, so I never thought anything of it," she explained, as she tried to pull her hand out of Marcus' grip.

"Joseph, check her," Marcus ordered.

"I have no idea what to look for," Joseph told him. Ronan stepped over to Kaitlyn, looking at Marcus.

"You hold her, I'll check for one." Marcus nodded his agreement, as he pulled the struggling Kaitlyn into his arms. Wrapping one arm around her, his hand holding her head to his shoulder, he pulled her hair out of the way, giving Ronan a clear view of the right side of her head.

"Guys ..." Kaitlyn started.

"Stay quiet," Marcus ordered her. Ronan looked, and moved strands of hair for a few minutes before he stopped. Marcus looked at him, taking his focus off the quiet Kaitlyn. A nod to Marcus told them everything that they needed to know. Releasing her head, he twisted until he could see what Ronan was looking at. He wasn't able to see anything at first, until something caught his eye. There it was, a couple inches behind her ear. It looked like a flesh colored flat June bug. If they hadn't been looking for it, they likely wouldn't have ever seen it, but for the faint brown line surrounding the outer edges of its body, giving it's positioning away. Just as Kevan moved over to look, it shifted. Marcus pushed her away, unsure of what it would do, and looked at Ronan.

"So we know that it's there. How do we get it off," Marcus asked.

"I know of only one way," Ronan told him.

Kaitlyn shifted her stance, as she took in Ronan's serious expression. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm really not going to like what you are about to tell us?" She looked from Ronan to Marcus, and then back.

"I wish I could tell you it was easy, but it's not," Ronan admitted.

"Lovely," Kaitlyn muttered. "Alright, just tell me."

"We have to pry it off your skin, and then we have to rip it out, ensuring we get it all, or else it could cause problems."

Kaitlyn closed her eyes. "I knew I wasn't going to like it," she whispered. "It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

"Yes," Ronan confirmed.

Kaitlyn looked to Marcus. "Will you help me?" she pleaded with him.

"Of course," he promised her.

"I know that I won't be able to stay still, so I'm going to make your day, and get you to hold me, while Ronan gets this thing off me." Marcus stayed quiet, but nodded his consent. Kaitlyn sagged with relief before she turned to Ronan.

"Just give me a minute," she told him. Looking to her worried sister, she gave a weak smile. "Don't look so worried, I'm going to be fine," she assured them, trying to convince herself, as well. "I love you."

"I know, we love you, too," Kevan expressed with a smile.

"I wanted to let you know, just in case." Kaitlyn paused before a smile spread across her face. "Oh, remember that red sweater that you had that got that huge stain on it?"

"Yeah," Kevan narrowed her eyes.

"Well, I was the one that borrowed it, and spilled soya sauce on it. I had a date with George Preston, and I looked hot in it."

"I knew it!" Kevan snapped, "You owe me a new sweater. You make me feel like we're fifteen, again. We should be past this kind of shit, sheesh!"

Okay, deal! When we get home, I will buy you a new sweater," Kaitlyn promised. Looking away, she blinked back tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes, before she looked at the rest gathered around. "If something bad happens to me, you can blame Marcus; he's got broad shoulders, he can take it," she joked. "But seriously, watch out for each other, and promise me that you won't stop until you find the grimoire, and get it somewhere safe."

"Enough of the teary farewells, you will be fine, so stop acting like such a drama queen!" Marcus growled. "Let's get this over with, so we can get back to the quest at hand, finding the grimoire."

"Thanks for your sympathy," Kaitlyn whined.

"You don't need my sympathy. My luck isn't that good, which means you'll be annoying me again in no time," Marcus whispered in her ear, as he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. Ronan pulled out a knife, making Kaitlyn's eyes widen with surprise and shock, and she attempted to pull away from him. Marcus grabbed her head, turning her face back against his shoulder, pulling her hair out of the way, exposing the bug for Ronan. He nodded, letting him know that she was ready. Kaitlyn whimpered as the smell of heated metal drifted in front of her, just as Ronan stepped up.
Chapter Twenty Six

"How do you expect to get them off the hanging platform, and the rest of us out of here?" Niall put to Caleb, as they watched the preparation hustling about in the square.

"What about shimmering?" Roderic suggested.

"No, I don't think that's a great idea. One - it would let Dreyden know that there were cairbare in Elden, and I think we would like to keep that a secret for a while longer, if we can, and two - with the way that magic works here, gods know what could happen to us if it doesn't work. No, I think that we are going to have to rely on good old fashioned brute strength for this rescue," Caleb advised. A sly smile skated across his face, and a look at his friends told him that they were feeling the same way that he was.

"What are you thinking, run in, swords swinging?" Kayne asked. "Not that I don't love a good sword fight, but that still doesn't get us the hell out of here with Grey and the others."

"How about a bit of both," came from behind them they turned to face Olivia. The dozen horses she had with her surprised them.

Caleb nodded his approval. "Now that is the start of a great rescue," he told the others. "Olivia, thank you, but you need to get back to the castle before someone spots you."

"I'm coming with you," she informed him.

"Absolutely not!" Caleb vowed.

"How long do you think it will take for them to figure out that I was the one responsible for helping Grey escape? I don't plan on being around when they want to interrogate me, so whether you like it or not, I am going with you. Besides, I know this city better than any of you, and I know how to get us out of the city without getting caught."

Caleb sighed with resignation; what was it with them and stubborn women lately?

"Fine, you can come, but understand something, you will do exactly what you are told, when you are told, understand?" he instructed her pointedly.

"Understood," she told him with a smile, and a sharp salute.

"Good, now let's go spoil a hanging."

The feel of the rope was rough, with something sour underneath an earthy smell. The hangman settled it around Grey's neck, trying to ensure that it would do its job. Grey's eyes never left the crowd of people gathered to watch the hanging of the king's son for patricide. He tuned out the profanity that the masses were tossing his way, as he focused on the matter at hand.

"Do you think they're coming?" Oscar asked, as the hangman walked away, leaving them alone while he finished his tasks.

"They're coming," Grey expressed with total faith.

"I hope your right. I really don't want this fight to finish at the end of the hangman's rope."

"Oscar, they'll be here," Grey advised him. Their conversation cut off when the booming voice of the head guard delivered the verdict of guilty.

"You have been found guilty of the murder of the beloved King Tyrone of Elden." His voice rang out, capturing the crowd, building the drama. "Greyson, you have been sentenced to hang as punishment for your crimes." Looking out over the crowd, Grey's anxiety began to gnaw at him. Maybe they couldn't get to them; maybe this really was the end of the line. "Do the convicted have any last words?" the guard asked.

Grey looked out at the people gathered, and he wanted to shout at them, tell them that they were making a terrible mistake, but it didn't matter. Staring straight ahead, he spoke loud and clear, so all gathered could hear him.

"One day you will discover your mistake, and you will regret your actions this day."

The hangman stepped to the lever that would drop open the trap door under their feet, sending them falling through, hopefully killing them by snapping their necks quickly.

"May the gods have mercy on your souls!" the guard shouted, as he nodded to the hangman. His covered face watched Grey's and Oscar's, as he stepped to the lever.

"Who needs the gods' mercy, when you have us?" the hangman spoke quietly, so only they could hear him. Grey eyeballed the hangman, his face full of confusion. He watched one hand reach for the lever, the other reach for the sword hanging at his side.

It all happened in a blur, the screams of a few growing into a roar, as the hangman faked pulling back on the lever, but instead pulled the blade of his sword free, swinging its razor sharp edge, severing the ropes wrapped around their necks.

The crowd scattered, running in all directions to get away from the building chaos. Battle cries from the king's guard echoed off the building surrounding the square. The vibration of the galloping of horses could be felt by all, and panic grew in the agitated crowd. The guards surrounding the square lost control, swept up in the mass exodus of people, as they pushed and trampled each other to escape the pandemonium in the square. Civilization is so easily shed off when self-preservation rules.

Grey rose from his knees, watching the hangman race across the platform towards them, sword raised. Grey wasn't sure why he would release them, only to kill them now. He braced his shoulder to throw the hangman off the platform, only to stop when the removal of the hood revealed a welcoming smile.

"It's about time," Grey grunted, as the ropes around his hands fell to the floor.

"Did we have you worried?" Caleb inquired, as he finished freeing Oscar.

"Not a bit!" Grey shouted over the screams of the panicked crowd, looking for a way out of the chaotic square. "So what's the plan?"

"The plan? We get the fuck out of here, sound good?" Caleb laughed, as he raced towards the edge of the platform.

Grey and Oscar shook their head, but followed him, as they wondered how he planned to accomplish that fact, when riders came into view with horses.

"Guards!" Grey shouted, as he looked around for a weapon.

"Relax my friend," Caleb told him, slapping him on the shoulder, then handed him a sword. "Those are the good guys."

"You shall die!" They all turned to face the head of the king's guard.

"Not today, sir," Caleb told him as he held up his sword.

"You dare to free this murderer?" The man spat at Caleb.

"No, I chose to free innocent men," Caleb told him, watching his opponent's moves. Caleb smiled, as he absentmindedly swung and flipped his sword around, intimidating the guards with the speed that the blade flashed. Grey watched for a minute before he checked over his shoulder for their rescuers. The far side of the square showed other guards struggling to make their way through the panicked crowd, but they thought the people on horses were members of the king's guard.

"Don't fool around with this idiot!" Grey told Caleb.

"You take the fun out of everything," Caleb complained.

"We don't have much time," Grey stated.

"Fine," Caleb agreed, and he raced towards the head guard, who raised his sword and tried to slash Caleb, but instead, lost his footing on cut rope, and fell into Caleb, who grabbed, swung, and then punched the guard, sending the man flying off the platform.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Roderic shouted with humor, as he raced along the platform with a couple of horses for them. Running on the edge, and a short jump had them grabbing reins. The horses plowed through the remaining crowd, then raced down a narrow street, people jumping out of the way, lots of yelling and chaos - pure bliss for warriors. Caleb checked over his shoulder to ensure they didn't have the guards right on their tail; they only needed a few more moments to guarantee that they'd make good their escape.

He hadn't been involved in the plan past getting Grey and Oscar out from under the hangman's noose; now they were relying on Olivia to get them out of the city. The planning time had been short, and when Olivia told them that she had a way, but less said the better, they had accepted her word. Still, they couldn't help worry, just a bit.

Olivia pulled the reins of her horse to the right, as she made yet another turn. She hoped that by leading them all over the city, it would confuse the guards, giving those few precious moments they needed to reach safety. She knew Caleb didn't have confidence that she could do this, but there was no other choice. If saving Grey meant sacrificing herself for him, she would. The people of Elden needed him on the throne.

The last turn emptied into a small courtyard against the outer wall, where Olivia had Eve waiting. Olivia jumped down, running to a section of the wall, searching the blocks with her fingers.

"Oh shit, you've led us into a dead end!" Niall exclaimed, as he leapt from his horse, pulling his sword to push back the guards that were sure to box them into the courtyard.

"I just need to find the right one!" she shouted, and Grey suddenly knew where they were. He watched her push and pick at different stones, while preparing for what was about to rain down on them.

"Olivia, hurry!" Grey urged. They could hear the guards; they would find them any moment.

"I'm trying! I haven't been in here since we were kids!" she yelled back at him.

"Olivia, they will be here on us any minute and we really need to be out of here by then," Grey told her.

"I'm trying!" she yelled. "So be quiet, and let me figure this out."

"Here they come!" Caleb yelled as he raced back down the street into the yard.

"Got it!" she screamed at them, as the wall belched dust and stale air, but slid open.

"What the ..." Caleb muttered in amazement, as he stared at the doorway.

"Later," Olivia yelled, as she jumped back onto her horse and urged it through the door, disappearing from sight.

"Move it!" Caleb yelled, as they all mounted their horses, getting swallowed by the wall. Olivia waited for them to scramble through; she pushed on the stone, sending the door sliding closed.

"We need torches, it's going to get darker before it gets lighter," she warned before taking the lead again, glad the old torches were intact. The tunnel was wide and high, formed for people on horses to get through without a problem.

"Where are we?" Caleb questioned, as he took one of the torches, and used the lighter from his pocket to light it.

"It is a gate that is only known by a few people," Grey explained and he grabbed one of the torches holding it out to Caleb. The lit thrown from the torch cut the dimness showing the glistening spider webs and the mottles of dust floating through the air. "I hadn't thought about it in a long time, not since childhood. It was used to smuggle things in and out of the city when under siege, so its existence was always kept to a need to know basis. It's been a long time since it's been used."

"It'll take us out of the city," Olivia told them.

"How far out of the city?" Caleb wanted to know.

"About twenty miles," Olivia smiled.

"Which direction?" Caleb wanted to know as they started to make their way through the narrow passage.

"Towards the old watch tower," Olivia admitted.

"How long will it take us to get through the tunnel?" Caleb needed to know.

"Several hours," Olivia threw over her shoulder as she led the way.

"We escaped the city and the guards; what does it matter how long it takes us to get through the tunnel?" Grey declared as hope filled him, and for the first time in a he looked forward to the future and what was to come.

***

Ronan traded the cooled knife for the white hot one in Wren's hand. Kaitlyn saw the blade through tear blurred eyes; her hands curled, and pushed her fingernails into her palms. She was too tired to yell when the next rip of pain hit her system. The bug had its roots dug into nerve points, zapping her every time Ronan pressed heat onto the hide, forcing release from her with fire. They had been working at it for almost half an hour and Kaitlyn didn`t know how much more she could take before she passed out. She had screamed the first time Ronan had tried to pry it off her skin, making him stop. He instructed her to stay quiet, because her screams made it grip tighter into her head. Easier said than done. Her throat hurt, and she was exhausted.

Marcus held her head against his shoulder, whispering encouraging words to help her endure the agonizing pain. Ronan stepped back, handing Wren the cooling knife, swapping for another round of searing to get the bug off her.

Ronan caught Marcus' eye, trying to convey sorrow for causing Kaitlyn pain. The way Marcus was holding the woman, told Ronan that there was more going on between the two of them.

"Kaitlyn, I'm sorry you have to be awake for this, but that is the only way to ensure we get the whole bug. Okay Marcus, hold her steady, here we go again," Ronan explained. He could hear the hitch in Kaitlyn breath, as she braced herself for the next round.

Marcus closed his eyes against the torture that they were putting her through, and then felt like a coward. If Kaitlyn could submit to the pain without succumbing to it, he could bloody well watch, and he forced his eyes to follow the knife, as it seared the bug again.

Kaitlyn whimpered as the heat of the knife sliced through, and hammered into her head. Tears flowed freely down her face, and she wondered if they would ever get this thing off her. She braced herself for the pain, as it flexed its claws in her head, but this time it didn`t flex, and she heard, then felt a pop, then the cry of victory from Ronan when he saw it release itself from her head. He grabbed the bug before it could latch on again, yanking with all his strength. Breaking the surface hold, he pulled it off her head.

Kaitlyn gasped as it ripped from her skin. Then it was gone, except for the throbbing ache from where it had resided for days. Ronan tossed it into the fire, knowing it that was the best way to get rid of it. Marcus stared at him, as he continued to hold Kaitlyn, caressing her back, not really sure that he should let her go yet.

"It's gone," he assured her. Kaitlyn nodded, unable to voice the words to say thank you.

"Hold her for a few more minutes," Ronan instructed him. "We need to make sure that I got all of it."

"And if you didn't?" Marcus wanted to know. "How will you know?"

"If we didn't get it all, we'll know very soon. She'll go into convulsions as the poison that it released kills her."

"Excuse me?" Kaitlyn moaned, as she looked at Ronan. "You didn't say anything about poison, and it killing me."

"I didn't think that you would let me do it if I did," Ronan admitted.

"Yah think?" Kaitlyn shot at him. "That was really a rotten thing to do, and how long will we have to wait?"

"Oh, I know that I got it all," he told her.

"What?"

"Well, if I hadn't, you would have been dead about two minutes ago, so I would say that you are okay," Ronan told her with a smile. "You will be sore, and probably a bit feverish for a while, as the toxins that it released into your system work its' their way out, otherwise, you should be just fine, and the good news is now you're immune to them."

"Lovely," Kaitlyn muttered, as she felt Marcus step away from her. Suddenly she missed his warmth. "Thank you," she told him. The antagonism she had felt toward Marcus wasn't working anymore.

"You're welcome," Marcus replied, moving aside so Kevan could pull her twin into a hug.

"Thank you, both!" Kevan cried.

Wren cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Not to be pushy, or anything, but we really need to get moving," she told them.

"No Kaitlyn needs to rest." Kevan argued, concerned for her sister.

"We can't," Wren told them. "Whoever planted the bug will know soon enough, if they don't already, that we found it. That means that they know that we are onto them. They planted it for a reason; they wanted to know what we were doing. Now they can't monitor us, and that means that they will be coming after us in another way. We need to stay ahead of them."

"While I agree with everything that you have pointed out, Wren, we'll rest for a short time here anyway. Kaitlyn needs a chance to recover," Kevan insisted.

"No, it's alright," Kaitlyn said. She pushed away from Kevan. "I'll be okay. If we need to keep moving ..." She stopped talking, as she collapsed and passed out. Marcus grabbed her before she landed on the ground, swinging her up into his arms.

"She is not going anywhere," Marcus growled at Wren, as he stomped over, laying the unconscious Kaitlyn on the blanket beside the fire. "A couple hours won't hurt. We all need to rest and eat. They have to come down the path, unless they know about the other one, so that should give us some time." Wren just watched him, and having no choice, nodded her agreement.

***

Torchlight did little to push back the dark in the tunnel. Exhaustion was worsened by a lack of senses, like time or distance traveled. Grey felt desperation to get to the old tower, a desperation that beat common sense, and his only focus was seeing what he believed: that his father still lived.

"Grey, stop!" Olivia yelled at him, but he wasn't listening to anyone. Caleb raced up beside him, grabbing the reins, bringing the horse to a halt.

"What are you doing?" Grey demanded, "If we don't get there ..."

"We're going to get there, but we would prefer to get there alive," Caleb told him. "If what we think is true, then we need a plan in place, and killing ourselves, or the horses, is not going to help any of us," Caleb cautioned him. "For all we know, it could be a trap."

"You seriously think it is?" Grey questioned him.

"I don't know, but we need to consider the possibility that it could be, and plan accordingly."

"Grey." He looked to Olivia.

"You need to also be prepared that it might not be true. That Tyrone isn't alive." Grey's shoulders sagged with weariness. She rode up beside him. "I pray to the gods that Tyrone is alive. You need him, we all need him back, and it would prove to the people that Bartholomew is a liar, once and for all." Olivia swallowed, and her eyes filled with tears. "And if our worst fear is proven correct, and Tyrone really is dead, then we will prove Bart to be a lying murderer."

The hatred and anger in Olivia's voice made Grey sit up and take notice. He suddenly looked closer at his childhood friend, seeing beyond the memories of her as a tomboy climbing trees and swimming in the lake. Until now, he had always seen Olivia as one of his friends. Now her cousin Helene -- that girl had caught his eye and set his pulse racing. Grey had felt foolish when Helene, at the first sign of a problem, had bailed. Olivia had stepped up. She was the one who had risked her life for his on more than one occasion to get them information, and now she had helped rescue them from the hangman's noose, and instead of hiding, she was riding with them on the chance that his father might be alive.

Grey couldn't take his eyes off Olivia's when as he asked Caleb, "What do you think we should do?"

"Well, certainly not run in, guns blazing," he stated.

"What's a gun?" Grey questioned.

"A gun is ..." Caleb stopped. "Never mind. Look, at this point we have the element of surprise; let's use it to our advantage."
Chapter Twenty Seven

"How is she?" Marcus questioned Kevan, who hovered over Kaitlyn by the fire.

"Better," Kevan admitted. "She quieted down a while ago, and other than running what appears to be a low grade fever, she seems to be coming through this quite well, all things considered." Kevan watched Marcus, seeing a heightened agitation. "What?"

"We spotted guards. It would seem that they are working their way down the more dangerous path," he stated.

"So we need to get moving, that's what you're telling me." Marcus nodded.

"I wish that I could give her more time to recover, but time isn't on our side this night. We need to find a way behind the waterfall, and fast, or we will be trapped," Marcus explained to Kevan.

"She's not well enough," Kevan argued.

"Kevan, we don't have a choice."

"I feel so useless. Without being able to draw on power, we can't even use magic to protect ourselves. You must really hate it," Kevan said to Joseph.

