 
# Wings of a Phranoy

by

Stacy Lee

SMASHWORDS EDITION

The Cloud Riders

of Da-Nigh

Book One

Wings of a Phranoy

Copyright 2014 by Stacy Lee

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's hard work.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

About Stacy Lee

Contact the Author

More by Stacy Lee

Acknowledgments

**To B.J., C.J., T.J., and D.J. with all my love!**

Also to M.D., this series for you Marybelle!

### Chapter One

I crack my eyes open to barely-there slits to survey the room I'm in. Stark white walls, sterile smells and a hard mattress under me tells me it is some kind of medical room but how did I get here? I search my brain for anything useful but only one thing keeps coming up, one terrifying image. The only thing I remember of my life is the last five minutes before my death.

I lay crumpled and bleeding on asphalt, my entire being wrought with excruciating pain that intensifies with each slowing heartbeat as silent tears slip from the corners of my eyes. My darkening vision has me dismissing the shadow that crosses over me till I hear someone kneel beside me. I was no longer alone in my hell. Hauntingly beautiful, however incredibly abnormal glowing sapphire eyes that seem eerily familiar, peer down at me as the figure leans into my ever narrowing vision. I feel a feather soft brush of fingers across my cheek but swear the figure never moved. My pain vanishes. I tilt my head back on an appreciative sigh keeping my eyes on the two blue orbs that are the only thing left of my surroundings. A deep masculine voice flits through my head, whispering to me gently.

" _It will be over soon, sweet Evangelina. Then you will fulfil your destiny." My mind registers the strangeness of his statement as the sluggish thug-thug of my hearts stops completely._

My name was Samantha, not Evangelina.......

Sitting up abruptly the scene plays over and over in my head as dizziness swirls around me. Pushing it away I try my legs but can't hold myself up yet, so I sit there and stare at the white walls of the clean room, a million things running through my head but only one screaming for attention.

I died, I know I died. So how am I here? Is this heaven? It couldn't be hell, to white and to cool. Hell would surely be hotter than this, wouldn't it? Other than the table I am sitting on and a door across from me there is nothing in the room. No shelves, no sink, no chair, no people. Just me and a table/bed.

As I try and fail to stand once more I take note of the shimmering iridescent material clinging to my body. No longer in the blood soaked shorts and t-shirt I had been wearing in the memory but a dress similar to a sun-dress hangs from my still maturing curves. At seventeen I was petite in size everywhere. I don't know why I know my age when nothing else but that single terrifying memory inhabits my head, however I know deep down that that is how old I am. My red hair is loose in waves over my shoulders, the bright color standing out against the pale material.

The door abruptly opens causing me to scoot back against the wall and tuck my knees into myself. A tall woman with a white coat draped over her overly thick shoulders stands in the doorway silently staring at me. She cocks her head, her eerily bright green eyes searching my body from head to toe. Without so much as a word, she is gone and the door slides shut behind her, she never touched the door. Why that oddity is what I cling to I have no idea but the idea she could move the door without touching it sends shivers through me. What else could she do without touching? Could she touch me? Hurt me if she wanted? Keep me in here forever?

This was getting weirder and weirder by the minute. With my imagination running completely rampant it was only going to get worse. Not sure what else to do but knowing I needed to get out of this room, I force myself to my feet. Wobbly at first I soon steady myself as I make my way to the door. I grab the knob and turn it but nothing happens. It doesn't feel locked it just won't turn, like it's stuck or was never meant to function to begin with. After a few minutes of trying I place my head and hands against it in desperation and silently pray for the door to open. To my utter shock, it does.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I stick my head out to find no one in the long sterile hallway so I slip out and take the way to the left. One way was as good as the other beings I had no clue where I was. A slight tingle on my back draws my attention for a brief second but I ignore it as I continue down the hall. Further down I come to a stop as something nags at the back of my mind. Something was wrong with this place. I turn in circles for a second then continue on when nothing comes to me. However the further I go the more I become aware of what bugged me. There were no doors. The plain white hallway stretched out in front and behind me but there wasn't a door in sight. With a small shutter I continue on wondering what I had gotten myself into this time. There was almost something familiar about the feel of this place but what it was I didn't know.

After what felt like hours of walking I lean against the wall in aggravation and exhaustion. There simply was no way out of this stupid hall. With my temper flaring I spin in a circle searching the empty hallway.

"Where is the dang exit?!" I shout no longer caring about someone finding me here. It was quite possible if they didn't I would be lost in here forever. Maybe that was my destiny, to be lost in this hall for all eternity. I had no clue about anything except the fact I know I was dead, at least for a second or two. What happened after that was anyone's guess. As I turn back to the way I was going a doorway shimmers into being in front of me blocking the hallway. I stare at it agape as I absently scratch at my back, the tingle has returned.

That door wasn't there a minute ago, I know it wasn't. Why was it there now? Where did it come from? I slowly approach it waiting for it to disappear once more but it remains. The knob doesn't turn just as the one in my room didn't so I repeat the same actions as before and lean my head and hands upon it and pray, it slides open. A cacophony of voices and noises come from within making me pause and rethink this action. I look back over my shoulder but no other doors have appeared. This seemed to be the only way out. With a deep fortifying breath I walk through the open door and stop dead in my tracks.

The room before me is massive, at least two football stadiums if not bigger. The back wall is only a shadow it is so far away, the sides are only a bit easier to see. Throughout the room are sections of people each doing some kind of job or hobby. To my left are at least two hundred sewing machines with women and men alike sitting in front of them stitching the iridescent material together. To my right are three large contraptions that might be looms. Several people surround them feeding lengths of the shining material through it making a rug of some sort. Ahead are many other things, boys fletching arrows, carving out and stringing bows, pottery being shaped and placed into kilns, by the smell drifting to me someone was cooking somewhere and the loud sound of metal hitting metal way in the back suggested a blacksmith of some sort.

However none of this is what stopped me. Every person in the room, man, woman and child, has a beautiful pair of wings sprouting from their backs. The men and boys are shirtless with a pair of baggy light weight pants covering their lower halves, while the women are wearing a dress similar to mine. The back of it made to form a 't' which fits between the two wings then splits to continue over the shoulders as thin straps like a tank-top would have. There had to be hundreds maybe thousands of people in this room and not two pair of wings looked to be the same color. Where there were five sets of red wings at the sewing machines, none of the reds matched. One pair is a deep crimson, almost black, where another pair are practically pink but not quite. Each were made of a thin membrane of shimmering color on the inside however a two inch strip lined the outer edges from the top exit point to the bottom entrance point with feathers of varying sizes. They weren't shaped like angels or fairies or even butterflies wings, more like a mixture of all the above. And like the colors no two sets seemed to be the same.

So intent I am in studying the woman closest to me that I have failed to realize the room has grown eerily quiet. Following the curve of the woman's wing I stop when our eyes meet, hers the same crimson as her wings. Slowly I turn to take in that everyone in the room is now staring at me. I try to take a step back but run into something hard and unmoving. I whip around to find a solid male chest with arms crossed upon it. I follow his body up and up and up to meet violent violet eyes holding barely restrained rage.

"How did you get in here?" He spits out. The language he speaks isn't English but I have no problem understanding his words. His wings spread further out behind him almost as if they are snapping to attention. They are the same violet as his eyes however they are much less threatening than his glare. "I asked you a question mortal! How did you get in here?" He all but hollers out, his voice reverberating around the silent room.

"I don't know." I state calmly, a calm I'm surprised I'm able to portray as I am feeling anything but calm at the moment. Especially when my words come out in their language not mine. The use of the word mortal throws me but then again these winged people can be anything except human.

"Do not lie to me. Where did you come from?" He asks in a deceptively soft voice.

"I don't know. I woke up in a room, walked down a hall and here I am. You tell me how I got here because I am thoroughly confused." Antagonizing him wasn't the best idea in the world. His hand shoots up to grab my throat, I think I might be dead again soon. However he stops mere millimeters from my skin when someone grabs his shoulder. A strong scent of basil washes over me from the one who moved to stop him but I stand strong and unwavering as I search Violet's face to see if he would continue his action. He is a handsome man. His appearance put him maybe in his late teens, early twenties with a lean face, shoulder length straight dark hair and muscular frame that stood at least six and a half feet tall.

When he makes no further move to strangle me, nor remove his hand, I cut my eyes to the one who had stopped him. Metallic silver greets me and holds me prisoner immediately. I feel my breathing stop, my body tremble, my heart race and try as I might I couldn't look away. I hear a rumble go through the crowd and try to see what had disturbed them but still couldn't force my eyes from his.

' _Don't fight it. I won't hurt you, Masu.'_ A masculine voice flits through my head but didn't sound like it began outside of it. It didn't come in my ears but rattled inside my brain just like the blue eyed man's did at my death. Who or what Masu was I didn't know and didn't want to find out right now. With every bit of strength I possess I put all my efforts in shutting my eyes. If I could only break the contact with him he would let me go. When only a small sliver remains open I feel the link break causing me to stumble back a step. The crowd's noise behind me grows louder instantly as my body begins to function again. The tingle on my back is almost painful but I try to ignore it while under the scrutiny of so many people.

"Who are you?" The violet eyed man's voice is no longer angry but confused. I turn my head to him hoping it was safe to open my eyes again. Slowly, for safeties sake, I raise my lids and am happy to find I am still my own person.

"My name is Samantha. I think..." I mumble the last part not really meaning to say it aloud.

"Why do you not know if that is your name?" He asks in disbelief.

"All I can remember is dying and a man telling me something about it being time to fulfil my destiny then he called me by a name. I remember thinking it wasn't my name, Samantha was." He cocks his head at me his eyes growing large.

"What name did he call you?" His voice is once again soft with an underlying current to it.

"Evangelina." The room grows perfectly still then as one every winged person in the room hits the floor on their knees in a bow. Everyone except Violet and Silver, that is. They both remain standing however they do bow their heads. In a whisper I lean towards Violet, not willing to take a chance looking at Silver, and ask, "Why are they doing that?" He raises his head to meet my eyes.

"You are the prophesized one, the one who will save us from damnation, you will be our Queen." Too much. This was all too much for me to take in. First dying, the man with the blue glowing eyes, waking in the sterile room, the doors, the hallway, winged people, Violet, Silver and his hypnotizing stare, now I'm their Queen? With a small hysterical giggle I fall into unconsciousness but not before I feel a set of warm arms catch me.

### Chapter Two

"You told her what?!" An irate voice rouses me from unconsciousness. The clean smell makes me think we might be back in the first room however I keep my eyes closed, my breathing even, listening to them.

"I told her who she was." I think that was Violet's voice but wasn't sure.

"And what was it you said, exactly?" This voice I didn't know, it was deep and filled with anger, the same voice that woke me.

"You are the prophesized one, the one who will save us from damnation, you will be our Queen." An exasperated sigh can be heard, I think from the angry man.

"So much for easing her into this new role." He spits.

"You mean she didn't know?" Silver? I never heard him speak out loud but for some reason I know this is his voice. It's the same voice I heard in my head when he held me prisoner.

"No." The angry voice all but growls out.

"Then how did she leave the room?" Violet asks.

"Why don't we ask her? She is listening to us." My breathing catches as I open my eyes to meet Violet and a pair of blazing yellow eyes, I avoid Silver like the plaque. "Evangelina, I see you have decided to rejoin us." I sit up, once again on the hard mattress in the white room.

"My name is Samantha." I state boldly getting a growl from Yellow and a chuckle from Violet, Silver stays silent.

"Fine, for now we will call you Samantha." Yellow throws out but it was in no way friendly. When nothing else is said I sigh.

"Do you have names or do I keep referring to you as Violet, Silver and Yellow?" This time Violet and Silver both chuckle and even Yellow's face softens.

"I am called Xavier." Silver says with a deep bow that makes me blush then quickly look away before he can meet my eyes.

"I am Axel." Says Violet with a dip of his head.

"And you may call me Maddox." Adds Yellow grudgingly.

"Okay, Xavier, Axel and Maddox, will one of you please tell me what I am doing here?" All three shift uncomfortably but don't respond. "Okay then, who _will_ tell me?" I ask irritated.

"That would be your father." Xavier supplies with an elbow to the gut from Maddox.

"My what? I could have sworn you said father." I halfheartedly chuckle however when they fail to laugh with me I stop abruptly and search their faces. They weren't kidding. "And where is this father of mine? As I can't remember anything other than dying maybe he will tell me what's going on." Again they shuffle uncomfortably. "What?" I groan.

"We don't know where he is." Axel says quietly. "Can I ask how you left the room?" His eyes dart from me to Maddox and back. "You should not have been able to leave without one of us opening it for you."

"I don't really know. I was aggravated. I leaned against it and prayed for it to open, it did." Gasps spread throughout the room.

"Prayed how?" Maddox asks skeptically.

"I don't know. 'Please open' I guess. I didn't say a prayer like 'dear heavenly father please open this door'. Not pray like that, I guess beg is more the word." I shrug.

"Show me." Maddox says obviously not believing me. I hop down from the table, place my head and hands against it as I did before and this time I speak aloud.

"Please open." The door slides wide giving me an opening to leave. I turn back to their faces of pure shock. The tingling sensation on my back makes me reach behind me to scratch it. Axel's brow arches but he says nothing.

"And the Great Hall? How did you find it?" Maddox asks barely above a whisper.

"The Great Hall?" I point to the hallway. "That hall?" I ask.

"No, the room we found you in." Xavier supplies.

"Oh, I'm not sure exactly. I felt like I had been walking forever and I shouted something like 'where is the exit' the next thing I know a doorway...... like that." I say as a door shimmers into being blocking the hall right outside my door. Maddox stalks forward and opens the door to the same noises I heard before. He quickly shuts it then waves a hand before it speaking under his breath. It stays. He does it again and still it remains. He looks at me from the corner of his eye then back to the door. Another tingle causes my back to itch. Glancing at Axel shows his grin as I fight to hit the right spot.

"Tell it to leave." Maddox states.

"Leave." I say sarcastically. The door vanishes. The tingling becomes irritating.

"Amazing." Breathes Xavier.

"How is that amazing? How do you get it to come?" I ask as I take in their varied expressions from shock to disbelief to pride.

"We have a certain set of words that must be said to bring and dismiss it. Those you uttered weren't them." Maddox states with vehemence. He wasn't happy about this development. As I had no clue what was going on I really didn't care what he thought. Until someone gave me answers they weren't getting anymore from me.

"Are any of you going to tell me what's going on?" I ask again, once more the itch is gone.

"We don't know, Eva...Samantha. Not enough to tell you the truth of it. You must speak to your father. Unfortunately he's disappeared. We were gathering a party to go search for him when you showed up in the room. Would you like to accompany us?" Axel asks.

"I don't know if that's a very good idea. We will be leaving the safety of The Cloud; we'll be on the ground in the Deep with fewer defenses to protect her." Xavier pipes up. I shoot him a look but quickly lower my gaze before he can meet my eyes.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Asks Maddox in an irritating whine.

"Doing what?" I ask innocently.

"Avoiding looking at him. Do you not like the way he looks?" His voice is filled with humor however I don't find it amusing what he did to me in the Great Hall. Honestly I haven't given him enough of a look to tell you what he looked like. I was terrified of his gaze.

"No. Last time I looked at him he took over my body, held me prisoner. It won't happen again." I state with attitude.

"You did what?!" Maddox yells turning his burning gaze on Xavier.

"It wasn't my fault. You know how these things work, we have no choice. She broke the link before it finished." He mutters the last part like he was disappointed.

"By the stars you young people are going to be the death of me. And how in the heavens did she break the link, that's impossible." He growls out. Young people? He couldn't be more than twenty five himself. Tall and muscular, those yellow eyes shining like the sun matching his bright yellow wings and blonde hair.

"He's close to three hundred." Supplies Axel with a grin obviously reading my expression.

"Three hundred?!" Maddox waves my exclamation away as he is still glaring at Xavier.

"I don't know how but she did." He says weakly, almost as if it pains him to think of it.

"Why would you break the link, child?" Maddox asks very seriously turning to me.

"First I have no idea what you people are talking about, second all I did was shut my eyes. Someone please tell me what's going on!" I rant.

"What you experienced is a bond between Kindred's. The link basically pairs you together mentally and psychically, he is your other half." My jaw hits the floor so hard it could have cracked it.

"Whoa, um, no offense but I just arrived in this crazy world of yours and didn't ask for a Kindred. I didn't know I was denying or accepting anything. Does that mean every time I look at him it will do that prisoner thing again?" For the first time Maddox chuckles.

"That prisoner thing only lasts for a few short moments before it is over. I suggest you finish the bond. If it began, then it will continue trying till it has finished the process. If you came upon trouble in your search for your father and happened to look at him in the middle of battle all would be lost. You only have one Kindred, child." The seriousness of that statement weighs on me. Half of me wants to jump on the idea and finish the bond immediately. The other half recoils shaking her head and waving her hands around flat out refusing the idea. Then somewhere in the back of my brain is the merest of whisper telling me to wait, it wasn't time yet.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep my free will till I at least talk to this man you call my father. Until I get some kind of answers I'm not bonding to anyone! No offense meant to you Xavier but this is not my custom, I hope you understand." He bows low to me keeping his eyes averted but I can see the disappointment in his body language.

"Very well. Let me find you proper traveling clothes, you can't wear a dress into the Deep." Maddox leaves the room as I eye the boys.

"The Deep?" I ask curiously.

"The land below the clouds is called the Deep. It will be a treacherous journey to where we believe your father was taken but I believe you will handle it well." A crooked grin slides up Axels face as he excuses himself leaving me alone with Xavier.

"We would be stronger if we let the connection happen." He says quietly, his toned body rigid, fists clenched.

"Xavier, seriously I am not trying to hurt your feelings or discount your culture but I am not ready for a Kindred mate or spirit or whatever you call it. I don't know where I am or how I got here. I don't know what you people are or what I am even. Am I still human or am I now one of you people? Why am I here? What does it all mean and why did I have to die to get here?" With each question I throw at him he flinches away from me. "I don't mean to be rude or whatever but I am confused. Can you give me time to work this out first?" He nods, bows and leaves the room.

Oh, holy moley! We better find my supposed 'father' quickly before I lose my ever loving mind! Kindred spirit! Yeah right! Not in this lifetime.

### Chapter Three

Sometime later Xavier returns with a set of clothes and two plates of delicious smelling but strange looking food. He also brought along a blanket which he spreads over the floor essentially making a picnic for us to eat. I hesitantly join him but he shows no sign he noticed my awkwardness. There are brightly colored squares on the plate of varying sizes, colors and textures reminding me of building blocks a child would play with. The ones that had the A-B-C's on them and pictures of things that began with that letter. A soft chuckle pulls my gaze away from the strange cubes to meet his chin; I didn't dare look at his eyes. He picks up a red cube and pops it into his mouth.

"It's only food. I promise there is nothing wrong with it, try it." He says softly. Tentatively I pick up a bright pink, one inch square and take a small bite. My eyes grow big at the delicious flavor that bursts into my mouth. With a taste similar to a pomegranate but sweeter, it's juicy, succulent and nothing like I expected. "See, it's good." He says as he pops another, deep blue this time, in his mouth.

"You're right. But what is it?" I ask curiously as I examine the cube. By the texture it should be grainy and dry but it is far from it.

"Food." He answers matter of factly making me roll my eyes. We eat in silence for a few minutes as I try several of the different colored cubes. Each color having a different fruity flavor.

"Xavier, can you at least tell me where I am?" I ask quietly, positive he won't answer me.

"Sorry but I have been forbidden to do so by the Elders. I can tell you that you are not in danger from us. We would not let harm befall you even at the risk of our own lives." I stare at him with my mouth hanging open. He keeps his eyes averted from me and I thank him mentally for giving me what I asked for, time. For the first time I take in his sharp features and rugged looks. His sandy blonde hair hangs past his shoulder in soft waves, his bare shoulders are broad, his chest muscular. When he had been standing beside me he had to be at least six foot two or three. He was very intimidating to my petite five foot.

"But you don't know me, why would you or anyone else put yourselves at risk for me?" I ask astounded by his words.

"Because you will play an important role in all our lives. That's all I can say, Samantha. Please let it go for now." With a sigh I nod. Getting answers out of these people was exhausting. I continue picking at my food for a few minutes then search for something to drink. He hadn't brought anything but the cubes with him. I close my eyes and wish I had a cool glass of ice water. I can practically feel it in my hand, the sides of the glass wet with condensation from the cold liquid inside. The clink of the ice as it floats in the glass. Oh what I would do for one drink of that thirst quenching water. A small gasp makes me open my eyes.

"How?" Xavier asks staring at my hand. I look down to see the same glass I had just been imagining. Hesitantly I stick my finger in the liquid then taste it, just water. Smiling I tip the glass and down half the continents with a satisfied moan. "Samantha? How did you do that?" I shrug as I sit it down in front of me.

"I wanted a glass of water." I say as if that explained it. Honestly inside I was a nervous wreck, how did I do that? It was just like the doors, I wanted it to happen and it did.

"What's wrong with your back? You were doing that earlier to." He asks. I pause only then realizing I was straining to scratch the tingly spot once more.

"Just itches." I reply with a shrug. He quirks a brow at me as the door opens behind him and Axel strides in.

"You aren't dressed Samantha. We need to get going in the next few minutes; it's a long descent to the Deep. Come on Xavier, let her change." Eyeing me suspiciously Xavier rises, picks up the blanket and remnants of our food, along with the glass of water which he wraps the blanket around hiding it, then leaves with Axel. "Be back in five minutes." Axel throws over his shoulder as they exit.

I grab the clothes Xavier had brought with him and hold them up. They are huge! I carefully remove the dress then pull on the pants that are ten sizes too big, tying them at the waist. I pull the shirt over my head securing the tie at the neck and arms. The slit in the front hangs almost to my navel showing more of my body than has ever been displayed. Not that I remember it but by the way I'm very uncomfortable with this I'm sure I would never display myself in this way. I tug at the dark brown material aggravated before cinching the sash around my waist. As soon as my hands drop the clothes begin to shrink, dwindling down to almost adhere to my curves perfectly. The once balloon sized pants were now snug yet comfortable, the shirt was still slightly baggy yet not overly so, the slit barely showing any skin, the sleeves were now tight at the wrists, loose going up then coming in for a snugger fit at the shoulders.

Standing perfectly still, I wait to see if they were going to continue to the point of strangling me or if they had in fact stopped. That's how Axel found me. Scared out of my mind and shaking.

"What's wrong?" He asks immediately, concern lacing his voice.

"Are they going to suffocate me?" I whisper while never taking my eyes from the clothes. His deep laugh pulls me to him.

"No, they won't. Sorry, we should have warned you. They will adjust to fit any person who puts them on. A little Phranoy magic." His eyes twinkle at my discomfort.

"Phranoy?" I ask finally relaxing with the knowledge my clothes weren't trying to kill me.

"We are Phranoy but I didn't tell you that." He winks at me then motions me to follow him. "Pull your hair back so the wind won't throw it in Xavier's face." He hands me an object similar to a ponytail holder and I quickly pull my long red hair back in a braid down my back.

"This work?" He nods. "Why would my hair get in his face?"

"We will be flying." He says it matter of factly as if I should know this.

"In a plane?" His boisterous laugh was not what I expected. He unfurls his massive violet wings behind him with a grin.

"We don't need planes, Sam." A little embarrassed I nod. "How come you don't remember your life but yet you know what a plane is?"

"I don't know. I know about earthly things but not in tandem with my life. Like a plane, I know what it is but have no clue if I have been on one. I know the pink cube tasted like a pomegranate but don't know if I've ever ate one. Does that make sense?" I cock my head at him studying his intense look.

"I believe so." He stops abruptly and turns towards the blank white wall. With a small chuckle he backs up and points at it. "Can you open it?"

"Open what?" I ask searching the nondescript wall, there isn't any indication that there is anything behind it or that it opens in any way.

"Trust me, there is a door here." With a shrug I step up and lay a hand on the wall. Closing my eyes I imagine a doorway in front of me then ask silently for it to open. It does. He looks over my shoulder then shoves me through with a laugh. "Amazing." He whispers as I try to ignore the tingling once more. I had no clue what it was but it seemed to only happen when I did something like open the door or when I made the water appear.

Through the door is more of the white walls and flooring however the far facing wall is nonexistent, it's more an opening with large columns from floor to ceiling instead of a wall, more of a balcony. A misty white flows by with intermittent glimpses of deep purple behind it. I would love to step up and look out over the sky, for that's what I'm sure it is, however there isn't a hand rail or half wall or anything keeping a person from falling out of the room. It would be very easy to fall from the edge with the gusts of wind that are swirling around from the opening.

Staying close to the inner wall I make my way to where Xavier's back is to me while he talks to Maddox. When Maddox glances over his shoulder Xavier turns to see me coming, a small smile spreading over his lips. Flicking my eyes to his I notice the dark pair of glasses he is wearing and arch my brow at him.

"We need to try something before we leave. I want you to meet my eyes to see if the glasses will stop the bond from trying to form. Maddox was right, if we get into battle and our eyes meet one or both of us will be in danger." I shake my head and take a step back.

"But.... What if it doesn't work, what if I can't stop it this time?" I plead, panic of being tied to this stranger forever simmering just under the surface clawing to get out.

"Better now than in the heat of battle, Sam. You stopped it once; you should be able to do it again." He doesn't sound to convincing and I wonder if this is a trick to finish the bond. However he is right, I couldn't live with myself if he was hurt because I was being stubborn about this.

