 
# Sweet Sleep

## Kim Cormack

### Contents

Acknowledgments

Warning

A Letter to My Readers

Quotes

Prologue

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

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Behind the Series

A Personal Note From The Author

About the Author

Also by Kim Cormack

Keep Reading...
Copyright © 2016 Kim Cormack

All rights reserved

Mythomedia Press 2754 10th Ave

V9Y2N9 Port Alberni BC

# Acknowledgments

To my wonderful children, Jenna and Cameron. Thank you for giving me strength in the moments when I felt like I had none left. You are the reason I get up every morning and push myself forward. May you always believe in magic and never stop fighting life's dragons. Always believe in the impossible.

To Mom, Dad and Nana Scott. You are my support system. Love you always and forever.

To Carol for your endless hours of support and friendship.

To Leanne and Haley for the hours upon hours of editing fun xo You ladies rock!

To my friends, for always giving me a reason to laugh and for always providing me with such awesome comic material. You endlessly listen to the inner workings of my mind and not one of you has asked me to stop talking about this series...yet. I love you all more than a few typed words at the beginning of a book can say.

# Warning

The information contained within this book is not intended for mere mortals. Reading this may inadvertently trigger a Correction. If you survive or have shown great bravery during your demise, you may be given a second chance at life by one of the three Guardians of the in-between. For your soul's protection until your 18th year, you must join one of three Clans of immortals living on earth... Ankh, Trinity or Triad. You are totally still reading this, aren't you? You are such a badass I'm impressed. You'll fit in great.

# A Letter to My Readers

This series started out as a nightmare and turned into a dream. It kept me moving forward during a time when it would have been so easy to give up.

Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey towards my own Enlightenment. Every mountain you climb makes you stronger. Every struggle gives you wisdom. You have the strength to deal with anything life throws at you. We are strong. We are durable. We are all immortal. I hope to keep you happy with these characters and this series for many years to come.

* * *

_Kim Cormack XO_

# Prologue

_In every lifetime, there is a moment. A moment so clear, so profoundly unique that it stands out against billions of other moments. When you find a moment such as this one, pay extra close attention to it. It will contain something that defines you in the future._

"Are you certain she's the one?" Lily whispered.

Frost replied softly, "Pretty sure, she even looks a little like Freja. How old do you think she is? Four, maybe five-years-old?"

From the playground, came something remarkable. A duplicate of the child they'd come to see plopped herself ungracefully onto the grass beside her twin.

Grey remarked, "This is quite the unexpected little glitch, isn't it? What does this mean? How is this even possible?"

The two were mirror images of each other. __ Frost replied, "It's not possible."

Lily glanced at Frost and whispered, "This definitely complicates things."

One of the freckle-faced little girls noticed the three Ankh watching. She sprang to her feet, raced over to the fence and stood on her tippy toes. With a giant grin, she stuck her chubby little fingers through the rungs of the fence and squeaked, "Do you want to come in and play?"

Lily gushed, "Aren't you the most adorable little thing in the whole wide world."

"What's your name, delightful little creature?" Grey asked with his Aussie accent.

"I'm not a thing or a creature. I'm a kid. My name is Kayn, and that's my sister Chloe," she pointed a tiny finger adorned with messy sparkle nail polish at her twin.

The scrappy child standing at the fence had sand on her lovely frilly white dress, grass in her hair and a frog sticker on her cheek. She radiated joy and the blissful innocence of childhood. Her twin sat up and glared at them. Chloe was clearly not going to be the one out of the two abducted by a random stranger. Frost was standing there beaming like a fool, so captivated by the scrappy child standing in front of him that he couldn't even speak.

"You guys look like movie stars," Kayn gushed, and then turned her attention to her hand. "I have nail polish on, see," she exclaimed. Her beautiful eyes gleamed with pride as she displayed her wiggling fingers for the rest to see.

"Lovely," Lily appraised. Just as a little boy with a mess of dark curls came running up to the fence and grabbed Kayn's arm.

He glared at the group, leaned over and whispered in her ear assertively, "Chloe says you're not supposed to talk to strangers."

The little girl stated, "Chloe's not the boss of me." She then grasped the fence firmly and stuck her face right against it with her little upturned nose sticking right through to the other side.

Blown away by the feisty, spirited child, Frost touched one of the little girl's dainty fingers through the fence. He met her gaze, marvelling at the innocence and vibrant intensity that shone back through the chain link barrier. His expression changed briefly as he whispered to her under his breath, "It's important you become strong." He touched the tip of her nose with his finger gently.