"You know the situations here as well as we do. Magic is hit or miss in Elden, so we can't rely on it," Marcus spoke before Joseph could. "Kaitlyn is strong, she can do this. She's too stubborn to let a stupid bug get to her."

"She is awake and fine, and will be ready to go in ten minutes," Kaitlyn told them. She pushed herself to a seated position, looking very un-Kaitlyn like, all pale and fragile.

"I'm glad that you are okay," Marcus told Kaitlyn, as he stepped away, not trusting himself to say anything more. "Ten minutes is fine; we will get everything ready to move out."

Kaitlyn watched him closely, nodding her agreement, before she spoke up. "Oh, just to set the record straight, I am not too stubborn. That prize definitely belongs to my big sister, Kevan."

"Hey," Kevan wailed in protest. "Don't you dare put that one on me? I can be reasoned with. If you want to talk about stubborn, I have one name for you: Brennan."

Kaitlyn smiled at her sister. "I stand corrected," she told Marcus. "Kevan is right; nobody is more stubborn than Brennan. We're pussy cats, compared to her."

"Fine, ladies, I stand corrected. Now, ten minutes, then we head out," Marcus told them, rolling his eyes, as he turned and stalked away. Kaitlyn's eyes fixated on every movement of muscle in his body.

"And to think I was concerned about you," Kevan teased.

"Excuse me?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Tongue back in mouth, sis," Kevan laughed.

"What are you babbling about?" Kaitlyn questioned, as she reached over, taking the warm cup of chira that Kevan handed her.

"You know, if it wasn't so familiar, I would be laughing my ass off at the lust in those eyes."

"Now I know that you're losing it," Kaitlyn told her. "I am not lusting after Marcus. He was really nice, when he helped me out earlier, but that's all there is to it."

"Ooh, nice try kiddo, this is me you're talking to. I know you, and I know that look in your eyes. You would jump his bones in a second, given the chance."

"Kevan, you're crazy, just because you fell for Caleb in thirty seconds flat, doesn't mean that I will follow suit, and even if I did, it certainly wouldn't be with Marcus McLaren." Kaitlyn struggled to her feet; she avoided looking at her sister. "Now, we don't have time for your foolishness. We said that we would be ready in ten minutes, and we had better get moving."

"This isn't over," Kevan warned her.

"Yes it is," Kaitlyn muttered under her breath, as she walked away from her grinning sister.

***

Caleb stood at the opening of the cave, silently observing the watchtower, waiting for Kayne's return from a recon tour of the area. A small part of Caleb admired the ingenuity of the tunnel they had ridden the night through. The rest of his brain was caught up in trying to get the half formed plan to work, but no matter how many angles he looked at their situation, his ideas weren't going to work, and he wasn't sure what they would do. His thoughts scattered to the wind when someone came up behind him, and smacked him in the shoulder. Flipping around, he faced a furious Eve.

"What is your problem?" he shouted back at her.

"You know, when Kevan insisted that I come with you, she was expecting that I would actually be with you guys, and not hiding in some cave for days, while you did everything. I can't be much help if you don't take me with you!" Eve hissed at him. "Gods help you, if you exclude me out of one more thing. You will be in the dog house for a year, and don't think that you won't," she warned him, her finger poking into his chest.

Caleb grabbed her finger, stopping the jabs. "First off, let's get one thing straight right now. I am in charge, and what I say goes. If that means that you're in a cave until the end, then that is where you will be. Second, I was not trying to exclude you from anything. We are used to working as a team, and have done so for a long time. I'm sorry I had Olivia stash you away, but there really wasn't a role for you in any of this. Third, you are with us now, so stop your complaining."

"I'm not complaining," Eve informed him. "I'm telling you how it is going to be. I'm part of this team, so start acting like it."

"Fine," he agreed.

"Fine," she spat back at him, as she held out her hand to shake on it.

"Eve, don't try and read me," Caleb as he took her hand. "I'm not lying to you."

Eve smiled back at him. "I know," she stated, and turned and walked away. Roderic walked up behind him unseen.

"I never thought that I would see the day when Caleb McLaren, ladies' man of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth century's, buckle under to a woman," he teased him. "You are so whipped by those women, it's hilarious."

"Just you wait, your turn is coming," Caleb snapped at Roderic, who threw his hands up in surrender.

"Ain't happening yet, and not likely to," he told him.

"Think what you like," Caleb threw over his shoulder, as he strode toward Kayne, who had just walked into the camp.

"What did you find out?" he demanded of Kayne.

"I saw at least six guards, but those are only the ones that I could see. There are likely more inside, but I wasn't able to get close enough to see. They have dogs roaming, and I didn't want to alert them to my presence."

"That's good. What about their routine?" Caleb felt his blood pump faster, as he watched the smile slide across Kayne's face.

"Lax, they've been here for a while, and haven't had any problems, so they've gotten lazy, only coming out when they decide that they need to check the perimeters. The rest of the time they sit in the guard house, drinking and eating."

"What about the food?" Caleb asked.

"It is brought in three times a day from the nearby village," Kayne stated.

"Really," Caleb said, as the bud of a plan began forming in his head.

"Okay! I know that look, someone has a plan," Roderic joked, as he watched Caleb.

"Who brings the food?" he questioned, as his eyes wandered across the camp, to where Eve and Olivia stood talking. Roderic looked in the direction that Caleb was looking.

"No fucking way!" he forced out.

Caleb twisted, and looked at the swearing Roderic. "Excuse me?" Caleb questioned.

"We are not placing those women in harm's way," Roderic vowed.

"Roderic, it is not up to you, and do you honestly think that I would risk Eve in any way?" Caleb ground out.

"Then why are you looking at them? I know the way you think Caleb; we have worked together for a long time. You have a plan, and they are part of it."

"Yes, they are, but they will not be at any risk," Caleb stated firmly.

"How can you say that?" Roderic demanded.

"You don't even know what my plan is," Caleb shot back.

"It goes something like this," Roderic started rattling off ideas. "You want them to distract the guards, giving us a chance to jump them, which is too risky, as far as I am concerned."

"Well, you are partly right, I want them to distract the guards, but not so that we can jump them. I was thinking more along the lines of lacing their food with something," Caleb stated, and Eve and Olivia overheard them.

"You will not poison anyone, Caleb," Eve declared, "I am a doctor, and I will not be a party to murder."

"You will do what you are instructed to do!" Caleb growled at her, as his anger boiled over, stopping her before she could say another word. "But you can relax, Eve. My idea is to make them sleep, not to kill them."

"Oh," Eve whispered, as she looked at the ground.

"Look, we had better get something straight, right now!" Caleb looked at all gathered around him, but most particularly at Eve. "We have no intention of murdering anyone, but understand, we are in a battle or a war, however you want to describe it, and that means we cannot be worried about sensibilities. If I have to make a choice to kill someone, I will do it. If you leave someone wounded, you leave someone to come after you. I will not go out of my way to deliberately kill someone, but I will not hesitate to do so, if I have to; it's them or us, and I chose us." Eve stood silent. Caleb nodded at her. "Now here is my idea," he told them, as he started to explain his plan.

***

Kevan and her group made their way around the lake as far as they could go. Their path ended at a wall, with no other way to get behind the falls but swim. "Anything?" Kevan asked, as she looked at the others lined up beside her.

"Sorry Kevan, looks like we are swimming," Wren told her.

Leila shrugged her shoulders, saying, "I can't see any other way."

"Dammit! I was really hoping to avoid having to get any wetter than what we are already from the mist of the falls." Her frustration echoed in her voice.

"Well, it looks like we are going for a swim," Kaitlyn muttered. "Darn and I didn't bring my bikini." They all looked at her, as she gave them a quick smile. "It is what it is, so let's take the plunge, and get it over with. The sooner we do, the sooner we start to get dry," she informed them, as the backpack slid off her shoulders, landing on the ground with a thud. "How, pray tell, do we get our bags over there, without getting them soaked?" She asked.

"Like this." Marcus picked up the bag, and just like a disc thrower, he tossed it across the water, and the width of the falls. They all watched it land with a crash onto a rock shelf, and bounce its way part way to the rock wall. Kaitlyn gave him a look, and then gazed back to her pack.

"Well, that solves that problem. I just hope you didn't just shatter my ipod or blackberry, because if you did, you so owe me new ones."

"Okay ... Marcus here you go," Kevan interrupted, as she handed him her backpack.

Kaitlyn stood at the water's edge watching everybody slide into the chilly water with a gasp, as the cold water sapped the warmth from their bodies.

"This is so not my idea of a good time!" she shouted at Kevan.

"Get in, or I will throw you in," Marcus growled at her. She looked at him over her shoulder, sticking her tongue out, before she turned back to the water, and gently eased her way in.

"Oh crap, that's cold!" she yelped, as the waist high water fought her every step.

They forced their way through the churning water, and crossed the short expanse to the rock ledge. Once on the ledge, they edged their way along, and slid in behind the waterfall. The rocks under their feet were slippery and uneven, and more than once, one of them slipped. By the time they were across, and climbing out of the water, they were completely soaked. The howling wind generated by the pounding water chilled them to the bone.

Kevan studied the path in front of them. It was dark and narrow, but thankfully, for a change, it seemed to be straight forward, which surprised her: too good to be true, and all that.

"Well, it seems like it looks clear," she told them.

"Gods, what is lying in wait for us now?" Kaitlyn moaned, shivering as she came to stand beside Kevan.

"Think positive," Kevan told her.

"I am, but when you tell me that it is clear, that makes me worry. So far, nothing in this god forsaken quest has been straight forward, so why would this be?" Kaitlyn complained. "What new horror are we about to encounter now?"

"Oh come on, you didn't honestly think that this would be simple, did you?" Wren questioned the moaning Kaitlyn. "If it was simple, then anyone could have found this book, and according to your own story, this man gave up a hell of a lot for this book. He wouldn't have left it out so that anyone could find it."

"Left it out?" Kaitlyn asked, as she was overtaken by a sneeze. "We've jumped through a portal into an entirely different world, scaled down a mountain, and now we just waded through freezing cold water, and are about to walk into gods know what. I would say that it wasn't just left out. I think that we should just leave it where it is; we're the only ones that know where it is, and if we all swear never to tell ..." Kaitlyn stopped when she saw Kevan's face. "Not going to happen."

"Remember something, Kaitlyn; we are here because someone else is looking for it. Someone by the name of Dreyden, and just because he hasn't found it yet, doesn't mean that he's given up. I'll bet you that while he has been doing other things, he has had people looking for the grimoire, so no, we aren't going to leave it where it is. We are going to find the goddamn book, and get it someplace safe for all of mankind."

"Fine," Kaitlyn pouted.

"It's close," Leila told them, as she rubbed her head, trying to ease the headache pounding behind her eyes.

"You okay?" Kevan asked, seeing the tired look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told her. "It's just that the feelings coming from the grimoire aren't the friendliest I've ever encountered."

"Can you ..." Leila was interrupted by a scream of terror. Looking up, they saw the flailing body fall from the side of the mountain. The screams followed it down, and Marcus forced them to turn away, not wanting them to see. The sound of the body hitting the ground, cutting off the scream, swamped them all with a shudder of revulsion, knowing that it could have just as easily been one of them.

"Move," Marcus ordered, pushing them into action, getting them out of the line of sight, and well in behind the waterfall. They headed further down the path, wondering if this had been a mistake, when trail began to widen out, and then they entered a large open cavern. The thunder of the waterfall was quelled to a mild roar, and they could actually hear themselves, without having to scream at each other.

"Holy shit," Kevan gasped, as her eyes traveled upward, and they took in all that surrounded them. "It's massive."

"That would be an understatement," Leila agreed, as her voice echoed around them.

"We need some light," Wren stated, just as the rasping sound had them all looking around to see light flare to life. Marcus looked up when he sensed them watching him.

"You said that you needed light," he explained. "I gave you light." He handed Ronan the lit torch, and he reached for another one that was sitting on the wall.

With light, the cavern revealed dry but dusty rock. A few stone shelves held cobweb covered old boxes, decayed with dry rot.

"What is this place?" Kevan wondered aloud.

"I never even knew that it existed, and I grew up not far from here," Ronan admitted, as he moved towards the boxes.

"Well, it was obviously used by someone," Kevan pointed out. "Leonard knew about it; how else would he have hidden the grimoire somewhere around here?" She looked to Leila. "Is it here?"

"In this room, no," Leila said. "But it's close." She paused, listening to something that the rest of them couldn't hear. "He found the information in the History of Elden, which is stored in the Repository. They used this as a hiding place for the people of Arathorn, during the first Earo's wars. They hid the women, children and elders here to protect them from the invaders." Leila looked up with a smile on her face. "I can hear it."

"Hear it?" Wren questioned.

"The repository. The entire time we have been here, I haven't been able to hear it clearly at all. The only thing coming through was the grimoire, but now I can hear them both."

"Gods, you are so lucky," Kaitlyn whined, looking at Leila longingly. "I can't wait until we see this Repository thing; it sounds so cool." Kevan shook her head, laughing at Kaitlyn's look.

"Well, we don't need to worry about her anymore, do we?" Marcus drawled. Kevan nodded her agreement, and then moved towards the back of the cavern to see what she could find.

"Find anything?" Marcus asked, as he continued his exploration of his side of the cavern.

"Oh, nothing much, just a tunnel that leads off the back of the cavern," Kevan bubbled with excitement.

"Where does it head?" he wanted to know.

"I am guessing it goes further into the mountain," Kevan told them. "Are we ready to carry on?" Kevan could read indecision on a few faces. "Oh don't give me those looks, it's not like we have a whole lot of choice," Kevan informed them. "Stay here and wait for the guards to show up, go back and encounter the guards, or move ahead to possible escape. Personally, I would prefer to stay as far away from those King's Guards as possible."

"Oh yeah," Kaitlyn weakly cheered. "Let the adventure continue." She joined Kevan at the back, standing at the entrance of the new tunnel. "I'm so excited, let's see what's at the end of the dark scary tunnel."

"That's enough, Kaitlyn," Marcus warned.

"Party pooper!" Kaitlyn shot at him, just as a sphere of light came rolling past her into the tunnel, making her scream. "What the fuck is that?

They all looked to Joseph. "It's a light sphere," he stated the obvious.

"You couldn't have done something like that before?" Kevan asked, as she moved to put her torch down.

"No, I could not. Whatever is affecting Elden's magic doesn't hold true in here. I suddenly have access to all my magic again."

"So outside, magic no good, inside, magic good?" Kevan asked.

"Very simplified explanation, but yes," Joseph told them. "Try it. See if you can grab onto your magic and do something," he told Kevan. She nodded, sliding her eyes closed, pulling into herself. She reached down to the pulsing beams of energy within her. For some reason, they seemed brighter and stronger than before. She opened her eyes, lifted her palm, and focused her thought on creating a ball of light in her palm. It came more easily than she could ever recall before, she thought, as a ball flared to life in her hand. It shimmered and flickered for a moment, then it settled down, strong and steady, burning just above her palm. A smile jumped to her lips, as she looked to Joseph.

"Very good," he told her. It was a simple trick, but she had had trouble with it since he started training her.

"It's weird; it came so easily, I barely had to look for the power threads. They were there, shining really brightly, like they were waiting for me."

He took a step back with a look of surprise. "What did I say?" Kevan wanted to know.

"Nothing, just, that is the way it is supposed to be," he explained. "The way it was before things got messed up."

"What got messed up?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Nothing," Marcus growled. "If the magic lesson is over, we should get carry on."

"You know, you really are a grouch," Kaitlyn told him, as she grabbed her bag, hoisting it onto her back.

"I'm impatient for this to be over, so that we can get home, that is all," Marcus told her. "Kevan, you have the light, you go first. Ronan, if you would bring up the rear?" He nodded his agreement, but Kevan stopped, looking to Joseph.

"You said that your magic's working better. Can you sense anything that we should be aware of?" she asked him.

"I am a sorcerer, not a psychic. I don't sense things," he told them with a disgusted tone in his voice.

"Oh, get the stick out of your ass, Sherlock," Kaitlyn tossed at him. "She was just asking." Marcus coughed, to try to conceal his laughter at the look that passed over Joseph's face.

"Come on, time's a wasting," Kevan told them, as she walked into the entrance of the tunnel.

***

Shifting on her seat, Eve tried to make herself comfortable in the gown that they had acquired for her. Reaching down, she scratched her legs in an attempt to relieve the itch, and she looked at Olivia, who was looking serene and beautiful, as she observed Eve's irritation with a smile.

"Tell me, how the hell do you wear these things?" Eve whispered, as she rubbed at her arms, trying to relieve another itch attack. "These are the most uncomfortable things that I have ever had the misfortune to wear. What I wouldn't give for a pair of scrubs; hell, even a pair of stilettos would be more comfortable than this."

"Under garments," Olivia told Eve, as she looked her over, checking to see that Eve looked right. "But I don't think undergarments would help with that dress. He couldn't have picked an uglier gown, it does nothing for you," she laughed.

Eve picked up the edge of the skirt made of a grey brown material that reminded her of those old buildings from the west that had never seen paint. Eve shook her head in disgust as she rubbed at her legs again. "At least I don't have to wear it for long," she told Olivia.

"Ready?" Olivia asked, as they drew near the watchtower.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Eve admitted, as she steeled her back, trying to roll with the sway of the wagon, but the road hadn't been taken care of for a long time, and it was full of lumps and bumps. It seemed as if the wagon they had commandeered loved to hit every one of those bumps, and Eve just held on for dear life, not wanting to be thrown from the wagon.

Watching the road just in front of the horse, Eve wasn't paying any attention to how close they were getting to the tower, until she looked up when they rolled up to the gate. The men, used to the creaks and rattles of the wagon, didn't move until they spotted Olivia and Eve seated on the bench, instead of the old man. They scrambled, rushing to grab their swords, preparing for a possible invasion, only to stop when they realized that it was two women seated in the wagon.

Shouts into the tower brought the guards running, and Eve and Olivia both could see the one who was in charge. He was a big man, who used his size as a weapon. His eyes were cold and calculating, as they raked over the both of them, dismissing Eve, and settling on Olivia.

"Halt," he ordered, grabbing the reins of the horses, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword hanging at his side. Eve studied him carefully, trying not to draw any attention to herself. From the grease stains on his wrinkled, slept in clothing, to the stringy hair hanging off his half bald head, he gave Eve the image of a pig. She watched him preen himself, trying to impress the stunning Olivia, believing he was hot stuff.

"Where is old man Smythe?" he growled, as he stared at Olivia.

"Sick," Olivia informed them, in a voice that would melt butter, and she fluttered her eyelashes at him. All the guards stopped thinking with the head on top of their necks.

"He was fine at lunch," one of the other guards stated, as he watched Olivia, melting when she turned the disarming smile on him.

"Yes sir, he was, but ..." she stopped, acting as if she didn't want to admit to something.

"He took to the bottle," Eve stated, looking to Olivia, letting her take over just as they had planned. "He imbibed too much drink," she whispered. "And now he is suffering for his over indulgence." She shook her head with disgust in her voice.

"So he sent you?" the captain questioned, watching them closely.

"Indeed sir," Olivia informed him, pouring on the charm. "Master Smythe is a family friend, and more than once, has aided our family is these troubled times. We wished to return the favor, so as he would not lose his earnings," she explained to them, as she came to her feet, holding her arms out, giving the captain a bright smile, asking for assistance down without voicing one word. The captain reached up, lifting her off the wagon, and setting her down on the ground.

"Thank you, kind sir." She rewarded him with another generous smile. Eve scrambled off the other side of the wagon, not wanting anyone to help her, as she watched the men become putty under Olivia's charm.

"Ooh, you're all so big and strong," she cooed, patting the captain's arm as if he was the most handsome man she had ever encountered. "Please don't let me keep you from your dinners, eat before they get cold," she insisted.

"Thank you, Madame ..." the captain suddenly looked nervous, as he eyed Olivia, who was staring at him with googly eyes, and he wiped his sweaty hands down his filthy jacket.

"Please call me Olivia," she supplied.

"Olivia," he tipped his head. "A beautiful name, but not as beautiful as the woman whom wears it." She rewarded him with another smile. "Will you join us?"

It was all that Eve could do not to gag at the sickly sweet sludge bantered about.

"Oh, you are too kind sir, but my sister and I have eaten. Still, we would partake in a cup of chira to warm us for the ride home, if you have one you can spare."

"Most certainly, Miss Olivia," he told her as he offered his arm, readying to escort her inside the tower. Turning to look at his men that were all standing around watching in awe of Olivia, and showing off for her, he tossed out orders. "Bring the food, and water the horses."