"Fine." I say defeated as I step up to him. With a deep breath I raise my eyes to his. A small tug in the back of my head is all I feel at first then a feeling of disappointment, rejection, and finally acceptance washes over me. Blinking I break the contact with him easily and the feelings disappear instantly, my own emotions taking back over me. "What was that?" I ask on a hushed whisper trying to ignore the annoying tingle on my back.

"The bond is partially formed." Maddox supplies beside us. I turn to him but he doesn't elaborate.

"And?" I ask irritated.

"And what you felt were his emotions as he felt yours. They were merely a whisper of what you would feel if the bond were complete but still they can be intense. The glasses kept the bond from trying to finish but enhanced what has already been established. Eventually Samantha, you will have to finish this, it has already begun." He says soothingly. I take a step back from him thinking he would reach up and remove the glasses from Xavier's face to force me to finish it but Xavier's hand on my wrist stops me.

"You are confused, afraid and in some ways scared of me and this bond? Am I right?" His features have softened, his touch gentle as if he finally understood. If he was feeling me like I was feeling him maybe he did. I nod hesitantly. "I will not force this on you, Sam, I will not trick you into it, but as Maddox says it will have to be completed. With that being said I can wait for you to feel more comfortable here and to realize you do not have to fear me. I would never hurt you." I glance up to his eyes once more and instantly his emotions overwhelm me. Honesty and sincerity radiates through my entire being for a split second before I break the connection.

"Thank you." I say quietly to which he only nods. The tingle in my back draws my attention forcing me to finally awkwardly scratch at it.

"Okay enough of all this heavy emotion crap. Let us fly!" Axel cries as he takes two giant steps and leaps into the open area quickly disappearing from sight. I gasp and run towards the edge but Xavier stops me by tightening his grip and laughing.

"I am going to wrap my arms around your waist to hold you to me. Do not be scared." He steps behind me quickly, not giving me time to argue, wraps me in his embrace then follows Axel over the edge. My scream rushes past us as we free fall through the clouds. Instinctively I clasp my fingers over his arms pushing his grip tighter to me to insure he doesn't drop me. His feet snake around my ankles, twisting our legs together before he locks his knees holding my legs prisoner with his straight out behind us.

My fear is palpable as we continue to free fall for what seems like hours but I'm sure is only minutes then all of a sudden we are jerked backwards for a second before we begin to glide. Turning my head I see his massive silver wings spread out behind us, the feathers around the edges fluttering in the strong winds. My breathing is ragged, my heart racing, my fear a living thing as I search for any signs we are going to smash into the ground. The only thing visible for miles in any direction is clouds and the deep purple sky.

"You must relax, Sam. It is a very long flight and if you keep this up you will pass out from fear long before we near the Deep." Xavier's voice reaches me over the rushing of wind but does nothing to dispel my terror. "Can we try something?" He asks cautiously. I can't answer for the fear has complete and total control over my shaking body. "Think back to up there on the balcony. Picture my eyes behind the glasses, feel me, Sam, feel my emotions."

I close my eyes and try to do as he says. Slowly the blurred image of his face comes to me. I put everything I have in sharpening it to be able see him the way he was not long ago, looking at me through the heavily tinted lenses of the glasses. As the picture becomes clearer a deep calm settles over me, my body stops trembling as the confidence I'm feeling begins to relax every muscle. Before long I feel myself loosen then let go completely of his wrists. I spread my arms wide as if I myself were the one flying, the wind upon my face a soothing balm, the freshness of the air calming in itself, making me breathe deep slow breaths. A deep chuckle and the irritating tingle in my back pull me from the image. Instantly the terror grips me again causing me to grab ahold of him for dear life.

"Whoa, easy. Did you feel anywhere in there that I might drop you? That I wasn't confident in my ability to get you down from here without hurting you?" He asks as his grip tightens to my squirming.

"No." I whisper sure he wouldn't hear me.

"Then trust me, Samantha. I have made this flight many times. When we reach the halfway point Axel will take you from there so I don't tire to the point of losing you. We will get you down, I promise." His effortless confidence in himself and the fact I felt how well he handled this through our connection slowly calms my nerves minutely as we glide farther and farther away from where we left. The terror is still there however I try to bite it back, to be strong. I'm not sure the shaking of my body portrays that image though.

A few hours into the flight my back is tingling to the point of pain causing me to squirm constantly in his arms. With my back pressed firmly against his front there is no way to reach the spot to itch it or even try to rub it to soothe away the agony it was beginning to cause me. My nerves had all but left, a constant calming aura surrounds me keeping me relaxed in his arms. However why the tingling had returned when I wasn't using any kind of magic or whatever it was that had caused it before was confusing me. I was sure I wasn't purposely drawing his emotions to me like at the beginning so why would it not go away?

"What is wrong?" His voice holds concern and worry as he finally questions my squirming.

"It's my back. I can't reach to itch it and it's beginning to hurt." I reply to him as I struggle more against him.

"Hold still for a moment." Hearing the seriousness behind his words I freeze. He tightens his grip with his right arm, snaking it around to span my entire waist, then with his left he lets go causing my breath to catch. Slowly he threads his hand between us till he hits the spot where my body tenses in response. He rubs it soothingly for several minutes till I yell up at him that it is better. Carefully, as not to upset our balance he removes his hand and once again secures it around my waist.

"Thank you." I whisper to him.

"You're welcome." Came the reply I didn't expect. How can he hear me with the wind whipping around us like it was? Knowing he wouldn't answer the question I hold my tongue as my eyes begin to droop. All of a sudden I was extremely tired, so tired that even though I was still terrified he was going to drop me I drift off to sleep.

### Chapter Four

"Samantha?" Xavier's voice calls to me but I am unable to move or respond to him. My eyes feel like they are glued shut and refuse to open. "We are landing at the halfway point, wake up, Sam." Again I try to respond but nothing happens. I feel his legs move, releasing mine from their hold to let them dangle freely in front of us. His grip changes as he maneuvers me to the point he is holding me with an arm under my legs and another across my back. The pressure his arm applies across my back makes me scream in my head with the pain. If I could move I would have jerked away from him.

"Whoa. What was that?" Xavier's confused voice comes to me as we stumble making the pain radiate through my entire being. Once again I scream silently inside my head. "Axel, did you hear that?" His voice shakes a bit as he lays me down on a hard surface. My back in agonizing pain from the floor's pressure.

"Hear what?" Comes Axel's voice from somewhere to my right.

"Sounded like a scream but it was very faint. Guess I am hearing things." He sighs as a crunching sound can be heard beside where I am. Did he hear me scream? Is this part of the connection? I try again to force my eyes open but it's no use, I am trapped in here.

"She sleeps soundly doesn't she?" The humor in Axel's voice is not missed.

"Yeah. I might have relaxed her too much." He chuckles.

"Relaxed her?" Axel asks confused.

"She was terrified from the moment we jumped. I used the little bit of bond there is to calm her. Once I got her to open the connection it was easy to send the emotions to her while we flew." What? He had been calming me the entire time? Is that why my back hurt so badly? I wasn't the one using the magic, it was him.

"Did she know?" Comes Axel's disapproving reply.

"The first time, yes. The rest, no. She was just so scared. I could feel it radiating from her. My skin began to crawl with sensations of fear and death the more we flew to the point it was affecting me. I had to do something to calm her down before I fell out of the sky and killed both of us." He sighs.

"And how do you expect me to carry her when I can't calm her like you can?" He asks irritated.

"I was hoping by the time we landed she would have gotten over it enough for you to take over."

"And if she hasn't?" He bites out.

"I don't know. I stay close enough to connect with her?" Axel doesn't reply to that only a small growl sounds before silence settles over the area. There is a small lull in the conversation as something rattles from Axel's direction.

"Can you believe she is finally here? All the stories we have heard through the years, the belief it was only a myth, and yet there she lies right before our eyes." Axel states with a touch of awe in his tone.

"She is nothing like I expected. When the prophecy stated she would be half human and half Phranoy I had expected more of our traits. I mean she is beautiful, don't get me wrong. The long flaming hair, slender and petite. However the dull blue of her eyes surprised me most. You would think they would be brighter with her heritage." My eyes weren't dull! They were bluer than anyone I knew; they were actually oddly bright for a human. Again I try to force my eyes open to yell at him for dismissing me in such a way but am unable to do so.

"Do you think the prophecy is correct? Will she be able to save us? She seems so.....small. I mean our women stand over six feet, she is what? Barely five?" Axel's laugh ratchets my temper even further up.

"I know. I was afraid I would break her if I held her too tightly on the way down." Both men chuckle as I steam. Suddenly a massive wave of pain rips through my back causing me to cry out mentally.

Xavier! Help me!

"Sam?" I hear him move then his hands are on my face pushing away my hair. "Sam? Was that you?"

"What's wrong?" Axel's asks from somewhere closer now.

"I don't know. I heard her call for me to help her. Sam, how can I help you?" He pleads.

_It hurts!_ I scream in my head.

"What hurts?" His volume is rising as I force my emotions to consume him. "Bloody hell. Her back, I can feel her pain in her back. I am going to sit you up. Forgive me." Slowly he pulls me into a sitting position as I scream with the movement. I feel the back of my shirt lift then two gasps fill the room.

"Wings?" Axel asks quietly as if he didn't want to disturb my silent hell.

"Not yet. They are only small nubs at the moment. The pain she felt must have been them breaking through the skin, it's bleeding, ragged and raw around them. We need to bandage it in some way to keep dirt out of the open wounds. Hold on Sam." Like I could do anything else. I could feel my body shaking but had no control over it. I was conscious but unable to communicate other than through our bond which made the pain pulsate violently. Xavier's hand cups my face tenderly his thumb running over my cheek trying to comfort me.

I can hear ripping as Axel tears something to bandage my wounds with while Xavier holds me close to him murmuring in my ear. I can't make out most of his words through the fog of pain but I know they are meant to sooth me. When a rush of calm washes over me the tingling resumes once more then begins to pulse in pain.

_Stop!_ I shout as my body begins to shake once more. Instantly the feeling is gone and the pain subsides. _Makes it worse. Don't use connection._ I have no clue if he can only hear me if I shout but to make sure I scream the words as loud as I can.

"Okay. I'm sorry; I was only trying to help." He whispers to me as his hand cups my face. I knew he was, even with the flight I realize that is all he was doing, but for some reason it was what made this happen. I don't know how I knew that but I did. It seemed like every time I used the magic or our connection my back tingled, the more I used it the more the tingle turned to pain. Now I knew why, sort of. I was growing wings? How was that even possible? What had they said about the prophecy? I was half human and half Phranoy. Was being here bringing out the Phranoy traits? Or was the magic causing it to happen? Either way, I wanted it to stop.

"We will have to wrap this around you to properly cover your back, I promise we will not look." Xavier's voice brings me from my thoughts as something slips under my shirt stopping just below my breasts before it is snugged tight then encircles my back, front, then back again. Once they reach the side a knot is tied then my shirt lowered. Very carefully they reposition me to where I'm lying on my stomach with my head in, I think, Xavier's lap. I was very grateful for the respect they showed by not lifting the shirt higher than necessary. I had no choice but live with the pain right now, but the humiliation of them looking at me naked, no that would be too much.

"How long before we can move her? We can't stay here, Xavier." Axel's words come from farther away this time confirming I was lying on Xavier.

"I know, but how can she fly like this?" His fingers tangle in my hair as he gently rubs my head.

"If we bind her hands at the wrists I can slip them over my neck, holding her front to mine. That way I won't put pressure on her back and if by some chance they continue to form, if they extend they won't hit resistance. Which I don't think they will, by the way."

"If they do while you are in flight it could not only knock you off balance but break her wings, Axel. Do you really want to chance that?" His concern was evident.

"It has been six hours since we left The Cloud. If that's all that has come through in that time surely the rest won't happen in the next four before we reach the Deep."

"Four? We still have six, Axel."

"Not if we land in the peaks of the Walla Mountains. It's four to the upper most peak." I hear a sigh from above me.

"You know those are the deadliest mountains you could have picked, right?"

"Yes, but the closest to us and our goal. If the Ranoy have the King then he will be on the other side of those mountains in the Sands of Desperation. We can land at the top, let her recuperate a day or so then head to their last known headquarters there."

"Fine. Let's get it done then. The sooner we get her on the ground, the better." I hear another rip of fabric then I am sat up carefully. My hands are bound together then slid over Axel's neck. Slowly he stands with Xavier's hands on my waist holding my weight off my arms. When we are standing upright Axel wraps his arms around me firmly, securing me to him.

"Sam, I hope you can hear me. It is very important you stay calm for me. In this position much can happen to hurt us both. If you can't do that Xavier will have to calm you through the bond." He speaks softly but firmly conveying he was serious.

"No I won't. She said using the bond made the pain worse. She will have to stay calm." Xavier cuts him off with a measure of restraint in his voice, like he would like nothing more than use the bond. "Do you understand me, Sam?" As the pain has resided I try once more to open my eyes and to my surprise they pop open without much of a fight. I catch Axel's gaze and move my eyes up and down for a yes.

"Hey there. Can you move anything else?" He asks with a smile. I try but nothing else responds to my commands. I move my eyes side to side making him sigh. "Okay. Hang in there, we'll be down soon." With that Axel takes two giant steps and launches himself off the rocks. We free fall head first making my heart race once more, but I try to keep as calm as I can. Since I can't move my squirming isn't a problem for him.

"It's going to feel like we are falling for a little while. We need to reach the peaks of the Walla Mountains before nightfall or we will never be able to land safely. I am going to speed us up by not using my wings for some time. Don't worry, I've made this journey in its entirety with only opening my wings to land." His reassurance helps but not enough. I don't know if I was scared of heights before but I was almost positive I would be now.

"So, Sam. You could hear us talking, huh?" I move my eyes to indicate yes. "Technically we are not allowed to tell you anything till you talk to your father, however beings we are going into the Deep I feel you need to know a few things. Things that could mean life or death for you or us. Can I have your word this conversation stays between us?" Again I move my eyes. "First off there are three breeds in the land of Da-Nigh, which is where you are, by the way. The Phranoy, us, live to protect the Drumon from the Ranoy. Drumon are the original species of this land, like your humans, they were here first. You will know them immediately as they look very human-like only larger than any human you have probably seen. Six foot is short for them. You would be considered tiny." He chuckles as he rolls us to the side then flattens back out.

"Many hundreds of years ago our ancestors settled on this land, we helped the Drumon's live peaceful lives. Helped them in ways they had never thought possible, from teaching them how to farm, build, procure lumber, raise animals for food and transportation and so on. We helped the land grow and flourish for them. We were essentially their Gods. After several years a few Phranoy decided they were better than the Drumon's and began killing them. Well this was unheard of for us. We are a peaceful, good breed that spread love not hate. The King at the time cursed the ones that had done such a deplorable act. They became known as Ranoy. You with me so far?" A slight nod escapes me.

"Good, you're beginning to move again. Shouldn't be too long now. Anyway, the curse goes that if a Phranoy kills even one innocent being they will turn into a Ranoy. The Ranoy are frightening to look at, now I don't tell you this to scare you but to warn you ahead of time. If you know what they are, then you will be less likely to run screaming or faint dead away." I furrow my brow at him and he chuckles. "I'm not making fun because you are a woman, they truly are ugly beasts. As soon as they kill an innocent they begin to change. The beautiful colors they once were fade to greys and blacks and their skin turns the color of ash, their wings curl inward and become matted with fur making them unable to fly, their hands elongate, the fingers turning into claws, jagged sharp teeth replace the old ones and the most disturbing thing is their jaws unhinge like a snakes making them able to swallow small animals, even infants and toddlers whole." A shutter runs through my body at his description of the frightening creatures. How could they once be the beautiful breed before me?

"Now each of the Phranoy have gifts. Take Xavier for example, he is death incarnate with any weapon. Even if he has never before used the weapon he can pick it up and master it in a few short seconds. He has the gift of speed and the skill of any war hardened veteran although he is barely a hundred." A chocked gasp escapes me with this knowledge. How could that teenager be a hundred? I would have barely put him at eighteen. Axel bursts out with a full belly laugh at my reaction. "Yes, he just turned one hundred, a baby in our world. I'm no better at one hundred and two." My eyes grow large and my mouth pops open of its own accord. Impossible!

"He also can manipulate the wind, although he hasn't perfected it so of course he won't use it unless it is a dire situation. I on the other hand can control water, use most weapons, but not like Xavier does, and have been able to control earth when necessary but it usually knocks me on my butt for a short time afterwards. Other talents besides weapons, air, earth and water are fire, telepathy or moving objects with your mind from one place to another, though that is rare, conjuring, calling something from mid-air, also rare. Then there are two things no one has been able to do for hundreds of years. The first is syphoning, pulling energy from your surroundings to aid you in your task, or at least that's how it's explained, no one remembers exactly. Then there is warping, bending the magic of this world to do your biding. In other words, and again this is a guess as no one can do it now, pulling the magic that makes another able to control the wind to the caster then the caster uses that magic to perform other magic's. Now I use the word magic loosely here because I believe that is how you would best understand the description. There are more talents to numerous or inconsequential to mention or ones that have gone extinct through the years, these are the most popular. The most often seen among us." He glances down at me to see if I'm following. Taking a chance on my voice I try to ask a question.

"And all Phranoy have these talents?" He nods. "Then what happens to them when they turn into a Ranoy? Do they keep them?" He smiles slightly.

"So you are following along, good. No they don't. However the Ranoy are fast, insanely so, but they keep no other skill than that. They do keep their intelligence only it is slowed and dulled down so they usually don't rely on it, only action. That doesn't mean they can't plan an ambush or a King-napping, it would just take them longer to plan it than it would us."

"And the Drumon live in the Deep?"

"Yes. The Phranoy mainly stay to the clouds. The building you woke in is actually named The Cloud. It was the first building our ancestors built upon coming here. Now there are several hundred built up there but that one remains the hub of operations. It is also where the royalty live, your father, the King, that is." He gives me a minute to let that sink in. I had heard them refer to the King more than once but hadn't actually put those two things together in my head. The King was my father, oh boy!

"I see you hadn't worked that out yet?" I shake my head. "It's okay, you aren't supposed to know that yet. Shhhh." He gives me a wink as his violet wings finally unfurl behind him slowing us to a glide. "Should only be an hour or so now before the peaks are in sight. Back to the Drumon's and Ranoy. As I said we live in the clouds and the Drumon live in the hospitable parts of the Deep. When the Ranoy first came into being they destroyed whole towns, killing many innocents. Anywhere the blood of the innocent was spilt the land became unfertile and harsh. Before this happened there wasn't anywhere in the Deep you couldn't go that wasn't lush and green and flat. The Mountains rose from the deaths of many innocents, the deserts spread for miles for the same reason. There are now desolate forests with hardly a living thing in them because the Ranoy chased Drumon by the herds into their once thriving depths and killed them. So yes, the Drumon still live in the deep but only in select areas and there are entirely too few innocents left." His voice was so sad, I could hear and see in his eyes how it pained him that these people had been slaughtered.

"Let me guess, the Ranoy live in the desolate areas they made with the deaths of innocents." His quick smile proves I'm right.

"You got it. Now unfortunately that's all I am going to be able to tell you for now but hopefully it will help with some of the confusion."

"Can I ask one question? If you can't answer it then I will try to understand." He quirks a brow at me prompting me to continue. "If you know you are going to face these Ranoy to get back my father then why am I, a person of no use to you, being brought along to put you in more danger?" His deep rich laugh was not what I had expected, but Axel has yet to do what I expected.

"Because the prophecy states you will be instrumental in getting him back. If you don't go, he will die." Well, that's a pretty good reason.

### Chapter Five

The Walla Mountains came into view just over an hour later. If he hadn't told me how they had come to be I would have said they were breathtakingly gorgeous. However knowing the story of how people had to die to make these mountains what they were, the beauty was now muted. Large rocky peaks shot from the barren grounds for hundreds upon hundreds of miles into the deep purple, now almost onyx sky. Like a shadow of a monstrous creature they stood out against the clouds warning anyone who dared look at them they were nothing but trouble. With that thought first and foremost in my mind we landed on the upper most peak. Not a gratifying thing to do.

Although my movements and strength had returned the boys made me stay seated while they unloaded a bag I had not realized they had brought. When I questioned them they explained the person who did not have me, had the bag. While they set up a small tent and pull out some of the strange food cubes I concentrate on a cool glass of water. The long flight and pain had left my lips cracked and my mouth parched.

Doing as I had before I close my eyes and imagine the glass in my hand, the condensation dripping from the outer lip caused by the cool ice water. A heaviness in my hand makes me smile. When I open my eyes it is there exactly as I had envisioned. Taking a long drink, I sigh with contentment till my back flares in pain.

"Ahhhh!" I drop the cup and reach for my back as footsteps come from the other side of me.

"What is wrong?" A rustle at my feet makes me open my eyes to see Axel examining the cup, unfortunately the water had spilt out on the ground. "What is this made of?" He asks curiously looking at the cup.

"She did that in the room also. It just appeared in her hand then she drank out of it." Xavier grins at me as Axel looks at the cup skeptically. It is then I realize he didn't know what a cup was.

"It's a plastic cup. What do you drink out of?" I ask just as skeptical as him. He stands and returns to where he was retrieving our evening meal then returns with a light blue cube which he hands to me. I take it with some hesitancy. "I said drink, not eat." He laughs at me.

"Put the whole thing in your mouth, Sam." Shrugging my shoulders I do as I'm bid. To my surprise as soon as it hits my tongue it bursts into liquid quenching my thirst properly for the first time since I arrived here.

"Amazing!" I exclaim as I stare at them both. "Why didn't you tell me that in the room?" I turn to Xavier who has turned a little pink.

"I was too fascinated with your cup and how it came to be there." He glances at Axel who glances at me.

"Can you do it again? Maybe with something else?" Axel asks.

"I don't know, every time I do, it makes my back hurt. I think the magic is what is making the wings grow." They look at me dumbfounded.

"You bring something else and I will watch your back, I have seen you do it, Axel hasn't." Xavier suggests although I give him a dubious look. "The only way to know is to try it."

"Fine." I say with a sigh. "Another cup?" I ask as I look to Axel.

"We know you can do that, try something else. A bow or a sword?" I give him a funny look.

"I have to know the object well enough to focus on it, like the glass of water. Hold on, I know something." Picturing what I want in my head I see the bristles, the handle, the back forming to hold the bristles in place. When my hand becomes heavy I open my eyes to see the hairbrush I'm holding, then the pain hits. "Ahhhh!" A gasp from behind me at the same time confirms my suspicions; they were growing with the magic.

"You were right, they grew." He lowers the bandage back over my nubs then comes to see what is in my hand. "What is that?" I chuckle now that the pain subsided.

"A brush." I clarify before I undue my braid and run the brush through my hair. The boys break into laughter then leave and return with our food. "So Axel, would that be conjuring?" I ask as I shove a red cube in my mouth, apple, yummy. I don't miss the stern look Xavier shoots to Axel before he answers.

"Yes, Sam. That was conjuring. Would you like to try another?" I raise my brow as I slip a yellow cube in my mouth, banana this time. Did all of them taste like fruits? If so this could get boring, fast.

"Like what?" He cuts a look to Xavier then back to me.

"Call the wind Xavier. Show her how it's done." He says quietly.

"You weren't supposed to tell her anything." He argues.

"And have her killed at the first Ranoy attack? No, better she is informed a little and live, than die because she isn't. If she has skills other than conjuring, she will need them where we are going. Now show her." Xavier frowns but doesn't argue more.

His eyes close and he sits silently for a few moments not moving. I'm about to ask Axel if he was okay when the wind begins to pick up speed above us. It wasn't low enough it messed with us or the tent but it was still kicking pretty hard above us. Then as sudden as it came it was gone. Xavier opens his eyes then continues eating without a word.

"Okay, so how do you do it? When I conjure I think of the object I want, is it the same?" I ask with genuine curiosity. He shakes his head but stays silent.

"Oh come on, Xavier." Axel punches him playfully on the arm but still he doesn't talk. "Fine, when I call the water to me I do as you are saying, in a way. I see the water coming up and out of the lake or pond or wherever, in my mind first then I give a verbal command to rise, when it does I imagine the rest of what I want before speaking the words aloud and it obeys." Grabbing my cup he hands it to me. "Can you fill it up?" With a sigh I do as he asks knowing it was going to hurt, but if I was going to learn then it would all hurt. Might as well get used to it. With a though the cup fills with water. He gives me a minute for the pain to pass then instructs me to watch.

He holds a finger a few inches above the cup then begins to swirl it, the water in the cup obeys making a mini-whirlpool. The higher he drags his finger the higher the water rises from the cup till he has every last drop spinning above the top. Then slowly he lowers it back down and stops his motion, stopping the spin. The entire time he is mumbling the actions he wants the water to obey.

"Now you try it." He hands me the cup as I look at him skeptically. Repeating his actions I do exactly as he did, moving my finger and mumbling words, nothing happens. Again and again I try but nothing happens. Aggravated I am about to throw the cup when Xavier's voice breaks through my anger.

"So far you have done nothing like us. Try doing it your way"

"And what way is that?" I bite out.

"Whatever feels right." I glance to him in time to see his small smile before it fades.

"Fine." Closing my eyes I think about what he said. 'Whatever feels right'. An image of the cup comes to me and I go with it. Moving my view to where I am looking at the water within, I imagine it spinning, slowly at first then faster. Once my imaginary water is moving I gradually lift it from the cup, higher and higher and higher.

"Open your eyes, Sam." Xavier whispers. I let them flit open to see a water tornado spinning three feet above the cup just as I had imagined it. In my excitement I squeal out a laugh breaking my concentration and the water immediately breaks apart falling in my lap, drenching me. Then the pain hits. I bite my lip and try to hold in the groan as it feels like my back is being ripped open again. My breathing grows ragged and stars dance behind my eyes before it dissipates into nothingness. My bandage is now so tight around my chest it is restricting my breathing instead of the pain doing it. I try to tug at it but that only makes it hurt worse.