# Chapter One

### The Moments Before she Sleeps

The humming of Kayn's blood as it coursed through her veins seemed to sing along to the steady, almost tribal beat of her feet as they pounded rhythmically into the dirt. A veil of earth flowed behind her. She resembled a flaxen-haired angel attempting to outrun a cloud. The dust seemed to follow her for a moment or two longer than it should with not one whisper of wind in the afternoon air. A smile spread across her lips. _Her heart was overflowing with too much joy to be contained beneath a serious competitive demeanour._

In a moment of clarity, Kayn noticed Kevin wasn't sitting in the grass watching her train. She could picture him rushing to his locker and fumbling with the lock while attempting to keep the facade going _. She wasn't stupid. She didn't really believe he enjoyed watching her run around a track. There was a method to his madness_. _Her best friend was madly in love with her twin sister._ He had been addicted to the mere sight of her since kindergarten. To anyone else this would make no sense but Kayn understood. _She was Kevin's friend. Chloe was his fantasy._ In her vision of why he was late, he'd been caught in a swarm of students as they squished through the doorway into the gym, shoved up against the wall and his books fell out of his backpack. She found herself laughing aloud as she ran; for thoughts of him always brought a smile to her face. His organizational skills had always left something to be desired. After taking a moment to collect his papers, he would zip up his bag and continue his quest for his moment in the presence of her twin, the always unattainable Chloe Brighton. __ Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him as he raced up the hill and unceremoniously plopped himself down in the grass next to her school bag. _Things were as they should be._ As she rounded the corner kicking up dust like a champ, he was fiddling with his cell. She knew he was timing her next lap. She flashed past him in a cloud of dust. He smiled at her through the haze.

Her body was lean and freckled from daily exposure to the sun, and her skin glinted with sparkles. Kayn loved coconut sparkle tanning spray. She could see it on her clenched fists each time they flashed by her line of sight. She was a girl with many strange little rituals on her daily to do list. At the beginning of her run, she imagined that she looked quite magical, glittering in the sun, but not by the end. By the end of her training, the glitter tanning spray would cause the track's dust to stick to her whole body in a rather comical way. She would always end up looking like she'd spent her afternoon rolling in it, instead of running on it.

Kayn was in a zen place, appreciating the warmth of the sun's rays whispering across her skin. She rounded the corner kicking up another cloud of dust to outrun just as a jolt of electricity surged through her. Adrenaline rippled a winding path beneath her flesh, igniting her soul, setting it afire with insurmountable pleasure. In this moment, it always felt like she'd been given a gift or anointment of power. She hit the straight stretch again experiencing such transcendent euphoria, she felt baptized by the sweat trickling down her forehead. She was alive in a way only a runner could comprehend. Every nerve ending was humming, _Faster, Kayn. Go faster._ She was an athlete born to push the limits of her body. Runners were a breed of their own with both incredible days and horrible while training, but it was always worth it. "Don't Call Me Baby," by Madison Avenue was cranked in her ears. She kept pace to the beat, feeling powerful and strong. Kayn made eye contact and grinned as she passed her best friend, acknowledging his presence. Kevin was listening to his own music while plucking long green strands of grass out of the ground. He glanced up as she approached and overzealously waved, displaying a giant charming toothy grin. He'd done this since kindergarten and it never failed to induce laughter. She acknowledged his presence by shaking her head and smiling as she slowed her pace. Her heart thumped wildly in defiance to her now walking feet. Kayn licked the sweat from her lips, tasting her salty reward. With a track dust covered hand, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and casually dried her hands on her shorts. She noticed the streaks and wondered if there was also smeared dirt on her brow. Kayn turned in one fluid movement to greet Kevin, whose grassy scent signalled his arrival at her side His giant grin told her that her face was most certainly covered in dirt, but he didn't mention it because he was to busy cheering for her. _You'd think she'd just won the Olympics or something equally spectacular. The sight of him cheering with no sound to the music in her ears was more than a little bit adorable._ Kayn yanked out one of her earbuds.

"Holy crap," Kevin yelled in her face. "That's your best time this year. You are going to kick serious butt at the finals next month."

"You know my earbuds are out. I can hear you." Kayn hinted.

"Oh, you think you're pretty cool because you're fast. Well, young lady, plenty of people are fast, but how many people can do this?" Kevin retorted.