"Oh, thank you, Captain," Olivia gushed. "But it is not necessary, we must be returning home soon," she told them, as she watched Eve out of the corner of her eye, they both walked into the tower, following the men carrying the food. "We wouldn't want to be caught out on the road after dark. You never know where those terrible rebels may be hiding."

Eve smothered a snicker at how sincere Olivia sounded, and if she hadn't known that she was on their side, she would really wonder; indeed, she would swear that Olivia wasn't acting.

"Have you had any problems?" the Captain questioned, as he puffed out his chest, trying to act like the brave man that he wasn't.

"No sir, we have been very lucky. King Bartholomew is working very hard to take care of the rebel problem." She gave a shudder of fear. "I just wouldn't want to encounter them. They are such terrible men, unlike you and your brave guards." She paused, letting her flattery sink in, puffing up his ego even more. "We were so surprised when the king reopened the tower." Then she dropped her voice, acting as if she was worried that someone might overhear her. "But we were so glad to find out that you all were here to protect us. That is why you are here, right?" she threw at him, as she gave a look of utter devotion, and he totally ate it up.

"Yes, that was part of the reason. The King wants to protect the people of Elden." Trying to act like a big shot, he revealed the information that they had been seeking. "But we are also here to guard a couple of dangerous prisoners."

Olivia gasped, holding her hand to her chest. Her eyes wide with worry, she poured on the charm. "You, my captain, you are all so brave." She flattered their egos, and fawned all over him. "Could you ..." then acting as if she should back off, "I shouldn't," she whispered. "My mother is always telling me I ask too many questions. Please eat your dinner, it is getting cold." She swept her arm over the table, where Eve had laid out the food that they had brought. "I will sit here, and you can tell us all about your bravery against the terrible rebels," she pushed innocently.

Within ten minutes, the last of the guards succumbed to the drugged ale that Eve had been feeding them since they had taken their seat at the table, while Olivia had continued to distract them with her outrageous flirting. When the captain finally dropped into a stupor, Eve turned to confront Olivia.

"Thank the gods that you are on our side," Eve admitted, as she quickly checked to ensure that they were all still breathing. "They didn't suspect a thing, not even when they started falling asleep. Damn, you're good."

"All in a good cause, besides, we both know if you flatter a man enough, he will never think that you are working against him, especially a man like the captain here." Olivia laughed as she searched the pockets of the captain, who was lying face down in what was left of his meal. "Yes!" she shouted with success, as she held aloft the key. "Signal the men; I'll see who our dangerous prisoners are." Eve nodded her agreement, as she headed for the door, and Olivia headed for the stairs.

Eve pulled out the small flashlight that Caleb had given her, in order to signal when the way was clear. Two quick flashes, then a pause, followed by two more quick flashes of light, and she backed into the tower to wait.

It only took them a few minutes to appear out of the darkness, but Eve was relieved to see them.

"It's about time," Caleb threw at her with a smile, letting her know that he was joking.

"Sorry, we had a couple that took a while longer to fall asleep. They are passed out, but alive," she told them.

"You both okay?" Caleb checked.

"Oh, we're fine," she assured him. "Olivia, on the other hand ..."

"What's wrong with Olivia?" Grey demanded, as concern for her well-being bubbled up within him.

"Olivia rocks! If I didn't know she was acting, I would have wondered whose side she was on."

Grey sagged with relief, and he looked around for her. "Where is she?"

"Checking on the prisoners," Eve told him, pointing at the stairs that she had disappeared up a few moments ago. Grey took off, bounding up the stairs, followed closely by Caleb and the others. Eve watched them disappear out of sight then muttered to herself. "Thanks for all your help Eve, you did great." Turning, she spotted the smiling Roderic holding out her backpack.

"You did a great job, Eve, thank you for all your help," he told her, just as she headed up the stairs.
Chapter Twenty Eight

"How much further?" Kaitlyn moaned, as they moved steadily further into the tunnel. "It feels like we've walked a 100 miles."

"We've come long a ways, but certainly not 100 miles," Marcus grouched at her.

"Good thing none of us are claustrophobic," Leila joked, trying to break the tension that was building between Marcus and Kaitlyn. "I mean, is it me, or are these walls getting narrower, the further we go?"

"It's not you," Wren assured her. "It's getting narrower, and warmer."

"Hopefully that means that we're getting closer to the grimoire," Kevan stated, she pushed ahead, following her light sphere. Then one second she was in front of them, and the next she was gone without a sound.

"Kevan!" Kaitlyn screamed, as she tried to push ahead. Marcus grabbed her, pushing her into Joseph's arms.

"Hold her!" he ordered, as he moved ahead carefully to where Kevan had vanished. He inched his way forward checking the floor.

"Let me go!" Kaitlyn ordered Joseph, as she struggled to get out of his arms.

"Enough Kaitlyn, stop acting like a child, and let us figure out what happened," Marcus growled at her.

"But she could be hurt," Kaitlyn pleaded, as she watched Marcus inspect the area where Kevan had disappeared. Something caught his attention, and he bent down to check it out, looking up in surprise.

"I don't know Kevan's condition, but you recklessly running to try and help her could do more damage than good," he told her angrily. Kaitlyn stopped to think about what he had just told them.

"Okay, you're right!" she shouted at him. "But where is she then?" Marcus came to his feet, looking at them.

"I would say that she is on the other end of this slide."

"Slide, what slide?" she questioned. "This is a strange place for a slide? Why would someone put a slide in here?"

"How would I know?" Marcus threw at her. "From what I can see, it is smooth, sloping, and in the middle of the tunnel, so I think the idea is for us to go down it."

"Well, where does it go?" Kaitlyn wanted to know.

"Again, how would I know?" Marcus growled at her, shaking his head. "You ask some dumb questions."

"So, what do we do?" Wren wanted to, as they all crowded closer to the slide.

"I say that we go down the slide," Marcus pointed out, as he sat at the top of it.

"Are you crazy?" Kaitlyn shouted at him. "We go down that thing, and end up in a giant pool of molten lava!" Marcus stared at her, and then he turned away, looking to the others, who waited to see what he would do.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I am going. It'll be fine," he told them.

"You don't know that for sure!" Kaitlyn argued.

"No, I don't, but we don't have a lot of choice. Therefore, I believe that it is going to be fine. See you at the bottom." With that, he pushed off, and disappeared from sight.

They all looked at Kaitlyn standing next to the slide, but she just stared at it. Finally they moved past her, and one by one, they disappeared from sight.

Ronan crossed his arms; he looked from the slide to the Kaitlyn and back to the slide again. "Are you going to keep standing there, or are you going to go?"

"I really hate him," Kaitlyn muttered, as she stepped up to the slide, and sat down. "If I end up in a pool of hot lava, I'm going to kill him."

"Trust, Kaitlyn, trust," Ronan told her, as he stood watching, and waiting. Kaitlyn closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then pushed off to let gravity take over.

***

Grey burst onto the second floor of the tower, just as Olivia backed out of the room. The sound of Grey's footsteps drew her attention, and she looked to him with tears streaming down her face. His heart sank when Olivia touched his arm, then she took his hand, and directed him into the room where he expected the worst.

Standing on guard with a makeshift sword in his hand, and a young woman at his side, was a man looking a lot thinner, and quite a bit greyer, but ever regal. Even with the beard and ragged clothing, Grey knew that it was Tyrone.

"Father," he cried, not sure he believed his eyes. "Please tell me this is real!"

"It's real Grey, it's real." Tyrone dropped the sword, swaying. The young girl standing beside him grabbed his arm to stop him from dropping, as Grey stepped up, and pulled him close. Closing his eyes, he gave a silent thanks to the gods for giving him back his father. Tyrone spoke with a voice choked with emotion, as he embraced his son. "It's about time you got here. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever figure it out."

"I wish I could say I did, but it was Caleb who figured it out." Tyrone looked over Grey's shoulder, spotting his old friend. "Well, aren't you a sight for these old eyes."

"I am very glad that the rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated," Caleb drawled. "But I should have known that you would be entertaining," he said, as he watched the young woman step away from Tyrone.

Tyrone held his hand out to her, drawing her close to him. "This is Azure; she has been locked up with me for a while."

"Azure?" Grey questioned. "As in, Wren's friend, Azure?"

"You know Wren?" the young women questioned, her head shooting up. "Is she okay?"

"She is fine, but she believes that you are dead," Grey informed her.

"No! I have been here for almost two years," she told them. Caleb scrutinized her, wondering what it was about this young woman that seemed so familiar.

"Father, I'm so sorry," Grey told Tyrone. "I'm sorry that we argued, and that I acted so foolishly, storming off, leaving you alone. I can't tell you how devastated I was when Ronan finally tracked me down. I was drunk, and had been for weeks, mad at you for ordering me to marry Helene. When he told me that you were dead, all I could think about was how horrible I had been the last time we had talked, and that rather than dealing with our problem like a man, I had stormed off like a child and pouted." Grey poured it all out, needing his father's forgiveness. "By the time we returned to Elden Castle, Bart had already seized the throne, claiming that I was responsible for your murder. I don't know which is worse, believing that you were dead, and our last conversation had been a fight, or having all the people of Elden believe that I murdered you for the crown. I don't want the crown, ever."

"Grey, stop," Tyrone told him. "Yes we fought, but that never changed how I felt about you, ever. You are my son, the crown prince, and I love you." Grey sagged with relief. Things might look bad, but together they would get the crown back.

"I tried to get into the castle once, but I was nearly caught. Bart had changed the entire king's guards, replacing them with his own men. We have been fighting a losing battle for the last four years." He bowed his head in shame that he had not been able to get the throne back. "I am so sorry, Father. I have failed you."

"Stop, my son, you have not failed me; the time was not right for us to take back the crown." Tyrone's hand rested on Grey's shoulder. "I knew that you believed I was dead. The guards here certainly aren't up to the cairbare standard," he joked, looking to Caleb and Niall standing in the doorway watching them. Caleb's eyes came back to the young woman, watching as her entire body tensed. Something about her was inexplicably familiar.

"I have learned a great number of things that I was not supposed to hear." Tyrone shook his head. "Sloppy."

Caleb looked over his shoulder, spotted Eve standing behind them, and he waved her over, leant down, and whispered in her ear. She nodded, and slid through the spectators.

"Hey Grey, I am very happy for you, but how about we get your father outside. I'd say from the look of him he's missed a few meals, and could use a couple of days of sun tanning."

Tyrone was quite confused by Eve's words, and silently asked his son if he understood. "I have no idea, Father. These women confound me at times," Grey admitted.

Eve smiled, as she took Tyrone's hand in hers, and tucked it under her arm to escort him out.

"Relax, your highness, I will attempt to explain ..."

Niall's snort of laughter made them all look at him. "Now this is an explanation I would love to hear."

"Oh, would you shut up, Niall," she spat at him. The laughter that rippled around the room covered the gasp that came from behind Tyrone. Eve turned back to Grey and Tyrone. "Ignore the jackass," she told them. "Come on; let's get you some food and water. I would say that it has been a while since you ate."

"Wine?" Tyrone asked hopefully.

"How about we start with water, and we'll see about some wine in a couple of days, maybe." Eve looked at Caleb and gave him a smile; Caleb nodded, as relief surged through him.

***

Kaitlyn flew off the end of the slide into the pile of sand that was at the end of the chute. "Thank god, no molten lava!" she yelled, as she jumped to her feet, looking at everyone. "What?" she asked, as they laughed at her.

"Kaitlyn, you're such a drama queen," Kevan told her.

"Kevan, thank god you're fine," Kaitlyn threw at her, as she gave her sister a hug. Stepping back, she looked around them. "So where are we?"

"We're somewhere in the middle of a mountain," Marcus growled at her.

"But we must be close to the grimoire," Kevan stated, as she brushed the sand off Kaitlyn's back.

"Why do you say that?" Kaitlyn wanted to know, and Kevan pointed to Leila. She stood off by herself, her head cocked to the side, listening to someone that only she could hear.

"Is she okay?" Kaitlyn questioned to them.

"I believe so; she's been like this from the moment she got here."

"I'm fine," Leila spoke up, turning to look at them. "We're really close. I can't tell you if it's happy or mad that were here, but I can tell you that we need to be careful. The power that is within those pages is immense."

"Could it be dangerous to us?" Kevan asked.

"I don't know, maybe," she admitted.

"Lovely," Kaitlyn muttered. "This just keeps getting better and better by the minute."

"Kaitlyn, knock it off," Kevan hissed at her sister, and moved off to take a better look at the cavern in which they found themselves, her eyes taking it all in. The cavern was eerily beautiful, with the walls shimmering, making it seem surprisingly bright in the darkness of the mountain. Looking up, she took in the glistening stalactites hanging off the ceiling, and everywhere she looked, the floor was covered with the stalagmites.

"Have you looked at this place?" Kaitlyn whispered to Kevan, not sure why she was whispering, but it seemed appropriate.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Kevan agreed, "Come here and look at these!" She pulled Kaitlyn over the closest stalagmites. Squatting down, she picked up a pile of stones, holding them up for Kaitlyn to see.

"What is it?" Wren questioned, as she joined them. Kaitlyn reached out, picking up a couple the stones in Kevan's hand. She looked at them, and then back to Kevan, who stood up. Kaitlyn's hand went to the pendant that she wore under her shirt. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked Kevan.

"I think so," Kevan told her, the excitement ringing in her voice.

"Uh, you're talking in riddles," Wren told them.

Marcus walked up to see what they were looking at. "Okay, talk to us, what are they?"

"I'm not positive, but they sure look like raw diamonds to me," Kevan stated.

"What, you're joking?" Wren took a closer look at the pile of stones in Kevan's hand.

"There are piles of those everywhere in here," Wren stammered.

"I know," Kevan agreed, as she looked to Kaitlyn. "Look really close."

"I see it Kevan, even with my untrained eye."

"The stones from your necklace," Marcus stated.

"Yes, but how did we end up with a necklace made of diamonds that come from Elden?" Kevan questioned.

"Who knows, but it doesn't matter at the moment," Marcus instructed her. "We need to keep moving." Kevan nodded as she scooped up three handfuls of the stones, dropping them into her backpack. She would look at them later.

"So, which way do we go?" Ronan questioned. Leila stepped up, and she studied the five tunnels that led off the cavern that they were standing in.

"This one," she informed them, as she headed into the tunnel without waiting for them.

"That one," Kevan stated, as they hurried to catch up with her.

***

Caleb watched out over the land surrounding the tower, checking for movement, but he thought they would be safe in the tower until morning. With the guards locked up, and still knocked out, they took advantage of the first beds that they'd had access to in a while.

"Hey," Eve stepped out on the roof joining him.

"Eve, you should be sleeping."

"I just wanted to get some fresh air. The bed is nice, but these men need to learn something about personal hygiene."

"That bad?" he laughed.

"You have no idea." she gagged at even the thought of the smell. "So, you thinking about Kevan?"

"Always," Caleb admitted.

"You know that she'll be okay, right?" Eve told him. "That is one thing that we Cameron's are, we are tough."

"I know, and I respect Kevan's abilities, but it still doesn't stop me from worrying about her," he told her. "I have waited for my whole life for my soul mate." He stared off into the distance. "It tears at me, knowing that she is out there somewhere, doing something potentially dangerous, and I am not there to protect her."

"Oh man, that statement would so get your butt kicked if she was here," Eve laughed.

"I know," he admitted with a chuckle, and then he got serious. "What do you get from that Azure?" Eve stiffened her back, as she looked at him. "Yes, I sensed something off about her," he admitted.

"Well, I know that she genuinely cares for Tyrone and Wren, but there is some serious hostility in that girl."

"Do you think that she means to harm us?"

"No, that isn't what I'm picking up, but it's hard to tell. She's keeping her distance from me, as if she knows what I can do. What I'm sensing is just bits and pieces. It's weird that my powers don't seem to be affected by the screwy magic here on Elden, unlike Kevan's and Joseph's."

"Maybe because you're not trying to do what Kevan was doing," he shrugged. "I don't know. Just do me a favor, I've already asked the guys, and now I am asking you to keep an eye on her. I don't think that she is out to harm us, but something is not quite right about her, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is about her that has me worried."

"Of course I will," she told him, as she came to stand at the edge of the tower wall. Looking over the land, she took a cleansing breath of fresh air, when something in the distance caught her eye.

"Caleb," she alerted him, pointing in the direction of what she had seen. Caleb stood silently, observing the land, and then he saw it, too.

"Damnit," he swore. "I had hoped that we would at least get a full night's sleep, but it would seem that is not to be." Caleb moved Eve towards the stairs. "Let everyone know we have about fifteen minutes, and then we have to get out of here."

"The king's guards?" Eve asked.

"That would be my guess," he told her. "I would say that they have a real hard on for us, and I don't want to give them the satisfaction."

"I'll tell the others," Eve told him, as she hurried down the stairs. Caleb looked up at the stars for a moment, before he turned and headed down the stairs.

***

The deeper into the mountain tunnel they moved, the more their surroundings changed. From the open, warm dry cavern, it had gradually narrowed until they were now wading through a continuous running stream of water that was almost ankle depth.

"Leila, Leila!" Kevan shouted. "Leila, are you sure we're going in the right direction?"

"Yes," Leila growled, as she continued to push ahead through the water, further into the tunnel.

"What about the water?" Wren argued, but Leila ignored them, and pushed ahead. Kevan was filled with trepidation, as she followed behind Leila.

Continuing to push farther into the tunnel, and the rising water, they had all slipped on the unexpected dips and rises on the floor. Joseph had just helped Kaitlyn up once more, when Kevan had it.

"This is crazy; one of us is going to get killed. We have no idea where this tunnel goes, or how much deeper the water is going to get." Kevan stopped, and watched the obsessed Leila pushing ahead. "Leila, we're not spelunkers. If you know what we have to deal with, we would really appreciate hearing it." Leila stayed quiet; she hadn't even heard Kevan.

Kevan slogged through the water, grabbing Leila's arm, pulling her around so that she was facing them, and that was when she saw the glazed look in her eyes. Acting on instinct, Kevan shook Leila hard, and then slapped her across the face. "Snap out of it, Leila."

"Kevan?" came the hesitate voice. She looked, and this time she saw Leila.

"I don't know what the hell was just going on, but you're back, and I need you to tell me if we should turn back."

Leila looked around them, taking in the wet, cold group that stood behind her.

"What happened? Where are we?"

"We are where you told us to go. Now concentrate, and tell us if we need to turn back," Kevan said again. Leila thought for a moment, and then shook her head.

"I don't know what exactly happened, but no, we need to keep going. We only have a very short way to go to get to the chamber where the grimoire is waiting."

"How short?" Kaitlyn asked through chattering teeth.

"I don't know how far, just that it is near."

"Okay Leila, but no more of the weird trance thing, we don't like that," Kaitlyn said with a shudder.

"You and me both," Leila whispered, as she pushed forward.

***

They had been moving in and out of the edges of the Griswold Forest, attempting to stay ahead of the dogged tracking of the king's guard. So far, they had succeeded, but now they were running low on food, they were tired, and just wanted this thing done. Caleb hoped that the time that it had taken them to find Tyrone had given Kevan enough time to do what she needed to, because now they were ready to finish this, once and for all.

With a quick glance over his shoulder, he took in the menagerie of people that made up their group. Tyrone, having had a steady supply of food, looked better, but was still not his robust self. He could see that both Grey and Olivia were concerned about his health. His eyes settled on the dirty young woman holding onto Oscar, and his thoughts were confused.

Azure was a wary soul. She spoke only rarely in clipped sentences, took the offered food and a little else, but everything else was close to the chest with that one. She had tripped once, and Niall had reached out to give her aid; she just about took his head off, warning him to keep his grubby hands to himself. Eve had tried several times to get close in order to read her, but she was wary, and stayed out of reach. Caleb smiled a bit, thinking that at least now that she and Tyrone had bathed, it had rid them of the stench that left a trail that even the stupidest guide could have followed.

Now that they seemed to have shaken their tail, Tyrone had insisted that they head for the ruins of the old Elden Castle. Why, he wouldn't say just yet; he had asked them to trust him and that was where they needed to go. It had been a hard two days ride while still avoiding the King's guard, but now they were close. Niall rode up beside Caleb, and quietly began to talk.

"Has he told you why he is insisting that we go to the old ruins?"

"Not yet," Caleb admitted.

"He's playing it awfully close to the chest, not that I blame him, considering everything that has happened to him, but are we really sure that we can trust him?"

"What are you saying, Niall, do you think that Tyrone has been corrupted by Bart?"