My eyes flit to the guys but they are only watching in shock as I grapple with it. Finally I find my voice and beg for help. "Too tight, can't breathe." Snapping to attention, realization hitting them, they both jump up and come to my aid. Axel unties the knot while Xavier repositions the bandage but not before taking a look.

"Wow. They were only protruding about an inch from your skin, now they are almost four. That must have required some serious effort on your part." He then covers them and secures the cloth.

"She is new at this. Where it takes nothing from me to do it, it takes a lot from her." Axel surmises.

"Yeah well whatever it takes, I'm done for tonight. I can't keep my eyes open again." I say as I fight to keep them from shutting. "This is how I felt right before you couldn't wake me last time. If that happens again please do not use the connection unless you have to. It does the same thing the water did, makes it hurt." I say while eyeing Xavier's chest. It was a nice chest and if I couldn't look at his eyes then it was a wonderful place to look. A chuckle from Axel draws my eyes to him as I fight a wave of dizziness. "What?" I mumble.

"Oh, nothing." But the look that he gives Xavier says it's something. "Xavier, get her to bed." His grin is breathtaking as he teases his friend. I feel Xavier slip his arms around me but I'm too far gone to care at this point so I rest my hand on his chest to feel his rippling muscles tighten under my touch, heaven. I smile and let him lead me stumbling to the tent. It was small, not even five by five; however once we step through the door it seems much bigger. Three bedrolls were laid out on the ground and Xavier leads me to the furthest from the door before he helps me down. As I was still wet from the water I try to ask him about a change of clothes but once again my voice wouldn't work. As soon as my body hit the bedroll neither would it. Deciding it wasn't worth the pain of using the connection to ask about trying to change them I ignore it while Xavier pulls the covers over me and tucks me in. I am out before he stands back up.

****

Mumbled voices outside the tent draw me from a deep sleep. The need to pee pulls me from my bedroll. Delighted to find my body responds to commands I stumble out of the tent and make for a huge boulder a short ways away. Footsteps behind me make me pause to look over my shoulder where I see Xavier following me.

"Go back to camp. I'm only going right there." I point to the boulder however he shakes his head and stays with me. "Xavier." I sigh, I didn't want to say this out loud. "Please, I have to...um..." I run my hand through my hair as he watches me intently through his dark glasses.

"You have to what?" He asks seemingly ignorant of the fact he was embarrassing me.

"I have to pee. Now go away." His face blushes a deep crimson as he turns and scurries back a ways however he doesn't leave completely. I hurry to the boulder and relieve myself then look around the area. Nothing to use as toilet paper. Dang it! Concentrating I imagine a roll and within seconds feel the heaviness there. Ah-ha! 'This conjuring may come in very handy', I think as I let the wave of pain wash over me. Once it's gone I finish and head back to camp, my paper in hand.

Both boys eye the roll but say nothing. I sit it inside the tent then join them for breakfast of more cubes, more fruit. What I wouldn't give for a bacon, egg and cheese taco right now. I wonder? Holding out my hand I imagine a plate with three tacos on it. The eggs fluffy, the cheese creamy and the bacon crisp. As my hand grows heavy the boys gasp. I open my eyes already knowing by the smell I had done it. I grip the plate as the pain passes then grab a taco and bite down, delicious. I hold the plate out to the boys who both eye the food with trepidation.

"It's only a breakfast taco, it won't bite you. Try it." I say with a smirk. Both boys, not willing to back down from the challenge, grab a taco and take a small bite. Their eyes light up then they both devour it in two more bites making me laugh. I on the other hand take my time enjoying mine. I suffered pain for this taco and the least I could do was take small bites and savor every one.

"How are you feeling this morning, Samantha?" Xavier asks quietly, to quietly for him.

"I'm good. I can control all my body so that's a plus." I grin at him but he doesn't return it.

"We were talking and if you are on board with it, have decided to test to see what you can do. We know it is going to hurt and probably leave you unable to move for a while but you really do need to know what you can do before we run into any Ranoy. What do you say?" By his tone of voice this was Axel's idea, not his. Did I want to put myself through the pain just to find out what I could do? Then again if we did end up fighting the Ranoy wouldn't it be better to know what I could do to help them? If I could fight alongside them I wouldn't slow them down as much as if they were trying to protect me. I had to do this, even if I didn't want to.

"Okay. But if I fall unconscious again please keep me safe." I eye them both but only receive a grin from Axel and a thin worried smile from Xavier.

"Very well, let's remove the bandage so we don't have a repeat of last night." He says as he stands to make his way to me. Once he reaches me I lift the side of my shirt where it is tied letting him undue the knot.

"I agree with Axel, this must be done. If I was to have to do it in a fight I could pass out and be more of a danger to you than anything else, Xavier." He drops the two ends running a finger down my side before he backs away. His touch sends delightful shivers running through me.

"I know, that is the only reason I agreed to help." He mumbles as he sits back down.

"Okay, we know you can conjure and control water." Axel points to the small fire they have going and grins. "See what you can do with that. Don't get discouraged if you can't do anything, usually water and fire doesn't mix in the same person." I nod as I stare at the fire before me.

Setting the image in my head I let my eyes close. I picture the flame gathering in a ball around the size of a small melon. Carefully as not to let it loose shape I lift it above the ring of rocks while concentrating on it keeping its shape. Once it is a good two feet from the ground I keep it stationary and tentatively open my eyes. Just as I had imagined the ball of flames floats above the fire ring. Knowing the pain would come soon I let it sink back into the fire pit. The minute I release the image I arch my back in excruciating pain. Instantly Xavier is at my side comforting me. He lifts my shirt then places it back down. Once the pain subsides and my breathing returns to normal I look to Axel for the next element. He hesitates.

"I don't know. The pain you're experiencing is getting worse." He cuts his eyes to Xavier who stays silent.

"What was another one? Earth, right?" I ask defiantly. Focusing on the ground in front of me I mentally picture a small wall of earth forming in the flat area. This time I keep my eyes open as I see what I want to do and force the dirt to do my biding. It contorts easily enough and the small dirt barrier forms rapidly. The images were easier to call forth and the magic's easier to compel with each thing I try. I let the dirt fall then brace myself for the pain. I'm not disappointed as it tears through me. "What else?" I pant out as the wave passes.

"That's enough." Xavier spits out.

"Wind?" I ask then not waiting for a reply I close my eyes but try as I might I can't get a mental picture of the wind. It was invisible, how did you picture it? A tornado comes to mind but with my luck I'd suck us all up inside it only to kill us all. No I couldn't do that. Picturing a flag in my head I think about the wind moving it back and forth, the feel of it on my face, my body, the swirl of dust in the air when the wind rushes through a desert, the way trees sway in a breeze. However nothing I do changes the weather where we sit. After close to a half an hour I give up.

"Okay, not the wind. What else?" I ask looking between the two. Xavier is the one who sighs first.

"Telepathy. Moving an object by only thinking about it." I nod then focus on a small rock by his foot. Picturing it by my foot I try tugging on it, it doesn't work. I try to mentally pick it up and move it, nope. I try mentally blowing on it from behind, notta. Out of aggravation I flick my eyes roughly from it to where I wanted it and to everyone's surprise it moves. Not all the way but about two inches. The point was I moved it. I grit my teeth through the pain then ask once more what's left.

"The only other two dominate talents besides weaponry, is syphoning and warping however I don't suggest you try those yet. They are far to advanced and it is likely to rip you apart if you manage it. Besides you look pretty exhausted." Axel searches my face critically.

"Yeah, I could use a nap." My eyes were beyond droopy and my body was sluggish.

"Let me check your back before you go." Xavier adds softly. I nod and turn to him. He doesn't even lift my shirt before asking Axel a question. "You think we should cut slits in the material?"

"Yep, that would probably be best." He rummages in the bag and pulls out a knife. "Hold still, Sam." Wide awake now I tremble as he cuts two slits in the back of my shirt. As soon as he is through the material falls back against my skin, no longer being held aloft by my budding wings.

"They are protruding about six inches out and have now started growing in length and width. If you keep up with this kind of growth it won't take another week before they are fully formed." Xavier mumbles more to himself than me. I reach behind me to fill the soft downy feathers coating what had already grown and can't help but smile. I had wings!

****

_Samantha!_ Xavier's scream in my head wakes me with a start. _Stay in the tent!_

Sounds of metal clashing upon metal reaches my ears. Slowly I crawl to the tent entrance and peer out the small opening. A silent gasp escapes me as I glimpse my first look of a Ranoy. When Axel said they were ugly he wasn't kidding. The color of their skin made them look like the walking dead, really large seven foot walking dead. The clumps of matted fur where their wings had been looks to have dried blood, dirt and twigs caught up in it. The one closest to the tent abruptly turns towards me and I fall back with fright. His face was overly elongated, razor sharp teeth gleaming in the light of day, and his completely black beady eyes bore into me as he continues to stare me straight in the eyes.

A flash of navy drags my gaze from the creatures to a large Phranoy standing at the top of the boulder a ways away from camp. His smile was gratifying and pure evil, his eyes were deep dark blue pools of misery, he looks around forty something though I know that isn't his true age, his lean body shows signs of battle but yet he is not helping the boys but reveling in them fighting the Ranoy. As if he could sense me watching him, his head swivels slowly towards me making eye contact. Instantly my breathing stops, the world spins, and I can't control my body. Forcing my eyes shut I break the connection between us with a scream of rage.

No! They said there was only one Kindred for each Phranoy! How can this be? I have felt that feeling with Xavier, I knew what it was to be held prisoner that way. The bond was trying to form between us. Had they lied to me to insure I bonded with Xavier? Whatever it was I didn't have time to ponder it now.

"Get the girl, kill the boys!" A deep scratchy voice shouts out. As one the three Ranoy closest to the tent turn on me. One swipes out with his massive claw knocking the tent away, exposing my position. I dig my fingers into the dirt and only stare at them advancing on me. What could I do to stop them? The small things I did earlier knocked me out, anything big would put me on my butt in no time.

As I contemplate what I should do a burning sensation engulfs my buried fingers, moves up my arms, and begins to flux through my body. The power coursing through my veins sets me on fire, it felt so right and yet so wrong at the same time. Anger clouds my vision as I spy Xavier facing off with one Ranoy and Axel with another. Xavier's eyes glance to me allowing the Ranoy to swing its arm out knocking him off balance for a split second before he recovers to continue hacking at it with his sword.

Power continues to build till I didn't think my burning system could hold another drop, still it courses up my arms, setting my every nerve on alert, filling me with an unknown rage willing me to use it to do my bidding. Knowing I couldn't hold much more without it killing me I do as Xavier had told me earlier, whatever feels right. Raising my arms I hold my hands in front of me and imagine the power rushing through my hands to hit the Ranoy in the chest. I wanted them dead, I wanted to tear them apart, I needed to find a release for this anguish that was consuming my body.

With images and thoughts of death and destruction filling me an angry red light shimmers from both my palms, one splitting in half and the other in three. Liquid fire races through my veins, sweat drips from my forehead, a scream is ripped from my throat as the light shoots into the chest of the five Ranoy left invading our campsite. In a loud 'Whoomph!' they every one explode into ash leaving nothing but a fine dust to rain down on our heads. I whip my head back to where the navy winged man had stood but he is gone. With a pain filled scream I fall to my side, lost to the darkness that envelopes me.

### Chapter Six

Wind is whipping past my ears in a loud roar, my hair is flying about my face in a cloud of knots and tangles, someone's hands are wrapped around my waist and a gentle hum is reverberating through my head. Cautiously I crack my eyes open, a male chest meets my hazy view, beyond that the sky has darkened to the deepest of blacks, stars twinkle far out in the distance. With a moan I try to lift my head only to find it weighs more than my entire body forcing me to drop it back to the chest it was resting on.

"Welcome back." Xavier's body vibrates with his words. The gentle hum grows to a dull roar with the loudness of his voice. Closing my eyes tight I try to will the headache away however it only increases the more I try. With a sigh I give up, allowing myself to relax against Xavier. "How do you feel?" To loud, his voice is too loud. Why is he shouting?

"Shhhh, not so loud, I'm right here." I mumble. His small chuckle forces me to once again open my eyes and look up to him.

"I'm not shouting, Sam. I'm barely whispering."

"Could have fooled me." I huff as I burry my head in his chest once more.

"You didn't answer me, how do you feel?" This time I can hear the under currents in his voice, fear, concern, anger.

"My head and body hurt but I'll make it." His heavy relief filled sigh was not what I had expected, neither was the fact his entire body seemed to relax with my words. "Why are we flying at night? I thought Axel said we couldn't land in the mountains at night?"

"We had no choice but to move our camp. They know you are here now. They may not have realized who you were but the fact you have undeveloped wings and used magic that hasn't been seen in more than a century, it won't take long for them to figure it out, _Evangelina_." There is an edge to his words that make me want to cringe away from him.

"Did I do something wrong, Xavier?" I ask perplexed. I had saved our butts how could he be mad at me?

"No. It's just... well... It's...." He drifts off not even trying to finish the statement.

"It's what?" I ask hotly.

"You put yourself in danger, Samantha! You used so much that you passed out cold for hours, what if I wouldn't have been close enough to get you out of there, what if Axel hadn't been there to help me? What would you have done if you passed out and Raider had still taken you before we could have reached you? You can't overextend yourself like that!" He growls out in a fit of anger.

"Well excuse me. I don't even know what I did or how I did it, it just happened. And if you are talking about Navy, he was gone from his perch before I lost consciousness. The Ranoy were gone, he was gone, I had no reason to fight to stay awake after that." Defending myself for saving us was not what I thought would happen when we got away from the Ranoy but then again nothing had been what I thought since I arrived here!

Silence, that is the only answer I receive. I want to ask if Axel was alright but a glimpse of violet wings a short ways behind us tells me he is, so I keep my silence, as does he. The peace gives me time to ponder the events on a deeper level.

They said I could only have the bond with one person, my Kindred. They also said that person was Xavier because the bond had tried to form upon our first meeting. If that is true then why did Raider, I'm sure Navy is who Xavier meant with that name, have the same effect on me? Was it a lie? Would every unbound male I come upon have the same reaction till I pick one? No, if that was the case then Axel would have been in that list, he hadn't provoked the strange feelings like the other two men had. Then there is the fact they said no one had broken the link before. Maybe because I didn't let it finish it was trying to find another? Or that there was more than one Kindred out there however no one had been able to break the first link to try the theory out and they had assumed there was only one.

The fact that I didn't know enough about this whole Kindred business was hurting my ability to figure out what the causes of it were. I knew Xavier wouldn't answer any of my questions but maybe if I was able to get Axel alone again he would. If I only knew more about it, until then I would keep the fact that Raider had affected me the same way Xavier did to myself. It was childish but if they wouldn't supply me with answers then why should I give them a reason to force this bond with Xavier. I'm sure if they knew there was a chance I could bond with Raider they would do nothing short of holding me down to insure the bond with Xavier stuck. Just the way Xavier had spit out his name told me there was bad blood between them.

Why had a Phranoy been helping the Ranoy in the first place? By the command he gave it was almost as if they were obeying him, like a captain of an army or something. Axel had said the Phranoy were good, if that man was good then I was sure hell had frozen over because his eyes were pure evil. How he stayed a Phranoy when the bad ones were supposed to turn into those monsters, I had no idea, but somehow he had beaten the curse.

"Hang on, I'm going to land." As my hands are tied around his neck and his legs are intertwined with mine holding me captive, I'm not sure where he thought I would go but I keep my mouth shut and let him concentrate on landing. Once he sits me down he bends low enough for me to pull my hands from around his neck then unties them for me. As soon as I'm free I stalk off to the nearest boulder and sit with my back to him.

A short time later Axel comes over to sit beside me placing a plate of cubes in front of me. "You need to eat, Sam." I nod but only pick at the small squares pushing them around the plate. "What's bothering you?" Unlike Xavier his voice holds nothing but compassion and gentleness prompting me to ask my questions.

"Was what I did really so bad? We made it out of there alive, didn't we?" He sighs.

"Sam, it wasn't so much what you did, it was how you made him feel that bothers him."

"And how did I make him feel?" I ask sarcastically.

"Scared." One simple word, the only word I have not used in comparison with Xavier. He wasn't the scared type.

"I doubt that." I huff to his chuckle.

"I know you don't understand our ways and we haven't been forthcoming in explaining them because of other things we can't help. However I will say that knowing you are his Kindred makes him want to keep you safe and away from harm. He doesn't want anything to happen to you and watching you sink to the ground not knowing if you were alive or dead wasn't easy for him. The power you wielded today was tremendous, more than you should have been able to control. He thought you were dead." The last is spoken so quietly I almost miss it.

"What makes a Kindred so special? The only thing Maddox explained was and I quote, 'The link basically pairs you together mentally and psychically, he is your other half.' I don't get what all the fuss is about." He eyes me for a minute then glances back to where Xavier sits alone eating his dinner.

"This can go no further than me and you. Do not tell Xavier I explained this to you. Understand?" He gives me a stern look that shows little doubt that he would somehow punish me if I did. The idea makes me shiver. I never wanted this man on my bad side. He seemed fun-loving and gentle but inside him was a warrior not to be trifled with. After all if Xavier wouldn't have stopped him the first time we met he surely would have snapped my neck without a second thought.

"Yes, I promise."

"Very well. A Kindred spirit or maybe soul mate would better explain it to you?" He waits for me to answer but I stay silent wanting anything he would tell me. "When A Phranoy's essence or soul is formed it is then split in two pieces, each piece going into its separate host. One male, one female. When that essence finds the other half it knows it instantly, which is what makes the bond form the second the eyes meet. The eyes are the windows to our souls, one essence sees the other through the windows and they are reunited in a bond so deep, so true, nothing can break it. The magic's you cannot do, he can and vice-versa. You couldn't call the wind because your Kindred is the one with the power to control it, not you. Understand?"

"I think so. What happens if you already have someone when your Kindred comes along? I mean humans know there is someone out there for them but they settle all the time for someone to love who makes them happy even if it isn't 'the one'. Did Xavier have someone like that before I showed up?" The idea I have broken him and his love apart doesn't sit well in my gut and I pray he gives me a no. Also somewhere in the back of my mind the thought of Xavier with anyone else makes my blood boil a little. I push the feeling aside and try to focus on Axel.

"No. We don't 'settle' Sam. Your Kindred is made just for you. Take me for example. I will only ever love one woman, I will only be allowed children with one woman, I will search till my dying day to find her and no other woman will do. I have held you close to my body, I have spoken to you, am getting to know you, but you hold no interest to me as a woman because you are not MY woman. Does that make sense?"

"Yes. What do you mean 'allowed to have children'? Who allows you?" He chuckles.

"Only our Kindred can conceive our child. I could try with any woman I wanted but until I met my Kindred it would not happen. On that same note I have never once 'tried'. Nor has Xavier. Only our Kindred holds that place and no other will do." He gives me a hard look as I mill over his words. Was he seriously telling me him nor Xavier had ever been with a woman in _that_ way? From his intense look I believe he was. They were a hundred years old but yet were waiting for their perfect match. Okay, if they took it that serious then that tells me the Kindred was a very meaningful thing to them. No wonder Xavier was so hurt by my decision to wait.

"What did he mean by psychically and mentally? And Xavier said we would be stronger, what did he mean?" He sighs.

"Mentally you have already experienced a little of. The speaking without speaking. The emotion transfer. Those type things only on a much stronger level. Psychically is when you join your minds to work as one. You can wield his powers and he can wield yours or you can combine your strengths and work together. In battle he is right, you would be stronger. He would give you the strength you need right now and you would give him the power to protect you." I needed to know about Raider. Maybe if I word it very carefully he will answer me.

"Hypothetically speaking let's say there is another person out there that could also cause the bond, what would happen to the small link I have with Xavier if I bonded with the other man?" Not that I wanted to bond with Raider but if for some reason he captured me, or I couldn't break it again, I needed to know.

"That isn't possible, Sam." There is finality to his voice that makes me cringe.

"I know you keep saying that, just humor me, please." I beg.

"I would imagine it would be severed permanently, possibly killing the other person. The only way I know to sever a bond is death and even then the one left alive mourns for life. But as I said it isn't possible. We only have two halves and you and Xavier are them. You are meant for each other. Even your powers match up to make a complete basic set, almost. You proved you could syphon today, now if you can accomplish warping the two of you will be unstoppable." He gives me a huge grin. Unnerved by his words I can't manage to match it. I don't want Xavier to die because I was too stubborn to finish this then inadvertently let Raider have control of me. However I wasn't ready for it either. There was something in the back of my mind insisting it couldn't happen yet, it wasn't time. It could just be my subconscious knows I am hesitant about it but then again it could be more.

"If I was to finish the bond with Xavier would that hypothetical person be able to sever it?"

"Sam." Aggravation has crept into his voice telling me I was pushing too hard. I needed to drop this before he begins asking me questions I didn't want to answer. "Why does it matter? It is impossible."

"I know, I'm sorry. So you really think what I did earlier was syphoning?" I ask trying to change the subject however all I want to know is who Raider is and how he was still a Phranoy. My gut told me if I was to change to that line of questioning he would catch on so I bide my time with the magnanimous power I felt earlier.

"I do. I have seen nothing like it before. Can you tell me how you did it?" His curiosity was peaked now and his earlier aggravation wanes.

"Nope. I have no clue. I think it had something to do with my hand in the dirt but I didn't ask for it or imagine it, it just happened." I say nonchalantly although the feelings the energy had evoked in me scared the living daylights out of me. Nevertheless I wouldn't tell them that.

"Well don't let it happen again till you can control it." Xavier's angry voice floats to us and I wonder how long he has been able to hear our conversation.

"If I had just sat there and done nothing they would have taken me. Is that what you would have preferred?" I spout off just as angry as him while I stalk over to face him.

"No." He deflates a little but the anger is still there.

"I did what I had to do, Xavier. That.... _man_ told them to take me. Three of them were coming for me. What else would you have had me to do?" This wasn't the time or place to be arguing but if we didn't get a few things straight we would stay mad at each other for the whole trip. He couldn't expect me to sit back and wait on him to come to the rescue every time I was in trouble. It wasn't feasible.

"I had already taken out six of them. If you would have given me a minute I would have been there to protect you!" He shouts jumping to his feet.

"I didn't have a minute. You both were fighting one each and I had three in front of me. I may be new to all this crap but I am not weak and helpless! You will not be able to protect me in every fight we come across, Xavier. There will be times we will be outnumbered, we are but three people. You have to trust me to do what I can to help you and protect myself!" Throwing my hands in the air I stalk off to the boulder and resume my prior seat. I hear Xavier leave the campsite behind me with Axel hot on his heels trying to calm him down. They don't go far as I can hear their muffled voices but far enough I can't make them out.

I suck in deep breaths trying to calm myself. When that doesn't work I lean forward on the rock I'm sitting on and place my hands flat against it, my cheek presses against the cold surface as I flatten my body to it. After a few minutes my entire body relaxes upon the cool stone, a few more and I become aware of a current running just under the service of the jagged rock. Pressing my body closer to it I let my eyes close.

In my mind's eye I can see an angry red pulse running through the interior of the stone like a road map. It's almost as if the stone is alive, the lines of energy its veins, the pulse its heartbeat. The veins towards the surface are thick, coursing with power, others branching off those are thinner with less energy flowing through them as they make their way winding through the cracks and crevices imbedded deep within the mountains themselves. An entire network of these veins of energy pulse throughout the stone.

I'm very aware that my body that was only moments ago relaxed was tense and vibrating with need to reach the power within the stone. Very carefully I visualize a small amount of the energy flowing into my fingertips. My breath catches as I feel the flow begin. Slowly as not to remove my hands I drag myself into a sitting position inadvertently causing my visualization to drop, allowing the power to be drawn into me at an alarming rate. I try to hold in the cry of pain from the way it makes my body burn but am unable to. Quickly I retain the image in my mind slowing the rate of transfer and the pain eases minutely.

"Sam!" Xavier's voice is so loud I flinch once again losing my control. I gasp while trying to fight to slow it back down. "Sam, stop before you hurt yourself!" I try to ignore the worry in his voice as I continue to slow the rate of transfer. I had to keep focused on what I was doing or the power would burn my insides to dust. How I know that, I don't know, I just do.

"Xavier, don't distract her. Just watch. Keep going Samantha." Axel's awe filled tone soothes me giving me the strength I need to successfully stop the flow.

My body was alive with power and energy. I could feel the hairs on my arms standing on end. Intermittent feelings of rage, power, anguish and death course through my body. My mind races with so many options on how I could use such power. Revenge, destruction, terrorize the people, I could rule the world with this much power running through me! This is the thought that brings me back to myself. I had no desire to rule anything, much less the world. Neither did I want to hurt people or go on a reign of terror. The energy coursing through me was making me drunk on the feelings of anger, destruction, power and greatness, that wasn't me, would never be me.

I needed to get rid of it before these feelings consumed me. Opening my eyes I hold my hands out, palms toward each other and visualize the energy coalescing between them. At first there is only a flash of light that withers quickly, then another, then another, then a fourth that stays. Feeding the energy into a sphere I let it grow to the size of a glowing cantaloupe. Red tendrils of energy snake from my palms to the ball feeding it. The edges of it snap and crackle as if it were fire waiting to consume miles of dry earth. I can feel the power drain from my system, the burning eases, the thoughts and feelings wane and the pain subsides with each increment that goes into the sphere.