He did a peculiar dance involving a twirl and a running man while laughing at her mortification. "Please, stop," she sighed as she surveyed the track and surrounding area for witnesses. Kayn was an attractive girl but had never known the perfection of her twin sister Chloe. It did stand to reason that she could easily alter her appearance, to match her identical sibling, but she didn't care about superficial things. _She was the socially awkward version, and she was fine with that on most days._ Her naturally curly, wheat coloured hair was up in a messy ponytail and she was slick with perspiration as she strolled away from the track knowing she was in desperate need of a shower. Kevin was staring at her with a strange look on his face. _He'd often told her she resembled an Amazonian sized forest nymph._ _She knew it was probably because she was tall and didn't care_ _if she was covered in dirt._ _She had never been sure if his observation was meant as a compliment._ He was jogging beside her now attempting to keep up with her long, athletic strides.

Her best friend used to be the most adorable little boy on the planet, but there was a point where she sensed he had stopped feeling adorable. She'd comically surpassed him in height by the end of seventh grade and this was a complication their mothers hadn't anticipated while plotting their nuptials in second grade. Kevin had been in a painfully awkward, acne covered stage for at least three years now. He was still adorable, although possibly only to her. _However, she did notice that his skin was looking clear today._ Kayn grinned as he valiantly attempted to run as fast as she was walking. Kayn's affliction was different, she was invisible. _To her this was a good thing. It was her preference to blend into the crowd._

"You are awesome. I mean that, and I'm totally not saying it to butter you up, so you'll put a good word in with your sister," Kevin bantered with a grin.

_She loved him to death, but she'd been letting him down easy for like ten years now._ She gave Kevin a pat on the shoulder and flung her arm around him as they slowed down to a casual stroll. She sweetly replied, "There's just this one problem, muffin. My sister is way too advanced for you."

"Right...That's what you say to all of the guys stalking your twin," he countered with a grin at her cleverly creative way of calling her sister slutty.

Kayn choked on a laugh and sparred, "Yes, as a matter of fact, it is exactly what I say. I was forced to come up with one token line I use for everyone, it's a time saver.

Kevin's face crinkled into a dimpled grin. He shook his head, feigning distaste as he flirtatiously responded, "I can't believe after all these years, I'm merely a number to you."

His attempted flirtation was cute and perhaps she would have been a little flattered if it was meant for her. Kayn gave Kevin a friendly pat on the shoulder and said, "Just do yourself a favour; take a hint. She's not right for you." She slapped his butt. He yelped and jumped away from the sting of her hand. She teased, "At least have the decency to warn me if you ever find yourself wanting to wear my sister as a skin coat so I can try to get you some help." He shot her a dirty look. Sarcastically, she added, "How hard can it be to arrange an intervention or a creepy exorcism or something in your honour. I would hate to have to visit my best friend in a padded cell somewhere." She winked and waited for his comeback.

"You should have your own comedy show," he taunted.

"It'd be hilarious if it wasn't the truth," Kayn challenged. Her twin, Chloe Brighton, was the polished version of her. She was stylish, popular and always the picture of perfection. Chloe was described with words like captivating, stunning, and provocative. Kayn, on the other hand, was blandly characterized as cute, funny, and a good runner. It didn't seem fair; however, she loved her sister with blind acceptance. They'd always been close but didn't hang out in the same crowd. To be honest, Kayn had no crowd at all. It was just her and Kevin.

The only boys who had shown an interest in her were usually after her sister, Chloe. Kayn, being less sophisticated, would always fall for their games. She would think foolish thoughts like, _maybe this time he likes me?_ They'd chat on the phone for a while and then inevitably they would ask to come over to hang out or do homework together. Kayn would agree and right when her heart began to flutter with the romantic possibilities of a goodnight kiss or how incredible it would be to have a boyfriend, it would happen. They would make their intentions obvious by saying something like, "Because we are such good friends could you introduce me to your sister, Chloe?"