"I don't know, but I don't like doing things that take us too close to a place that wants us dead, without knowing why."

"If Dreyden could sense us, he would have sent guards after us already." Caleb looked over to Tyrone, who was speaking quietly with both Olivia and Grey. "No, I don't believe that he has been corrupted."

"I hope you're right, Caleb. It's a big risk that we are taking with our lives, trusting a man that has been under Bart's and Dreyden's control for four years."

"Niall, you're right, it is a big risk, but I know Tyrone, and so do you. He isn't corrupted, but our other tag along, her I'm not so sure about."

"Ah yes, our touchy Ms. Azure."

"Touchy? If she had a weapon in her hand when you attempted to help her, I hate to think what she would have done." Caleb shot a look over his shoulder at her.

"She does not like to be touched, at least not by me," Niall chuckled

"What do you mean?" Caleb asked.

"Oh, she has no problem with Grey, Olivia, Tyrone, or Oscar touching her, but if one of us gets close, she moves as far away, as quickly as she can," Niall told him.

"I had noticed that she doesn't want Eve touching her, but now that you have pointed it out, you're right. She is an enigma, that one."

"I just hope she's on our side, because if she isn't, then who knows what kind of ambush we could be walking into," Niall told him.

"Well, I guess we will just have to make sure that we pay close attention to her."
Chapter Twenty Nine

The water lapped chest high, but when the ceiling came down to the water, that pissed Kevan off. Leila's idea of not far was certainly different from hers.

"Okay, this is enough, we have to turn back," Kevan shouted, as her entire body slowly went numb from cold. "We aren't doing anything, except get soaked and cold."

"Kevan, no, please, really, it is just on the other side," Leila pleaded with her.

"But you can't tell me how far on the other side. Leila, it could be another mile under water, and I don't know about you, but I can't hold my breath that long. No, we have to turn back. Maybe one of the other tunnels will hold better luck."

"Or they could be just as bad, or even worse," Wren told her. "Thanks for the positive thinking," Kevan spat at her.

"Look, I'm not any happier about this than you are, but we have come this far because you believed in her. Well, keep believing; she saw that it isn't much further, let's go for it," Wren said. Kevan looked to the others for their opinions.

"We've come this far, as Wren already said," Joseph stated. "I believe that Leila knows what she is talking about, and we should listen to her."

"Kevan, its all chance, this whole quest thing has been one big chance from the beginning," Kaitlyn told her. "But Leila wouldn't do anything to hurt; at least I don't think that she would." Kaitlyn watched her for a second, before she smiled. "I say we carry forward."

Kevan looked to Marcus, who had stayed quiet. "What do you think?" She wanted to know.

"I think that we are in the middle of a mountain, with men coming after us. If we go back, we risk running into them; going forward is also a risk, but Leila says that she believes that it's not far. So let us believe in that, and carry on the path that we have started down," Marcus shrugged.

"Alright," Kevan sighed. "We carry on." Turning to face the low edge of the tunnel, drawing in deep breaths to fill her lungs, she dunked under the water and pushed forward. The water over her head was dark and she couldn't see anything as she pushed herself along the tunnel, praying for the end to come soon. Kevan felt her lungs begin to burn, lighting up a bloom of panic that caused stars to flicker behind blind eyes. Just when she starting to think that she wasn't going to make it, she saw light. With the last of her strength, she propelled herself forward, and into the light.

Bursting free of the water, she gasped and sputtered, as her body fought to drag in enough air to her oxygen starved body. She hung onto the rocks, having no strength to move from where she clung. One by one, they came through, coughing and gasping for air, then climbing out onto a rock littered shelf. Kevan held on as her body shook, and she didn't trust herself enough to let go.

***

Marcus burst through into the chamber, spotted the shivering Kevan, and grabbed her. He dragged her across the short expanse of water to where the others had pulled themselves out and lay resting. Kevan finally gathered enough energy to push herself to her knees, and she looked around to see where they had arrived this time. Something felt different about this chamber, something nagged at her, making her use her newly acquired power, and she felt her heart race with excitement, hoping she wasn't being fooled by her desire to end this quest.

The ruins stood crumbling and silent, the obit of a bygone era. They watched, as Kayne strode back across the field, and joined them to give his report. "It's deserted. I'd say that nobody has been here for years," he informed them

"Good," Caleb nodded, as he turned to face Tyrone. "You insisted that we come here, so here we are, but before we do one more thing, we need you to tell us why, and what your plan is." Caleb inquired, "What is so important about these ruins?"

"It isn't the ruins that are important," Tyrone told them. "It's what's under them that's important."

"Okay, I'll bite," Niall asked. "What's under the ruins?"

"It's a tunnel."

"Another tunnel?" Caleb asked, as his curiosity was piqued.

"Yes, but not just any tunnel; this tunnel is important because it will take us back into new Elden castle." Tyrone explained.

"Excuse me?" Caleb questioned.

"This tunnel was built as an escape route for the royal family, in case the city was ever overrun."

"So nobody knows about it?" Niall pointed out.

"Some members of the royal family know, but I hadn't gotten around to telling Grey about it before this whole thing started. It's something that we tried to keep quiet; that way we would have an escape route that nobody knew about."

"What are the chances that Bart knows about it?" Caleb questioned.

"Fifty-fifty, I would say. I never told him, but I don't know if his father ever did."

Caleb nodded, taking what Tyrone said, and processing it.

"So you're telling us that we have an access to the castle that nobody knows about."

"I hope so," Tyrone told him. "I have spent the last four years planning my return, and the one way of getting into the castle, and to the people, is through this tunnel."

"Planning for four years, huh?" Caleb asked, smiling.

"How was I to know that you would show up here?" Tyrone joked. "We welcome your involvement. Grey has told me a bit about what why you are here, and how you allowed your woman to search for this book on her own, so that you could help him. We will never be able to thank you for this; no matter the circumstances that brought you back to Elden, we would not be able to do this without you."

"It was luck, that is all, and we are honored to help, my old friend." Caleb looked back to the ruins. "So tell me, where does this tunnel come out in the castle?"

***

The crystal shattered against the stone mantle of the library fireplace, where they were waiting for word of Grey's capture, and execution. Bart continued his rant. "Someone must be helping them. Who the hell would defy me, and aid him?" he screamed at Dreyden, who sat patiently sipping his glass of wine, while rolling a coin over the back of his knuckles. He wasn't paying attention to Bart's whining rants; they were all the same, and so tiring, so beneath him.

Did they really think that they could fool him, and that he wouldn't sense cairbare on Elden? His worry was why were they here on Elden, and what were they looking for? Sitting back, he recalled his home, and the longing for the peace of L'Dern makes his heart ache. It was his haven, and it had been so long since that bastard, Joseph Owerth, had convinced those weaklings on the council to oust him from his rightful place. They just didn't know that he would be back, taking back the control of the council. Maybe he could arrange for a very unfortunate accident to befall Owerth; no sense upsetting the royal family by outright killing him, even though he deserved it for what he had done to him.

The shattering of another glass brought his attention back. Looking around, he sighed with barely restrained disgust. When he had come through the portal, he hadn't planned on getting stuck here in Elden; he had thought that he would find the grimoire, and head home to wrap up his unfinished business within a couple of days, but it hadn't quite worked out that way. Somehow, he had become involved with the political intrigue of Elden, and Bart had proven to be a useful pawn in his search for the grimoire. However, he was growing weary of Bart's childish antics. He wouldn't have even involved Bart, but after he had met Tyrone, he knew that he would ask too many questions. Using Bart's hatred of his uncle and cousin, he had pushed him to act.

Things couldn't have worked out better for the both of them, well for the most part. As the power behind the man, he had at his disposal men that he could send out to search for the grimoire, but so far, it had proven to be elusive.

"Why are you just sitting there?" Bart screamed at Dreyden, who sat up and gave him a look which had Bart scrambling to back track. "I'm sorry, I'm just very upset."

"Just remember who got you where you are," Dreyden growled, as he came to his feet, placing the glass on the table. "It doesn't matter who is helping them," he told Bart. "Once the trap is sprung, they won't be able to escape, and we can eliminate them at our leisure. The plan is working, so stop worrying."

"Yes," Bart purred, his eyes going glassy, as he zoned out. "The plan is working, and they will rue the day they attempted to cross me, the king of Elden. I will make them pay with their lives."

***

Kevan let her eyes take time to study the cavern they had just landed in. The walls had enough crystals to keep her busy for numerous lifetimes, some of them phosphorescent, and beginning to glow under the torch power. The cavern was warm, but oddly, not muggy. The grimoire hung suspended within a field of energy, protected on the island.

"Neither the light of day, nor the dark of night, surrounded by water and fire ..." Kevan whispered in awe. Looking at the others, who were just as transfixed as she was, she asked, "Do you think?"

"Oh yeah," Kaitlyn laughed. "If it's not, then I'll eat my shorts."

Marcus snorted. "Now that is something that I would pay to see," he drawled, making Kaitlyn stick out her tongue.

"It's beautiful," Leila sighed with wonder, transfixed by the entity that she was compelled to protect, and scared witless at the same time by the extreme good and bad that made up the grimoire.

Kevan looked over at Leila, surprised to see the tears streaming down her face. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," she assured Kevan, her voice husky with emotion. "Don't mind me; I'm just feeling very emotional, right at the moment."

"Understandable, I guess." Kevan shrugged.

"You don't know, I don't understand it myself, it's like finding a piece that I didn't know was missing." She wiped the tears streaming down her face. "Wow, if this is my reaction to finding a piece of the repository, I'll be a basket case when we find the rest of it." Kevan leaned over, wrapping her arm around Leila's shoulders.

"We'll be right there beside you, wiping up the tears," she teased.

"Thanks."

For a few minutes, everyone got quiet, feeling the draw to covet the book. The greedy side of nature ruled for a few seconds, and then Kevan spoke, breaking the mini spell. "Leila?"

"Yeah, I can feel it Kevan," Leila admitted.

"Are you going to be okay?" Kevan needed to know.

Leila blinked, surprised at her concern. "Leila?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be alright," Leila said, not entirely sure that it was true.

"Okay," Kaitlyn asked, as she interrupted them. "Tell me, are we swimming again?"

"Well, what did Tatiana's clue say?" Leila wondered, her eyes ever drawn back with longing to the grimoire.

START AT THE END AND WORK YOUR WAY BACK, WHAT YOU SEEK SITS IN A PLACE OF PROTECTION, THAT SEES NEITHER THE LIGHT OF DAY,

NOR THE DARK OF NIGHT, SURROUNDED BY WATER AND FIRE, IT AWAITS ITS RELEASE,

BY THE TRUTH SEEKER, THE ALL SEEING,

THE TALKER,

AND THE WARRIOR,

SURROUNDED BY THE PROTECTORS, THEY ALL MUST WORK TOGETHER,

TO SHINE THE WAY THROUGH THE DARKNESS, DON'T BELIEVE THE FALSEHOODS,

TRUST IN THE TRUTH, KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO,

WHAT HAD BEEN SET IN FRONT OF THEM, THE MOST UNLIKELY OF ALL,

WILL DO WHAT SEEMS TO BE IMPOSSIBLE ALL WILL BECOME CLEAR,

AS YOU WILL FIND WHAT YOU SEEK.

They all stared at Kaitlyn, who had just rattled off the entire thing. Kevan shook her head; she was never ceased to be amazed by her sister and her photographic memory.

"Would you all stop staring?" Kaitlyn ordered, as she shifted under their gaze.

"Okay, we got the first part, but it awaits its release by the truth seeker ... shit," Kevan swore, as she looked up. "I think we may have really messed this up."

"What, how?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Eve isn't here. It says that we need the truth seeker, that's Eve, oh my gods, I can't believe that I never even thought about Tatiana's clue." Kevan felt sick with disgust over her own stupidity. She plopped down, holding her head in her hands; they had come so far, then to stop, just when they were about to get what they come for, made her want to cry.

"Kevan, it's going to be okay," Kaitlyn assured her. "We got in once, we can do it again."

"But all that work, all that time," Kevan wailed with frustration.

"Can you tell me what it says again, please?" Wren asked.

"What does it matter," Kevan told her, as her whole body sagged with defeat. "Without Eve, we can't do anything."

"Humor me, alright?" Wren insisted. "What did this clue thing say?"

"START AT THE END AND WORK ..."

"Not the whole thing, the part that you believe applies to Eve," Wren clarified.

"Fine," Kaitlyn started again. "It awaits its release by the truth seeker, Eve, the all-seeing, Kevan, the talker, Leila and the warrior, Kira." Kaitlyn crossed her arms, and waited for Wren to say that she was sorry.

"So, you're saying the all seeing is Kevan, because she can see things the rest of us can't. Leila's the talker, because she talks to these books." Wren looked to them for confirmation of what she was saying, and both Kevan and Kaitlyn nodded in agreement. "So, Kira is the warrior?" her voice held a tone of disbelief. "I thought it applied to Marcus, or Ronan."

"I am a guardian Fay, a very skilled warrior," Kira chirped, as she popped off Kevan's shoulder.

"Yes, never under estimate a guardian Fay, they may be small, but they can be very deadly," Marcus told her.

"Sorry, Kira," Wren nodded to her, before she carried on. "So you're saying that Eve is the truth seeker?"

"Yes, Eve can detect things, and sense falsehoods," Kaitlyn explained.

"That makes a lot of sense," Wren nodded in agreement. "But let me ask you a question. Do you know what they call a lawyer here in Elden?"

"What does that have to with anything?" Kaitlyn asked her. "It doesn't change the facts."

"Boy, you don't like it when someone disagrees with you, do you?" Wren laughed.

"I'm seldom wrong, so it doesn't come up much," Kaitlyn admitted with a shrug of arrogance.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you are wrong this time."

"What are you talking about, Wren?" Kevan asked, jumping to her feet.

Wren asked again, "Do you know what they call lawyers in Elden?"

"What?" Kevan demanded. "Please, just tell us."

"Funnily enough, they happen to call them truth seekers."

"So?" Kaitlyn cautiously remarked.

"Well, it just so happens, that before I became a member of the rebel squad, before I came through the portal, I was a lawyer, or at least I had my degree, and was just waiting to take the bar." Wren said with pride.

Kevan felt odd. "You're telling us that Eve wasn't meant to be the truth seeker, that it's you?"

"I have no idea. I don't know this Tatiana person. I'm just passing on information to you," Wren informed her.

"How could she have known?" Kevan whispered, as she looked to her silent sister, who was staring at Wren.

"Remind me never to go against anything Tatiana ever says again," Kevan joked. "She's scary."

"Really scary," Kaitlyn admitted.

"What I would like to know is how did she know that we would meet? How long have you known her?" Wren pried.

"Oh gods, long story, for a much different time," Kevan told her. "Right now, we need to concentrate on the clues that we have." Kevan closed her eyes, going over the lines that Tatiana had given her. "So if Wren, Kira, Leila and I are the whatever, that would make Marcus, Joseph and Ronan the protectors. Okay, that makes sense," she told herself. "So we have to work together to shine the way through the darkness ..." She asked Marcus, "What does that mean?"

"That's simple," Marcus stated.

"How is that simple?" Kaitlyn questioned. Marcus shook his head, and pointed to the holders lining the shoreline.

"We place the torches into the holders, and the light will shine through the darkness," he simply stated.

"Oh my gods, you are brilliant," Kevan cried with joy, as she looked around, spotted the torches on the far wall.

Within a few minutes, with the help of Joseph starting fires with his magic, they had a dozen torches sitting in the holders, burning away the darkness.

"Look!" Kevan shouted, as excitement took hold of her. She jumped up and down, pointing out the now illuminated edges of the island, exposing to their view a small, narrow stone bridge, which spanned the water from the shore to the island.

"She is scary, really, really scary," Kaitlyn whispered, as they all stared at the bridge. "Okay, now what?"

Kevan paused to think for a moment, before she turned to Leila.

"Well, I would say that the next move must be Leila's," Kevan smiled. "She is the claviger and the grimoire is technically her responsibility."

Leila swallowed the sudden knot in her throat. She stepped onto it and paused, waiting to see if something would happen. When nothing happened, she released her held breath, and took another step. Slowly, she made her way across the pile of stones, watching that she wasn't going to step onto anything icky, or fall into the water; she was tired of being wet. About half way across, her next step forward slammed her into an invisible wall.

Leila felt the barrier pulse with life, and firm up, when she tried to push through. She hustled off the bridge, and said, "It's an invisible wall, and I have no idea how to get through it."

"I knew it couldn't be as simple as walking over a bridge to grab it; now we have to deal with an invisible wall."

"Oh, stop your bitching, Kaitlyn. We've figured everything else out, we'll figure this out, too," Kevan hissed. "The clue said it awaits its release by the truth seeker, all seeing, the talker, and the warrior, surrounded by the protectors. They must work together to shine the way through the darkness." Kevan mulled it over in her head, "Could it be that simple?" she wondered aloud.

"Could what be that simple?" Kaitlyn demanded impatiently.

"We all have to go," Kevan told them. "We all have to work together to get through the wall with some torches." She ran over and grabbed a torch, and then she moved to the ones that they had already lit, touched hers to one of them, and watched it flare into life. She stood on the shore, looking at the bridge, thinking she was forgetting something. "Okay, what am I forgetting?" Then it popped into her head. "We have to be surrounded by the protectors." Kevan thought she had landed in some stupid book, again; especially with the oversimplified solutions.

They all gathered at the bridge entrance, studying it, trying to figure out how they would be able to get on the bridge ringed by the guys.

"This is nuts, it won't work," Kaitlyn complained. "No matter what, all of us will not fit on the bridge, it's just not big enough; hell, we have to go single file."

"Then what are we missing?" Kevan asked.

"What if we are thinking too literally?" Kaitlyn asked, as something came to her.

"What do you mean?" Marcus asked.

"Well, it does say surrounded; what if we go in single file: protector, us, protector, us, etcetera?"

"Alright, that makes sense, except for the fact that there are three protectors, and four of us," Kevan pointed out.

"Don't forget about me," Kira piped up. "I'm five."

"I'm very sorry, Kira, I never forget about you," Kevan told her.

"So we go. Ronan ..." Wren stopped Kaitlyn.

"You're forgetting something," she told them.

"What?" Kevan asked.

"It tells us the order in which we must go across the bridge," Wren pointed out.

"Where do you get that?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"It's in the clue: the Truth Seeker, All Seeing, Talker and Warrior, surrounded by the Protectors."

"We know what it says," Kaitlyn mouthed off.

"You really have quite the mouth, don't you?" Wren told her, making Kaitlyn smile.

"I know," she admitted, as she wrinkled her nose. "Drives most people crazy; how am I doing?"

Wren shook her head when she saw how pleased with herself Kaitlyn was.

"The order that we have to go across the bridge is this: Ronan, me, Kevan, Joseph, Leila, Kira, and finally Marcus."

"Ah," Kaitlyn spoke up, waving her hand in Wren's face. "You forgot about me."

"No, I didn't," Wren told her.

"Yes, you did," Kaitlyn told her.

"No, I didn't forget about you. I just didn't add you in," Wren informed her.

Kaitlyn scowled, "Well then, we have a problem."

"No we don't. I said exactly as the directions instructed, and you, my dear, are not in the instructions, so you don't get to go."

"Gods, I think you might be right!" Kevan exclaimed.

"No, she's not," Kaitlyn complained.

"Another brilliant mind!" Kevan did a little jig, as she gave Wren a quick hug.

"She is not brilliant," Kaitlyn muttered to herself.

"Oh, would you quit pouting," Kevan whispered in Kaitlyn's ear.

"No!" Kaitlyn declared. "It's my party, and I'll pout if I want to."

Marcus just shook his head, and rolled his eyes.

***

Eve never wanted to be in another tunnel again in her life, if she could help it. This tunnel was narrow, dark, low ceilinged, and smelled bad. She smelled bad, the six very large men smelled bad; all she wanted was a shower, no, twenty showers.

They had shuffled through the tunnel; slowly making their way towards what Tyrone swore was the Elden castle. Seeing as Eve hadn't seen much in the castle, she would have to take their word for it; she just knew that she was tired of the running and hiding. She would have to deal with the fiction that turned into reality; shit, that didn't seem right.... They had been moving through the tunnel for what seemed to be days, but in fact was only about ten hours.

"How much further?" Niall questioned, as they came to yet another turn.

Tyrone studied the markings on the wall, and then looked back, taking in the sight of the men bent over, but still at the ready with impressive weaponry. Even the women, who had been pushed to the end of the line for their protection, seemed to be affected by the limited space within the confines of the tunnel.