Taking a chance and hoping I won't lose control of the power, I glance around our surroundings. A small cave barely big enough for a rabbit or armadillo sits at the base of the boulder I had been sitting on. With a measured sureness I kneel down then carefully visualize the tendrils severing to release the sphere from my control before freeing the glowing orb into hole. I step back then visualize it being devoured by the rock to go back where it came.

BOOM!

The sphere explodes caving in the rock and knocking me backwards. Strong arms catch me before I can hit the ground.

"Ow!" Xavier stands me quickly then backs away. "You are as hot as fire." He shakes his hands as if that would soothe the ache. Axel, not one to be left out of something, walks over and touches the skin at my neck then quickly pulls back his hand with wide eyes.

"I still have energy coursing through me. I need to get rid of it. Obviously that way didn't work." I point to the now crushed boulder. "Any suggestions?" Neither speaks up.

The pain in my back is threatening to knock me out, the fire in my veins is growing by the minute, I had to dump this power somewhere before I passed out and burnt up all at the same time. All of a sudden an image flits through my mind.

"Back up incase this doesn't work." I warn as I walk towards another boulder. I don't let the heated voices behind me distract me as I lay my hands on the rock. I let the network of crimson energy appear in my mind then visualize the power flowing from me to them. With a deep breath and a prayer I let the energy go in a steady stream merging it back into the rock. Close to five minutes pass before I can once again breathe properly, my body has cooled and the fire was gone. Cutting off the flow I step back and fall to my knees. Instantly Xavier is by my side.

"Are you okay? Do you need to sleep?" He asks with concern. I shake my head. Surprisingly I'm not overly tired this time only very thirsty.

"Drink." I manage to croak out. Axel's footsteps leave then return.

"Open your mouth." I do as I'm told, a water cube is slipped through my lips and I close around it with a sigh. The fresh burst of liquid refreshing.

"Thank you." A hand tentatively touches my skin before the entire palm encircles the back of my neck. With a forceful nudge Xavier turns my face to his. The glasses he wasn't wearing earlier are now in place as he looks deep into my eyes. Fear, concern, and pride wash over me as his emotions take me. The one that surprises me most is pride. "You're proud of me?" I ask weakly.

"I'm very proud of you, Samantha. You can do something no one else can. I was proud of you earlier to, I was just so worried about you I couldn't tell you that. You scared me, Sam. I have never been scared of anything before. The knowledge the bond isn't even complete and yet you could affect me so much scares me just as much as watching you fall to the ground did. If this is a partial bond, how much stronger will it be when it's complete?" He pulls his emotions away from me with a slight flick of his eyes. How was I supposed to take that? His honesty and sincerity are felt each time he links us together like this, how can he be lying to me?

My thoughts are put on hold as I arch my back with the pain from all the magic. He pulls me into his arms and holds me cooing softly in my ear while wave after wave slams into me. When it finally subsides he has had to stand, the length of my wings now reaching past my knees and just above my shoulders. Each wing was rolled tightly in upon itself, tucked securely against my back, as they were still forming they were unable to open, however the thickness of each roll was growing.

"If they keep growing in length their going to be longer than you." Axel jokes once the pain has fully left and Xavier has released me.

"What color are they?" I ask trying to see them in the soft moonlight.

"They don't have one yet. They are a shimmering iridescent with many specks of color but no true one yet. Give them time, it will come." Axel ruffles my hair playfully then heads to his bedroll. "You have first watch Xavier. Wake me in a couple hours." He rolls over with his back to us. The tent had been destroyed by the Ranoy so tonight we had to sleep under the stars. I wasn't complaining, they were beautiful. The deep onyx sky was twinkling with fireflies too far away to catch. An almost full moon hangs precariously in the night sky dousing us in its soft glow, it was truly gorgeous.

"I think I'll lie down to. If you need me to take a shift at watch, just wake me." He nods to me but I'm sure he would never do it. "Good night, Xavier." I say quietly as I curl into my bedroll.

Several minutes later I hear a whisper soft ' _Good night, Masu'_ inside my head, as I drift into a deep sleep.

### Chapter Seven

Drip-drip-drip

The constant sound of dripping water rouses me from where I lay. A dim light in the corner illuminates the light tan rock walls of a cave. Startled that I am no longer in my bedroll under the stars I sit up abruptly searching my surroundings. Nothing but dirt and rock encompasses me, no door or way out is visible, I'm trapped. Suddenly I'm very aware that I'm not alone. I clamber to my feet and back towards the light. A small candle in a brass holder sits in an indention in the wall; with shaky hands I remove it from its perch. Holding it out beside me as not to blind me from my surroundings, I search the walls for movement.

" _Who's there?" I call out when nothing pops out at me._

" _Forgive me for scaring you, Evangelina." Raider steps out of the shadows of the far wall. The flickering light plays across his strong upper body barely reaching to his chin, casting his face in the darkest of shadows._

" _My name is Samantha. Where am I?" I ask as I take a step away from him._

" _Don't be frightened. I would never hurt you." His tone suggests otherwise._

" _Why am I here? Who are you?" Couldn't hurt to try to get some kind of answers, even in a dream some things may turn out true. Although I wasn't sure I wanted his answers._

" _You are here to become mine. I am your Kindred." He states boldly. "Come, let us finish this." He steps towards me making me step back effectively hitting the wall._

" _No. I don't want this." I try to stay strong but my voice wavers as a shadow detaches from the wall and slinks around his feet._

" _I did not ask you what you wanted, child. I told you." Quick as lightening he is in front of me, his hand tangled in my hair as he forces my face to his. I clamp my eyes shut as tight as I can, not meeting his gaze. "Stop this foolishness. You have no choice in the matter. There is only one Kindred for each Phranoy and you are mine! Now look at me!" He snarls out the words as his grip in my hair tightens to painful._

" _NO!" I scream at him as I thrash my head back and forth ripping my hair out in the process._

"Samantha! Wake up!" Xavier's voice shatters the image as my eyes pop open in fear. I push at him and crawl backwards as far as I can before bumping into Axel.

"Whoa there, Sam. It's okay. Just a dream." I look from him to Xavier then back again. I run my hand through my hair, my head throbbing where Raider had been gripping it. Tentatively I touch my scalp then cringe with the pain. When I pull my hand away it is red with fresh blood. All I can do is stare at it. How could a dream be so real?

"Did you hit your head?" Xavier asks as he kneels beside me. I jerk away from him but he grasps my shoulders in a firm grip. Releasing me with one hand he pulls the glasses from where they are tucked in his waist band and slides them on. Once protected he pulls my chin up till I face him. The fear, terror and rage that is consuming me flee in response to the calmness that fills me. There is an underlying current of concern and worry however the serenity overpowers it making me relax into him. I feel his fingers move in my hair, brushing it away from the raw spot where Raider had pulled a chunk free. I wasn't sure how he was keeping me calm now that he had averted his eyes however I was thankful the fear was gone.

When he reveals the newly bald spot on the back of my head the calm turns darker spreading to fear and worry. Abruptly his emotions leave me with raw terror coursing through my veins. How could this be real but still be a dream, it didn't make since. Can he force the bond in my dreams then make me go to him when I wake? Oh, God. Should I tell them what happened or keep it to myself a little longer?

"What happened?" Xavier bites out as he pulls me away from him sitting me back up, his grip light on my upper arms.

"I was in a cave or something. At first I was alone then Raider was there." His entire posture changes at the name. His once loose grip tightens too painful on my arms making me gasp. He yanks his hands away quickly and takes a step back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Go on." He begins to pace in front of me, his hands clenching and unclenching. I look over my shoulder to Axel who gives me an encouraging nod.

"He scared me at first coming from the shadows and he apologized to me." His mirthless laugh shows he didn't believe it was a heartfelt apology either. Watching the way he paces, his body tense and unforgiving I decide to wait a little longer to explain the real meaning of the dream. "Then it gets a little fuzzy. He was talking but I can't remember what he was saying. He grabbed me by the hair and I began to struggle against him. He ripped out some of my hair right as you woke me up. Who is Raider?" I ask boldly. With the mood Xavier was emitting I shouldn't have but I needed answers.

"No one." He spits out.

"He is obviously someone, Xavier. He was there when the Ranoy attacked, now he was in my dream. What does he want and why isn't he like the other Ranoy? He is obviously evil; you can see it in eyes." He continues pacing, his circles getting wider and wider.

"You might as well tell her, Xavier. We haven't seen the last of him and you know it. He will undoubtedly be there when we go for the King and now we know for sure he knows who she is. Why else would he infiltrate her dreams?" Axel reasons out for him but still he paces.

"Xavier, please. Tell me why he upsets you so much." I beg with the softest voice I can manage. Against my will I was beginning to care for this man and seeing him so upset wasn't making my insides feel good.

"Because he is my father!" He shouts halting in his spot to look at me with rage. I was sure it wasn't meant for me. A small gasp of horror escapes me no matter how much I try to keep it in. his pacing continues.

"I thought you had to be bonded for that to happen?" I ask no one in particular. Xavier stops abruptly and stares at me.

"How do you know he's not?" Uh-oh. I should not have known that. I shrug hoping to play it off.

"A guess. No offense but he seemed too bad to have something good like a Kindred. From what I gathered a Kindred is an honor and some never find theirs. He didn't strike as the type to be honored." He snorts then glances to Axel.

"Yes he had a Kindred. My mother." He doesn't elaborate so I cross my arms and wait. When he glances at me after a few more circles he sighs then comes to sit beside me.

"My mother is dead, Sam. She died in a fight against the Ranoy when I was around fifty. I know that sounds old to you but in our lives it is the equivalent of a humans ten. We grow up very slowly not hitting full maturity till the age of one hundred. From there our body's age even slower as you saw with Maddox who could pass as a twenty-five year old human but is three hundred. We do grow old but it takes centuries. Raider is close to a thousand years old, as is your own father. They were actually boyhood friends growing up. Something happened around the time your dad was crowned King that turned Raider against his people. He grew distant and cold from everyone he knew. As the years passed he only got worse. When he met my mother she had no choice in the bond. Unlike you she was powerless to stop it." I flinch at the sadness that radiates from that one sentence. It wasn't only for his mother but for himself and my denial of him. "He was cruel to her but he never crossed the line laid out in the curse. He never took her life, even though he came close a time or two." He stops and rubs his hands over his face the shine that was coating his eyes is gone when he finally looks back up and over my shoulder focusing somewhere behind me.

"Many of us believe he had already been working with the Ranoy when my mother was sent out to investigate a town that had supposedly been slaughtered the day before. They were a small group of four that were never supposed to see any action, only to investigate a claim that had come in. When they arrived to the town it was alive and thriving, for about five minutes. As they landed in the streets Ranoy flooded the town from all directions killing everyone, even the four Phranoy. It was an ambush that was executed effectively." Anger courses through his words.

"If he helped with the attack why isn't he a Ranoy?" I ask confused.

"He was not there, he did not kill anyone. The only way a Phranoy is transformed into a Ranoy is if they kill an innocent with their own hands. Calling for her death or even an entire towns did not meet the curses requirements. He would have had to take a life himself. He has avoided doing that for more than five hundred years now, Sam. He is the brains behind the Ranoy attacks. I'm sure it was him who took your father. But unless he personally kills someone innocent he will never turn." Okay, that made sense. He could sit back and watch others kill by the hundreds but as long as he never got his hands dirty he would remain a Phranoy.

"If a Kindred dies does another replace her?" I ask quietly.

"No. It has never been heard of, never been done. Once she is gone you remain alone forever." His words although sad, were in truth. You could hear it in the conviction behind them. So how was it the bond tried to form between us? Something wasn't right here. I know what I felt; I know it was the same feeling as when Xavier looked at me the first time, but how?

"We should get moving. If he was in her head then he knows where we are. They will be here soon." Axel's quite voice is heard from directly behind me. I nod then rise to my feet, thankful my wings were flexible enough to still allow me to sit like I had been because I had forgotten about them being there.

### Chapter Eight

It didn't take long to break camp without the tent and we were soon on our way. Just as Axel predicted, not five minutes after we took off at least thirty Ranoy were seen on the ground racing through the mountains towards our last location. Climbing higher Xavier hides in the clouds as we leave them behind. As we fly he explains we had headed down the mountain during the night when I had been unconscious. We were almost three quarters of the way down when they stopped to rest. Now he was heading south towards the Sands of Desperation where it was known the Ranoy had a large base built into the dunes there.

Our first stop would be a Drumon town called Dranall, where we would stay the night. My anticipation and anxiety were kicking in the darker the sky grew and the closer we got to the town. He explained how this world wasn't as advanced as Earth was and things like electricity and plastic had not been invented yet. That's why the cup had been so fascinating to them, not that they didn't know what a cup was, it was the clear plastic that had fascinated them. Most things here were made of wood or clay and some metals.

I had asked if he knew what electricity was why they hadn't helped the people to utilize it. He had replied that it wasn't their job to advance the technology of this world but to protect its people from their cursed brethren. When I had repeated Axel's words about them teaching the people how to farm and such, he had just smiled and said "We don't mind helping with the small things that better their lives but to place an idea into someone's head on how to make electricity would more than likely get them killed because they do not have the capability of understanding such things yet. Everything happens in due time. We must wait and let them advance to those heights naturally." It made sense but it seemed a waste to know how to do something only to wait hundreds of years to have it happen 'naturally'.

After that every time I tried to ask him questions about this world he would roll through the clouds or do a loopty-loop making me scream from fear and exhilaration. The flying wasn't bothering me so much anymore now that I had acquired a small amount of trust in these two men. They hadn't left me to die when the Ranoy attacked or left me there unconscious and unprotected. They had taken care of me through many blackouts over the last couple days and my confidence in their trustworthiness was growing by leaps and bounds. I just wish they would answer more of my questions.

I had come to the conclusion after the dream that I would have no choice in finishing the bond with Xavier. However for some reason now didn't seem like the right time. I couldn't explain why, only that in my heart I knew I had to wait for something. What and when that something was, who knew, but I was sure I would know it when it happened. With that decision in mind I tentatively ask Xavier a question once he tells me we are almost to the town.

"Xavier, will you tell me more about you?" He looks down at me in surprise but quickly averts his gaze as he can't see to fly with the glasses on in the darkening skies.

"Like what, Sam?" I know he had whispered the words but I heard him perfectly. It seemed after every blackout my hearing had heightened more and more to the point even the smallest noise was discernable, even with the wind roaring in my ears.

"You and Axel keep saying we are going to be together for eternity. If that's true then the least you could do is tell me a little about yourself. I'm not asking for the forbidden things, just little stuff like your favorite color or food. You know, things like that." I shrug as my voice trails off. His deep rich laugh comforts me.

"Well blue, I guess. I don't really have a favorite but if you were to put five colors in front of me and told me to pick, then it would be blue nine times out of ten. Favorite food is even harder, before you came I would have said the deep blue cubes that have a berry flavor but after that taco you made appear, I don't know." He chuckles as I feel myself relax on a giggle. "What about you, Sam?"

"I'm not sure. I can't remember anything about my life but if I had to guess I'd say my favorite color was purple." A small growl escapes him as his head turns to eye Axel's violet wings making me laugh out loud. When my laughter finally dies down a genuine smile stays on my lips, the first real smile I have had since coming here. Suddenly we dip several feet before he catches us, soaring back up into the clouds. "What was that?" I shriek. He clears his throat a few times before answering.

"Nothing. Um... Just turbulence." His skin has turned crimson in embarrassment so I let the obvious lie slide. "Hang on; I'm going to land in that clearing down there. Axel wants to go get you a cloak to cover your wings before we take you into town. No sense in advertising who you are. The Ranoy have spies everywhere." With a slight thud we sit down in the clearing a few minutes later. In the moonlight I can see the lush green grass as it spreads out under our feet. Nothing like the rocky terrain of the mountains, it gives off a sense of peace and serenity.

Dropping to my knee I let my hands lay upon the earth searching for the red lines of power I had found before. To my surprise nothing comes to me. I push my senses further into the ground focusing on the veins of red energy, still nothing. A small niggle at the back of my mind whispers _'Don't force it. Let it come naturally._ ' The thought causes a laugh to burst forth as it almost echoes what Xavier had said earlier. I had proven then I didn't like the natural way. If it hadn't been a female voice I might have thought it was him.

"What's so funny?" Xavier's amused voice reaches me and I turn to him to explain. Unintentionally our eyes lock. My breathing stills, my heart races, my body trembles and my mind fogs over with a haze. Something pulls at me, but I ignore it. It grows louder with insistence.

' _Not yet, not time, not time!'_ The same female voice shouts in my head. Instantly I slam my eyes shut turning my face from his then drop onto my hands and knees gasping. It was getting harder to stop. Waves of emotions hit me dead center causing me to cry out. Pain, hurt, sorrow, rejection then anger. I couldn't do this, it was too much, I was causing him so much pain.

"Stop!" I pant out as still his emotions overwhelm me. My hands tighten in the grass digging into the dirt below it as I sink down on my haunches and drop my head to my knees. So many emotions. Over the last few days I had been hit with so many feelings, raw unadulterated emotions. It was all overwhelming me. Rage, destruction, greed, fear, pain, anguish, concern, hurt, longing, denial, and finally power. All-encompassing power was the hardest one to dismiss. My heart felt like it was being pulled in so many directions it would soon be split apart. The tears began to fall of their own accord as I try to stop the trembling of my body. Despair creeps into the mix of warring feelings as my hands dig deeper into the ground, sobs racking my body.

Slowly I become aware of a soothing balm creeping up my arms. It gently encompasses me spreading over my entire being. A cool yet warm tingling coalesces around the base of my wings easing the pain in my back. A relieved sigh escapes me as all the hurt and turmoil leave my body leaving it free of pain for the first time in days. Sluggishly an image of soft blue veins appear in my mind's eye, just as the red ones had, they run through the ground in a network of living pulsating energy. However unlike the angry crimson lines these give off a sense of peace, a soothing balm to the soul. Most are equal in size, none holding more or less power than the others as they spread throughout nature. Even the trees and plants are connected with the pale blue pure lights.

A sense of urgency feels me as an image of an old small building appears. I stand at its base barefoot, my hands on the wood shingles. A blue shimmer surrounds the entire building emitting a cool peaceful environment even though I feel death surrounds me. As quickly as it comes it is gone.

"Sam?" Axel's voice breaks through my concentration however with the soothing aura of this energy it is easy to let it roll over me ignoring him.

"Shhhh. Leave her be." Xavier's voice is strained but also filled with reverence.

Pulling myself away from the boys I concentrate once more on the soothing blue light. The image of the building flits through my mind with a whispered _'Hurry, child'._ The sense of urgency back in full swing. With a feeling like I needed to thank someone I carefully push the energy back into the ground, it obeys my commands willingly and quickly as if it knows time is of the essence. With a gasp of sorrow for the serenity to leave, the last bit drains back into the earth however a small measure of calm confidence is left behind. The turmoil of emotions from before all but forgotten.

I stand abruptly and turn towards Axel. His wings are partially extended, his foot placed before him as if he was in mid step when he stopped. A cloak dangles from his hand. If it wasn't for the subtle rise and fall of his chest I would think he was a statue. I turn hesitantly towards Xavier to see him in a similar frozen state with his mouth hanging open, his glasses had been replaced, and he was sitting on a log not moving.

"Boys?" I ask tentatively. Immediately they both become animated again. Axel finishes his step tucking his wings into his back. Xavier jumps up from the log and strides towards me.

"What did you do?" Axel asks perplexed.

"Have no clue." I grin.

"Samantha you were glowing. You were completely surrounded in a soft blue light." Axel breathes out in awe before stepping forward and opening the cloak. "May I?" He grins; I tip my head to him and turn for him to place the cloak over my shoulders.

"She wasn't in any danger. She was calm and relaxed or I would have stepped in." Xavier says quietly averting his covered gaze from mine. I quirk my brow at him. How did he know I was calm? I had asked him to stop before it happened.

"Um.... I couldn't pull back. We were still linked till just a second ago." He mumbles. Oh. I give him a nod but can't look at him. That means he felt what I was feeling before the calm took over. I sigh.

"Xavier, I know we probably need to talk about what happened but right now we need to get to town. Later?" I ask hopefully. He nods sharply to me then turns to Axel as he gasps. I look over my shoulder at him to see him staring at my back.

"How do you feel Sam?" He whispers. I stretch my hands above my head, arching my back then let them fall. Actually I felt better than I have since I arrived in this crazy place. All my aches and pains were gone, my back wasn't in any pain, I felt great.

"Wonderful, actually. Why?"

"Your back is healed." Xavier states mesmerized. "The jagged cuts that were around the base of your wings this morning are gone. They look like you were born with them not like they just appeared." With a smile I whisper that thank you to the earth that I felt I needed to express earlier. Now I knew why I felt the need to say it. A finger pushes away the material between the base of my wings then lightly rubs a spot in the direct center.

"Do you know you have a birthmark here?" Xavier asks. An image flits through my head making me smile. My memories were returning. It was only a small glimpse of my back in a picture, but it was something I didn't know ten minutes ago. "It almost looks like...."

"Wings." I state confidently. Turning I pull away from them and take the cloak from Axel's hands. "We need to go boys." Quickly I swing it around me then turn towards the lights of the town. The closer I move towards it the faster my feet go. The overwhelming sense of urgency has returned pushing me into a run. "Hurry! It's almost time!" I yell at them as I pick up my pace.

"Time for what, Sam?" How do I answer that? I had no idea why I needed to get to the town, I just did.

"I don't know. I just know I need to be there, now!" I holler as I drive myself to run faster. A breeze washes over me as I'm lifted from my feet into Xavier's arms. With a few strong thrusts of his wings we land in the center of town.

"Fast enough?" He grins.

"No." I mumble as I turn in a circle searching for something. What, was anyone's guess. Of their own violation my feet begin to move down the street turning at what smells like a diner then moving further down. A soft blue light illuminates the dirt street prompting me to follow it through a myriad of twist and turns, ending at an old wooden building. Suddenly bells begin to ring from all directions of the town. I swivel back towards the boys to see their worried faces.

"What is that?" I ask.

"That is the sign a Ranoy has been spotted coming towards town. We have less than five minutes, Sam." I turn back to the building searching for something that would tell me what I was supposed to do. People start flooding the street from all directions. To my surprise they head into the building I am staring at. That's when it all clicks into place. I was to protect them.

"Make sure everyone is inside that building, no one is to be left out." When they just stare at me I meet Xavier's shielded eyes and send a wave of confidence to him. "Trust me." With a sharp nod, him and Axel take off to search the town for stragglers.

I turn back to the building and try to picture what I had seen in the clearing. I was standing at the base, barefoot, my hands pressed to the wood. Shucking the slippers on my feet I leave them where they lay as I step up to the building. Digging my toes deep within the grass to the point I can feel the dirt embed itself under my toenails, I place my hands on the wall.

"Please, show me what to do." I whisper. The energy below my feet jumps to me, filing my body with intense power, however unlike on the mountain a deep serenity fills me as it flows through my veins. Once more the image of the shimmering building flits through my mind then is gone. Yes, I knew I needed to cover it in the power but what was it supposed to do? No answer was forth coming forcing me to think harder.

The Ranoy were coming. The innocent Drumon were in this building. Men, women and children I had to protect. How did I do that? Once more the building pops in and out of my head. I must keep the Ranoy out. That's it! A shield. If they can't get inside, they can't kill the people. Concentrating on what I want to do I fix the image in my head then wait for Xavier to return. I had to know they were all inside the building before I sealed it. I didn't have long to wait before he jogs up behind me.

"I found no one else in town. What are you going to do?" He can't hide the small bit of excitement that fills his voice making me smile.

"This magic didn't leave me unconscious in the clearing but I wasn't using it like I plan on now. If I fall they will be left defenseless. Please protect them first." I beg him.

"Sam, I can't promise that. You are my only concern." He grits out.

"Please Xavier. Don't let this town become like the mountains. Innocent blood shall not fall tonight." He sucks in a large breath.

"If that is what you want, Evangelina." My concentration wanes slightly with the name.

"No Xavier. I am not Evangelina, I am only Samantha. Please remember that." It comes out rougher than I meant it to but I felt it was pertinent he didn't put all his faith in this prophecy of his. He didn't know that it was me, there was a chance he was wrong.

"As you wish, Samantha." He runs a finger down my jaw, caressing my face for comfort before he turns and strides off a few feet behind me, shoulder to shoulder with Axel, swords drawn. I couldn't see them but I knew they were there.

I take a deep steadying breath then release the power. A blue shimmer starts under my hands then begins to spread outward covering first the side, then the front, the other side, the back and finally the roof in a large shield meant to keep the Ranoy out.

"They're coming!" Xavier's voice rings out in the night. With his cry I send more power into the shield. Keeping one hand on the building I turn towards the first sounds of metal clashing. Xavier swings his long sword then slashes with his dagger removing the head of the first Ranoy he encounters only to have another take its place. All of a sudden a large drain of power comes from the back of the building as the people inside scream. Sending out my senses I feel the Ranoy slashing at the shield, tearing at it.

Sending a rush of power to where they are I fortify it, still they hack at it. More join with their efforts forcing me to send even more power through me to the shield. The soothing balm of the cool energy was slowly warming the more I pulled it into my system. I had to slow the flux or it would make me pass out soon. More Ranoy hit the front of the building then even more come at the side parallel from me making me cry out with a backlash of power.

My breathing is harsh as I pant in exertion from holding the shield. I needed to get them away from it. Setting an image in my head I send out a burst of power to the entire shield blasting the Ranoy backwards. The ones who had been touching it disintegrate upon contact. With a quick thought I change the makeup of my design adding in the protection to the shield. Now as the Ranoy touched the barrier they exploded instantly.