_Friends, was_ _an uncomplicated word Kayn despised from a young age because of Chloe._ _It felt like the wind from a breath that would blow out every candle of hope she'd kept lit inside of her heart her whole life to date._ Kayn would be blatantly lying if she said the constantly repeating scenario hadn't bred resentment. Still, she never let it show. Not once had she freaked out at her for stealing imaginary boyfriends or for simply being morally bankrupt. She'd learned at a young age that her twin didn't adhere to the same ethical, moral codes everyone else followed. Kayn had this thing called a conscience which included guilt and a little voice in her ear, repeating, _Don't do it,_ until she chose to listen. She was certain Chloe's inner voice urged, _Do it,_ because there was no need for sentiment or morality in Chloe's mind. The self-contained universe revolving around her was simply amazing. One could stand with mouth agape for hours listening to stories of mini catastrophes her womb mate caused during a 24-hour period. It was like she was protected in her own little snow globe and life's chaos merely surrounded her. Occasionally someone stirred up her water, but it swirled around her like everything else did, never really touching her or causing her to lose a second of control. She was unaffected by the world around her, unwavering through life's currents. She couldn't get mad at the boys who fell for her, she truly believed her sister had the mythical powers of a siren. Chloe was alluring, enticing and seemed to have catnip for men on her somewhere. _How had the game ended up in one of the babies and not the other? They were in the same womb for nine months. It wasn't fair._ Kevin's opinion was the only one she valued. He understood the power her sister held. They'd joke about it on a regular basis, but as soon as Chloe was within a ten-foot radius, even he couldn't tell you his name. It infuriated her to no end. She stopped walking and looked back. _It felt like she was being watched._ Kayn shivered as an icy breeze passed through her, fluttered through the grass, carried on up the hill and stirred up the dust on the track. _That was weird? She just needed a rest. She must have overworked herself today_. Kayn shook her head and looked at the trees surrounding the track. _They were completely still_? _A random cold spot on a swelteringly hot day was a little strange._ She turned her attention back to her friend, attempting to hush the nagging voice in her mind that kept repeating, _Something's wrong._

"Someone walk over your grave?" Kevin whispered in her ear, breaking the silence.

Kayn smiled at Grandma Winnie's quote. She always said that if someone shivered in her presence. If you sneezed, she'd say a ghost passed through you. If Kayn was called out for shivering, her retort was always, "But I'm not dead Granny." The elderly woman's response was usually something wise and ominous like, if only you knew how irrelevant that word is. Kevin's grandmother seemed to have a direct line to the spirit world and nearly all their random chats were more than a wee bit creepy. They'd spend hours talking about dreams. She was a quirky, warm, witty woman who treasured her from day one. Kayn was a faithful member of team Granny because she, unlike the rest of the planet despised her twin. Winnie couldn't even breathe when Chloe was in the room. She'd pretend to gasp for oxygen, making foul stench related declarations, believable enough to cause her twin to smell her own armpits. Chloe, being completely void of respect for her elders or pretty much anybody else, would refer to her as a crazy old bat or a witch. Quite often, Granny Winnie would call Chloe out on an evil deed or two like she'd read her mind.

The clear blue-sky changed in a matter of moments from clear to a powder of fluffy white clouds. _Strange weather._ Her pulse raced, all she could smell was the scent of fresh cut grass and pine needles from the trees lining the far side of the track. It struck her as odd. _They were quite a distance from the trees._ She heard the amplified sound of the grass rustling underfoot and felt uneasy. Snapping back to reality as Kevin's feet came into her line of sight, she looked his way, raised her brows and pointed to his untied shoelaces. He bent in front of her and tied up his shoes. Kayn began to speak as if she were reading his obituary. "I can see the paper now; it would read something like this: Kevin Smith was a wonderful boy, so smart and good looking but a little clumsy. Had he only tied his shoes he wouldn't have fallen down the stairs and found himself impaled on a janitor's broom. Remember kids. Tie your shoes. Safety first."

"Have I told you lately that you're an asshole?" he jousted as she finished the latest version of his obituary.

_She didn't have a comeback just a nasty case of the heebie jeebies._ The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Kayn glanced behind her and then from side to side, unable to shake the unnerving feeling that something was coming. There was a hollow ache in her chest and a strange sensation that lingered each time she swallowed.

Kevin leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Your sketchy behaviour this afternoon is beginning to creep me out.

His warm breath in her ear caused her to shiver again and she had the strangest urge to kiss him square on the lips. _It must be_ _low blood sugar._ She replied, "No... Just over tired I guess." She glanced back again.

"Stop looking behind us, you're freaking me out," Kevin asserted.

She shook her head and giggled, "I don't know what's wrong with me today, I'm sorry."

He twirled around in a circle and added, "Nobody is coming, I swear."

"I know," Kayn answered. "I'm feeling a little off. Maybe I'm coming down with something?"

"We should be more worried about your creepy behaviour causing you a nasty case of whiplash." Kevin chuckled as he flung his arm around her shoulder and gave her a buddy-like squeeze. "You should go have a shower, muffin; your kind of sweaty and nasty. What do you do, cover yourself in honey before you go for a run?" Kevin chuckled as he smelled his hands and groaned, "Ewww, that's not honey."