"We are almost to the lower dungeons. I just hope that they are still accessible; they haven't been in use for a very long time. Although, with Bart having been in control for the last four years, who knows what he could be using them for," Tyrone admitted the pain in his voice palpable.

"It's not your fault, Tyrone. You've had no control over what he has done since he made everyone believe that you were dead," Caleb tried to understand how the man felt.

"He is my nephew, and it disturbs me that he can be so different from his father. Virgil would never have condoned any of this. He was my advisor and best friend."

Tyrone came to a stop. "At last," he whispered, "We are finally here."

He pushed a rock to the one side, and they all watched in amazement when the wall in front of Tyrone slid to the side, revealing an opening into the room beyond. They waited as each pushed through the opening, stepping into the room. Eve paused before she moved to step into the dungeon, praying that she could handle what she could possibly be seeing; torture was not her thing.

It was then that she heard shouts, and clashing of metal against metal, and she surged forward to join the men. Looking out of the door she saw the men surrounded by the waiting guards; that was when she saw Roderic spot her, and in the chaos of the fight, he took the advantage, pushed her back into the tunnel, and the door crashed closed.

"NO!" Olivia screamed, and banged her fists on the rock.

"Enough!" Eve yelled at her.

"Dammit!" Olivia swore, as she slapped the rock with her hand, and a steady stream of expletives tumbled out of her mouth.

Eve smiled, as she watched Olivia's rant. Such a sweet, innocent face, spewing such filth; she just couldn't take the poor girl seriously. "Feeling better?" she asked, when Olivia finally calmed down.

"Not really, my hand hurts," Olivia mumbled.

"Poor baby, did the big bad rock hurt you?" Eve teased.

"What are we going to do?" Azure asked.

"We go for help," Olivia stated, and she pushed past them both, back tracking the way they had just come.

"Uh, who is going to help us?" Eve wanted to know. "And how fast can they get here?"
Chapter Thirty

"Alas, I see that you have found each other again," Bartholomew sighed, as the fresh prisoners were escorted into the throne room. Bart lounged on the throne, preening himself for all to observe, and be awed only at his royal presence. What he didn't understand was, they weren't awed, and they were disgusted.

"You bastard!" Grey shouted, as he lunged at Bart. Caleb and Oscar held him back, as the guards stepped in, holding them back at the point of their swords.

"Not now," Caleb whispered to him. "Wait and I promise you will get your chance."

"Chance, chance for what?" Bart raged. "I am the King of Elden now, just as it should have always been, and nothing you do will change that fact. The people know, and they love that I have saved them from having to live under your rule."

"Bartholomew," Tyrone spoke, his voice firm and resolved, as he got his nephew's attention.

Bart looked to his uncle, his hatred spilling out into his voice when he answered him. "What do you want, Uncle!" Bart spat.

"Your father would be so disappointed in you," Tyrone spoke quietly, but his tone held an authority that you couldn't ignore.

"Disappointed because I took back what you stole?" Bart slurred his words.

"Stole, I stole nothing," Tyrone told him.

"You did!" Bart exclaimed, jumping to his feet, his face deep red, as he screamed at him. "He was the older twin, and should have been the rightful King. I am just righting a wrong done many years ago."

"Bart, I don't know where you are getting your information, but it is wrong. Yes, Virgil and I were twins, but I was the older. You know this, your father knew this, and he was fine with it. He always told me that he got the better end of the deal, all the fun without all the responsibilities." His voice echoed the love he had for his brother and the pain at his loss. Tyrone looked up at Bart, trying to make him see reason.

"You lie," Bart snarled at him. "My mother told me the truth, told me how you lied, and stole my father's crown."

"Bart, your mother was crazy, that isn't even possible." Tyrone tried to stay calm. "Virgil and I were brothers, twins, and we were also the best of friends. When he was killed, it just about destroyed me."

"You sent him to his death!" Bart screamed. "You knew that he was going to reclaim his throne."

"You're wrong," Tyrone tried to reason with him.

Bart stood in front of them, his face turning purple. His body shook, as his anger came to a boil, and he turned to the silent Dreyden.

"Put them in the dungeon, double the guards, we will prepare to deal with them later." He walked away. Tyrone watched him, his empathy showing on his face, until their attention was pulled back to the smug man left in charge.

Dreyden waited until he had all of their attention before he spoke. Strolling down the line of prisoners, he stopped in front of Niall. "Well, I knew that there were cairbare in Elden, but I certainly wasn't expecting this, Prince Niall, and his warriors. If only it was your brother, that would be justice," Dreyden purred.

Niall looked down on this man that he recalled from his youth, but the man standing in front of him was nothing like the one that he remembered. He looked the same physically, but that was the only thing that was the same.

"Dreyden," Niall drawled.

"Did you really think that I wouldn't be able to sense you, when you came through the portal? You really have no respect for my abilities, but then again, you are just a warrior. Now if it had been your brother, then ..." he trailed off. "But we both know that you don't get along, do you?" he laughed. "Lock them into the special cells," he ordered the guards.

***

Olivia hurried through the passages behind the walls of the castle. Eve and Azure both raced to keep up with her, until she came to a stop in front of doorway.

"Okay," Eve panted as she came to a stop behind her. "Where are we and what are you thinking?"

"I have the floor plan of the castle memorized; we should be at the back part of the castle, near the old servants' quarters," Olivia explained, as she stepped up to push open the doorway into the castle proper.

"Hold on, why are we here?" Eve asked.

"We need help, and the one person that can help us is here," Olivia explained, as she pushed open the doorway a crack, checking to see that the hallway was empty before she pushed it open enough to step through into the hall. Olivia hurried down the corridor, looking for the room she was seeking. Several times they had to push flat against the wall, hiding their faces from the people that hurried through the corridors, but they had gotten lucky, and soon they were standing in front of a door to one of the oldest of the servant quarters. The rooms were small and dark, but Olivia also knew that the likelihood of someone finding them there was remote. Few servants stayed in these old rooms; most preferred the newer rooms assigned.

Eve leaned against the wall, waiting for Olivia to do something other than pace in front of the door.

"Okay, whose room is this, and why would he help us?" she wanted to know.

"Garrick Lark," Olivia stated.

"Sorry, name means nothing to me," Eve stated.

"Garrick Lark ..." Olivia started, and then they all gasped when the door swung open, and a man stumbled out of the room.

Olivia grabbed him, and he looked into her face. "Olivia," he slurred, and he fell flat on his face.

"Oh my god. He's drunk as a skunk," Eve stared at him with dismay.

"Garrick, dammit!" Olivia grunted, as she attempted to get him on his feet. "Get up!" She pulled at his arms. "We need your help," she told him.

"Can't help," he cried, his voice slurred with emotion, "let the King down." The tears fell as he recalled his failure.

Olivia looked to the other two ladies, her eyes pleading. "Help me, or else someone will find us, and I am not willing to be in Bart's hands," Olivia insisted.

Eve watched her trying to drag the man that was more than twice her size to his feet. She reached over, grabbed his other arm, and between the three of them, they got him to his feet, and back into his room. He shrugged out of their arms, stumbled to the dresser, and grabbed the open bottle, chugging the spirits.

Eve grabbed the bottle from his grasp. "No more for you," she informed him.

"Garrick," Olivia pleaded with him. "Please listen to me. It's about Tyrone and Grey. They need our help."

"Oh, my beloved King is beyond my help, murdered by Grey ..." Garrick stopped, shaking his head before saying, "No, that's not right."

Eve watched him, and for a split second he seemed almost sober. Reaching out, she touched his arm, before pulling it away quickly, shaking her hand like she had been burned.

"What just happened?" Olivia questioned.

"I don't know, I tried to read him and I got zapped," Eve explained.

"It was a spell," Azure told them.

"A spell?" they both asked.

"Yes, it's surrounds him, and when you tried to read him, it reacted."

"Are you talking about the same spell that Caleb believes the people of Elden are trapped in?"

"No," she told them.

"How do you know that it's a spell?" Eve asked her, suddenly very curious about the quiet woman standing beside them.

"I can see it," Azure told them.

"See it, what do you mean?" Olivia asked, as she watched Garrick reach out, trying to grab the bottle from Eve's hand, swaying on his feet.

"It's just like I said, I can see spells," she told them, without explaining more.

Eve moved out of the way of the grasping hands of Garrick. "If you think you can tell us that without explaining yourself, you are crazy." Eve scrutinized Azure, looking past the grime. Eyes too old for the pretty face, hair so blonde it shone through the dirt, and she was very good at becoming background noise.

"Fine, my mother was a witch, and one of the abilities that she passed onto to me is the ability to physically see spells that are put on people. Not many can do it, but she could, and so can I."

"Well, it certainly seems to be my year for meeting witches," Eve laughed, and then she changed the subject. "Okay, Garrick has a spell on him."

"It's not just on him, it's on everything in the room, but it's designed for him, and not transferable to anyone else." They all stood silently taking in what Azure had just told them. Eve lifted the bottle in her hand to her mouth, took a swig, and then pulled it back.

"So, do you think that you can break it?" Eve asked.

"I don't know, it might be easier for him to break it," Azure told them. "But what does it matter? He's drunk, and it will take hours from him to be sober enough to help us."

"He's not drunk," Eve told them. "Look closer at him."

Both Olivia and Azure looked to the still swaying Garrick, amazed that he was still on his feet.

Eve tossed the bottle to Olivia. "It's hard to be drunk when you're not drinking alcohol."

"What? You're crazy; he's being drinking like this since we thought that Tyrone was killed." Olivia held the bottle up, looking at it closely.

"Taste it," Eve insisted, as Olivia brought it to her mouth. "Its water!" she exclaimed with a look of confusion.

Eve turned to Azure. "So, how does one convince a sober man that he is drunk as a skunk? I've seen hypnotism, but I know that is not always reliable."

"If the wielder is strong enough, they could manipulate thoughts, and never be in contact with the spelled soul. It's a very simple spell, but magic is so messed up right now, it would have to be recast often, so whoever is doing it, has to be close."

"Say someone like a cairbare sorcerer, who is highly trained?" Eve asked Azure.

"I don't know how they are trained, but yes, likely." Azure agreed.

Eve ran some things through her mind. "Why would Dreyden do this? Why not just kill him?" she wondered aloud.

"Maybe because it would look suspicious," Olivia pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Eve wanted to know.

"Everyone knew that Garrick was out of the castle when Tyrone was supposedly killed, and he wasn't the suicidal type, so you convince him Grey was the one behind Tyrone's murder, and he will convince the people. Then you can't have him just disappear; Garrick has been at the castle for as long as I can remember, and falling into a drunken stupor would make sense."

Eve thought for a moment. "He was obviously close to Tyrone and Grey, so wouldn't he be the one that wouldn't believe that Grey was behind the murder?"

"You tell someone something long enough and they start to believe that it is true, even if it isn't. It sure didn't help that he is under a spell. As the head of the king's guard, his belief that Grey was behind Tyrone's murder would be a coup for Bart," Olivia said with a shrug.

"But maybe he never did believe," Azure whispered.

"That could be true. You saw what happened for just a moment when he struggled with the idea that Grey was guilty. Maybe having magic so unpredictable left a hole in the spell. We convince him that Tyrone is alive, do you think that could break the spell?" Eve wondered.

"It's a possibility," Azure agreed. "So how do you plan to get him to believe us?"

"That's the thing that I'm not so sure about, it's not like we have a lot of time to spare..."

***

Kaitlyn sat on the shoreline watching everyone else inch their way slowly across the narrow bridge.

Ronan reached out as they got to the invisible wall. His hand ran over the barrier. "It's still here," he told them. "Now what?"

Wren shrugged, looking to Kevan, who was behind her. "What do you think?" she asked.

"Honestly, I thought that this would work, so I don't have a clue." Kevan admitted.

Kaitlyn pushed to her feet, pacing as she waited for someone to make a move, to do anything. Finally she had had enough. "You have to work together!" she shouted at them.

"Work together?" Wren yelled back at her. "What does that mean?"

"Work together, join hands, I don't know!" Kaitlyn shouted, as she was in a full-on self-pity party. "Now you want my help, I'm good enough to help figure out the clue, just not good enough to join you."

"Kaitlyn, you're not helping!" Kevan yelled at her twin, as they all suddenly froze, when they heard, then felt the bridge shift ever so slightly. "Oh crap."

"Grab the person in front of you!" Marcus roared, as he took control, and grabbed Leila's waist with his hand. Kira floated down so that she was touching both of them, voicing a squeak of warning, as the bridge shifted again.

Marcus threw out another order. "Ronan, now push against it."

Ronan reached out with his hands, and pushed against solid air. This time there was a change. He felt a flow of power within them, as they pushed with him, giving him an extra strength. Resting his shoulder on the wall, he pushed again. He felt it shift, and he glanced over his shoulder. "It moved."

"Good everyone keep pushing," Marcus ordered. He took a quick peek, and what he saw alarmed him. The water around them was bubbling, and rocks on the outer edges of the bridge were rolling into the water.

"We need to hurry, people!" he told them, as he pushed into Leila, only this time he sensed something different. Gone was the small woman standing in front of him. Leila's own power lent her the strength to take everything that the group was about to put into her.

They grunted and groaned, as they worked together in unison, a team trying to get an obstacle out of their way, and then, just when hope began to fade the wall shifted and gave way, and they tumbled one over another onto the far end of the bridge.

Kaitlyn's yell of warning ripped through them, as they looked back to the other shore to see Kaitlyn pointing at the back side of the bridge collapsing like a row of dominos into the water.

"Get off the bridge, now!" Marcus shouted out, as he picked up Leila, and ran towards the other shoreline. When the wall shut down, the bridge lost cohesion, and started falling apart. They scrambled to keep ahead of the collapse; with a last spurt of energy they leapt onto the island, becoming a pile of bodies watching the last rocks splash down to rubble.

"Is everyone okay?" Kevan asked, as she took Marcus' offered hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Bumps and bruises, but for the most part, we all seem to be fine," Marcus informed her.

"How are we supposed to get off here now?" Ronan questioned. Kevan moved away from them, waving to the worried Kaitlyn on the other side.

"One thing at a time," she told him, as she turned towards the middle of the island. "First things first, we came for the grimoire, and that is what we need to concentrate on." She checked around her, until she spotted Leila staring at the grimoire in utter fascination, which made her suddenly worried. "Leila?"

Leila smiled at Kevan when she saw the fear in her face. "It's okay, I'm alright."

"Are you sure? It's taken control before," Kevan asked warily.

"Yes it did, but that was when it thought that I was here to harm it. It now understands that I am here to protect it."

"Okay," Kevan said warily, as she glanced towards the book that sat on the stone table in the center of the island, and she had a flash. "Hey, does this remind you of that Indiana Jones movie?" she asked, gaining several weak chuckles of laughter.

"You and your television and movie references." Marcus shook his head.

"Well it does, and I am a bit concerned about fiction becoming reality in my life. But we need to move on," she told him. "What next?"

"What do your directions say?" Wren asked, as she turned to look at Kaitlyn watching them from the other side of the water. "Kaitlyn, what does the next part of the clue say?"

"Oh, now you want my help?" Kaitlyn whined.

"Kaitlyn Cameron, tell her what she wants to know!" Marcus roared with frustration.

"Fine," Kaitlyn said with a pout. "They must all work together to shine the way through the darkness."

"We got that part," Wren informed her.

"Look, do you want my help or not?" Kaitlyn flung at her.

"Actually, I don't, but you know the clue, so stop your pouting, and tell us what we need to know, so that we can get the hell out this place!" Wren griped. "Now if you are done with the pout, would you please tell us what comes next?"

"Don't believe the lies!" Kaitlyn shouted at her.

"I'm not lying!" Wren shouted back at her.

"It's the next part of the directions." Kaitlyn crossed her arms with a smug look.

"Oh, sorry, please continue," Wren asked politely.

"Don't believe the lies, trust in the truth, and know that you can do what has been set in front of you."

"Don't believe the lies, trust in the truth," Wren repeated. "What lies?"

Leila wasn't listening to them anymore. She couldn't resist the lure of the grimoire. She moved with the pull, and was feet away when Kevan spotted her.

"Leila?" Kevan questioned, as she moved to stop her from leaving them; they had to figure this out. A wall of flame sprung up just as Leila crossed the fire line, separating her from her fellow questers. Kevan jumped back to avoid being burned. Leila glanced back to them when Kevan called her again as she moved towards the firewall, only to have it flare larger and brighter.

"Kevan, it's okay," Leila assured her. "It won't hurt me; it's a part of me."

"Leila, it's a part of you that you have never dealt with before. You even admitted that it could be dangerous," Kevan tried to reason with her.

"Not to me," Leila informed her. "Kevan, I have to do this on my own. I have to see if I can resist the temptation of the power. My ancestor couldn't; I need to prove that I am strong enough to do this."

"But we're here to help you," Kevan pleaded with her. "Let us help."

"No, Kevan, I can't thank you enough, all of you, for everything that you have done for me. But understand this is something that only I can do. I have to prove that I am the right person for the job," Leila pleaded with Kevan to understand, and as much as she wanted help, she knew that she had to do this on her own. "Trust me, please."

Kevan stepped back from the fire, her eyes never leaving Leila. "I do trust you, Leila!" Kevan stated with absolute confidence. "You can do this, I know that you can."

Leila smiled and nodded, as she whispered thank you to Kevan, before she turned back to face the stone table, and the book that lay upon it.

***

The three women watched Garrick with a careful eye, checking to ensure that he understood what they were telling him. He rocked back and forth, as he digested what they were saying to him.

"That's not possible." He shook his head in denial. "Tyrone is dead, has been for four years."

"No, that is what Bart wants everyone to believe. The truth is, right at this moment, Tyrone is locked up somewhere in this castle, probably in the dungeons, but seeing as we can't come out and ask, we don't know." Eve spoke slowly so that he had time to adjust. Garrick looked to Olivia.

"It's true, Garrick, I was with him not three hours ago. Tyrone is alive but ..."

"Alive," he whispered, wondering if he dared believe that it was true. "Alive," he said a little louder. "ALIVE!" he shouted, his voice stronger, firmer, more like the Garrick of old.

"Now that is a way to get us all in trouble," Azure hissed at him. Garrick looked guilty, and quieted down.

"Garrick, it's alright, nobody heard, and yes, he is alive."

"Oh my gods!" he cried, falling to his knees, as it finally crashed down on him. "I have betrayed my king."

"Uh, can we do this at another time?" Azure snapped at him, as she cracked the door open enough that she could check the hall, before she closed it again.

"Girl, you remind me of someone," Eve told Azure, and then she shook her head, and looked back to Garrick and Olivia.

"Azure is correct, we don't have time for you to cry about all that you could have done, because if we don't do something right quick, then we really will have a funeral to attend."

"How long ago were they taken?" he questioned.

"Just over three hours ago," Eve told him.

"Where were they captured?"

"They grabbed us when we came out of a secret tunnel made for the royal family; it came out in the lower dungeons. They knew that we were coming, how, we aren't sure, but they were waiting. When the guards jumped the guys, Roderic pushed us back, and closed the door."

"Smart man," Garrick muttered, as things started flowing through his mind again, the fog of the past four years lifting from him. "Well, we need more help."

"That is why Olivia brought us to you," Eve stated. "We were hoping that you could help us rescue them."

"The four of us, against several dozen of the king's guards, we wouldn't get anywhere near them," Garrick sighed.

"Who are we supposed to get?" Olivia cried. "Bart made sure to replace Tyrone's guards, and any that would be loyal to Grey, with his own men. Who knows where they are now?"

"If I know my men, not far," Garrick told them. "I wasn't the only one with questions regarding Bart's account of Tyrone's murder. I suspect that they are lying low, waiting for a sign."

"Where?" Eve questioned. She knew that they were running out of time.

"Is Nolan still in charge of the stables?" he asked.

"He is, or at least he was, until I stole those horses from him when we saved Grey and the others from hanging," Olivia admitted.

"He helped you?"

"Oh no, I did it all myself, but ..."

"Then he'll be there," Garrick told him. "Get me Nolan. He'll know where the men are waiting."

***

Rattling the bars of their cells, testing their strength, Caleb turned and leaned against them. He wanted nothing more than to rip the bars open, and go after Dreyden and Bart, but so far, they hadn't done very well on that front.

"So, do you think the girls will be able to help?" Niall questioned.