Trusting in Xavier and Axel to protect me I keep both hands on the wall, my eyes fixed on the building in concentration, my back to the clash of metal on claws. My vision was darkening from wielding so much power, each death of a Ranoy made the power surge, sucking it out of me in constant bursts. My body is trembling, my breathing harsh, my heartbeat was no longer racing but had grown sluggish, my knees are no longer able to hold me up and I sink to the ground keeping my hands firmly on the building, toes in the dirt. If I lose the contact the innocents will die. I couldn't allow that to happen, even if it meant my own death. "I must stay awake!" I shout giving myself a small boost to keep going.

Minutes tick by, the surges begin to slow, the power neutralizes in a constant flux, in through me then out to the buildings shield. When finally the sounds behind me die off, the shield stabilizes, once more perfectly calm. I keep the power flowing waiting for Xavier or Axel to come to me, the only way I would know for sure it was over is if they felt confident enough to leave their position behind me. The Drumon's in the building had grown quiet a long time ago. Now in the silence of the night all I can hear is my own breathing.

"Sam?" I feel Xavier kneel beside me but don't dare take what little concentration I have left from the building. "It's over Sam. You can drop the barrier."

_Are you sure?_ I think loudly enough I hope he can hear me. There was no way I would be able to talk at the moment. My mouth was dry, my throat scratchy as if I had been screaming for hours. Maybe I had, I don't really remember.

"Yes. The innocents are safe now." His voice is soft and reassuring but still I hesitate.

An image appears in my mind, the building, people exiting it and meandering in the streets, a sense of reassurance fills me finally convincing me to let the power go. Pulling it back I draw it off the building back into my body sending it immediately back to whence it came. As the last tendrils of power leaves my system a whispered _'thank you, child.'_ Dances through my mind then is gone. Xavier catches me as I collapse in exhaustion.

"You did well, Sam. Let's get you somewhere to lie down." I nod minutely as I let my tired body curl into his arms. Voices of the people and the steady motion of Xavier's long gate lull me into a deep sleep even the pain doesn't wake me from.

### Chapter Nine

Drip-Drip-Drip

The sound of dripping water has me on my feet and backed against the wall immediately expecting Raider to attack me. I grab the candle and search the darkness but feel no other presence within the room. Carefully I scan the walls watching the shadows, waiting for something to jump out at me. When one of the shadows break apart from the rest to dart across the room from one side to the other I gasp and press myself further against the wall.

What in heaven's name was that?

Another, then another dart around the room moving closer to me. I hold the candle out in front of me hoping the light would drive them away, still they come closer.

" _Back my pets." I feel him the instant Raider appears in the room._

_Terrified I scream out in my head '_ Xavier! Help me!' _Hoping he would hear me through the bond and wake me up. Keeping my eyes on the floor I watch as Raiders feet step closer to me._

" _You are so much more powerful than I thought you would be. You don't even know what you are doing and yet you save a whole town from massacre killing almost fifty of my Ranoy." His feet stop toe to toe with mine and I slam my eyes shut before he could make me look at him. As expected his hand grips my chin tightly, raising my face to his. "I cannot wait to be able to use you, child. No one will be able to stop me." He cackles as he drops my chin and backs away. Unwilling to let my guard down I keep my eyes shut._

" _How is my boy, Evangelina? Has Xavier told you he is my son?" I refuse to answer him and keep my mouth firmly closed. A burst of pain explodes in my cheek from a backhand causing me to momentarily open my eyes in surprise. Instantaneously he is in my face. I manage to shut them before the bond tries to connect pissing him off enough to slap me again._

Xavier! _I scream once more._

" _He will turn on you, you know that don't you? That is why you refuse to finish the bond with him. You know he will become just like me. Have you seen his temper yet?" He chuckles quietly like he has all the time in the world. "He was known far and wide for his temper tantrums as a child. Not many still had problems with it at fifty but he did. Still does." His voice is filled with demented pride making me want to defend Xavier._

" _He is nothing like you. And he never will be." I state firmly. Again he laughs._

" _Ask him about Lucas, then make up your mind." His voice fades as I am sucked from the dream._

"Samantha!" Xavier has me by the shoulders shaking me furiously, trying to wake me up. Unwilling to open my eyes till I knew I was safe I keep them screwed shut.

"Xavier?" He breathes a sigh of relief and pulls me into his chest.

"Thank goodness." He breathes. "I have been trying to wake you since the first time you called for me. You wouldn't come out of it." Pulling me back he smooth's my hair away from my face. "It's okay to open your eyes, Sam." Hesitantly I let them flutter open. His are averted and covered in the dark glasses. "Your face is bruising." He says absently as he gently strokes my cheek where Raider had slapped me. Then all of a sudden he freezes, his eyes grow cold, I might not be able to see them completely but I could see them change from the gentleness that had just been there to the ice that now resided. He turns my head from one side to the other with a light grip further back on my jaw. His finger glides over where Raider had gripped my chin so tightly to where he hit me.

"Did Raider do this?" He all but growls out. A movement behind him draws my gaze to Axel; I hadn't realized he was in the room. He also has a grim set to his jaw, a look of murder in his eyes. "Sam, answer me." He bites out. I'm not sure if it was what Raider had said or just the warning in his tone but I flinch with his words.

"Yes." I whisper.

"Tell me what happened." His voice is deathly calm.

"I made him mad." I hedge.

"Sam, please tell me what happened." I breathe out a long sigh. His voice has gentled some but the edge of anger was still present.

"He said I was more powerful than he thought. Then he asked if I knew you were his son. I refused to answer him and he hit me, twice." I whisper the last word as I watch his teeth grind together.

"Anything else?" Axel adds.

"Um.... Just for me to ask Xavier about Lucas." His whole body tenses with the name. With a gentleness I didn't think possible with him so worked up, he lays me back on the bed and leaves the room without a word.

"Axel?" I don't know if I'm asking him to tell me or if I want him to go after Xavier.

"That's not my story to tell, Sam." He says softly. Stepping up he sits beside me in the chair and clasps my hand with his. "What else did he say? You're leaving something out, Sam." His tone isn't rough, he isn't trying to force me to talk. He is giving me an opening to finish if I needed to. An opening I take.

"Can you keep something to yourself, Axel?" I meet his eyes letting all the seriousness I feel pool in my own hoping he realizes this is important. "Can I trust you?" I whisper.

"Yes, Samantha. I would give up my life for you if that is what it took to keep you safe. If you need me to keep it to myself, I will." The honesty in his eyes prompts me to go on. I had to trust in someone. I couldn't tell this to Xavier, he was too close to it. He would over react as soon as I started talking. I glance to the door then back at him. Sensing my hesitancy to be disturbed he strides over to the door and throws the bolt before returning to my side.

"It started that first day the Ranoy attacked in the mountains. I know you say it's impossible but when I met Raiders eyes the bond tried to form." His low growl makes me shrink into myself a little.

"I'm sorry, it's just not possible Sam." He says on a sigh.

"I know what I felt, Axel. It was exactly the same feeling as what happens with Xavier. It's like being held prisoner. I can't breathe, can't move, it takes everything I have to make my eyes listen to me. I know you say it can't be but it is." I plead with him to believe me.

"Alright. Let's say it is the same. What else." He still doesn't look like he truly believes me but at least he is listening.

"The next time I fell asleep was when he first infiltrated my dreams. I do remember what he said, I'm sorry I lied but at the time I wasn't sure what else to do because you insisted it wasn't possible, then when Xavier said it was his dad, well I didn't want him to know. He was trying to force the bond by holding me still with his hand in my hair. That's how he ripped it out, I fought back."

"That makes more sense. Go on. What about this time?" His finger absently rubs his jaw while he listens. His nervous tick, we all have one but this is the first time I have seen him show anything but complete confidence.

"Basically what I said except he slapped me because I made him mad _and_ I wouldn't open my eyes. Then he started talking about Xavier, how he had a temper and he would turn on me because he is just like his dad. I told him he was wrong and that's when he said to ask about Lucas. I woke up then." I take a deep breath knowing that out of all of it this was going to be the hardest to explain. "I know I will finish the bond with Xavier, I plan on doing it as soon as I can. It's just...." I let my head fall into my hands, how do I explain this?

"It's what, Sam? If you plan on doing it then why haven't you? You have had the opportunity more than once."

"It isn't time yet." I whisper.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I just know that it isn't the right time. There is something that has to happen first, I just don't know what. I have really begun to care about him, Axel, and I hate causing him pain, making him think I am fighting him when I have accepted it. I just know it can't be done yet."

"Why don't you tell him that? It would make it easier on him." His eyes search mine as if he can't understand why I would keep this from Xavier when a simple explanation would fix it. I wish I knew that answer to.

"I can't. That's another thing I know for sure. When it happens he can't be expecting it. Do you see what my problem is? I am trying to understand why I am here, trying to fight off Raider in these dreams and trying not to hurt Xavier even though I know I am every time I break the connection or don't ask him to finish it. The last time we accidentally connected I almost wasn't able to look away. Even when I did our emotions stayed linked for a while afterwards. I'm afraid of what will happen if it ensues too soon. What if it hurts him?" I look up to him wanting him to tell me it wouldn't but I knew he couldn't. No matter how much I begged no one could.

"So we need to keep you away from Raider and wait for this thing to happen. I can work with that, Sam. Now that I know, I'll keep a closer eye on you when you sleep. Any signs of stress I'll wake you. I feel like I need to tell you that Raider was correct. Xavier has a temper. That being said, he would never hurt a single person with it. He has his ways of venting, mainly weapons practice but he has been known to take it out on a few Ranoy." He chuckles setting my nerves at ease some.

"Thank you, Axel." He nods as the door knob turns. He stands and walks to the door.

"Who is it?" The fact his hand is on the hilt of his dagger at his waist isn't missed.

"Xavier." Is growled back. He glances over his shoulder at me and I nod for him to let him in. "Why was the door locked?" He looks between us but neither answer him. He growls again but doesn't say another word about it. "Give us a minute, will you, Axel?" He glances to me then leaves shutting the door behind him. Xavier paces the room for a short minute then sits in the chair Axel had vacated. Still he remains quiet.

"Xavier?" I ask hesitantly. He rubs his face roughly then exhales in a loud whoosh.

"Lucas was our best friend. Axel, Lucas and I were hardly ever seen apart. One day we were practicing with swords, Lucas was my partner that day. He wasn't any good at weaponry, never had been, so I normally took it easy on him. I was pissed about the most recent beating Raider had given my mother and was rougher than I should have been with Lucas. He had been complaining of a wicked headache all day and shouldn't have even been at practice. I knocked the sword from his hand and should have stopped there but I had to make one last move. A move I will regret for the rest of my life." He turns his face towards the door siting in contemplation for several minutes.

Sensing his hesitation to finish I scoot closer to the edge of the bed, clasping our hands in a comforting gesture. He looks down at them with a ghost of a smile on his lips, his thumbs grazing my wrists rhythmically.

"I turned my sword, using the flat side, I smacked him lightly across the back of the head in a move I'd made a hundred times before. I barely touched him." He draws in a ragged breath then brings our hands to his lips laying a gentle kiss across my knuckles. "His eyes widened in pain and he fell to the floor, dead. No one really knows what happened, why the soft tap killed him. Several Phranoy were in the room watching, all of which had seen us fight before. None of them said there was anything different about the way I had hit him than what I had done previously, all vouched that I had barely touched him. When I got home Raider had praised me for taking a life and beating the curse. That obviously Lucas wasn't innocent. He was the most innocent kid I knew, Sam. The only thing the elders figured is it was going to happen anyway, something was already wrong, maybe the headache was the cause and my small hit finished it. It still doesn't take the knowledge away that I killed him." He adds the last part quietly, his features twisted in agony.

"It wasn't your fault, Xavier. I'm sorry I listened to Raider and asked you about it. I should have known you couldn't have hurt anyone. I promise not to make that mistake again." With determination I grab the glasses from his waistband and slide them on his face. Once there I cup his cheek then search his eyes. Sadness, loss, blame and guilt wash over me. I throw back at him confidence in his innocence, trust and concern. His small smile shows his relief as his emotions start to change. Gentleness, caring, and something else I can't read before he abruptly pulls himself away from me and clears his throat.

"The Drumon here would like to meet you. To thank you for saving them. You feeling up to it? They have a whole dinner planned for you." He grins as he stands. I look down to my dirty clothes, filthy, mud caked feet and hands making me cringe.

"Is there any way I can take a bath or a shower first? Maybe get a clean set of clothes?" I ask embarrassed. He cocks his head and scans my body then chuckles.

"Yeah, sure. I guess we have run you ragged over the last few days, huh?" His grin is breathtaking as he backs toward the door. "I'll have a tub and fresh clothes sent up to you momentarily. Don't take too long getting ready." Then he nods and leaves the room. A tub sent up? Oh yeah, no running water. I forgot about that. With a sigh I throw myself back on the bed.

A short time later two very large men bring in a metal tub followed by a stream of ladies that made me look like a bee next to an eagle. When the last one closes the door behind her the tub is filled with scalding water and a tray of what I assumed was soap set on the table. Shaking my head at the powdery substance I conjure up a bottle of shampoo, conditioner and body soap then gleefully lower myself in the hot water.

After removing the three days' worth of dirt from my body and hair I lay back and just let myself enjoy the moment of peace. I felt better now that Axel knew what was happening. I still didn't think Xavier needed to know, it wasn't that I didn't trust him it was just a sense that I had. I knew he would probably be hurt when he found out everything but hopefully he will trust me enough to know I felt like I had no choice.

There was something coming, something I needed to do on my own before I could make the bond permanent. Now I just had to figure out what it was so Raider would stop attacking me in my sleep. It bothered me he could find me anywhere while I slept. What if Xavier and Axel were nowhere around, how would I be able to wake up? I would just have to make sure I never fell asleep alone. A knock at the door startles me making me splash water all over the floor.

"Samantha? I have your clothes." Xavier's voice calls out.

"Um, I am still in the water. Can you just crack open the door and drop them in?" I ask lamely.

"Sure." The humor in his voice makes me smile. The door opens just a little, his arm sliding in to drop a pile of material far enough in to shut the door without hitting them. "You have about ten minutes till they will be ready for you. I'll be back in eight." His deep laugh follows him down the hallway as I growl at him. Eight minutes! Hoping out of the tub I quickly dry off and retrieve the clothing. Before putting it on I grab the ones I had been wearing and throw them in the tub scrubbing the dirt from them. I add a little shampoo to make them smell better then rinse them and hang them in front of the fire to dry.

With that done I examine what he brought me to wear. Unfolding the simple but pretty dress I'm surprised he could find something small enough to fit me in this land of giants. I slip it on, however it gets caught on my wings in the back making me twist and spin trying to fix it. When the knock comes on the door announcing Xavier's return I am still fighting to right it. With an exasperated sigh I yell at him to come in.

He enters then stops and stares at me trying to fix the dress. With a broad grin he walks to me and adjusts the material to fall around me. It was a very stretchy material making it pliable and easy for him to pull the wings out and tuck the low cut back against my skin. The thin spaghetti straps went from the front all the way to my waist in the back, the two thin scraps of material the only thing holding it up. Once it was positioned it hung all the way to the floor. If I wasn't careful I might trip on it and bust my butt.

Quickly I retrieve the brush I had conjured from our bag and run it through my hair, then braid it over my shoulder. Last I slip the dainty slippers he had brought on my feet then turn to him. He studies me from head to toe a slight confused look on his face. I look down to make sure nothing was hanging out that didn't belong out but saw nothing amiss. Still when I look back up to him his confusion is evident.

"Is something wrong, Xavier?" I ask perplexed.

"You're beautiful." He says quickly.

"And that confuses you?" I ask.

"No, the fact your eyes are shinning very bright and are green, is what confuses me." My eyes weren't green! They were blue. Closing my eyes I imagine a mirror and call it forth. A small three by three hand mirror appears in my hand and I hurriedly take in my reflection. He was right, my eyes were an otherworldly glowing green. I gasp as I look back towards him.

"How?" I ask a little scared. I glance back down to the mirror and once again they are blue, only a lot brighter than they had been before.

"I don't know, Sam. You are one of a kind." He grins then offers me his arm. "Shall we go to dinner?" Taking it I let him lead me downstairs into a huge room filled to capacity with very large Drumon.

The night is filled with food, --real food, not cubes-- music and celebration. Late into the evening we enjoy the hospitality of the Drumon people as everyone in town stops by the inn to introduce themselves and thank me. Many of the men pull me to the dance floor, much to Xavier's grumbling. For all my reservations about these people I find they are very much like any human on Earth. They had hopes and dreams, granted they were geared more towards farming and staying alive instead of computers and trips to the moon, still they were people who lived like any other person. Day to day.

There was one little boy who had been watching me from behind his mother's skirt most of the night. Every time I would look his way he would pull his head back and hide. He was a cute little guy who couldn't have been more than five, although I could have been wrong with their sizes so much different than ours. I have worked my way slowly towards him watching him as I draw ever closer. When I stop to talk to his mother I hear a small whimper come from behind her. Glancing down I can no longer see him as he had completely wrapped himself in her skirt.

"He is scared of you. Please forgive him." His mother begs. I give her a smile and pat her hand reassuringly.

"It's okay, sometimes I'm scared of myself. What's his name?" She grins at me.

"Sari, he's three." I nod as I kneel beside her and speak to the swaddled lump behind her.

"Hello Sari. My name is Samantha. You know when I was little, there was this man I was scared of who lived next door to me. I would run and hide every time he came outside. Do you know what he did to make me not scared?" The dress moves just enough to see one little grey eye poking out and to make out his shake of the head. I smile at him. "Every time I would look at him he would make a funny face at me, like this." I stick my thumbs in my ears and wiggle my fingers, stick my tongue out and cross my eyes. A giggle reaches me as I drop my hands. "After about a week of him doing this every time I saw him, I started doing it back to him. Can you do it?" I ask as I make the funny face again. Very slowly he drops her dress and copies my actions. I laugh with him, then do it again, so does he.

"Later after I got bigger he told me he figured it would be hard for me to stay scared of him if I laughed every time I saw him. You know what, Sari?" He shakes his blonde head. "He was right." I give him the funny face again as peals of laughter fall from his lips before he copies me, slowly moving towards me. "Can you show me a funny face?" He thinks about it for a second then pushes his nose back like a pigs, crosses his eyes and pulls one side of his mouth open with his tongue out. I clap then copy him with a giggle. When I release the face he is right in front of me. "One more, you do one and I'll do one, okay?" His head bobs eagerly. "Okay, ready, go!" We both pull a face then burst out laughing. His little arms fly out and engulf my neck as he squeezes me in a tight hug.

"Thank you for making the bad monsters go away." He whispers in my ear making my eyes prick with tears.

"You are very welcome." When he lets go he runs back to his mom and stands by her side. I rise to my feet and it's only then I realize everyone in the room was watching me. Feeling my face heat I look around for Xavier. When I pass over Sari he makes a face at me and I can't help but return it. The room bursts out with laughter as Xavier's hand falls on my waist pulling me into him and leading me away.

The murmur of the room picks back up now that I was no longer the center of attention. "I thought you couldn't remember anything?" Xavier whispers in my ear as he leads me back to our table. I shrug and give him a crooked smile. His deep laugh fills the air making my insides turn to jelly. I loved his laugh. "So you made it up?" He grins.

"Just fabricated a small story to make him unafraid. It worked and I don't know it isn't true, the words just fell out of me. You never know, it could be what happened." Again I shrug as he pulls my chair out for me. Glancing back to Sari he makes a face at me and I reward him with another one then giggle. A gentle kiss is pressed to my cheek and I turn to Xavier surprised. "What was that for?" I ask breathless. A kiss on my cheek should not have affected me like that. I force my racing heart to slow as I wait for his answer.

"For being you. For taking the time to let these people gawk at you, for setting a little boy at ease when you didn't have to, for saving them when we would have been too late if it had been left to us. Pick one." He nonchalantly studies the crowd as he speaks. His neck and cheeks grow pink and I wander what exactly had embarrassed him, the kiss or the explanation.

"Thank you." I whisper emotionally.

The rest of the night goes by uneventfully till Xavier drags me away in the early morning hours. They had done so much I hadn't wanted to be rude by leaving but I was dead on my feet and he knew it. When he makes to leave me at the door to my room I can't help the hesitation I feel in being alone for Raider to find me in my dreams. Seemingly unaware of the fact, he bids me goodnight and leaves me to sleep alone.

Once I have changed back into my now dry clothes I tuck the dress away in our bag and lay down to sleep. After a few minutes a knock sounds at my door making me jump up and run to it hoping Xavier had changed his mind. Instead I find Axel leaning against the wall.

"Leave your door open." He says as he strides in grabs the chair in the room and places it in the doorway. Sitting down straddling it, he faces out into the hallway throwing over his shoulder. "Go to sleep, I'll wake you if I need to." It shouldn't disappoint me that it was Axel who came to guard me when I hadn't told Xavier the truth of what was happening, however somewhere in my heart I wanted it to be him at my door protecting me. With the emotions warring in my body, mind and heart, I curl into my bed and fall into a deep sleep.

### Chapter Ten

Drip-Drip-Drip

I jump to my feet and immediately reach for the candle. A hand snakes out grabbing my throat and pinning me to the wall. I slam my eyes shut as pain threatens to split my head in two from it bouncing off the wall.

Xavier! _I scream mentally._

" _Look at me!" Raider hollers at me._

" _No!" I shout. He slams me against the wall again, pain erupting down my entire backside, my unformed wigs twisting and flattening against the rock in awkward angles allowing the jutting stone to gouge into my skin, still I keep my eyes closed._

" _This has gone on long enough." He bellows in my face._

" _You aren't my Kindred! You already killed your Kindred. I will not replace her! I don't know what you're doing but it won't work." I gasp out through his tightening grip. Placing my hands on the rock wall I search for the power._

" _Aww, so my son has been talking. How does he feel knowing I am going to take you away from him?" He asks with pure joy dripping from his tongue. I keep quiet as the power lays dormant behind the walls. I push my senses further searching for red or blue but am almost positive it will be red in this place. "If you come for your father I will kill Xavier. Is that what you want? Do you really want to force me to kill my own son?"_

" _You are too much of a coward to kill him yourself. Commanding the Ranoy to do your dirty work for you isn't how a Phranoy warrior should fight. You will be the one to die, not Xavier." I spit out. His grip tightens further cutting off my air supply completely._

" _Don't threaten me child. You have no clue who you are dealing with!" He growls mere millimeters from my ear. Giving up my search for the power I grab at his hand as my lungs burn from lack of oxygen. Against my will my eyes pop open. He is immediately in my sight. His grip loosens as the bond tries to take hold. With one gulp of air I force them to close once more as I'm sucked from the room._

" _NOOOOOO!" His guttural cry follows me out._

"Sam!" Axel's voice screams at me as he shakes me.

"I'm..... awake." I gasp out trying to catch my breath.

"What did he hurt this time?" Xavier bites out behind Axel. Panting I wave his question away. "Sam! What did he do?" He shouts at me causing me pause to study him. He was pacing, his jaw tight, his hands clasped behind his back, a soldier if I ever saw one.

"It doesn't matter, Xavier. He didn't break me, that's all that matters." I say carefully as I meet Axel's eyes. His concern was evident in the violet pools of worry. "We need to get to my father. I can't last much longer against him. My magic doesn't work there." I state. I'm mainly talking to Axel because he will know what I mean but keep to the edited version for Xavier.

"Very well. Let's pack it up and head out. The desert is still a day away." Axel says as he stands and leaves the room. Xavier comes to the bed and sits beside me. His eyes search my face then stop on my neck. His features harden then he abruptly stands and leaves the room.

I collapse back on the bed only to jump back up when pain flares from my head to my toes. With a sigh I stand up and grab the bag. There was no sense in looking, I couldn't see it anyway. Making sure I have everything I leave the room and wait for the boys in the hallway.

****

After a short argument outside the inn Axel strides over to me. "My turn." He spins his finger wanting me to turn around for him so he could wrap his arms around my waist to carry me. Since we figured out the magic was making my wings grow they no longer carried me facing the other direction unless I was unconscious at the time we took off. This unfortunately was more than when I was conscious so far.

"Just be careful with my back." I whisper as I turn for him.

"What's wrong with your back?" He mutters as he gets closer.

"He slammed me against the cave wall a few times, it's a little sore." He pauses.

"Did you look at it?"

"No, couldn't see it." His aggravated sigh shows his irritation with me. "It's fine just don't press to hard, that's all I meant. Let's go before he wonders what's wrong." Already Xavier is circling back to see why we hadn't left the ground yet.

"If I hurt you, tell me." He snugs his arms around my waist and launches us into the air. I grit my teeth and keep my pain to myself as we climb high above the town leaving it behind. "Now that we're alone are you going to tell me what really happened?" He asks accusingly.

"Is that why you fought to carry me?" I ask just as accusingly.

"Yes." He bites out. I huff but explained to him what Raider said in the dream. When I get to the part of him threatening Xavier and my reply to it he bursts out with a laugh. "Dang girl, remind me never to get on your bad side." He chuckles. I finish my brief summary then we fly in silence for a long time both contemplating the meanings of Raider and this bond.

Somewhere along the way I find myself watching the ground as it rushes past us. We have begun to fly over a heavily wooded area and between the trees I keep catching glimpses of blue light sparkling from the ground when it's visible. Off to our left is another forest although this one is full of dry trees and dark brown grass as if the whole area was dead. I remember Axel telling me of one such forest that the Ranoy had forced many Drumon in and killed them and wonder if that was it. Red flashes of light soon become visible as we draw closer.