Kayn sparred, "There you go talking dirty, literally; it's kind of hot, all this talk of toxins and waste."

"What was your boyfriends' name again?" he asked innocently.

As they started walking again, she gave him a solid shove in jest. "You should call up your invisible girlfriend and ask her what her name is love monkey," she jeered and winked.

"I have a girlfriend. Her name is Chloe. She just doesn't know it yet," he teased.

_Ugh, he couldn't help himself. She understood this, but he knew constant talk of her sister irritated her to no end. It_ _was his easy smackdown in a comedy standoff._ "Do you know what the difference between you and a stalker is?" she responded sweetly.

"Do tell, oh wise and mighty stalking connoisseur," he sighed.

"It's whether or not you're wearing my sister's stolen thong underwear right now," she teased. Kayn wrestled with Kevin while attempting a stealth look down the back of his shorts.

"Hey, hey...simmer down. I swear, I'll yell rape. I'm going commando. Pulling my shorts off isn't a great idea," he laughed as he fended her off.

"Like you could handle me," she chuckled. Kayn cringed with pain as she shifted her heavy bag to her other shoulder. It always had twenty pounds of books in it. _She couldn't memorize her locker combination. She was utterly horrible with numbers._ _That was her excuse._ _The real reason being she'd be obliged to speak to the vapid girls that hung out around her locker. She liked to be left alone in her own little world._

Kevin grabbed her heavy bag off her as he added, "Hey, I'll have you know I've been going commando since my first wedgie in fifth grade. Once they grab for underwear and don't find any, they back right off."

Doubling over in a fit of giggles, Kayn chuckled, "I honestly don't doubt that for a second."

"You learn lots of nifty little things to help you manoeuvre through geekdom unscathed if you're crafty, you know," he said as they began walking again.

Kevin was carrying both of their bags. He was trying to be a gentleman and that was adorable, but she also knew how heavy her bag was. She smiled as she snatched her bag back. _These moments always made her wonder if they'd ever be something more._ _Would he ever make a move? She wasn't sure if he had any._ _If he ever tried something, she'd probably just assume it was a joke._ He caught her staring and winked. _What was she even thinking? She must be hormonal today._

He nudged her and teased, "So, about that Chloe thing we were discussing earlier. Is it really so impossible?"

With a disapproving wince, she patiently scolded, "Stop talking about Chloe, I'm sick of it."

"Shush," he responded, placing a finger over his pursed lips. "You know not to speak of her voodoo powers."

She grinned. _It was the truth._ _The phrase, Chloe has a boyfriend was easily comparable to cursing out loud in the Brighton house._ _Her sister ran like she was on fire from every boy she'd ever dated._ _Seemingly normal guys would lose their marbles. The fear of losing her would make their sanity unfold like a reversal of an origami swan. It would start with a vehicle outside of the house in the middle of the night and escalate. Once Chloe grew annoyed by their obsessive behaviour, they'd break up and no matter how wonderful they were, things always went dark._ _It wasn't just those she dated. Random guys would break into the house and steal objects belonging to her_. _After a couple trips the police station, where full-grown men were fawning all over her, her parents understood what she'd always known,_ _Voodoo Powers._ "The last guy she broke up with went crazy. Let's talk about something else." _The last thing she needed was to be caught gossiping by one of Chloe's minions._ They looked at each other and giggled. A stinging slap on Kayn's butt made her jump. There stood her infamous moderately evil twin. The living breathing cover girl commercial was gracing them with her badass presence.

With a slight glance, Chloe acknowledged Kevin's presence, he turned ten shades of red like she'd whispered something dirty in his ear. _He's completely pathetic_. Kayn shook her head.

Chloe threw an arm around her, then shoved her away saying, "Ewww, yuck, gross, you're all sweaty. Listen, backstabbing witch with a B, I'm not feeling that hot today. I'm on my way home. Do you need a ride?" Chloe donned a show stopping smile.

It was like her sister's life was an endless beauty pageant where she was always prepared for a picture. Her show pony offspring was sarcastic ninety-nine percent of the time so Kayn rarely took her insults seriously, "I'm all good. I'm going for a shower, then to Kevin's for dinner."

Chloe kissed her cheek, grimaced and whispered, "Yes, go have that shower." She dramatically sighed, "I'm grounded again for no good reason."