"I never underestimate the Cameron women, because the minute you do, they prove to you just how resourceful they are. They never cease to amaze me with their minds," Caleb spoke with a smile, as he thought about Kevan. "This isn't over yet."

"Not yet, but soon," Bart laughed as he walked into the dungeon. He stared at them, and his eyes told the whole story: he had finally embraced the insanity of his mind. "Soon, you'll all be out of my hair." He laughed with a giggle that sounded like a little schoolgirl.

"What hair?" Niall whispered to Kayne, but loud enough that they all heard.

"Soon it will be all mine!" he ranted, "Like it should have been in the beginning."

"Bart," Tyrone tried again to get through to him.

"No!" Bart screamed, as he covered his ears. "I won't listen to any more of your lies." And he ran from the room.

"He's completely delusional." Caleb looked to the others. "Hopefully that will work in our favor." Tyrone stared after the fleeing figure of his nephew. "Don't feel sorry for him, he brought this on himself."

"Maybe," Tyrone admitted, "but he is my brother's only child. I'm just sorry that I didn't see how much his mother's bitterness had destroyed him. If I had seen it, maybe I could have done something to help him."

"Father, you are far too generous," Grey told him. "He's is beyond our help. Nothing you said, or did, would have changed what has become of him."

"I know that, but it doesn't stop the regrets I feel," Tyrone told Grey.

"Remember, it was he who had you locked up for four years, telling everyone you were dead, and that I was the one that killed you," Grey reminded him. "Remind yourself of all that he is responsible for."

"Not just him," Caleb chimed up. "Dreyden had a huge part in all this. He exploited Bart's weakness to further his own needs."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about that one," Tyrone ground out angrily. "That one is an entirely different matter. If I had just a few moments with him ..." Tyrone stopped, not wanting to finish his statement.

"Don't worry about Dreyden. He will get his own," Caleb promised them. "You have my word on that." His whole body was cold, as he pictured everything that he wanted to do to Dreyden, to make him pay for all he had done.

***

Leila approached the table slowly, her heart pounding harder the closer that she got. Finally, she stopped when she was close; all she had to do was lean over, and she would touch the table, and the book. It was a living thing to her, and for a couple of minutes she stood and soaked up the presence in front of her until she was ready, and then she reached out for it. As her hand passed over the edge of the table, the entire thing became engulfed in flames. She squealed in fright, and jumped back, pulling her hand out of the flames. She checked her hand, terrified that she was badly burned, and just couldn't feel it yet, but it was fine, nothing had burned. Looking back to the table, she expected the book to be ash, but what she saw was the book unharmed in the flames. Reaching her hand out again, she jumped when the flames flared up, as her hand crossed the edge again.

"Leila." She glanced at Kevan, who stood behind the still roaring wall of fire. "Leila, remember what the clue said. Don't believe the lies, trust in the truth," Kevan quoted.

"Thank you," Leila smiled, as she understood what Kevan was telling her. Turning back to the table, she reached for the book again, watching as the fire engulfed the table.

"Don't believe the lies," she told herself, and forced herself to push her hand through the flames, telling herself that they weren't real.

Kevan watched as Leila approached the table, and then pushed her arm into the flames. It happened so suddenly, there was nothing that she could have done. The flames flared and then Leila disappeared in a roar of fire.

She could hear screams, as she watched Leila's body consumed by the flames, and it wasn't until Marcus forced her to look away, that she realized that the screams she was hearing were her own.

"No," she sobbed repeatedly, until Marcus's voice finally registered.

"Kevan," he whispered in her ear, making her turn and look.

Leila kept repeating the mantra over and over, making herself believe that the fire was a lie. The flames weren't real, and she fought to overcome her natural instinct to run when they surrounded her. In the distance, she could hear someone screaming, but she didn't stop. The book was right in from of her, and it was whispering to her all the things that she could do to get revenge on anyone that had ever hurt her, but she didn't want that. Then it told her that she could bring back anyone that she had lost, because it wasn't fair that they had died without knowing the truth. Her heart ached at the idea of having her mother and uncle back, and then she shook her head. It wasn't right, but they were gone, and nothing could bring them back.

"It's all a lie. I trust only the truth. My life isn't about revenge, and I love my family, but they are dead, and I can't change that. I accept this, I accept my legacy as Claviger, and embrace my destiny!" she yelled, reaching out, grabbing the book. The moment she touched it, everything stopped. It was anti-climactic, as she stood hunched over, holding the book to her chest, the whispers gone with the flames, and everything quiet.

Kevan turned, terrified about what she would see. She didn't want to know that Leila was dead, that Kevan had sent her to her death over a damn book. But when she opened her eyes, they came to rest on a standing Leila, alive and well. Kevan pushed away from Marcus, and raced to Leila's side.

"Are you okay?" Kevan demanded.

"I'm fine," Leila promised, giving Kevan's hand a squeeze. "Really, I am fine." She let out a laugh.

"But the fire ..."

"Believe me, I know, I was there, but it was all an illusion. Part of a trap set up by Leonard, or maybe even by the book, to ensure that I was worthy. I don't quite know how to explain it, but I didn't give into the temptation to use the book to hurt people, or give me my greatest desires. When I refused both, it all stopped."

Kevan smiled, and gave her a quick hug. "You had me terrified when the flames engulfed you. I didn't know what to do, or how I could help you."

"You couldn't. I had to truly embrace my destiny, which I really hadn't, even though I thought I had, but the second that I did, it all stopped." She ran her hands over the plain binding of the book she held. It looked to be nothing special, just an old book.

"So this is the Drusa grimoire. Not quite what we were expecting," Kevan stared at it, trying to adjust her expectations to reality.

"I think that it is whatever you want it to be," Leila explained. "We thought it would be this ornate huge book, but hoped it wouldn't be anything special. Therefore, that is what it gave us. It's powerful, but only dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Well, it is hard to believe that it could cause the end of the world." Kevan paused, looking to Leila. "Should we look in it?"

"Not now," Leila told her. "We have plenty of time for that. Right now, we need to figure a way to get out here," Leila told her, as she slid the grimoire carefully into her backpack. "This place is starting to give me the creeps."

"Starting to?" Kevan laughed, which felt good.

***

Dreyden woke from a dead sleep. His entire body was buzzing; there was something in the air, he could feel it. Just like when he first arrived in this gods forsaken place, he could sense the grimoire. He pushed himself up as he sprang from the bed, and began to pace the room. He felt nervous, and almost sick, his mind racing through the possibilities of who might be trying to steal his book.

This couldn't happen; only he was strong enough to control it. He had sacrificed everything for this book, and nobody was going to steal it from him. Striding over to his desk, he grabbed his scrying stone, and headed for the map of Elden.
Chapter Thirty One

The girls hurried along, trying to keep up with Garrick, and the former guards that Nolan had working in the stable. They raced down the hall, headed for the dungeons, where they believed that Bart and Dreyden were holding Tyrone, and the others.

They moved like a well-oiled machine, as if the last four years hadn't happened; the men reacted like the unit they were. They followed directions without Garrick having to utter a single word. It hadn't taken Garrick two sentences to convince his men to join them. They believed him when he told them that Tyrone was alive, and in need of rescue.

He had ordered the ladies to stay in his room until it was safe, but one look and he knew that wasn't happening, so unless he planned to tie them up, he was going to have them on his tail, for better or worse.

Standing on either side of the doorway that led to the dungeons, they did a quick check on where the guards were positioned, before they sprang into action. With a nod to his men, Garrick sent them racing through the doors of the dungeon, into battle with the well-armed, but ill-prepared men guarding the cellblocks. They caved in short order, as they were overwhelmed by the superior fighting skills of Garrick's men. They moved through the dungeon, opening cells, releasing other prisoners. At the last alcove, Garrick closed his eyes, and prayed for a second, before they stormed in, ready to take down anyone that stood in their way.

"Garrick!" Tyrone cried with joy when he spotted his friend fighting his way through the guards stationed outside their cell. Garrick clashed swords with one of the better fighters, as he forced the man back against the cell, letting Caleb and Kayne grab him. Within moments, they were disarmed and tied up with the rest. Garrick strode to the cell. Taking Tyrone's offered hand, he bowed his head.

"My King, you truly are alive!" Garrick stated with reverence, and then fell to his knee. "I wanted it to be true so badly, but I still had lingering doubts. Please forgive me for failing you, my King."

"Off your knees my old friend; if they are anything like mine, they don't move quite like they used to," Tyrone told him. "And you did not fail me. You are here now, and that is all that is important."

Garrick rose to his feet, looking to Tyrone. He wrapped his hands around the bars in an attempt to pull them down. "We need to get you out of there."

"Yes, Bart has gone insane," Grey stated as he shook Garrick's hand. "Who knows what he will do now."

"Well how do we get you out?" Garrick wondered aloud. "None of these keys work."

"I guess none of the guards have a key," Caleb said, grabbing Garrick's attention. "Hi Garrick."

"How ..?"

"We'll explain it all later," Caleb assured him. "Right now these bars are the problem. Dreyden did some kind of spell, and we can't shimmer through them."

"Bart or Dreyden must have the key..." Tyrone spat their names. "So how do we get out of here without it?"

"Well, you could use this," Eve piped up as she stepped into the room. They all looked at what she held up.

"I told you, never under estimate the Cameron women," Caleb roared with delight, as he looked at the block of putty that she held in her hand.

"What is that?" Garrick questioned.

"Well gentlemen, stand back and be amazed," Caleb stated, as he stepped back, letting Kayne pack a small amount of the plastic explosive into the lock of the cell. Eve handed him the fuse, and Kayne took it with a smile.

"You get out of here," he ordered her.

"Will you be okay?" she asked them.

"We'll be fine, but Kevan will take our heads off if something happens to you. Now get out of the room before we set this off. We'll take care of everyone in here," Caleb told her. Eve nodded, and pushed everyone back through the door. Caleb looked to the men in the cell. "Everyone, back up, we don't know how big this will be." Everyone moved to the back wall of the cell, with Roderic, Kayne and Caleb standing between them and the explosives. Caleb looked to Kayne, and nodded that they were ready. Kayne pressed the tab to complete a circuit of a D cell battery to activate the fuse, and they moved to cover the others, as he watched over his shoulder.

"Fire in the hole!" he shouted, as the fuse denoted the plastic. The roar of the explosion deafened them all, and the resulting dust cloud covered them from head to toe. The entire castle shook under the pressure of the power released in the explosive. Caleb moved to the front of the cell. A smile lit his face when he saw mangled bars.

"What was that?" A coughing Tyrone asked, as Garrick and company raced back into the room.

"That my friend is modern warfare," Caleb laughed, as he saw the awe on their faces.

"I'll explain more later but we have just told every person in the castle and town that we are up to something. So rather than wait for trouble to come to us, why don't we take this fight to them?" The cheer of agreement echoed through the room, as they moved to head out. Caleb looked to Eve again.

"You wouldn't have by any chance happened to have gotten our ..." Caleb smiled, as Eve held up his jacket. "Eve, if I didn't know that Kevan would kick my ass, I'd kiss you." He laughed as he took his jacket and backpack, and finally, the sword that she had found.

"I won't tell if you don't," Eve teased him.

***

"What was that?" Bart screamed, as the castle rocked from the explosion. He turned to Dreyden, grabbing his jacket, shaking him. "You have to stop them!"

"Let me go," Dreyden ordered, pushing his hands off him.

"You have to do what I say!" Bart ordered.

"I don't have to do anything," Dreyden stated.

"Yes you do, I am your King."

"You aren't my King," Dreyden told him, as he moved to walk away.

"They are trying to steal my crown!" Bart ranted. "Nobody is going to steal what is rightfully mine." Bart's face contorted with rage, as he beat against Dreyden's back. "You must stop them!" He pulled his father's sword, and swung it at Dreyden's retreating back.

The pain of the flat edge of the sword slapping into his back made Dreyden see red, and his entire demeanor changed in an instant. Whirling to confront the wailing Bart, he lifted his hands and let out a roar, as he grabbed onto the sparking bit of power that he could see floating around from misfiring ley lines.

Bart stood panting from the small exertion that attacking Dreyden had taken, and held the sword in front of him, thinking that Dreyden would be terrified of him. He had always backed down in the past, and in Bart's mind, that meant that Dreyden was weaker than he, and therefore should do as he was ordered.

The blast threw Bart off his feet and across the room, the sword clattering to the floor, as he ended up stunned, sitting on his precious throne, but that didn't stop Dreyden, who let his anger reign. The energy bolts flew, and Bart moved quickly, cowering behind the throne, as he watched the destruction that Dreyden created.

Then Dreyden gasped, clutching at his chest, as if his heart was going to pop right out of his body. His head swiveled, his eyes blazing with fury. He could feel it. The grimoire, for which he had spent four years in this hell, was alive. He could almost taste it, it was so real, and he could feel it reaching out to someone else. He couldn't have that, it was his, and nobody was going to take it from him.

Looking at the cowering Bart, he snorted with disgust, then turned and strode away, his purpose for being here was near an end, and he shimmered, disappearing into the ether, leaving the shaking Bart screaming for his guards.

***

Caleb led the small troop of rescued and rescuers through the halls, checking the rooms as they went, waiting for the coming attack, but with each step further through the castle, they still hadn't encountered one person to stop them. The guards, that just a short time ago had been everywhere, were gone, deserting their posts, running for their lives.

"Is it just me, or is this way too easy?" Kayne questioned.

"I expected more resistance," Caleb agreed. "It's like waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Dreyden and Bart must have the ones that aren't running, protecting them," Grey added.

"Possible," Kayne agreed, as he looked around, waiting for someone to jump out at them. "But it's like we have done this before."

Caleb paused, looking to Kayne, thinking about what he said.

"You're right, we have done this before," Kayne agreed. "Niall's rescue." Glancing around, lifting their swords higher, memories of that day floated through their minds.

"Are you thinking that he has demons on retainer?" Roderic asked.

"I don't know, but we do know that demons are the only things that can move from one world to another, and Dreyden has enough skills to summon them."

They continued down the hall on high alert, as they moved towards the throne room. "I don't like this," Niall grumbled. "Something's definitely up."

"Would you all stop acting like old women?" Eve hissed from behind them. "Let's face it guys, you scare the shit of most people. Whether you like it or not, you are very intimidating."

"Eve, your choice of words, though flattering," Roderic whispered in her ear, "have nothing to do with what we are talking about, so do us a favor, and zip it. Let us deal with the fighting stuff."

Eve shot a dirty look over her shoulder at Roderic, who was standing behind her. "You will pay for that snarky remark, mister," she forewarned him.

"I look forward to it." Roderic laughed.

They came to a halt when Caleb signaled, as they stood outside the door to the throne room.

***

Standing at the broken bridge that separated them from their goal, Kevan sighed, as she rubbed her forehead, trying to figure out how the hell they were going to get from where they were, to where they needed to be.

"Okay, how do we get back across?" Kevan asked.

"Swim?" Kaitlyn suggested from the other side.

"I don't think so," Wren told her.

"We need another suggestion, Kait," Kevan told her.

"You don't have a lot of choices," Kaitlyn argued. "If you know of a better way, then you tell me."

"I could shimmer us across," Marcus stated.

"But what about the goofy things that magic does here in Elden; couldn't that be a problem?" Kevan asked.

"It could be, but it's better than standing around here trying to figure out how to get across this body of water," Marcus stated.

"Kaitlyn's right, it's not like we haven't been wet already, we could swim." Kevan told them. "That way you save your energy, just in case."

"In case of what?" Marcus wanted to know. "You haven't needed me this whole time. I would have been better off if I had gone with Caleb and the others."

"Marcus, we haven't needed your fighting skills, but you have been very helpful with other things, and don't you forget that," Kevan told him. "Now, if we have to swim, we have to swim. I really didn't want to get wet, but I don't see any other way to get out of here. Unless someone else has a suggestion, I mean unless you can spot another way out of this place, I would say that we are going back the same way we came in."

"Back through the tunnels, yeah lovely." Kaitlyn moaned. "Are you sure there isn't another way to go? We'll be heading right into the guards that were coming after us."

Kevan looked to both Marcus and Joseph. "Do you have any ideas?" she asked them.

"Only that we had better make a decision quickly," Joseph warned, as he looked around like he was feeling something.

"Joseph?" Kevan pushed.

"Move!" he shouted, as everything exploded around them.

***

The throne room door flew open, and they raced into the room, challenging three dozen of the king's guards, standing ready to defend Bart. They came to stand side by side, like they had many times before, and Caleb smiled at his friends, happy to see the bounce in Kayne. Even Roderic had a look on his face that told them how much he wanted this. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm so looking forward to this," he growled. "Shall we?" Caleb asked, as he tipped his head towards the guards standing between them and Bart.

"Do you even need to ask?" Kayne asked.

"Drop your weapons, and I may let you live!" Bart screamed from the other side of the room.

"How about we extend you the same chance instead?" Caleb offered.

"It's mine!" Bart screamed. "Kill them!" he ordered the guards. Caleb smiled once more at his friends, before he waded into the guards.

It was a dance, a dance of twisting bodies, thrusting and swinging arms. Metal hitting metal, screams of pain as flesh was sliced to bone, and the stench of entrails filled the crowded room. In the midst of it all, were the shouts of victory, and the cries of defeat.

Grey fought his way through the guards with only one destination in mind. He pushed yet another of the guards off his sword, and in the corner of the room he spotted Bart on the far side, hiding while others did his dirty work. Bart showed he was forever the coward; never put himself in harm's way. "Bart," Grey roared, as he moved to intercept him, and he could see Bart blanch as he scrambled to his feet and took off running.

"Coward," Grey yelled after him, as he dispatched the guards that came at him, delaying him for a few seconds, letting Bart get out the door and clamber down the hall. Grey burst through the door, into the hall, following him. Grey strode down the hall Bart could run, and even try to hide, but nothing would save him from paying for all that he had done to Grey's family. Grey let him run, not ready for this to be over with. He wanted Bart to know real fear, and he wanted him terrified that he was about to die, and then maybe he would feel satisfied that his revenge had been served.

Out the door of the throne room, and down the hall, Bart scrambled as fast his scrawny legs could carry him, with Grey on his heels with every step. With fear tearing through his body, he ran; his only thoughts were how everything had gone so wrong, when he had been so close to getting it all. Another glance over his shoulder, and he barreled into several servants coming out of the kitchen to see what was happening. Pushing them out of the way, he rushed through the door to the kitchen, taking a quick look around for something, anything to use against Grey, and for a place to hide.

Grey saw Bart disappear through the door to the kitchen and smiled. He wanted him to be a man, and stand and fight, but that wasn't Bart's way. Jogging silently after him, Grey wasn't even worried. He already knew where Bart was headed, the only place that he had ever headed when he wanted to hide. Bart never really was a very imaginative person.

"Run while you can Bart, because I'm coming!" Grey yelled after him, as he strode down the hall, past the stunned servants who scattered, not wanting to draw his attention. The castle was now ripe with rumors about the return of King Tyrone, with Grey at his side. Pausing briefly at the door to the kitchen, he dropped the sword to his side, pushed open the door slowly, and stepped into the kitchen.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Bart, come out, and let's play!" Grey taunted, as he cleared the door. Bart let out a high-pitched scream, as he jumped out at Grey from behind the door, swinging wildly with the knife that he had grabbed from the counter. He got a lucky swing, and Grey hissed as the razor sharp knife sliced through his shirt, and into his arm. Grey swung back with his sword, but Bart got lucky, ducked and took off running again.

"You'll pay for that, you sniveling rat," Grey shouted after him, as he grabbed a rag from the counter, wrapping it around his bleeding arm. He wasn't in a hurry; Bart wasn't going anywhere, no matter what he believed, men were at all the gates, Garrick had arranged it, before coming to rescue them. Once he had his arm wrapped, he took off after the fleeing Bart.

Bursting through the door of the kitchen, Bart ran into the courtyard, and dashed across the yard to the stable, looking left and right, for anything that would stop Grey, but seeing nothing. Throwing himself through the open stable door, he saw the man standing at the far end of the stable. "Horse," he shrieked, "I want a horse now!" Desperation rolled off his body in waves. The man just stared at him, before turning and disappearing from sight. Bart screamed, as he raced around looking to make good his escape.

Grey smiled at the sound of Bart's screams, as he strolled into the stable, silently approaching Bart, watching him try to figure out how to open the gate to the horse stall. Lifting his sword, he tapped Bart on the shoulder with it. Bart whirled, screaming insults at the insolent servant that dared to touch him, his eyes bulging wide as he took in the man that was his cousin, holding his sword to his throat.