Curious I ask Axel if he could fly on the line of the two and a little lower for me. He obliges with only a curious glance to me. "That one is the Forest of the Dead and this one to the right is The Living Forest." He explains as he goes in closer. They were very aptly named as one was very much alive and the other quite dead.

When we hit what would be essentially the property line between the two there is a strip of grass running along the center with the trees starting about ten feet on each side. In the cleared strip I can visibly see both the red and blue currents running through the grounds. Each staying to their separate sides. Following it ahead of us in fascination I suddenly pause as two bright lights begin to grow and take shape, one red and one blue. The closer we get the more human each shape appears. As we fly within thirty feet of them they both intently stare at me as if they were waiting for me. Blinking several times I study the apparitions as we glide forward. Twenty feet away I am certain they want me to land there.

"Axel! Land!" I shout up to him.

"What?"

"Land! Now! I need you to land right here, please!" I shout impatiently as we grow ever closer.

"Sam, there's nothing here but forest. We need to reach the desert."

"Please Axel I must get down there! They want me to land!" I yell getting irritated as we are almost on top of them.

"Who?" By his tone it's very evident he can't see the two glowing women.

"Just land!" I bellow sternly.

"Fine." He mutters. Letting out a loud whistle he draws Xavier's attention and points to the ground. When the apparitions realize we are in fact landing they stand poised waiting patiently.

As soon as my feet hit the ground I'm off and running. I hear Xavier land by Axel but ignore them as I make my way towards the women.

"What's up?"

"She insisted on landing."

"Why?"

"I don't know, ask her."

Boys! When were they going to learn to trust me? These women were here for a reason, they wanted me down here for something, now I just had to find out what. Slowing my approach I take in both apparitions carefully to judge the fear factor in what I was doing. Now that I was down here it didn't seem as safe. Still I knew I had to do this.

The blue lady's features are young, with long flowing hair. A shutter runs through her and she is older, sterner looking her hair in a bun. Once more she shutters and a woman in her mid-thirties, her hair pulled away from her face but down in the back, in a long flowing gown stands before me. This time her shape holds firm. The red woman does the same only in reverse; she starts out old, then turns young to settle in the middle. They have the same build, hair styles, clothes and some of the same features, even though it is hard to tell individual facial features with both of them incased in the separate lights. However they stand side by side, each on her side of the divide between forests looking very much the same.

With my last step I purposely place a foot on either side of the line to show my neutrality to them. With a deep curtsy I engage them.

"Greetings, Ladies."

_Hello child._ This is the same voice I heard outside Dranall. The one that urged me into the town. _Yes, I was the one who urged you there._ As if she was reading my mind she answers my thoughts. Since she was in my head maybe she was.

"Do you know what it is I need to do? Why I am here?" A chuckle flits through my head but no real answer. Not immediately anyway.

_It is not for me to tell you 'why' or 'how'. I am only allowed to help you on your way. That is why we brought you here. My sister and I,_ she motions toward the, as of so far silent, red spirit, _need to help you see something. We think it may help you in your journey. Remove your shoes and give me your hand._ With a bit of trepidation I do as she asks.

Immediately the soft blue energy jumps to me from both, under my foot and her hand. The red stays where it is, thank goodness. The way it made me feel, I didn't want to wield it. A cool, warm tingling takes over my body and I feel my aches and pains dissolve into nothingness. As soon as I relax in pleasure an image comes to me.

I am standing at the edge of a red desert and a green forest. One foot on the sand side, the other on the forest side. Both hands crackle with energy, a sphere sits in each palm, one red, one blue. Then it's gone.

_You must learn how to control them both or there is no chance of survival. In the end we shall all parish._ Another image flits forward.

I'm once again in the same place, my hands raised above my head. A watermelon sized sphere in each palm hums with energy so loud I can hear it. Very slowly I bring my hands together merging the two powers causing them to turn a deep violet in my hands. The single sphere now double the size the two individual ones were. As I watch, the sphere dissipates, the power reversed and drawn inside my body instead of thrown out. Then it's gone.

"How do I do that?" I utter out amazed.

_It is something you must learn, child. It will not be an easy task nor will it come as naturally as the rest of your gifts so far. Don't let that stop you from trying. Let us show you what you need to feel._ Before I could say a word the soft blue energy seems to move to my left side, a hand grabs mine and I cry out as the red energy shoots through my right side. Slowly the burning fades minutely as I become accustomed once more to the pain.

With both powers inside me, my left stays soothing, my right burns in agony, however a single strip right down the middle of my body does neither. Where the two powers merge nothing but a tingle of pleasure can be felt.

Do you understand, child?

"No, I don't understand anything. But I do know what the middle ground feels like if that's what you're asking." I smart off. The red energy picks up in severity making me bite my lip to keep from crying out again.

_Sister, stop that._ Instantly the intensity drops. _I will give you two more pieces of advice, child. First, I will not harm the lowest of insect unless it is threatening to harm an innocent._

_And second, I will kill them all without discrimination._ The red spirit screeches in glee making me cringe.

_You must learn to control each before you can control both. Good luck child._ The blue lady's voice fades as my vision goes dark. At first I think she blinded me but then small twinkles of light appear. A full moon shines in the sky with millions of stars surrounding it. Grazing across the view something stops me. A little higher up in the ebony darkness is a red ball of light. No, a red moon. It shines brightly for all to see covering the grounds in a light that makes the world seemed bathed in blood. I close my eyes as chill runs through me, the image disappears.

Just like that, the energies fade. When I open my eyes the women are gone. Exhaustion drops me to my knees. I can hear the boys running towards me however I wave them off and drag myself back to a standing position. I place a foot firmly on each side of the divide then with a determination I didn't know I had I call forth both energies at the same time.

The soothing energy comes quickly but I hesitate slightly with the red. The blue begins to fill all of me before the red tries to take over. The two clash making me cry out and return them once more to the ground. When I open my eyes I'm back on my knees. I take a fortifying breath then try again. Once more they clash sending me to the ground on my hands and knees. The pain shooting through my body is relentless and I am unable to rise again. Calling forth only the blue energy I let it sooth my pains away then release it. It may heal me but it doesn't make the exhaustion go away. Slowly my hands slip out from under me and I fall unto the ground face first.

****

The crackle of a fire pulls me from a deep, restful sleep. I crack my eyes open to make sure I wasn't dreaming a new place before making my awareness know. A canopy of trees above me, splotches of the dark sky, twinkling stars, and the low hum of the boys voices assure me I am still where I should be. Sitting up I stretch feeling rested for the first time in a few days. Without the dream to interrupt my sleep I had finally been able to recuperate. My body seems to hum it feels so good. That's when I glimpse my hand. It was glowing blue. Did she protect me while I slept? I distinctively remember letting the power go before I fell unconscious.

"Easy, Sam." Xavier's voice comes from beside me drawing me away from the glow covering my body. "You started thrashing in your sleep then that glow surrounded you, calming you. We were afraid to touch you once you started glowing and left you alone." I nod but in my head I search for any memory of the cave and Raider. Nothing comes to me. She either felt him pulling me to him and stopped it or she took the memory from me. Laying my hand on the ground I send the power back to the earth with a silent thank you.

"Here, you need to eat." Axel hands me a plate of cubes then takes a seat beside me. "Are you going to tell us why we landed here? Who you were talking to?" He asks as I take a nibble from a red cube. I shrug my shoulders then shove the cube in my mouth. How do I explain the things I saw? How do I put it in words?

"Sam, if you want us to trust you then you have to tell us what's going on. We can't keep you safe if we don't know when you are in trouble or when you are doing that freak out thing with the lights." I choke on the yellow cube I just shoved in my mouth at Xavier's words.

"Freak out thing?" I ask once the coughing fit subsides.

"Yeah, you were glowing different colors and your body was spasaming. We didn't want to touch you but we had no clue if you were doing it or if someone was doing it to you." Xavier huffs aggravation clear in his words.

"At first the two women were doing it. When they left I was trying to copy what they did. It didn't work out to well for me." I sigh. I had to figure it out. Had to get it right. Thinking back on what they showed me I remember the red moon and wonder why she showed it to me. She said two things and the vision of the moon made three. Was it accidental on her part or was it something I did? Maybe the boys will answer the moon question for me. "When does the red moon rise?" I ask casually. Both look at each other then at me.

"How do you know about the Blood Moon?" Axel asks. I only shrug. "Sam." He spits my name in warning.

"Fine, I saw a vision of it high in the sky. I believe I saw it for a reason but I don't know what." Again they stare at each other like they are silently debating on whether or not to tell me. Finally Xavier is the one to break their silence.

"It's in two days. The Blood Moon rises once every two weeks. Some believe it is another planet in the solar system that we pass by twice a month in the rotations, others believe evil summons it up to give them extra power to call forth darkness, others consider it powerful but not necessarily evil and still others believe it is just another moon we can only see when it's full and turns red. No one truly knows the truth." So what was its importance. Two days.... I wonder....

"How long before we reach where my father is?" I ask carefully.

"If he is where we think he is, two days." Axel sighs. His eyes search mine furiously prompting me to nod minutely at him. That was what I was waiting on. I was almost positive the bond must be made under the Blood Moon. If it did give off some kind of power it would strengthen our bond making it even greater than a normal bond therefore giving us more power. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? An evil moon to bond under, how romantic. Grrrrr. Seriously? Were these people screwing with me?

"We will have to rescue him at night in order to catch them off guard." Xavier says oblivious to the turmoil the statement causes Axel and I.

"Well if that's the case I need to practice. Just a warning, I am not in danger but if I pass out glowing, leave me there." Xavier quirks a brow at me but I ignore him and head to the divide.

If I was going to master both I had to master each one first, that's what she said. I had to find out what I could do with the blue then the red in order to merge them together. Standing on the red side first, any pain it gives me can be soothed when I switch to blue, I reason out in my head. I kick off my shoes then sit with my palms on the ground and my toes dug in deep. With a steadying breath I pull the power to me slowly. It leaps at the chance to be free, filling me faster than I want.

Once my skin begins to crawl I shut off the flow and lift my hands. Concentrating I make the sphere in front of me around the size of a lemon. I didn't want to cause damage, I only wanted to experiment with it. Setting a picture in my head I let the feelings of anger and hate consumes me, making the ball a writhing, living thing. When I can see exactly what I want to happen I open my eyes and push the sphere away from me into a tree trunk not far away. Upon contact it explodes, tree bark rains down on my head. When the dust clears the three foot high stump is gone. If that small amount can cause that much damage then I better tone it down some.

Next I walk to another broken down trunk and try to cover it in a shield like I had with the building. The energy surrounds it perfectly except everywhere it touches scorches to black. Pulling back I change sides repeating the same steps with the blue. The shield works perfectly. The explosion, however, doesn't happen. It is only absorbed by the tree. What had the women said?

_I will not harm the lowest of insect unless it is threatening to harm an innocent_. This was the blue woman

_And I will kill them all without discrimination._ This was the red.

So if I take their words to heart that means blue cannot be used to do harm unless an innocent is in danger, like at the building. The red will harm anything it touches, it thrives on death. Just like how it was made. The deaths of innocents made the lands where the red energy resides. Axel had said the Phranoy had made the land fertile and good before the Ranoy began killing. So the untouched land was good, peaceful, and where the land that has seen a dark demise it's angry and craves death.

I turn to the boys who are watching me carefully. "This place we are going for the King, would it be surrounded in Ranoy lands or is it close to an edge like this?" I ask pointing to the two forests. If it is the same desert in the vision then hopefully we will be on an edge.

"Surrounded. We will travel almost a day into the desert before reaching where we are going. The desert begins just past those trees." Xavier points to large bunch of broken trees directly in front of me. Great. That means whatever the woman was showing me probably wasn't for this battle. If we would be in the middle of their lands I needed more practice with the red energy to be able to use it. Not looking forward to it I drudge back to the dead forest side.

"How long till we leave?" I shout to Xavier who continues to watch me. Axel had curled up on his bedroll for the night.

"Six hours till daylight." He replies.

"Stop me in three." He nods but gives me no answer. "Unless I pass out before then." I add under my breath. A snort from Axel tells me they heard me.

### Chapter Eleven

For the next three hours I had worked with contorting the energy of the dead forest. I was very pleased when Xavier came to me and I hadn't yet passed out. I was getting stronger and more fluent with the power. The only problem was after wielding it for so long I was aggravated and angry. The second I had stepped on the blue side the energy surged forth and cleansed my system leaving me once again peaceful. This was all good except from what they say I won't have this luxury once we are in the desert. Only hate will surround us.

I stayed wrapped in the soft glow while I slept the next three hours and was relieved to wake up in my bedroll, not in the cave. With the first signs of dawn we set off again at a fast pace. Xavier was once again my chauffer leaving me unable to talk to Axel about the significance of the Blood Moon and the bond. After a few hours of flying in silence we finally reach the edge of the desert. To my surprise it is not red but a light tan in color. The sand in the vision had been red.

"We should see a little more action now. The resistance so far has been minimum, only three times have we seen or encountered the Ranoy. It surprises me we have gotten this far without more of a fight." Xavier surmises from above me. I stay quiet. I know why we haven't seen more. Raider wants me to come to him. He's counting on making the bond in his own place of power. There was a reason he took me to the same cave every time he pulled me from my dreams, it was at his home where he held all the power and I held none.

When we first enter the Sands of Desperation small patches of grass spot the outer edges like they had refused to change. The further we fly the fewer they become. Miles and miles of wavy tan sand can be seen in every direction you look. The sun reflects back off of it causing the heat of the day to become sweltering. Sweat drips from every pore of my body when we finally land around mid-day for a short break. Seeing a grassy area not far from where Xavier is approaching to land I point to it and he nods. Overshooting the landing a little we come down about five feet on the other side of it.

Curiosity has my interest peaked and while the boys pull out our lunch I examine the small grassy area. It isn't big, maybe four feet in diameter, but still there is fresh green grass growing here. Bending down I place my hands on it and search for the energy. A very small amount resides. Not willing to remove what good is left in this spot I leave it where it is and wonder back to the boys.

"What causes that?" I ask pointing to the green spot.

"It's said the blood of the innocent didn't touch those areas, but again, no one really knows." Xavier shrugs.

"Have they multiplied over the years or have they always been there, no more, no less?" I ask as I enjoy a water cube, the fresh liquid slides down my throat, refreshing me.

"They don't change." Axel supplies. I just nod.

"Have you been to where we are going? Is there one of those there?" I ask as a plan forms in my head.

"No. We haven't been there, that is. I don't know about the grass. Could be." Suggests Xavier. The rest of the meal is eaten in silence before we head out once more. I suggest to Xavier that if he can, land next to one of those grassy areas for the night. He agrees to try before taking off. It was Axel's turn to carry me and we launch right behind him.

"Your wings are getting so thick it's hard to get a grip on you anymore. I'm surprised they haven't opened yet." Axel says as we head deeper into the desert.

"They will tomorrow." I state confidently.

"How do you know that?" I shrug. Truth be told, I didn't. It just seemed if we were going to be fighting the Ranoy and Raider I was going to be wielding a lot of power. Every time I did that they seemed to grow exponentially. Even though they haven't gotten much longer in length they have grown in thickness for the last few days. The biggest difference was after I had protected the citizens of Dranall. If they didn't stop growing soon the heaviness of them was going to pull me over backwards when they finally unfurled.

"So about this Blood Moon? Do you really think that is what you are waiting on?" He asks cautiously and very quietly as not to be overheard by Xavier's extremely good hearing. He might be ahead of us a good twenty feet or so but he seemed to always be able to hear what is said.

"It feels right. I don't know what it has to do with anything but I'm pretty sure when the Blood Moon is at its highest the bond must be formed. I'm only guessing and could be wrong, but it doesn't feel like it." I shrug, second guessing myself. Could I be wrong and it meant something else? I can't shake the feeling she wasn't the one who gave me the vision, but if that was the case where did it come from? Me?

"So we need to get your father and get out of there before that time? Is that what you're saying?" I groan at his incredulous tone.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. If we don't I'm afraid it will happen on its own in the mist of battle. Glasses or no glasses." I hear his sigh and wonder if he thinks we can pull it off but I leave him to his thoughts as we continue on our way.

The land below is open with nowhere to take cover, leaving us no choice but to camp exposed for the night. Xavier found a small spot of grass right before darkness fell and landed us there. We ate in silence, the boys watching for invading Ranoy and I contemplating what the next night held.

I was nervous about finishing the bond, even more so than the fight to come. If we fight then we fight, there is no way we can avoid it if we plan on rescuing the King. It was a given. However the bond held so many questions in my head that I had worked myself up to a frenzy over it. Would it mean Xavier would have control over me? Would he expect certain things from me? Would we live together? Does it make him the equivalent of my husband? I was way too young to be married and I wasn't ready to be with a man yet. Would he understand this?

The fact he hadn't insisted on finishing the bond immediately upon me breaking it tells me he will at least give me a choice, maybe. He could have insisted but he had said he would give me time. Hopefully he keeps that frame of mind for a long time. He has waited a hundred years, surely a few more won't hurt him. I catch myself before I let out a long sigh and make myself swallow it. No sense in giving them a reason to ask what I'm thinking. There was no way I would go there tonight or for as long as possible.

After dinner I work with the energy for several more hours before finally turning in to my bedroll on the grass. I let the blue light surround me and snug in for the night while Axel paces around the small ten foot circle watching for Ranoy.

****

"Sam! Xavier! Wake up! They're coming!" Axel's cry wakes me from a deep sleep. Instantly I shove the power away from me, making a barrier at the edges of our grassy circle.

"If there are more than ten that's not going to hold long." I warn the boys as they ready for battle. I had depleted some of the energy while I slept and there wasn't near as much to draw from than there had been when I first laid down.

"I couldn't tell. I only heard them running, can't see them in the dark." He says as he fastens his sword belt.

"Are you sure they were coming here?" I ask. I had an idea but if they weren't coming for us it would give off our position.

"Yes." About that time a Ranoy runs smack into my shield then falls backwards. I hadn't added in the protection as I was afraid it would drain too much power from me and deplete the supply faster.

"Close your eyes." I say loud enough for only the boys to hear. With a thought I steady the image of what I want done then throw a sphere into the sky as far as I can. Once I think it's as high as it will go I make it burst with light, showing us the area. "Open them!" I cry before the light has a chance to fade completely. There are at least a dozen Ranoy standing around the edges of my shield with more behind them.

"That's more than ten." Xavier states flatly.

"Yep, it sure is. I can't make the shield much wider but I need to get to the sand. Watch my back." I tell them as I creep towards the edge of the barrier. Once I feel the sand under my feet I look back at them. "When I pull the sands power, the shield is going to drop. Be prepared to fight." I receive a nod from both who are on either side of me, swords and daggers drawn, ready for action. With a steadying breath I will the shield to stay as I push the calming energy away then immediately grab the red. It surges forth coalescing in the palms of my hands within seconds of pulling it in. The barrier only stays for another minute before it falls. The moment it does the Ranoy surge forward.

The boys engage the first two with loud clashes of metal as I pull my hand back and throw a golf ball sized sphere at the closest Ranoy. It embeds in his chest then explodes sending him up in ash. For a second the battle pauses as the Ranoy take in this new development. Not stopping the flow I get two more shots off and the boys remove a head each before the Ranoy begin to fight back once more. As quickly as a sphere forms in my palm I throw it taking out the Ranoy furthest away from the boys. I didn't want to accidently disturb them with the blasts. Slowly the numbers dwindle.

"Behind you Sam!" At Xavier's cry I spin coming face to face with a huge Ranoy. His ugly mouth twists into what I believe is a smile showing off his jagged teeth. His arms snake out, grabbing my waist in a painful grip. He was to close for me to blow up so with little else in my head other than getting away, I grab his wrists and send power coursing through him. He lets go with a horrid bellow, his arms smoking. With him now a step away I make a smaller sphere and throw it while I step back. He explodes immediately knocking me to the ground.

A hand grabs me under my arm and pulls me to my feet. Turning I gather the power ready to blast another bad guy when at the last minute I see Xavier let go of me and engage another Ranoy. Whoa, close call. I almost fried him. Turning back to the fight I realize the only two left were the ones the boys fought. Sneaking around behind the one Axel had I wait for him to pull his sword back then grab the Ranoy's waist letting the power flow. He screams in pain arching his back and forgetting about the Phranoy with a sword in front of him. I step back and yell to Axel.

"Now." He runs the Ranoy through then beheads it, killing it. I turn to help Xavier right as he swings his sword around and decapitates his opponent. Spinning in a circle I look for more we had missed that could jump out of the dark. Letting go of the raging energy I step back into the grass and call the calming balm to me. The bruises at my waist heal immediately. Repeating my earlier actions I toss a light in the air illuminating the area. Nothing but dead Ranoy remain.

"Anyone hurt?" I ask when I'm sure the fight is over.

"Not me." Axel replies while he starts to gather our things. Xavier stays quiet. I turn to him to see him sitting on the ground holding his side. His breathing was coming in short pants and his face seemed to white. I kneel beside him and pull his hand away revealing a large gash across his side. "Do you trust me?" I ask looking at him just under his eyes.

"Yes." His voice says yes but his tone says maybe.

"Hold still. I'm going to try something." I say quietly and as confidently as I can. Pulling more of the soothing energy into my system I picture what I want to do in my head. With shaking hands I lay them over his wound then let the energy slowly release. When a relieved sigh comes from him I know it's working. I let the power do its thing till it returns to me on its own. I pull my hands back and smile. His wound was healed. With a silent thank you I send the power back into the earth.

"I have said it before and I will say it again. You are amazing." Xavier says in awe as he examines his now healed side.

"I didn't do it, the energy did." I shrug not comfortable with his praise. He pulls me into his arms then slips his glasses on. Cupping my cheek he looks down at me, his pride flowing over me.

"It is you who wields the power. You who tells it what to do. You did it, whether you take the credit or not. You are amazing, Samantha." He reiterates. Caring comingles with his pride before another emotion begins to become evident. He quickly breaks the contact and sits me back on the ground then rips off the glasses. That is the second time that emotion has crept up and he has pulled away both times. He doesn't keep contact long enough for me to figure out what it is though. However I'm not stupid enough not to guess what it is and why he didn't want me to know. Still, it bothered me.

"Well, I think we need to get going. It will be daylight in a few hours. We should be okay to fly in the desert at night. No mountain peaks to run into." Axel grins at me. I only nod to him then stand, still confused about Xavier's reluctance to let me feel him completely. That thought makes me halt. I was the one refusing the bond. Why should he trust me with his feelings when I wouldn't commit to him? If I was in his place I wouldn't either. Feeling better about the situation I let it go and let Xavier lift me into the air leaving the dead Ranoy behind.

### Chapter Twelve

Many hours of flying later we see the dunes that are rumored to be the new headquarters of the Ranoy come into view. They are still some distance away so to avoid detection we fly in and land with more than an hour flight left between us. It wasn't like you could sneak up on someone in the middle of a flat desert in broad daylight so this was the best we could do. Nightfall was still two hours away giving us time to eat a meal and prepare for the fight to come.

"Can one of you fly over the dunes high enough that they won't see you and see if you can tell if a grassy area exists anywhere near them? It would sure be better if there was." Axel stands and brushes his hands off on his pants.

"Yeah, I could do that. It would help to know where the King was being held to. Let me do a little recognizance. I'll be back around nightfall. If I'm not, don't wait for me." He gives me a stern look and I know that statement was for me. We had a time limit here and he knew it.

"Be careful." Xavier warns to him but he makes no knowledge he heard him as he takes three steps and launches into the sky. "What are you thinking, Sam?" I look up at him startled out of my thoughts.

"Oh, I was just wondering about something. There isn't a way to test it so I don't know if it will work." I shrug. I had been forming a plan since I saw the grass but without putting one of the boys in danger I couldn't test the stability of it. I had been trying to come up with other options but kept coming back to this one.

"Test what?" He asks curiously.

"Well I was thinking if I could make a shield to cover Axel he could go in to get the King while we distract the rest of them but I don't know if the shield will move with him away from me. _If_ there is a grassy area. It would also have to work on the sand without a replenishable supply of power. I just don't know if it will work." I reason out what I had been thinking.

"Try it. You could make it around me and I could walk out into the desert." I shake my head immediately.

"I don't know what it will do. It could explode for all I know. I wouldn't want to hurt you, Xavier." I add the last quietly. He kneels in front of me and cups my face making me look at him.

"You won't hurt me. If this can be done then you will find a way to do it. I believe in you Samantha. Now let's try it." His confidence in me is astounding as his emotions vibrate through me. With a reluctant nod I agree.

Pulling in the power I draw out as much as I feel I can hold. Picturing a large bubble in my head I hold my hands out and will it to form on the grass in front of me. I carefully leave an opening in the back in which he can enter the bubble, Axel will need to bring the King inside, the opening was necessary. As both him and Axel are over six foot I push till the dome reaches almost seven foot in height with a diameter of four foot. Before I sever the tendrils I add in that I want the dome to stay as it crosses the sand. Once I feel it is right I pull my hands back and open my eyes. There in front of me resides a large glowing domed bubble just as I had imagined.

"Okay, step in the back of it. If I did it right it should move with you so try to stay in the center. If it wavers at any point jump out of the hole, fast." He nods sharply then steps in. So far so good. "Okay now walk out onto the sand." I instruct him tightly. He proceeds to take a few hesitant steps in which, thankfully, the bubble moves with him. However once the outer edge leaves the grass it begins to waver. Xavier jumps quickly backwards right before a pop sounds and the whole thing caves in on its self. Blue energy crackles across the ground returning to the grassy area.

"I didn't think it would work." I say dejected.