"Cousin," Grey greeted.

"Leave me alone, my guards will be here any moment," Bart screamed in terror, as he backed away. Grey just smiled, and followed him step for step, until Bart had trapped himself against the wall of the stable.

"Your guards are running away with their tails between their legs, just like their king," Grey spat with disgust. "Four years, you bastard, four years you cost us all, over a crazy woman's ramblings of a lie."

Unseen, Tyrone and Olivia followed them into the stable; they were both scared for Grey.

"They are not lies; my mother told the truth!" Bart screamed.

"Your mother was a bitter, crazy woman, and she was the one behind your father's death." Grey roared at him, wanting him to hurt. "The father, whom you claim was robbed, was leaving her, and she lost it. He would have hated everything that she said to you, because it is a lie. Your father wasn't the oldest, and you will just have to accept that fact," Grey ground out, as he pressed his sword into Bart's throat.

Olivia moved to stop him, only to have Tyrone stop her. Tears streamed down her face, as she watched the struggle that Grey was having; he wanted Bart dead, but he also had loved his uncle, and knew that it would have killed his uncle if Grey was the cause of his son's death. Tyrone also could read the struggle within Grey, but knew that only he could make the decision that he could live with.

Grey continued taunting Bart. "You know, nothing would feel better than to run you through with my sword, and leave you bleeding on the floor, and as much as you deserve it for all that you have done, I won't do it," Grey told him. "You want to know why? Cause unlike you, I refuse to sully myself with your blood. I will walk out of here with my honor intact, and leave you to be punished by the people of Elden," he spat out, as he pushed his sword even tighter against Bart's throat. "You lost Bart, we won, and you aren't worth it anymore," he told him, stepping back, and dropping his sword.

Bart stared at Grey with such loathing, as Grey stepped away and turned his back to him. Grey hung his head, until he heard his name. Looking up, he saw his father and Olivia standing at the end far end of the stable. Olivia pushed out of Tyrone's arms, running to Grey. Her eyes widening with horror, as she came to a screeching halt. She screamed his name, which made him react with an instinct that came from four years of running.

Grey's reflexes were well trained, and the dagger hand rose as he twisted to confront the screaming Bart. Bart charged at his cousin with the pitchfork that had been leaned against the stall. In his frenzy to kill the one person who he held responsible for all the wrongs in his life he didn't see the knife as he ran right into it, impaling himself.

Grey watched Bart's eyes pop open with a gasp, the pitchfork dropping with a clatter to the ground. Looking down, he stared at the knife embedded in his chest. Grey dropped to his knees, letting Bart's body down; he knew there was nothing that they could do for him.

"Bart," he cried, as he thought about all the missed opportunities that they could have had, if things had been different.

"Once again, you stole my crown," Bart cried with his dying breath. Grey released the knife, letting Bart fall over, and he sat back, his hands covered with his cousin's blood. Olivia dropped to the ground beside him, her arms around his neck, and she pulled him into her embrace. Grey hesitated for a second, before he wrapped his arms around her, burying his head in her neck, inhaling her scent. The touch on his shoulder had him looking into his father's concerned eyes.

"Father," he sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"No Grey, you were walking away. Bart made his decision, and now he has suffered the consequences. As long as you are alright," Tyrone checked with him. Grey looked to the woman in his arms, then back to his father.

"I will be," Grey promised.

***

Screams bounced off the walls of the chamber, as it imploded over them. Joseph reacted immediately, throwing up a repelling spell to protect them from the flying pieces of shrapnel.

"Get them off this island!" he shouted at Marcus, his voice dropping, and his demeanor changing. He reached down, and hooked into the ley line power that was suddenly surging all around them. "I'll take care of this." He stalked away, preparing for the upcoming battle with Dreyden. He knew it was him, because nobody else could blow a hole into a mountain. Looking up, his eyes darkened when he pulled in the power, storing it within himself as a reserve, watching the figure that appeared through the billowing clouds of smoke and dust.

"I should have known that you would be here!" Dreyden spat at Joseph. "You can't seem to stay out of my business. Are you jealous?" Joseph snorted a short laugh of disgust, as he circled around, drawing Dreyden's attention away from the others.

"Jealous, of you? I don't think so. What do you have, that I would be jealous of?" Joseph snapped.

"Everything," Dreyden told him. "Why else would you be here? But it's good; I can kill you now, and not worry about repercussion from your family." His eyes blazed with hatred.

"You seem so sure of yourself, Dreyden," Joseph pushed, trying to get him to make a move. "What makes you so sure that you can kill me? You may be good, but remember something, so am I," he taunted.

Joseph spotted Marcus out of the corner of his eye, seeing what he was about to try, and hoped that he was strong enough to do it. Joseph looked back to the mad man speaking to him, "If you are so good, why avoid confronting me?" Dreyden jeered. "No, you have to sneak like a thief in the night to steal my property."

Joseph continued to move, keeping Dreyden's attention on him. "Your property, I thought you were looking for the grimoire, and as far as I know, it doesn't belong to you, it belongs to the repository, under the control of the claviger."

"It's mine," Dreyden roared at Joseph. "I am the only one strong enough to use it. You, little boy, are nothing compared to me." He let out a laugh, as he stared at Joseph, studying him. "I am the only one that can use it to break the curse."

That made Joseph pause, and then he shook his head. "You know what we need to break the curse as well as I do, you helped us figure it out, and your part in it is done. We don't know the other players, and won't until the time is right," Joseph stated, as he tried to placate him.

"No!" Dreyden swore at Joseph. "I have done all the research, and the only thing that will break the curse is the grimoire, and you aren't going to stop me. Now, give it to me!"

"It's gone," Joseph told him. "Burned up when we tried to reach it."

"Liar," Dreyden scolded him. "It still calls to me, and I know that it is here."

"Dreyden, nobody can use the grimoire, and you know why," Joseph argued, trying to distract him.

"I can!" he exclaimed, and Dreyden went on the attack. The rocks around him lifted off the ground, as if they were caught in a twister, and then hurled themselves at Joseph. Joseph tossed up a large fireball that fizzled, and then just like a firework, exploded into dozens of smaller fireballs incinerating the rocks headed toward him.

"I'll stop you," Joseph bellowed at him, his anger burning bright. "I won't allow you to destroy us all."

Dreyden shimmered across the cavern, reappearing by the stone table, which only a short time ago held the grimoire. Joseph acted while he was distracted, pulled on his power again, and sent a barrage of fireballs in Dreyden's direction.

Dreyden turned, and with one sweep of his hand, they vanished. "You don't understand you can't stop me!" he cried out, his voice chilling the air around them. "Nobody can stop me. Where is my book?" He scanned the chamber, his eyes falling on the rest of them.

Marcus had no idea how much it would take out of him, when he had shimmered with everyone all at once, when Dreyden had shown up.

Kevan grabbed his arm holding him up when he stumbled as she tried to do something to help Joseph. It was then that she realized that Dreyden had spotted them. "Move!" she shouted at them.

Dreyden moved in a flash, and he was across the water, heading towards them, his feet not even touching the ground. Joseph followed right behind, sending an energy blast into his back, which sent Dreyden staggering to his knees, knocking him down. Turning, he threw out his arms, sweeping more of the debris off the floor, sending it crashing towards Joseph, then turned back to face the others.

"Where's my book!" Dreyden demanded.

***

The surge of blood with each swing of the sword was a feeling that Caleb hadn't had in a long time. He sometimes missed that about life in the modern age. The sword was an extension of your body; it was your strength and skill that carried the battle, not luck and a full clip of bullets. Video games gave them the chance to relive it, but it still wasn't the same as the feel of the real thing. He battled his way through the guards; they were good, but the king's guards weren't trained to fight warriors like the cairbare.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another man coming at him. He twisted his body and sword with accuracy and deliberation, gutting his attacker. Then from the other side, another attacker came at him, but Caleb was quicker. With a twist the other way, the head separated from the body, sailing through the room like someone had hit a home run, and right out of the door.

"Enough of this, I'm tired!" he shouted at Kayne, who had just pulled his sword from the body of another guard. His hands bloodied, and his face grim, Kayne nodded his agreement. Caleb bellowed to the men that had come with them. "Finish it!" They moved with increased speed, disabling some and killing others, as the guards continued the losing battle. The cairbare proved why so many feared them, and why they were called warriors of legend. The guards had skills, but they couldn't stand up to thousands of years of experience, and they fell one by one under the onslaught of warriors, until their weapons dropped, and they lifted their arms in surrender.

"Welcome home!" Caleb greeted Tyrone and Grey, as they rejoined them. "Bart?"

"Justice has been served," Grey told him. They all fell silent, as they stared at the men standing in front of them. Tyrone looked to Garrick, who stood to the side, watching the surrendered men.

"Garrick?"

"Sire," Garrick bowed his head.

"Tend to the wounded," Tyrone instructed.

"But?" Garrick questioned.

"No, Garrick. I refuse to make this whole tragedy even worse. The people of Elden have suffered enough. They were taken in by the lies of Bart and Dreyden. For now, we tend our wounded, and we will make judgment on the guilt and innocence of those involved at a later date," Tyrone explained, as he looked at the bloodied men littering the floor of the throne room.

A cry grabbed their attention, as a small petite blonde launched herself at Grey. In his shock he dropped Olivia's hand, grabbing the body that wrapped itself around him.

"Oh, thank the gods!" she cried. "You have returned to me, my darling. I have been so terrified that I would never see you again." Grey looked at the woman who had thrown herself into his arms, the woman who for so long he had thought himself in love with, and he pulled her off his body.

"Helene," he greeted, but his voice was cold and distance.

"Bart threatened you so often, I didn't know if I would ever see you again," she wailed, throwing herself back into to Grey's arms, sobbing wildly. Olivia watched the performance, and her anger did a slow boil.

"So you claimed that you saw me murder my father," Grey stated.

Helene gasped, shocked that he knew about that. "I had no choice," she bawled, trying to think on her feet. "He threatened me if I didn't do what he wanted."

"Oh, so that explains why you got engaged to him," Grey asserted, as he watched Helene's cheeks flush. She lowered her eyes, and the tremble in the lower lip started.

"Damn, she's good," Eve remarked to Olivia as she walked up beside her watching Helene entire performance.

"Where do you think I learned it from?" Olivia exclaimed testily. "The lip thing, she's been using it since she was about six, gods know why they fall for it every time."

"Because they're men, and we all know men don't always think with the head on the top of their body," Eve joked. "So, are you going to stand there, and let her worm her way back into his life and arms, or are you going to claim what belongs to you?" Olivia looked from Helene to Grey, and then finally to Eve, her uncertainly showing. "Oh honey, he's yours, all you have to do is mark your territory."

Olivia paused for another moment, and then straightened her back and determination burning in her eyes. Eve stepped back waiting to see if she was going to claim her man or not.

Olivia walked over, tapped her cousin on the shoulder. "Helene?" Getting her back up when she was completely ignored by her cousin. "Helene, let Grey go, now."

Helene looked to her mousey cousin. "Go away Olivia," she yapped, turning back to Grey, trying to get him to fall under her spell again.

"Helene, remove your hand," Olivia snarled as she grabbed Helene, spinning her around so she could look Helene in the face.

"Olivia, go away, can't you see that Grey and I are trying to get reacquainted? It's been four years."

"No, what I see is Helene trying to protect Helene's ass. You forget, cousin dear, I was here the whole time. I don't really recall you being upset that Grey had lost everything, because you were only interested in what Bart was going to give you next!" Olivia accused her. "And I will not let you get away with it." Helene stared at her cousin, her eyes blazing with hatred.

"Lies, it's all lies." she accused Olivia, flashing her simpering smile at Grey. "I'm so sorry you have to witness this, Grey. But Olivia has always been jealous of me; I will have to talk to her later." Helene rubbed her breasts against Grey's arm, stroking his chest.

Olivia's anger bubbled over, "She did not just say that, did she?" Olivia gasped with anger.

"Kick her butt," Azure shouted encouragement.

Reaching out, she grabbed her cousin's shoulder, and whipped Helene around to face her again.

"Olivia!" Helene shrieked, as she attempted to push her away. "You will ..." she didn't get any further. Olivia's fist landed on her pert little nose with a strong right cross, sending her crashing to the floor, landing with a thud on her ass.

"Alright!" both Azure and Eve cheered.

"Way to go Olivia, you showed her," Eve said with glee.

Olivia shook her hand, as the pain radiated up her arm. "Ow, I'm not so sure that was such a good idea," she laughingly told Eve. "I think my hand is broken."

Grey pushed past the screaming Helene, reaching Olivia's side, taking her hand in his. "Are you alright?" he asked, his concern real. Lifting her throbbing hand to his lips, he placed a gentle kiss on her bruised knuckles, then using his thumb; he tried to massage away the residual pain that was lingering.

"I'm fine," Olivia stuttered, as she stared at him with surprise and love.

"Are you sure?"

"Grey!" Helene screeched, holding her nose. "She hit me, what are you going to do?"

"I know she hit you," he told Helene, but his eyes never left Olivia's.

"She hit me!" Helene screeched again.

"I saw!" he laughed. "Remind me to stay out of punching distance if you ever get mad at me," he complimented Olivia.

"Grey," Helene squealed, until he finally turned and looked at her.

"What?" he demanded.

"Do something," she ordered.

"Okay," he turned back to Olivia, and he pulled her into his arms, his mouth crashing down on hers, as he proceeded to kiss the socks off her.

Helene's mouth dropped open in shock. The hoots and clapping finally broke up the kiss, and he put the stunned Olivia back on her feet, but wrapped his arm around her. Olivia smiled, as she looked up with adoration shining in her eyes.

"That's my son," Tyrone bragged, sending them all into laugher. Just then, Caleb gasped in pain, as he clutched his chest. They all turned, watching as he dropped to his knees, tears streaking down his face.

"Kevan" he screamed.
Chapter Thirty Two

"My book!" Dreyden ranted, as he stalked towards them, reaching out for Kevan. Taking a step back, she grabbed onto the threads of power, and sent it hurling at him. He batted it aside, as if it was nothing, all the while laughing at her. "Not good enough little girl," he growled, twisting his hand.

Kevan gasped, her body compressing itself, as the feeling of having the shit squeezed out of her popped into her head, clawing at her neck as her struggled to draw breathe into her starving lungs. Dreyden raised his arm, and Kevan squealed as she felt herself lifted off the ground, then tossed across the cavern. Kevan landed with thud, rolling dazed and bruised, but still alert enough to hear the scream across the chamber.

"Kevan!" Kaitlyn felt a rush unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was as if a blockage that had been there had been suddenly removed, and now that empty spot was sucking in power, and she didn't know what to do with it. In her head, she pictured a rope, and the whirling mists of power whipped around, and she could feel it in her hand. Using it like a whip, she flicked her wrist, sending it flying towards Dreyden, hoping to catch him off guard, screaming when he grabbed at the whip, yanked her towards him.

"Oh children, you have no idea whom you are up against!" he roared, then his voice dropped, he stepped back, and they watched in horror as his body begin to change. Using his hand, he back handed Kaitlyn, sending her in the opposite direction from Kevan, she bounced off the floor, and then lay silent, and still. She was nothing to him, a fly on the wall.

Marcus pulled his sword, letting out a battle cry, and he ran at the mutating body. Dreyden spun around, facing the attacking Marcus, and he flicked his hand. Marcus slammed into a wall, and then was sent flying in the same direction that Kaitlyn had been tossed.

Black what appeared to be ink bleed through his skin, flowing over Dreyden's body forming sigils and symbols, as the dark magic that he had been playing with for so many years manifested itself on him. They watched as he began to rise off the ground and move towards Leila who had been frozen, watching the attack on her friends.

"I want my book," he growled, his deepening voice sounded more and more like an animal, as he continued his transformation.

Joseph staggered to his feet, watching as the dark magic consumed all that was cairbare, leaving only a shell with which to hold the magic that he had stolen. Dreyden couldn't be allowed have the grimoire. The horror that he was now would destroy the worlds without a backwards glance. Stalking closer to Wren, Ronan and Leila, Dreyden pinned them with his eyes. Joseph had to get around and confront him, hoping the obsession over the book would keep Dreyden unaware of Joseph's movement.

"Which one of you has what belongs to me?" he hissed, his eyes pausing on each one, as if he could read them, before he came back to Leila. "Well, well, if it isn't the missing claviger," he snarled at her. "Never thought we'd see the likes of you again; too bad you had to pick the wrong time to surface. Now give me back what is mine."

Leila stood up straight, and stared at the thing that was Dreyden. "No!"

An evil leer waxed across his face; he was going to enjoy this. "You aren't capable of taking me on, little girl." Curling his lips, he stared at her with disgust.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Leila told him, as she moved away from the others, giving herself a clear area to work. His laughter swirled around them, like a snake looking to strike. "I am a great sorcerer, and you think that you can take me on?" he spat. "You are nothing but an obstacle to be removed."

"You can try, but you won't succeed," she taunted him.

"Who do you think you are?" he roared.

"I am the one who controls the grimoire," she informed him. His eyes flared, as his hands curled into to fists at his side.

"It belongs to me."

"So come and get it. I dare you," she mocked him.

Kevan staggered to her feet, her entire body aching, as she tried to focus enough so as to try and help Leila, but it was hard when everything was doubled up, including Kira, as she buzzed around her head.

"Kira, find some place safe and hide," Kevan hissed in warning, as her body swayed while she tried to grab onto power, but it kept slipping away like a piece of limp spaghetti. Looking around for anything that she could use as a weapon, she spotted Marcus carrying the unconscious Kaitlyn towards her. Joseph moved to get around Dreyden without him knowing. Then she saw something that almost stopped her heart. "Kira" she cried out, but the little Fay wasn't listening, too intent on Leila and Dreyden.

Dreyden screamed in frustration when he attempted to shimmer, and he didn't go anywhere.

Leila smiled, and laughed at him. "Oh, the big bad man can't handle little old me?" Leila taunted.

He bellowed in anger, grabbing at the rocks still scattered around, and throwing them at Leila. He panted with excitement, wanting to see them rip into her body, and watch her bleed.

Leila slammed her hands up, stopping them and sending them back at him. He hissed in anger, as they ripped through him, leaving him bloody.

"You'll pay for that," he threatened, as he pulled up magic from deep within, tapping into the power of the ley line, feeding his surging magic into it. He was harnessing the power of old that he had stolen over the years. His anger fuelled him, they could feel it, as the entire mountain began to shake, and he poured more and more power, and magic, into the swollen ley line.

Leila closed her eyes, as she heard the words. Thousands of years of knowledge and power crashed through her, and she took it all in.

Kira danced across the ceiling, unseen by either, as her excitement built for the task ahead. She moved in a deliberate line, straight for Leila, until she was at Leila's ear. "I am here Leila, you know what to do. Send me straight at him," she whispered in her ear. "I can do it," Kira promised. Leila nodded, as she gathered it all within.

"You'll die for defying me," Dreyden howled, and he released his magic, throwing his hands out to his sides.

With a sick fascination they watched as the magic slammed out of his hands, crashing into the walls of the cavern, bouncing around the chamber, as it gathered speed and force from the crystals in the walls.

Leila sensed Kira, and knew what she had to do. Opening her eyes, she only saw him, and then she let go, giving herself over to the power within. Kira noticed the change, and she moved herself into position, her sword at the ready.

Dreyden screamed laughter, as it all poured out of him, his laughter echoing around them, and they dove to the ground, looking for any safety, as the chamber began to collapse around them. Leila was silent, as the whirl wind of power pulled up from the ground, and through her. It was like she was throwing magical baseballs at him and Kira was riding the force of the first one.

Holding steady, she aimed directly at the oblivious Dreyden, as he continued to pour everything within him into the swirling vortex that surrounded, and engulfed everything in its destructive path. Dreyden no longer had thought. All he was doing was reacting to his anger, and now it was out of control.

"Die!" he screamed, lifting his head, looking directly at Leila who was on the other side of the chamber, feeding her energy into the counter wave. It wasn't until it was too late, that he saw the guardian Fay. Kira's sword, enchanted by Tatiana, untouched by the powers battling, embedded itself directly between his eyes, ending his life instantly, just as both magic's collided. The mountain imploded in a deafening roar, and it all came crashing down on top of them.

***

Tears and sobs of fear ripped through Eve when they approached the massive, smoldering pile of rocks that had been a mountain. What could survive being buried under all of it?

Caleb stared, his whole body numb, the connection that he had felt with Kevan vanishing in an instant, shredding him, and he hadn't said a word. His eyes turned dull and empty, as the one thing that he had always believed he would never find, was torn from him.

The dragons circled lower and lower, as they all survived the crumbling remains of Silver Falls Mountain. They had been searching since sunrise, and still they had found nothing. What hope they had to begin with was rapidly vanishing. Sliding off the dragon, Eve paused to try and shore up her resolve, before she joined the others standing at the edge of the lake, a short time ago, a mountain had towered majestically, soaring into the sky. Roderic caught the sagging Eve, as she felt a huge gaping hole in her heart at the thought that they were gone. She had no idea how to even carry on without them in her life.

"Please tell me they are okay," she begged, as she looked into Roderic's face. He held onto her, trying not to let her see how scared he really was. Caleb turned to her, his face telling her what she didn't want to hear. Pushing away from Roderic, she ran at Caleb, beating her fists on his chest. "Tell me they're okay, or else you tell me how we go about finding them!"

"Eve," his voice choked with emotion, as he pulled her into his arms, and the overwhelming loss began to seep into his body. "You know I would tear apart this whole slag heap, if I thought that there was any chance that we would find them."

"NO!" Eve screamed in denial. "Don't say that," she sobbed. "They aren't gone. They can't be." Roderic pulled her away from Caleb.

He staggered to the edge of the rock shelf, staring down at what used to be soaring rocks, and the emotion spilled over, as he dropped to his knees, holding his head in his hands, and silent sobs ruptured his soul. Was this to be his life, shown true happiness, only to have it ripped from him?

"Caleb, please, we have to do something!" Eve pleaded with him, not giving up, needing him to help her. "We have to help them."

"Help who?" a familiar voice asked. "Because I think we're kind of hoping that you have come here for us."

Eve whipped around, almost knocking Roderic on his ass, as she took in the dirty, bloodied, raggedy group, standing at the edge of an outcropping of rocks.

"Oh gods!" Eve cried, as she scrambled over the rocks, grabbing onto her sisters, and holding on.

"Eve, we're really glad to see you and everything, but we are battered and bruised," Kaitlyn gasped, as she squeezed her back, not wanting to let go.

"Are you okay?" Eve questioned, as she stepped back wiping the tears from her cheeks. Kevan stepped away from sisters, her eyes landing on the kneeling man at the edge of the shelf.

Caleb closed his eyes, and prayed that he wasn't having a hallucination. Getting to his feet, he turned, opened his eyes, and cried when she slammed into his arms. He held her close, his arms around her, his lips covering hers, his fingers touching, relearning her. Leaning back, she stared into his face, as her shaking fingers traced his every feature, trying to memorize each one, with every one of her senses. Both had blurred vision from tears, and the emotional terror of never seeing each other again left them mumbling, incoherent from exhaustion.

"Never again," he informed her, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. Touching his lips with her fingers, she nodded, as the sobs started again.

"Never again," she agreed. He picked her up in his arms, and looked to his normally impeccable brother. Reaching out his hand, he pulled him into the embrace. Marcus welcomed the embrace, as he hugged his brother back.

"Thank you," Caleb whispered in his ear. Marcus stepped back, nodding his acknowledgement of Caleb's words, not trusting himself to speak with his emotions betraying him.

Eve looked from Kaitlyn to the others, wiped her tears of joy, and she hugged Wren, Ronan, and even the reluctant Joseph. Looking around, she thought she had just missed her, but she hadn't, someone was missing.

"Where's Leila?" she questioned, as a feeling of dread slid over her, her eyes darting from one to the other, waiting for them to answer. "Where is Leila?" she demanded.

Kevan turned in Caleb's arms, as a fresh flow of tears started. She cleared her throat, attempting to tell them what had happened, as a look of horror flashed in Eve's eyes.

"No!" she cried, her hands covering her mouth, as she tried think of anything but what they were saying. "No, please tell me that it's not true."

"Eve," Kaitlyn spoke up, "I wish I could tell you that she was fine, but she's not."

"Where is she?" Eve demanded. "I'm a doctor, I can help her."

"Eve, you can't do anything to help her," Marcus told her.

"No, I can, tell me where she is!" Eve bellowed at him. "I can help her." She headed for the hole they had crawled out of. "Where is she?" she shouted, as her heart sank.

"Eve," Kevan shouted, getting her attention.

"Please, I have to help her."

"You can't do anything for her," Kevan whispered.

"I have to," Eve sobbed. "Don't you understand, I did this to her. I was the one that insisted that we help her. If we had just left her alone, she would ..." Eve stopped, unable to even say the word.

"Stop," Kevan exclaimed, as she dropped to gather her sobbing sister into her arms. "Leila wouldn't have traded the past few weeks for anything." Kevan held Eve's face, so that she could look into her eyes. "You know that,"

"She's right," Marcus spoke up. "You weren't able to see her, but it was amazing when she completely connected with the repository and the grimoire. She radiated, she was strong and happy, happier than she had ever been in her life."

"We'd be dead if not for Leila's bravery," Joseph admitted. "Dreyden was even more powerful than I had believed. He had been dabbling in the dark and black magic's for even longer than we knew. He changed, and nothing that I did was stopping him."

"What do you mean, he changed?" Niall questioned.

"I don't exactly understand it myself," Joseph explained, "He was being taken over by the magic that he had been playing with I have never seen or heard of anything like it before."

"Yeah, he kept going on about some curse," Kaitlyn piped up. "What was he talking about? What curse?"

"Now's not the time, Kaitlyn," Marcus stated, as he watched her. For a moment, he thought that she was going to argue, then she nodded, but the look on her face told him that she was letting it drop for the moment, not permanently. They would have to tell them everything, because if they didn't, she would be like a dog with a bone, she wouldn't let it go until she had it all, just not yet.

"What about the grimoire?" Niall questioned, sighing when Joseph held up Leila's tattered backpack. "So it's safe."

"It will be once we get it back to L'Dern," Joseph told them.

"No way," Kaitlyn stated. "You are not taking it anywhere."

"L'Dern is the safest place for it," Joseph argued.

"What about the repository?" Kaitlyn pointed out.

"That would work, but there's one small problem," Marcus informed her. "It's still missing."

"Then we find it," Kaitlyn told them.

"You make it sound so simple," Marcus laughed, "People have been searching for it ever since it vanished in the first place."

"We found the grimoire, we'll find it. We owe that to Leila for all that she did for us," Kaitlyn stated firmly.

"It's going to be difficult," Joseph argued with her.

"Like this was such a cake walk?" Kaitlyn huffed.

"And in the meantime, you think that you can stop everyone that is going to be coming after the grimoire?" Joseph spoke, with disbelief in his voice.

"We can protect it until we find the repository," Kaitlyn refused to budge.

"How? You don't know who the new claviger is, or where to even begin looking. It's not like it vanished on earth somewhere, it could be anywhere, in any time."

"Stop telling me that we can't find it, and start trying to help me figure out how to do it. We found the claviger once, we will find them again. I won't stop until we do."

"Enough!" Kevan shouted at them. "This is stupid, we are fighting over who is keeping this goddamn book, and we don't even know if we will be able to get back to either place. So I just need you to stop." Kevan curled into Caleb's arms; it felt so right, but something was still missing. She looked into his eyes. "Home, Caleb," she murmured, "We need to go home."

***

They had settled uneasily into a semblance of routine in Elden, doing what they could to make it seem more like home, but it wasn't, and the longer it took to find a way home, the more Kevan sank into a depression, sitting in her room, until one day Kaitlyn had had enough. She stormed into Kevan's room, and dragged her out, kicking and screaming, on to the back of Wren's dragon, ordering him to fly them to Silver Falls.

"Look at it," Kaitlyn ordered her.

"I don't need to see it. I see it every day in my mind!" Kevan shouted at her. "I know that it is my fault that she's dead, you don't need to rub it in."

"First off, I am not rubbing anything in. Second, you refused to let Eve blame herself, so you sure as hell don't get to shoulder it all yourself!" Kaitlyn bellowed in her face, shaking her by the shoulders. "You know something, Leila was an adult, and she knew the danger that she was getting into when she came with us, so stop playing the martyr. Now, if you need to blame someone for Leila's death, let's at least blame the right person."

"Leila wasn't responsible for her own death," Kevan jumped to her defense.

"You're right, she wasn't," Kaitlyn agreed. "The person responsible for Leila's death was Dreyden. He was the one that started this, and if someone has to take the blame, then I say that we place it squarely on his shoulders."

"Kaitlyn, I know that you're trying to make me feel better but ..."

"There are no buts; do you know how pissed Leila would be at you? You are belittling her by saying that she didn't know what she was doing. She was excited, and happy," Kaitlyn argued. "Do you think that she would have preferred to go on like she had been, before we found her?"

"Of course not!" Kevan exclaimed.

"Right, she wouldn't, she discovered something that she never had before."

"What?"

"Peace," Kaitlyn stated quietly. "Peace and the knowledge that she wasn't really crazy. Kevan, we don't have control over life and death, I know that I don't want it. It's enough dealing with stuff that we have already." Kaitlyn looked away, not wanting to show Kevan just how upset she truly was, but Kevan saw it anyway.

"What's wrong?"

"I used to bug you all the time about you having powers, and not me. Well I have some now, and Joseph figures these are just the beginning. I understood how you described it, when you talked about drawing on power, but it was so much more than I ever expected. I have these powers that I can use, but I'm still struggling to control them."

Kevan watched the emotion roll across her twin's face, and she suddenly realized just how selfish she had been acting. Grabbing Kaitlyn's hand, she pulled her close, hugging her. "I am so sorry, Kait," she cried. "I promise that I will do everything I can to help you."

"It's about damn time," Kaitlyn sniffled.

Kevan laughed, knowing that Kaitlyn was never one for beating around the bush. "So why did you bring me here?" Kevan asked, as she wiped at the tears that were wandering down her cheeks. "You could have told me all of this at the castle."

"But I couldn't have shown you this," Kaitlyn said, as they came to a stop at the top of the hill, looking over the entire side of the collapsed mountain. Kaitlyn swept her arm out, and Kevan gasped, as she stared at the mass of wildflowers that covered everything, they were small buds in vibrant colour. A solo breath of wind blew across the field, sending colorful heads waving; it was Leila telling them that she was okay.

"Its breath taking," Kevan whispered with awe, as the tears flowed freely, but this time with a release.

"I think of it as Leila's bouquet," Kaitlyn told her, as she wrapped her arm around her twin's shoulder.

"I think that she'd like that," Kevan agreed.

***

The ceremony was private and beautiful, the bride stunning, the groom handsome. Grey thought of everything. Eyes glistened on many in the crowd, including a few of the men who, even though they would never admit it, wiped away a tear.

"You have pledged your love and fidelity before the gods, now you are bound in union together for all your days," the minister spoke as he watched over the happy couple. "You may kiss you bride."

"It's about time," Grey growled as he leaned down, a ripple of laughter ran the group as his lips caressed Olivia's gently.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to give you his highness, Prince Greyson and Princess Olivia."

A roared cheer arose, as the friends and family gathered for the ceremony wished the happy couple all the best. The joy of the wedding, coupled with the celebration of the people of Elden when Tyrone was once again crowned their king, made for a celebration the like of which they had not seen in a quite a while. Olivia had convinced them that they needed to do this, to make the people know that it was real.

The only pall was the slowly dwindling hope of the Cameron sisters that they would ever get home again. They watched the celebration rev into full swing, as they sat with an air of sadness settling over them. Kira floated around them, as she twirled and whirled to the music, before she settled on the table, studying them, not liking their sadness.

"Why so sad, my warrior women?" She had taken to calling them that, no matter how often they had asked her not to. "The music's divine, the drink splendid, and the food, though it's not as good as your donuts, it is fine." Kevan laughed, shaking her head. For someone as tiny as Kira, she never got enough food. "Kira, we're just a little sad. We haven't found any way to get home, and it's looking like we might not be going home," Kevan explained. "We miss our family."

"But you have everyone here," Kira pointed out.

"Yes we do, and we do love all of our friends here, Kira, but that doesn't mean that we miss our family any less," Eve pointed out. "Don't you miss your family, Kira?"

Kira tilted her head while she thought about Eve's questions. "I miss Tatiana, but I was only one of her guards. Bella is her main guardian Fay, so since I came to be with Kevan," she curtsied to Kevan, "you're all my family now." She giggled as she flew over to Kevan, kissing her on the nose. "All of you!" she exclaimed, as she did the same to each of them.

"You're family now, too, Kira," Kevan told her.

"But you're still sad," Kira sighed. "I don't want my family sad." She reached into the pocket of her skirt, and pulled something out. Hovering about Kevan, she smiled, and held something up.

"Kira?" Kevan questioned warily.

"Hold out your hand," Kira told her.

Kevan lifted her palm up, and Kira dropped what looked to be a tiny pebble in the center of her palm. Kevan jumped, almost dropping it when it began to grow in her hand. "What is this?" she asked, when it stopped expanding. She stared at the stone that now covered her palm. Kira giggled, and then handed Kevan a piece of paper.

The women's eyes grew wide as it began to unfold itself, growing until Kevan could see something written on it. Picking it up, she read the words that were written on it, and then she looked to Kira. "Is this real?" she asked Kira, who nodded. "But why did you not tell us before now?"

"I forgot," Kira ducked her head, looking sheepish. "Tatiana gave it to me before she called Kevan."

"What is it?" Kaitlyn questioned, as she took the paper that Kevan handed her, scanning it quickly.

She looked back up to Kira, and yelled! "You forgot!"

"Don't get excited," Kevan warned, as she looked over, spotting Caleb. She got his attention and waved him over.

"Yes?" he asked, as he kissed the top of her head, his hand curling around her head, the others joining them. "What's up? Have you changed your mind, would you like to dance?"

"Have you ever heard of a wishing stone?" Kevan asked.

"Of course, that would certainly be something that could get us home," Caleb sighed. "Then again, maybe not, they can be unpredictable if you aren't careful. But that is wishful thinking, as there are only five known wishing stones, which are part of the Elfame crown jewels; it would mean your life to take one ..." His voice trailed off as Kevan opened her hand, exposing the palm size, egg shaped, multi coloured crystal that lay there. "Uh, Kevan, where ...?"

"Kira!"

"How?"

"She said that Tatiana gave it to her, along with this." She passed him the piece of paper, and began reading it aloud, so that everyone could hear. "Greetings Kevan and friends. If you are reading this, you have succeeded in finding and retrieving the grimoire. Congratulations! But you are now searching for a way home. As you can see, I have given Kira an item that I believe will aid in your quest. Wish carefully, and hurry, time is running out. Safe journey, Tatiana"

Kevan looked to Caleb, excitement filling her, as she watched his reactions. "This can get us home, can't it?"

"Yes, I believe that it can," he told her. "But we need to be very careful when we wish."

"But it will get us home," Eve prodded for the answer that she wanted.

"Yes!"

"Then let's go!" Kaitlyn shouted, as she jumped to her feet, eager to get home. "We could be in our beds tonight."

"No," Caleb warned then. "We will not jump into this without seriously talking about it first."

"But?" Eve, Kaitlyn and Kevan started to argue.

"No buts," Marcus barked at Kaitlyn, as he scooped the stone from Kevan's hand.

"Hey!" Kaitlyn snapped.

"Patience is definitely not your strong suit, is it?" he accused Kaitlyn, while she pouted.

***

They stood surrounded by their escorts in the middle of the White Oaks, Elden's most magical place, according to legend. Eve hugged Olivia and Grey.

"I wish...oops. I had better watch what I say," Eve told them. "They are rather strict about us using that word."

"Eve it's okay, we both understand, and hope that one day we will see you again. You have become a trusted friend, and we will miss you," Olivia told her. "Perhaps now that you have found the grimoire, you can maybe figure out what happened that closed down the portals."

"You never know, maybe we'll just have to do that," Kaitlyn stated, as she joined them. "I certainly do love a mystery." She laughed, making Marcus groan.

"Oh gods, I don't trust her when she talks like that." Kaitlyn gave him dirty look. "It's time," he informed them.

"Thank you for everything," Tyrone told Caleb, as he shook his hand. "The citizens of Elden are once again in your debt."

"It's what friends do for friends," Caleb told him.

Kevan stood with Ronan, Wren and Azure. "Are you sure that you don't want to come back?" she questioned. Wren shook her head. "No, Elden is my home now. Maybe if you get the portals working and I could go back and forth, but otherwise I have found a place here that I never had back there."

"What about your family?" Kevan wanted to know.

"How do you explain this all to them?" Wren laughed. "In a letter, I don't know, maybe it would be better if they don't know, but I can't let them go on hoping, so I have written a letter explaining some of it, and if they have any questions, to contact you guys."

"Okay," Kevan nodded.

"Let them know that I'm happy, and that I love them very much," Wren asked.

"We will make them understand," Kevan promised.

"We're ready," Joseph told them. "Is everyone accounted for?"

"Kira?" Kaitlyn questioned, smiling when she saw the hand waving from Kevan's shoulder.

"Oh, would you stop that Kaitlyn. Gods, what if she does that back home?" Kevan groaned when Kira's head popped up, too.

"I won't, Kevan, no fear," she told her, and then she settled back down into Kevan's skin. Kaitlyn laughed, as Kevan rolled her eyes, while Kira wiggled and squirmed, making herself comfortable.

"Okay, if we are done with the joking around?" Marcus questioned, as his gaze pierced Kaitlyn.

"Never!" Kaitlyn promised him.

"Ready?" Joseph questioned, as they all formed a circle, with Kevan holding the wishing stone. "Okay, as we discussed, we all wish for the same thing. Now take the person's hand next to you, and on the count of three. ONE, TWO, THREE."

They all closed their eyes, making the same wish that they had agreed upon. Kevan squeezed the wishing stone between hers and Caleb's palms. She could feel it growing warm. Concentrating on their wish, she could feel the heat traveling through her and into Caleb on the one side, and Kaitlyn on the other. It felt similar to the night, not so long ago, when they had gotten their powers. She could feel when the circle was complete, the energy running through them, and they could feel the light building around them, and then a flash blinding them, knocking them off their feet.

Kevan groaned as she pushed herself to a sitting position, moaning as she rubbed her aching head.

"I'm getting really tired of that," she muttered.

"I've got bruises on top of bruises," Kaitlyn complained.

"Did it work?" Eve questioned, as they all staggered to their feet, looking around. "Where are we?"

"Oh gods, it worked!" Kevan cheered, as she recognized the gym at Caleb's house.

"I'm telling you I heard something!" They all looked to the door as it pushed open, and the lights blazed on. "See!" Myrna exclaimed, shooting Brennan an I told you so look.

"Kevan," Brennan drawled. Kevan launched herself at the two of them, grabbing them into a huge hug.

"Oh Brennan, thank the gods, we were so worried it could have been years. I'm so sorry that we didn't call, but well, it's a really long story, and we will let you know it all." Brennan gave Kevan a strange look.

"I know I told you I wanted constant updates, but even I'm not that bad; you've only been gone five minutes," Brennan told her.

"What!" Eve gasped.

"Five minutes," Kaitlyn stammered. "Are ... but we've been in ..."

"Hey, Kevan, not to interrupt or anything, but who are your friends, and why the hell is one of them naked?" Myrna butted in.

Turning, they spotted Wren and Ronan sitting dazed in the corner of the room, listening to them, but it was the young woman standing at the back of the room who grabbed all of their attention. Gone was the dirty hair and muddy face, and she was stunning; tall with a perfect hour glass shape, waist long platinum blonde hair, and eyes the colour of golden amber.

Kevan stepped forward with a stunned look on her face, when she realized whom they were staring at. "Oh my gods, Azure!"
Epilogue

Kaitlyn rubbed the bridge of her nose as she stretched her neck muscles. She knew that she was pushing it, but she kept coming back to the note that Tatiana had sent. She had said that time was running out.

'Time for what?' Kaitlyn wondered.

They had only been back for a couple of days, and all she could think about was that, and the repository. She had made a vow to find the new Claviger, and then find the Repository. Maybe if she did, it would relieve some of the guilt she didn't want to tell the others that she was feeling. Turning back, she looked to the piles upon piles of papers that Dexter Samhain had collected about the repository, and some of the items stored there. It was mind- boggling. Somewhere in those papers was the clue that she needed to get started on the search, but for tonight, this was enough. If she wanted to find the clue, she needed some sleep. With one last look around the room, she flicked off the lights, and closed the door. Tomorrow was another day.

***

The light clicked on, and she sat up in her bed, holding her head, trying to make it all stop. It was going to make her crazy if it didn't stop soon.

The End