"Don't give up. Try again, this time don't make it touch the ground. I don't know if you could hear it but as soon as it touched the sand it was as if the edges began to boil. They were crackling and spitting sparks everywhere the sand touched it." I nod to him then repeat the steps as before only this time keeping it a foot above the ground. Once I am done he steps up once more. I hold my breath as he takes his first few steps pushing the edges over the sand. Nothing happens. A few more steps and he is on the sand as is half the bubble.

"See how far you can go before it dissipates." I order with a shaking voice. I was so afraid it would pop and hurt him, I couldn't stop the tremor of fear running through me. He speeds up his pace now that he is a little more confident and walks several paces away from me. When he is only a speck against the desert landscape I see him jump backwards. He picks himself up then flies back reaching me about the same time the energy comes crawling back into its rightful place.

"It worked great. It began to flicker a step or two before it gave way. If the King is further than its reach he will have notice before he loses his protection. Granted not much, but some." I nod.

"You think it could work?" I eye him skeptically but he grins.

"I do. That is if there is a grassy area with enough power." Yeah, there is that. "Get some rest. I can see your eyes drooping and we need you at full power later." He steps towards me as if he is going to walk past however at the last second he cups the back of my head and lays a gentle kiss on my forehead. Without a word he then strides past several feet from my grassy circle and starts pacing around it. I lie down on the grass and cover myself with the blue light.

What do I make of him when he is like that? So soft and gentle yet in a few hours he will be slicing the heads of many Ranoy. He is a warrior, a fighter, a strong man. Yet he is also so kind and gentle with me. I had no doubt he would never hurt me but would rip the head off anything or anybody that did. Maybe the future with him wouldn't be so bad. With images of him and the last few days dancing in my head I drift off to sleep.

****

Xavier wakes me when the sun is low in the sky. In the hours of dusk very little is visible and I have to strain to see if Axel has returned. He hasn't. After a brief discussion on how he will find us I come up with a plan. Gathering a minute amount of power within me I form a very small ball in my hand to emit light while we fly. It wasn't enough to draw the attention of the Ranoy from this distance but enough Axel would see it verses flying by us. Holding some power inside to fuel the ball, yet not enough to make my body glow, we take off tentatively to make sure it will sustain the distance from the grass. To my relief it does.

We fly silently through the darkening night towards the Ranoy encampment, both of us to set on our own thoughts to talk. In my head I keep seeing small things Xavier has done over the last few days, touches, smiles, comments, looks, and then there are his emotions. Emotions I have never felt from anyone towards me before. Considering I can't remember my life I guess that's not so unusual. However there is a feeling inside me, an instinct maybe, which says no one has ever felt towards me the way I have felt him feel. That one emotion he recoils from every time it comes up, that one he keeps from me, I want that emotion from him. I want him to let me see it because I finally think I know what it is. Something he doesn't want me to know till I make up my mind, even though I already have, he just doesn't know it yet. Love.

It may be selfish of me because I cannot say without a doubt I love him, but I care deeply for him. Maybe with some more time or after the bonding is complete I can give him that emotion back. For now though I will revel in the fact that he does have feelings for me. This bond won't be for nothing, he does care. That's all I can hope for at the moment and even hoping for it seems silly right this minute knowing we might not live through the night.

A sharp whistle drags me from my morbid thoughts. Xavier slows then stops in mid-air, his head whipping back and forth searching. He lets out a long slow whistle of his own then waits. Axel glides towards us out of the darkness with a grin on his face.

"Nicely done." He nods towards my hand. "I would have passed you up if I hadn't seen it." I nod and extinguish the light leaving us bathed in the full moons glow.

"What did you find out?" Xavier asks.

"Two grassy areas. One in front slightly to the left and one to the right but neither are exceptionally close. The King is in a wooden building between two dunes guarded by four Ranoy at the moment."

"Which side, right or left?" I ask.

"Right. About two hundred yards from the grass." I nod.

"Xavier did you make it two hundred yards?" I look up to him to see his brow furrowed.

"Roughly, maybe a little further." He shrugs a bit but doesn't look to confident.

"Xavier sit me down so Axel can take me from here and I can explain the plan while we fly." He mumbles something but does as I ask. Once the transfer is made we once again head towards the dunes with Axel leading the way to the right grassy area.

"What plan?" Axel asks once distance is between us and Xavier.

"I figured something out while you were gone. I can make a bubble for you to walk in that will keep you shielded all except for the whole in the back that will serve as an entrance and exit. I will create a distraction then build your bubble. While you fetch the King we will keep them busy, hopefully causing them to come after us leaving you few to deal with. The only problem is the bubble will glow so you will have to move fast. If the walls flicker get out as quick as you can. I don't know what it will do if you are inside and it implodes."

"Okay. And what about the Blood Moon? Have you figured out that obstacle?" I sigh, no I hadn't.

"You will have to move quickly. Once I see the bubble return to the grass I'll give you a moment to get out of it so you can come help us. Leave the King in it. I'll seal the whole to protect him once you leave. If I yell at you that it's time it will be up to you to protect us while the bond does its thing. Can you do that?" As far as plans go, it sucked but it was all I had.

"I promise you that if I can't, I'll die trying." That so did not make me feel better. "We're here." He lands lithely on the grass with Xavier right behind us. I take a deep breath and turn to Xavier. Seeing his glasses tucked in his waist band I grab them and put them on my face instead. Hopefully it will keep Raider and I from meeting gazes accidently. He gives me a funny look but doesn't say anything.

"Okay boys, I'll make a small disturbance first to get their attention, switch quickly to make the bubble then change back to continue my distraction. This will be fast but hopefully they will be focused on the distraction and not the glow from your shield. Xavier, once he is covered he will run and we will head towards the distraction." They both nod. Straddling the grass and sand I stand with a foot on each surface then take a calming breath. I search the sky, unfortunately finding the blood moon rising over the dunes. Only a small sliver can be seen but the fact it was there and already rising fast was a horrible reminder we were on a schedule.

Without any more hesitation I go to work. Focusing on the area in front of the entrance to the dunes I pull the rage infested power inside me as quickly as I can stand it. Fire courses through my veins igniting every cell in my body. Focusing everything I have to the one area I imagine three orbs forming there. At first nothing happens then slowly three flickers of red begin to glow. I push more power out towards them, as fast as I can draw it in, I send it out. I stifle the cry of pain as it burns through my system and try to keep my focus on the spheres that are now the size of basketballs.

Roars begin to ring out through the compound in front of us, shadows emerge heading towards the lights, growls rise as they grow closer. "Be ready Axel." I grind out through gritted teeth. If he responds I don't hear him as I try to control the rage consuming me. When the shadows are less than ten feet from the orbs I release them. The explosion knocks the Ranoy backwards, disintegrating the first row. I quickly shove the power into the ground and draw in the calming blue with a sigh. Visualizing my objective I make the bubble to guard Axel integrating the defense technique I used on the building before I disengage from it.

"Be quick Axel." I warn as I look up to the now fully visible Blood Moon. "Time to protect my back, Xavier." With a determined set to my jaw I lead Xavier into battle.

### Chapter Thirteen

Dropping the calm I step fully into the sand and begin to drag it into my body with each step I take. The Ranoy have begun to stand up again by the time we are halfway to the front of the dunes keeping the left grass in my sights. I head to a spot beside the grass and further back from where the spheres had been not wanting to be too close to them yet. I had to leave room for them to advance or this would be over to quickly and Axel wouldn't have time to get the King out.

When I reach a spot directly in front of the dunes I stop and turn towards the enemy lines. My breath catches as I see hundreds of Ranoy lined up in front of us. Beside me Xavier draws in a shaky breath as he steadies himself into a fighting stance. Before us the Ranoy in the center part to allow someone to pass through their ranks. Raider.

"Well, I see you didn't take me seriously on my threat and decided to bring him to his death. Hello son." His smile is anything but humorous as he rakes his eyes over Xavier who visibly shutters next to me.

"I'm no longer your son." Xavier growls out to Raider's low chuckle. He was enjoying the defensiveness and tension in Xavier way too much.

"It won't be us that die today." I staet calmly, which surprises me as I am anything but calm. He laughs, throws his head back and burst out laughing like that was the funniest thing he has ever heard.

"Oh, my dear Evangelina, I am going to love breaking you once our bond is complete." Xavier's breath catches next to me but I try to ignore him.

"I told you, my name is Samantha! There will be no bond between you and I. I still don't know how you are doing it, but it isn't a true bond and you know it. You will never have me, Raider. I belong to Xavier." A wave of pride hits me from Xavier distracting me for a second before I focus back on Raider. Even with the bond not complete we were still linked together and it was getting stronger each day. I glance to the moon and am both relieved and panicky over its position. It wasn't high enough yet but it wasn't far from it. I was running out of time.

"Such a foolish child. I always get what I want and since you haven't completed the bond with him I can only think that you know the truth. You are mine! Kill the boy, bring the girl." He shouts making the Ranoy surge forward.

With a calming breath I raise my hands in the air pulling forth five spheres to encircle us and lighting the area. Even before they come into view I already know we are surrounded. I could hear them moving into position behind us. Xavier has turned to put his shoulder against mine, ready to fight to the death. I hurriedly push power into the spheres making them grow rapidly as the Ranoy draw closer. The bigger they get the slower their steps become. Having seen the others explode they are a bit more cautious this time.

"Don't leave your position." I whisper to Xavier then feel his nod as his shoulder muscles clench with the movement. With the leading Ranoy ten feet from us I split each orb into five smaller orbs, the effort it takes make me scream. Panting now, unable to truly focus I fight to maintain my control. Xavier's left hand slides over my waist gripping my hip, grounding me for just a moment before he pulls back with a curse. I feel him shake out his hand as if I shocked or burnt him. However it was enough to regain my focus. The Ranoy are almost upon us.

I catch sight of the bubble heading rapidly towards the grass and sigh, he made it. With another scream I split the spheres once again into fives making the Ranoy stop dead in their tracks eyeing the balls with trepidation. Then with only a thought I activate them. Each ball shoots a bolt of power like lightening into the chest of the nearest Ranoy, disintegrating them. A yell goes up from the ranks and they begin to back away from the balls, however with a flick of my wrists I send half of the spheres after them. Each ball contains three strikes, each taking down anything in its vicinity.

Hoping I gave Axel enough time to leave the bubble I send the remaining spheres half to the right to clear him a path and the other half to the left so I can reach the grass. "Stay here. I'll only be a moment." I order Xavier as I follow the left spheres. Once I reach the grass I expel the bad and draw in the good deftly closing the bubble for the Kings safety. Then immediately turn and flea back to Xavier's side before the Ranoy have any clue I left him. Axel joins us moments later.

"The moon, Sam." I glance up and cringe, I was out of time.

"I see it. Stay together so I don't catch you in the cross fire and be ready Axel. It's time to keep that promise." I plant my feet firmly in the sand and draw in the power, way too much power.

"What promise?" Xavier says behind me but I'm too busy gritting my teeth to answer and Axel doesn't even try.

I hold my hands in front of me, one on top, the other on the bottom, palms facing each other to form a sphere between them. I glance out to see the Ranoy moving in once more, however Raider has moved further back showing his cowardice. Keeping my hands evenly spaced I begin to walk in a circle around me and the boys dragging the sphere, elongating it, to make a ring of light around us, almost like a glowing hula-hoop. Once the ends are connected I step to the middle.

"Put your shoulders to mine." I pant out. Once I feel both their shoulders touch mine I hold my hands by my sides and breathe. In then out, in then out, once more in then out. On the out I throw my hands out pushing the energy out in a complete circle of power that rolls over the Ranoy taking out the first two rows and knocking the rest to the ground. As soon as the power leaves me I turn to Xavier. I grab his shoulder and turn him to face me.

"Do you trust me?" I ask quietly.

"Yes." There is no hesitation this time, no sounds of 'maybe' instead I hear an unequivocal 'yes'. I nod.

"Now, Axel." I rip my glasses off even before I hear his mumbled 'got it' and meet Xavier's eyes. Our breath catches, my heart speeds up, my brain goes foggy but this time I do not fight the inevitable. I let it happen.

My vision swims with his silver eyes then goes dark, an image floating to the surface. Standing in the Great Hall the first time our eyes met. His shock when I pulled away, his disappointment also. It changes to the day on the mountain the first time Raider and his Ranoy attacked. Him standing to the side watching as the red energy spewed from my hands killing the enemy. Again his shock washes over me then fear as I fall unconscious. The image changes once more to the night I protected the building. The fighting was done; he surveys the area to make sure there are no more Ranoy then he turns to me. He stands there for a split second his mouth hanging open as he admires the shield I created. Pride wells inside him as he watches me fight to stay on my knees and not give in to the darkness. It's only a moment before he runs to me to let me know it's safe but the moment fills me with relief. He could have been so many things after that fight, angry, jealous, disgusted, but instead he was proud of me.

One last time the image changes. We are once again in the Great Hall standing on the platform the door enters onto. Two small blue winged girls are hanging on an older version Xavier. He looks at them with love and devotion in his eyes before glancing over his shoulder at me as I walk to his side. He wraps an arm around my waist before slinging one child into my arms and the other onto his hip. The image fills me with peace as it fades away. Then just like that we are both standing on the battle field once more, gasping for air. The sound of metal clashing draws my attention to Axel who is fighting off two Ranoy who have recovered from their daze.

"Noooo! Kill them! Kill them all!" Raider furiously screams.

Pulling back the energy I make a sphere and throw it at one of Axel's opponent's leaving him with only one. I look over to Xavier who is still standing there a little dazed still gasping for breath. I step up to him and take his hand in mine.

"Let's kick a little Ranoy butt, shall we?" I ask with a smirk. He grins and nods. "I'm going to share the power with you. You call the wind to us while I gather it. It will burn when it enters, but whatever you do, don't pull away from me." He nods then closes his eyes. Not even a second later I feel the air around us begin to move. Digging deep I pull the energy to me letting it flow to him through our connected hand. He gasps as it leaves me, dwindling into him. The wind falters for only a moment before he gathers it once more. Latching onto the wind, using his powers as my own, I begin to direct it into a spin around us. Faster and faster it moves picking up the Ranoy and flinging them out. I can hear guttural screams as they fly through the air, then bones crunch as they hit the hard sand. Some shrieks stop there, others get louder mingled with pain. I really didn't want to kill them, injured they couldn't fight and that was fine with me. We just needed to survive this night.

"Axel, to me!" I demand. He swings his sword decapitating his enemy and rushes to my side. "Let it go, Xavier." Immediately the storm drops to nothing. I throw my hand up in front of me unleashing a wave of power so strong it makes the ground under our feet rumble as it rolls over both the downed and still standing Ranoy incinerating them. With a cry of outrage Raider takes flight before the wave reaches him and soars away from the dunes into the night sky. Wow, that did more damage than I expected sending a small amount of guilt through me for taking so many lives. I shake it off knowing it had been their choice to turn bad.

Very carefully I pull the power from Xavier's body then kneel to send it back to the earth with a silent thank you. As I stand I hear Xavier's voice in my head. ' _Close your eyes Sam.'_ Without question I do as he asks. An image that isn't from me floats in the darkness solidifying gradually.

It's me, standing as I am now, my hands clasped in front of me, my eyes closed, my head tilted down, covered in sand. Then I catch my breath as I see the wings spread out around me. Bright blue in color. I grin as a small giggle surfaces, instantly the wings change to violet. I frown a little confused, why did they change? Again they change to amber. A wave of emotion hits me from Xavier, stronger than any has before, infusing my body with happiness. Once more the wings turn violet in color. That's when the realization hits me.

"Mood wings!" I shout opening my eyes in horror. I had a hard enough time keeping my feelings off my face, now I had wings that showed my feelings. I throw my hands over my face as the boys try to cough instead of laugh. I put my hands on my hips and glare at them. "Not one word you two! Not a single one!" I shout as I turn and trudge towards the King, the boy's laughter following me.

As I stomp towards the grassy patch I pass many Ranoy who didn't succumb to death trying to regain their footing. When they see me coming they bolt towards the dunes shrieking in terror. At least someone was still frightened of me. How the heck could this happen? Multi-colored wings that show my feelings. Just wonderful! I will have to make sure the boys don't share that little secret with anyone. It could be detrimental to me if we face another battle, which I'm sure we will, Raider was still alive after all. If my enemies know that yellow means I'm upset or red means I'm angry or even black means I'm nervous I will be so screwed!

Stepping onto the grass I immediately pull the soothing blue energy inside me and sigh. I don't have to look at my wings to know I am finally calm. I approach the bubble cautiously. The figure inside is slumped over looking unconscious or dead. My heart begins to beat rapidly at the sight. What if I didn't close the exit in time and a Ranoy managed to kill him beforehand? Placing my hands on the shield I draw the power into me till nothing remains. Slowly I sit in front of the prone figure and tentatively reach for his neck. I breathe a sigh of relief when I feel a steady heartbeat. I let my gaze rake over his body taking in the odd angle of his wings, the bruises across his arms, ripped clothing and visible cuts. I couldn't see his face but I was sure it was probably just as bad as the rest of his body. Gently I take his hands in mine and let the energy loose slowly inside him sending it to his wings first. Instantly an image seizes me dragging me into darkness before it lightens to a video clip in my mind.

I am inside a sterile baby nursery, machines, small incubators and basinets surround me. A large glass window is in the front of the room, several men and other family members looking in at the babies, pointing towards theirs with happy expressions. One baby lays alone a few rows away from the window, no one is looking at her. A man dressed like a doctor walks into the room gaining the attention of a nurse holding a baby up for family to see.

"I'll be right with you, Dr. Stone." He nods, his back to me. He searches the small portable cribs till his eyes lock on the lone little girl. Hesitantly he makes his way to her side then takes in a sharp breath as he looks down at the quiet form. Her extremely blue eyes are open, taking him in just as he takes her in. "I see you've met Samantha." The nurse says as she joins him. My breath catches on the name. Is that me?

"Samantha?" He asks, confusion evident. The nurse purses her lips like she tasted something nasty.

"Yes, well, we had to name her since her mother didn't tell anyone what she was going to be called." She says sadly.

"Why can't she tell you now?" His voice is deep and unsteady like he doesn't want to know the answer to that question but must ask it anyway.

"She passed about five minutes after the birth. They placed Samantha on her chest. She looked down and smiled at her then closed her eyes. She never woke up." She runs her hand over my head in comfort as she talks.

"I see. What will happen to her now?" He asks quietly.

"Social services will be here in two days to place her in a home. The mother never said who the father was so they will do some checking but if he isn't found she will be placed up for adoption. We have been taking turns holding her, if you have a minute it's feeding time. I'm shorthanded and could use the help." She holds a bottle up and he takes it without question lifting me to his chest and taking a seat in a rocker close by. The nurse walks off to tend to another infant as he sits and holds me close to his body while I eat.

"Don't worry, Evangelina, I will take care of this." He whispers quietly making my head snap back with the name like I had been slapped. Very slowly he lifts his eyes to mine and stares directly at me. His unearthly blue eyes glow in the hospital nursery as a tear slides down his cheek. Blue eyes I know well, the same eerily beautiful eyes that haunt the only memory I have, my death. "I promise." He says directly to me.

The image fades then brightens on a backyard. A small child of around two runs through a sprinkler laughing. She is only dressed in a pair of silk panties as she jumps back and forth over the spray of water. Her mop of red curls sticking to her head, her blue eyes bright and happy. A movement out of the corner of my eye drags my gaze to a man leaning on the fence watching her play. She sees him the same time I do and runs toward him giggling. He keeps his head bowed as he talks to her, hiding his face from me.

"Happy Birthday, Samantha." He pulls a container of bubbles from his pocket and hands the bottle to the child who gurgles a 'thank you' and runs for the house. When she turns her back to him he draws in a sharp intake of air at the birthmark spread across the child's back. From shoulder blade to shoulder blade is a perfect set of wings. He looks up to the door where a man stands watching him. He nods towards the guy at the fence who nods back before he turns to leave. He takes two steps then stops and looks over his shoulder, directly at me. Those glowing blue eyes pierce me as he holds my gaze for almost a full minute before turning back to the street and strolling away.

It grows dark again then several scenes flit through my head rapidly. Birthday parties, a man with bright blue eyes in each scene watching sometimes from a distance, sometimes sitting right next to me. Age three he is standing towards the back smiling. Age four he is closer, talking to who I believe is my adopted father, the man from inside the house. Age five he sits beside me while I blabber away about something he can only grin and nod to. Age six we walk hand in hand into a room filled with people for a surprise party. Age seven it's a party at a skating rink and I'm beside him pulling him with me trying to show him how to skate through my tears of laughter. Age eight I'm surrounded by young girls while opening presents, the blue eyed man is not far away watching with pride. Age nine he sits with a woman and my father with their heads together whispering while I play with friends. There is one thing the same in every flash, the shirt I wear shows my back and in every scene the birthmark is smaller than the one before. Also in every scene the man looks up directly at me right before it fades to the next one.

Once more I'm plunged into darkness only to lighten on another scene. This time I'm around ten. The man who stood in the doorway is helping me onto a pink bike with a big bow on the handle bars. He steadies me then pushes gently letting me go reluctantly to pedal on my own. I wobble then correct it before wobbling again and smashing into a trash can. I jump off just at the last second to avoid getting hurt. A deep laugh comes from behind my vision self and I turn sharply to find the blue eyed man staring at the younger me.

"Good save, Samantha." He laughs. I grin at him then run to give him a hug.

"Dr. Stone! You missed my party this year! What happened?" I ask looking up at him with wide eyes.

"I was unattainably delayed. I know I'm late, but I'm here now." He pulls a hand out of his pocket to reveal a small black box. "Happy Birthday." He says cheerfully. I grab the box and open it cautiously, even at ten I can tell it is some kind of jewelry box and I don't want to damage it. When finally it clicks open I gasp and smile bright. A small angel pendant hangs from a silver chain, its wings the deepest cobalt I have ever seen.

"An angel!" I say with awe.

"No, my child. That is a Phranoy, not an angel." I give him an incredulous look, scrunching up my nose like I smelled something rotten.

"What's a Phranoy, Dr. Stone?" I ask with the innocence of a child. He removes the necklace from its confinement and places it around my neck.

"I can't really explain much about them but just know that they are the good guys. You are a part of them and they love you and are waiting for you to join them, just like me. Now let's see you ride that bike again, shall we?" I grin at him and nod cheerfully. Ten year old minds are easily distracted because my older self wants to yell at him to answer the question! I grab my bike and hoist myself on it. Dr. Stone helps me to get going, his hand lightly brushing over the even smaller birthmark, then he watches as I pedal away furiously down the street like I had been doing it for years. My father walks up to him and stands beside him, their backs to me.

"It gets smaller every year. Have you found out why, sir?" The man asks Dr. Stone.

"I believe when it is gone she will be ready to join us. However it is only a guess, Duncan. You and Ally are doing a wonderful job with her. Thank you for taking this on, I know you miss home." He pats Duncan on the shoulder appreciatively.

"She is a wonderful child, sir. As we weren't blessed with any ourselves this has been a most amazing experience for us. We should be thanking you. Even if we have to be in this world and not our own, it is well worth it." He grins at the other man then looks away before speaking again with a rigid back and colder voice. "Was there a problem with your transport today?" Dr. Stone sighs.

"The Ranoy attacks have become more insistent. I may not be able to visit as much in the coming years. I wouldn't want to accidently lead them to her. If I don't show up next year please buy her something from me and apologize to her that I wasn't able to get away. I'll contact you as soon as I think it is safe. If there is an emergency you know how to reach me, but please do not try unless it's life threatening. Things are getting progressively worse in Da-Nigh." He sighs again, his shoulders slumping then rubs his face like he is bone tired. What amazes me is this man, my adopted father, knows Dr. Stone is from Da-Nigh, knows of the Ranoy and Phranoy and if I was to guess he might even be one. "I must go. Tell Evangelina good bye for me." He pats Duncan on the shoulder once more then turns to walk off. Before he even takes one step he looks back at me with his piercing gaze. "I never wanted to stop coming." He says directly to me, then he is gone and so is the vision.

Laughter draws my gaze to the front porch of the same house in the other visions. I stand watching a car pull to the curve dressed in a long, cobalt blue strapless, backless gown that matches the Phranoy pendant around my neck. My hair is piled on my head and my feet shoved in high heels I'm sure I couldn't walk in now if I wanted to. A young man jumps out of the car and runs up to me laughing.

"Hey there, Sam. You look gorgeous. You ready for dancing?" He does a little jig making me laugh harder at him.

"You crack me up, Timothy. That's the fun of going with your best friend to prom; we will have a blast no matter what!" Timothy's face darkens a bit and I wonder how I can't see that this young man does not see me as a friend but more. The look quickly fades and he grabs my hand hurrying me to the car. When I turn to wait for him to open the door I see the birthmark on my back, well I try to. It is barely the size of a half-dollar. I tuck myself into the car while Timothy runs around to the other side. As we pull away Dr. Stone steps from behind a tree watching us go. My father comes from the door to meet him in the drive.

"Sir, I'm surprised to see you." He says a near panic look on his face.

"Don't worry Duncan, it's not time yet." Duncan's face and body relax with the words, almost.

"It will be soon though, wont it?" Dr. Stone nods. "She is only sixteen, too young for this fate if you ask me." He spits out then catches himself and tries to apologize but the doctor brushes his words aside.

"I agree. However we have nothing to do with the timing only what happens afterwards. Keep an eye on that mark. I'm sure she has less than a year now. I will know when to come for her just as I knew I needed to be here today. I have put off listening to that sense telling me when something important was happening to her for six years now, but I couldn't miss her first date and dance. It meant so much to her. She is beautiful, isn't she?" His smile was thoughtful yet proud.

"Yes she is, sir. And not just on the outside, she is a beautiful person all around. Sixteen years in this world has taught me a lot about these people. They aren't all nice or helpful or accommodating. Honestly they are mostly testy and angry but not our Samantha, she is remarkable. She will make a fair ruler of Da-Nigh." He says proudly.

"I agree. We just have to get her through the storm to come without her losing those qualities first." Dr. Stone's cobalt eyes narrow then his head turns slowly to me, making eye contact. The scene goes dark.

The sun shines bright on a street, I'm running full tilt towards a stop sign, ear phones in, I-pod in hand, music blaring so loud I can hear it from where I stand across the road. I slow as I close with the connecting road. A four way corner with only two stop signs, I pause to look before darting out off the sidewalk. Tires squeal as a car careens up the road taking the corner without stopping or slowing down. A sickening thud sounds as I bounce off the windshield and roll off the hood to the pavement below. A man steps out of the car, a beer can in his hand. He looks down at me and curses jumping back behind the wheel. In another squeal of tires he backs up and flees from the scene leaving me alone on the pavement, dying.

Dr. Stone steps out from behind a tree and walks calmly to my side, kneeling. Only a few seconds pass before the tension in my body fades and I relax back on the pavement staring up at him with a small smile on my face. Then my eyes close. His body shutters as he stares down at me, a tear running over his cheek before he gathers me in his arms and stands. With one look across the road at my frozen, shocked, vision self, he is gone taking my body with him. I stand staring at the road for only a second before my vision sways then darkens completely.

Slowly I open my eyes to meet the concerned silver gaze of Xavier. Relief quickly floods me from him as he runs his knuckles over my cheek. "You alright?" I nod but can't find my voice, my throat is scratchy and my mouth feels to dry. Someone's hands tighten in mine and I glance down to see I'm still passing power into the King. Quickly I pull it in and send it back to the earth with a silent thank you before hesitantly meeting the cobalt eyes I knew would be waiting for me.

"Evangelina." He whispers in awe as he searches my face then his gaze flits to my wings. Wings that are rapidly changing colors with all my emotions and Xavier's combined. His eyes narrow then widen before swiftly meeting mine again. "Ambieanic? Interesting."

"Ambieanic?" I cock my head and stare at him. He chuckles.

"Always curious, always needing answers. Even when you were little you had to have the answer. I had to distract you with other things to get out of answering questions." He grins at me but still he doesn't answer the question. I tighten my mouth in a thin line and raise my eyebrow at him. He barks out a laugh. "You are more determined now I see. Ambieanic is the correct term for why your wings are changing colors. You pick up the ambience of the room, the people, the moods of those around you. At first it will only be your own but as you grow into your talents you will be able to pick up on others faster and you will be able to control...that." He points at the rapidly changing colors with a grin. "Humans call it being an empath, I believe."

"So it's not just my moods?" I glance at Xavier then back to the King. He shakes his head.

"Right now, probably so, yes. You will learn." With that dismissal he pulls himself up with Axel's help, leaning heavily on the young man's shoulder. His wings are now straight, the bruises fading but not gone, the cuts and scratches were no longer bleeding but not healed completely.

"Let me finish healing you." I say stubbornly, staggering to my own feet, breathless.

"No, Evangelina, you are exhausted. This is enough to get me home. I may be King, but I can heal naturally just like anyone else can. Save your strength." For some reason the name he keeps using grates on me. I know it's who they think I am, but it's not who I feel like.

"Please call me Samantha." I say quietly hoping not to offend him. Even though I state it meekly I meet his gaze evenly not breaking it as he considers my words. Finally he nods.

"For now." With that he turns and walks off with Axel, a few steps later they are in the air leaving me alone with a very nervous Xavier. I take a deep breath then turn to face him, my knees falter but he catches me before I hit the ground. His nervousness turns to concern before he sweeps me into his arms, pinning my wings behind me.

"We'll talk at home. You need to rest." With that he launches us into the air. Gladly, I cuddle into his chest inhaling his scent of basil and let the darkness surround me.

### Chapter Fourteen

_Drip-Drip-Drip_

" _Not again." I mumble as I rush to my feet and lunge for the candle. Once it's secured in my hand I turn my back to the cavern wall and scan the area for Raider. I thought once the bond had been secured with Xavier I would be done with this particular nightmare. I guess not._

Shadows dart from wall to wall across the open area of the cave making it seem smaller as the darkness closes in on me. For several minutes I stand there watching the shadows swell around me till only the light of the candle haloing me remains. I try to keep my breathing even and calm but the rapidly changing colors I see from the corner of my eye says my wings were giving away that I was anything but calm.

'Xavier, please wake me up.' _I try to state it calmly but my voice shakes inside my head just as it would if I was speaking aloud. A movement more solid than the shadows catches my eye and I turn my head to meet Raider's glare right beside me. He is leaning against the wall casually, putting his head even with mine, but his cold eyes say he is anything but casual at the moment. They scream of rage and condemnation. I am grateful to notice there isn't any pull between us. The bond cured that problem at least._

" _Well, if it isn't my daughter-n-law." His grin is mirthless. I steel myself not to react to him. "You may have out smarted me this time out of pure dumb luck, but you will never do it again. I can promise you this." I bite my lip to keep the smart retort from coming loose. Antagonizing him has never been my smartest move._

" _How are you still doing this?" I ask instead. He holds his hand up in front of my face, a silver chain with a blue winged Phranoy hangs from it. My necklace, the one the King gave me at age ten. On instinct I reach for it but he moves quicker than lightening pinning my hand against the wall with his free hand and throwing his forearm against my throat with the other cutting off my oxygen. The necklace still dangles from his fingers. My free hand grabs his arm prying at it, trying to get a grip. My nails rake across his skin causing blood to well on his arm. He hisses and presses down harder._

" _You will never be free of me. I will be the one to finish you in the end, Evangelina. And in terminating you I will destroy that no good son of mine in the process." He throws his head back and cackles, his grip loosening with the action. I feel a familiar sucking sensation signaling I was waking. I couldn't leave without the necklace if that is how he was calling me here. Steadying my feet I kick out nailing him in the groin before grabbing the necklace in my free hand and jerking. It wrenches free of his grasp as I slip back into the darkness of sleep._

"Sam!" I sit up gasping and immediately look to my hand, the necklace sits safely in my palm. Clasping my hand over it I fall into Xavier's embrace letting him comfort me. For the first few minutes nothing but Xavier's arms wrapped around me matters, then things start to sink into my brain.

I was sitting on a bed, a shimmering dress similar to the one I was wearing the first time I woke up here has replaced my filthy clothes. Xavier to had changed into a clean pair of light weight pants, his body smelt freshly clean of soap and basil, the smell reminds me of the first day I saw him in the Great Hall. I crack my eyes open to scan the room with its deep blue walls, light tan carpeting, an old wooden dresser and mirror combo, a desk and three doors. One presumably leading out, another to a closet and the third was open to reveal a bathroom of sorts.

When my shaking has calmed down I gently push away from Xavier's chest feeling uncomfortable sitting on a bed with him. My wings are a steady bright pink showing my embarrassment. His hand grazes my chin then applies pressure forcing me to face him.

"Why are you embarrassed?" He asks and by the emotions hitting me I know he is confused by my reaction.

"Damn wings." I mutter to his chuckle.

"It has nothing to do with your wings, Samantha." He places his other hand over my heart making my breath hitch. "The bond is complete. I can feel everything you feel and I don't need the glasses or to look in your eyes to feel it. I'm sure you can feel me also?" It was stated as a question but it was defiantly a statement. Yeah I could feel him, I could feel so much of him my chest hurt. I only nod not trusting my voice to answer. "Now that we understand that, why are you embarrassed?" My eyes dart around the room not wanting to meet his gaze as I lie to him.

"Nothing, just not sure where we are." I croak, I was a horrible liar. He sighs heavily letting go of my chin.

"Yes, you are a bad liar." My head snaps up to his smirk. "I can not only feel you, I can hear you to."

"Why can't I hear you?" I mumble, my embarrassment growing. What all has he heard in my head in the last five minutes?

"Because I am better at blocking you. You don't know how." I glare at him.

"Well that isn't fair now is it? Not only can you feel me and hear me but my wings tell on me to. Yet all I get are your emotions?" I cock my head and quirk my brow at him. He laughs.

"You have so many other talents I don't, I thought it was only fair." He grins, I growl.

"No it's not fair and besides doesn't the bond give you my talents to?" I ask grumpily.

"Yes but we will have to work on that. I was surprised when you were able to take control of the wind and I was able to hold that power. It doesn't normally work that fast." My mouth falls open as I realize what he's saying. I could have seriously hurt him infusing the power inside him like I did. My stomach sinks like a rock as all the possible outcomes of my actions run through me. He cups my face gently staring into my eyes.

"Don't do that. It all worked out and no one was hurt. No sense in feeling regret or guilt now. We make a good team, that's all." His voice is so tender and soft I lose myself in it for a second instead of the dread filling me.

"So, where are we?" I ask pulling away from him, the nervous embarrassment back full force. I glance down at the bed then quickly, to quickly stand to my feet. My knees buckle under me, his strong grip on my arm the only thing keeping me from falling face first on the floor. He pulls me back down on the bed then stands and steps away from me. Relief floods me but so does emptiness from his distance. I wrap my arms around my middle rubbing my arms with my hands, this was so confusing.

"First, we are back at The Cloud. We flew straight home not stopping like on the way there. You have been out for almost twenty hours." I gasp at his words but he continues as if he didn't hear me. "As for where in The Cloud are we?" He waves his hand around the room gesturing to our surroundings. "This is our suite." This time it's his eyes that don't meet mine.

" _Our_ suite?" I practically whisper, that nervousness growing deep in my belly. Oh God, please tell me he doesn't mean what I think he does. He clears his throat his face turning red as I feel a strong wave of embarrassment that isn't mine wash over me.

"I informed the King of the bond. He gave us these rooms for living quarters, for now." He rubs the back of his neck and begins pacing the floor before he steps to the door to the closet. He opens it revealing it wasn't a closet but another room, a couch, table with chairs, a small coffee table and a recliner type chair was spread throughout. "I will take the couch for now." I glance to the couch then back at him as he stalks quietly back towards me before sitting beside me leaving a three inch gap between us.

"I know you are young, Sam. I also know you are not ready for everything this bond includes. I understand and respect that. When you are ready, so will I be. You have nothing to worry about, Samantha." His voice is quiet but reassuring. Curiously I feel no emotions from him as he speaks and I wonder if he can block those from me to. I glance back to the couch then to his strong, large frame. He would never fit comfortably on that couch; half of him would hang off one end or both. I take a deep breath before I speak, knowing he probably already knew what was coming but I had to say it out loud anyway, for me.

"Your right, I'm not ready, Xavier. However I can't make you sleep on the couch either. Do you think if we shared the bed that....um...." I close my eyes trying to force the words past my lips. I could face hundreds of terrifying Ranoy but couldn't talk to him about sleeping in the same bed. How lame was that?

"Can I sleep in the bed with you and promise to keep my hands to myself?" He asks humor lacing his words and penetrating my insides. I nod still not looking at him. "Yes, I can do that." His arms wrap around me pulling me to his chest in a strong embrace. "I also promise the decision to kick me out of this bed at any time is also yours." I puff out a laugh then relax into him feeling much better about this predicament.

"And how did the King take the news about our bond?" I ask casually. Well, I try to. He throws his head back and laughs.

"He had a few choice words about it but in the end knew the truth as much as I did. Fate chooses our Kindred and there is nothing we can do about it, even the King can't change the order of things." He drops a kiss to my forehead his lips curling into a smile with his words. "He wants to see you. I was with him when I heard you call. I took off so fast he was screaming at me when I left about respect." He chuckles. "Axel was also in the room. The last thing I heard before leaving his suite was him explaining the dreams to the King. So hopefully he will understand before we return that I wasn't being disrespectful and even if he doesn't, you are more important than what he thinks." I tilt my head up to meet his gaze a 'thank you' on the tip of my tongue when he lowers his head and takes my lips in a gentle kiss. My gasp opens me to him and he takes full advantage in a sweeping of his tongue that sends shivers through me.

It only lasts a few seconds but when he pulls back and wraps me tighter in his hold tucking his face in my hair at my neck, I feel like my entire life changed with that one kiss. Xavier was mine and I was his. For all eternity. The knowledge runs through my veins, solidifying in my brain and taking root in my heart. I slowly let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding and relax into him. I know he can feel me as I can feel the emotions rolling off him but neither of us speak as we sit there wrapped in each other's arms.

Sometime later after I enjoy a much needed bath Xavier leads me hand in hand through the corridors of The Cloud to the Kings suite. A large Phranoy, who I can only say had to be a guard, stands at the entrance to his rooms. A large sword hangs from his left hip, a dagger secured to the right, his pants were tighter than any of the other men's I had seen presumably to help him in battle by not having the lose clothing as a distraction or weighing down his legs. His golden wings appear to be tucked behind him however they were so huge they still framed his upper body in shimmering gold. He stood close to eight feet tall making me have to practically bend over backwards to look him in the face. He was the biggest Phranoy I had seen yet, granted I hadn't been up close to many but still he was also much larger than even the Drumon.

"Sam, this is Jordan, personal guard to the King." Xavier grins at the man who doesn't even flinch. "Jordan brought you here when the King and he were attacked after retrieving you from the human world. He is still grumpy that the King made him leave him to be taken in order to save you." The hulking man in front of me cuts his condescending eyes to me, an unearthly sound rumbling in his chest. He obviously didn't like the idea of saving me over the King. Xavier reaches for the door opening it.

"Thank you for bringing me here. However if I would have been in your place I would have left me for dead and saved the King. He was obviously the better choice than a nobody like me." I shrug my shoulders and follow Xavier into the room but I didn't miss the widening of Jordan's eyes and the small amount of respect that flickered through them before they went blank once more.

' _You will always be the obvious choice, Sam. You are far from a nobody.'_ Xavier's angry voice flits through my head making me stumble for a brief second before I catch myself and continue following him. He doesn't make a move like he just spoke inside my head, doesn't acknowledge my faltering steps, he continues on as if nothing happened, opening a door to a study and allowing me to pass inside. The soft click behind me signals the door has closed and I glance back to see Xavier did not follow me inside the room.

A large desk takes up most of the area in front of me with two smaller chairs in front of it. The chair behind the desk is facing the other direction however the brilliant blue wings spilling out of the sides lets me know the King is seated inside it. I stand awkwardly where I stopped not knowing what to do. Am I supposed to curtsy, clear my throat to get his attention, wait patiently, which I am not good at by the way, what did I do? I wait.

After only a minute or two the chair spins bringing me face to face with the unearthly cobalt eyes of the King. Eyes that I have wondered about since my arrival, eyes that seemed so familiar yet not at all human. By the visions I saw in the desert I know this man has been in my life since my birth but who exactly was he? Was he really a doctor? Was he a friend to my mother? Or was he really my father as they told me when I arrived? So many questions yet the only thing I can do is stare into that unwavering glowing gaze. It is him that breaks first, standing to his feet and offering me a chair.

"Have a seat, Evan... Samantha. We have much to talk about." His smile is warm and kind, his eyes soft as he takes in my features. Quietly I do as asked and sit not taking my eyes off him. "Welcome home, daughter." I drag in a heavy breath as someone sits a weight on my chest.

"Home?" I ask quietly.

"Yes, home. This is where you should be. Where you should have been your whole life. Unfortunately I couldn't bring you here till your death on earth. We, the Phranoy, can travel to your world but the humans do not survive transport to ours. Therefore I brought you over in the moments death claimed you only to revive you once the trip was made. For a few moments you had me worried though, you didn't want to come back to me and I was afraid all was lost. Jordan, the guard out front, he was the one who finally was able to bring you back." His smile softens as he glances towards where the big guard was positioned outside the doors was.

"How?" I croak.

"He has a very special talent among us. Let's just say he shocked you back to life." His grin is infectious and I find myself grinning back.

"I will have to thank him then." He nods, pride swimming in his eyes.

"That would be kind of you. Now, I'm sure you have a thousand questions for me. Where would you like to start?" Wow, I didn't think it would be this easy to get answers from the man since no one else had been forthcoming with any except Axel and that took some encouraging.

"The prophecy? What does it say?" His brows furrow deeply, a frown marring his face.

"The prophecy? With everything going on in your head, that is what you want to know?" I nod. "You aren't curious about your mother or your life? I was told you couldn't remember anything from your time on earth?" He sounds utterly confused with my choice of questions.

"The visions I saw answered most of that." I state clearly keeping our eyes connected. Surprise flickers through him.

"Visions? What visions?" My own surprise is evident across my face and in the color of my wings.

"The ones you showed me in the desert." I say carefully. His head begins to shake.

"Samantha, I didn't show you anything. Why don't you explain what you mean to me?" The soft smile from before is now guarded and calculating.

"When I was healing you. I saw you at the hospital when I was born. The nurse told you about mother not making it. You promised me you would take care of things. Then when I was two, you gave me bubbles. There were more birthdays that flickered by but year ten was the one you stopped coming, your last visit before you watched me leave for prom and the day I died. You gave me the necklace that year. And told me over your shoulder that you didn't want to stop coming." I hold up the Phranoy pendant I had been clutching in my hand. The chain was broken but I had wanted to bring it to ask him about Raider using it. He gasps when he sees it.

"Where did you get that?" He asks eyeing me carefully. I explain to him about the bond trying to form with Raider, the dreams, the cave and the most recent one where he basically said this was how he did it.

"So I took it from him right as Xavier woke me. It was in my hand when I awoke." He draws in a ragged breath then lets it out.

"I see. Maybe we should start with that then. Raider took me to get to you. He knew I would be bringing you home eventually, that is why I had stopped visiting you. The visions were all true to life but I never spoke directly to your older self in any of them even if it might have looked like it. I didn't know who was watching though I did know someone was. I have always thought it was Raider. Anyway, when I returned with you in my arms they waited till you were revived then attacked. Jordan was able to take off before me with you in his arms. I was never able to get off the ground. They managed to throw a net over me before I could fly and efficiently trapped me. But you were safe so I wasn't worried what happened to me." He stops to run his finger over the crease in his forehead while he takes deep breaths. Trying to calm down would be my guess.

"Until Raider explained why he wasn't disappointed he only captured me, that is. You see he found an old scroll that told him how he could force a fake bond or a very real connection between two people. With an object belonging to the one targeted and the blood from them or a relative he could essentially tie you to him for eternity. It wouldn't be like the Kindred bond but more like slave to master." My body involuntarily shutters at the thought. Enslaved to Raider for eternity, no thank you.

"Like a Kindred he would be able to tap your powers, invade your thoughts, emotions and dreams but even worse you would have no choice but to obey him, even against your will your body would respond to his commands. All he had to do was get you to look him in the eye for one minute while, for lack of a better word, the 'spell' bound you together."

"Can he still do that? If I hadn't taken the necklace I mean?" He shakes his head.

"The Kindred bond takes precedence. If he would have completed it before you bonded with Xavier then nothing, not even the Kindred would have broken it. But because you have bonded he can no longer complete the ritual. You are safe from him in that way. Especially since you now hold his weapon in your hand." He nods to the necklace.

"How did he get it in the first place? Wasn't I wearing it when I died?" I ask him staring now at the pendant.

"Yes you were. I ripped it from your neck before Jordan shocked you so it wouldn't burn you. Because I broke the chain I shoved it in my pocket to return to you when we returned home. He took it from me when I was captured." His voice rises in anger on the last part obviously not happy with it. "Now back to the visions. This is not a normal Phranoy gift, but an extraordinary one. One that most people do not know about anymore because it has not been a given to a Phranoy in over a thousand years. Not since Queen Naomi, who was the one who gave the prophecy surrounding you." My eyes widen with his words. "Do they come on their own, when you touch someone or only when you siphon energy?" His face is alight with curiosity now and I can see where I got this trait from.

"I believe all but once I have been siphoning at the time." I say blushing.

"And the other time?" Obviously picking up on my embarrassment he eyes me hard.

"During the bond. I saw several scenes from the past week but I also saw one several years in the future. I didn't have any energy inside me at the time." He doesn't say anything, only stares at me waiting, wanting to know what I had seen. With a frustrated sigh I give in. "Xavier, two little girls, twins with wings the color of yours, and me inside the Great Hall." I look away from him suddenly interested in a painting on his wall. It was a distraction technique until I realize the painting is of me. I rise from my chair ignoring his chuckling and step towards the painting.

In it I'm roughly eight sitting in a chair looking over my shoulder at the artist. A wide smile of joy and a twinkle in my eye makes my features shine from the portrait. I wear a simple shirt that ties around the neck, my back and birthmark clearly visible as I am leaning up in the chair. The bright pink floral pattern sets off buzzers in my head, I've seen this before. One of the quick visions, my eight birthday, I was sitting in a chair opening presents with several girls surrounding me, the King was not far behind me watching. This would have been the angle from where he had been.

"Did you paint this?" I ask as I take in the fine details.

"Look at the artists name in the corner." He says very quietly. I scan the portrait till I come to a hastily scrawled name in the right corner of the painting. I draw in a ragged breath as I read it.

"Xavier?" I turn back to the King who is nodding.

"Duncan took the picture. I had it on my desk for about six months when it disappeared." He laughs. "I was so mad. I tore this place apart searching for it. I was only able to transport to see you once a year. Duncan always sent me home with a picture of you to last me to the next year. Of course I could have placed the older picture in its place but it wasn't you anymore. That one was what you looked like when I saw you last and I wanted it found. One week passed with my temper steadily getting worse. No one came near me by choice and were scared to do so by command." He laughed again this time with a twinkle of mischief in his eye.

"Xavier braved the temper to ask me to his quarters one evening. I grumbled and moaned the whole way there. You have to understand that when Raider left us in such a way we all took Xavier in as a son. So I would never have questioned why he, a young soldier, wanted me, the King, to go to his room. I just went thinking he needed to talk. When I walked in the painting was on an easel in the middle of the room. I almost cried when I saw it sitting there." He runs his eyes over the painting obviously remembering the day Xavier gave it to him.

"So he had taken the picture?" I ask with a smile.

"No. We never found the picture actually. Xavier did this by memory. He knew what it meant and as soon as he heard the picture went missing he began the painting, working mostly at night after training and his jobs to finish it as quickly as he did. I didn't even know he could paint till he gave me that. Now I have several of his pieces hanging in my suite here and at The Mission. Actually I have three more of you he did for me. Nine, ten and sixteen, prom night. You were so pretty in that blue dress." He steps forward and kisses my forehead then like he can't hold back any longer he crushes me to him in a long, hard embrace. When he pulls back he clears his throat before he begins to speak again.

"You will probably, with time, be able to fine tune the visions to do as you want. Being new at it the siphoning helps bring them forward, giving you a boost in energy to control them. We will work on that along with your Ambieanic abilities. It seems you are bringing several old talents back to life again." His smile is one of pride, one of a father. The weight finally lifts from my chest allowing me to breathe.

"And the prophecy?" I ask stubbornly. He blows out an exasperated breath.

"Very well. Come with me." We step from the study heading for the door Jordan was guarding. Xavier immediately falls in beside me taking my hand. When we enter the hall I pull him to a stop and turn towards Jordan. He may be a large Phranoy but he saved my life twice in a matter of minutes. I drop Xavier's hand and encircle the man's waist in a hug; I was too short to reach his neck. He stiffens but doesn't push me away. When I pull back I look up to his face.

"Thank you for waking me up." I can't bring myself to add 'from death'. His nod and a twitch to his lips let me know he understands what I meant.

"You welcome, Samantha." His deep voice bounces off the hallway, echoing in my head. He immediately returns to his statue like place by the door and I turn back to follow the King accepting the dismissal. Xavier gives me a wide smile before he secures my hand again. The King leads us into a large room filled with scrolls and books, a library. An old library from the looks of it.

There is a podium at the front of the room, an ancient looking piece of paper spread out across it. The King motions towards it prompting me to step forward. Written on the crumbling paper are words I have never seen before, words I cannot read. I glance to Xavier who has stepped up with me. He scoots in behind me wrapping his arms around my waist and reads from above my shoulder.

" **Born of blood both Human and Phranoy**

She must die to find her way

When the king is taken by the Ranoy

She will enter the fray

When the Blood Moon rises for the third time

The Ranoy will strengthen their number

If the bond is not in its prime

The world will be split asunder

A betrayal will leave her raw

A love will be there to console

A friend will catch her fall

She, by herself, will assume the role

With war demolishing the lands

Her strength will make them unite

For it will be by Evangelina's hands

The enemy will be taken out of the fight."

Oh boy! I'm so screwed!

####

Thank you for reading the first book in The Cloud Riders series. I hope this four book journey will be as fun for you to read as it is for me to write! Please remember to leave a comment at your favorite retailer. Feedback is what keeps us going!

Book 2, Bound Together is now available for purchase!

Thanks and happy reading y'all!

About Stacy Lee

**Stacy Lee has lived in a small town in South Texas her entire life. She is a professional photographer and spends her days with her husband and three children, and her nights reading or writing. Her passion began with writing stories for her growing children in order to get them interested in books and it grew to a hobby she enjoys and loves. As the kids get older and two out of three still refuse to read she has found that writing for herself heightens the experience.**

I would love to hear from you!

Questions, comments and corrections are always welcome!

Contact me at

**stacyleebooks@gmail.com**

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More YA by Stacy Lee

The Cloud Riders Series

**1-Wings of a Phranoy**

2-Bound Together

Book Three - coming soon

Book Four - (After Book Three! :P)