"Shocking," Kevin mumbled.

_She suspected, her sister purposely got grounded to have a forced break from social responsibilities._ _If medals were doled out in the Olympics for groundings achieved in a three-year period, she'd have a gold medal._

"Bye Kevy!" Chloe sang as she flounced off.

"Voodoo powers," Kevin whispered.

"I heard that you little stinker," Chloe sparred.

As they strolled away, Kayn casually prodded, "I bet when you thought of sexy couple nicknames little stinker wasn't one of them." _She couldn't help it, she was on a roll._ He socked her arm.

She spun around and accused, "I can't believe you'd do that." Kayn rubbed her arm pretending to be upset.

"I didn't actually hurt you, did I?" Kevin whispered right away.

He knew he'd been had, when her serious look crumbled into a grin. She chuckled, "No hitting women," and smoked his arm twice as hard.

"What woman? I don't see a woman? Oh, you mean you?" he countered rubbing his arm, pretending to search for one.

"I will butt you out like a cigarette, little man!" She made a fist, joking around.

Kevin glared at her. _Oh, no. He had that expression. Game over. Whoops...She'd gone too far._ It was all fun and games until she made one too many short jokes.

"I'm not little," he exclaimed and stomped away, towards the facility.

"How about vertically challenged?" Kayn innocently replied. _She was digging her own grave and knew it. He could argue for hours._

"I might look short to an Amazonian like you," he countered.

"Touché," Kayn admitted, grinning. _He had to stop, the laughter she'd been suppressing would escape._

"I'm still growing," he complained with a pitchy voice.

Kayn doubled over laughing. _She couldn't help it._

"Can you please be done laughing now," Kevin said as they walked into the fitness center.

"I'll see you in fifteen minutes, sexy," she whispered, sultry as a porn star. Grinning as she shoved on the door to the change room.

"Quit mocking me Amazonian!" he shouted dramatically.

His last joking retort echoed in the concrete and tile room. The cool floor soothed her aching feet. It had only taken her a few months to wear out another pair of running shoes. Her mom would kill her if she asked for another pair this year. She dropped her runners. The sound of her shoes landing on the tile, echoed and repeated a few times making it sound like someone dropped another pair. _She was alone_. Kevin was waiting for her but there was no hurry. He was probably having a coffee and ogling the girl's swim team. _He was fine_. Kayn stripped down and gazed at her reflection. She pulled her hair out of her ponytail; it fell in damp loose ringlets down her bare shoulders. She tilted her head, posing seductively. Her face was freckled from hours of training in the sun. In the winter her freckles disappeared, and her skin was porcelain white. _Maybe, she should start wearing makeup to school? She could look just like Chloe if she wanted to_. Kayn sucked in her cheeks, plastered a giant pageant style smile on her face and scrunched up her nose. _She enjoyed being dorky and a little bit weird. It would take far too much effort to pull off her sister's level of perfection. She didn't need to be perfect. She would wither and fade if she had to live her life under a microscope. She did prefer to let her strange roam free._ Her stomach cramped. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder at her reflection in the mirror one last time on her way to the shower. The conversation she'd had with her sister flashed through her memory. _She quite often had sympathy pains when her twin wasn't feeling good. Chloe was feeling sick today, that's all this was._ Kayn pulled aside the plastic curtain and turned on the water, it began to tap dance against the bottom of the stall. When it was just the right temperature, she stood under the spray and smiled as the water beat against her weary exercise savaged muscles. She lathered herself up with lovely scented pump soap and started humming a few bars of her favourite running song. Just as she began to let go and sing the words, she heard the door open. Feeling awkward, she silently rinsed herself off, stepped out of the shower and started towel drying her hair. She didn't hear any footsteps and there appeared to be nobody else in the change room with her... _Weird?_ As she passed by the mirror again, she glanced at her reflection, wondered if Chloe ever wanted to be more like her and blew off that nutty idea.

She was only five minutes younger than her sister, but her twin had always acted five years older. _She had no voodoo powers and all she ever felt around boys was undeniably awkward._ _Maybe she should ask Chloe to teach her something...anything?_ _It would be nice if someone asked her on a date before she was eighty_. _Kevin's obsession with Chloe was really beginning to irritate her. Having feelings for him wouldn't be a great move friendship-wise. There it was again...that ominous word... friends._

Kayn dried herself off, feeling the moisture from her damp hair, trailing a river down her spine. As she dressed, her train of thought kept travelling back to the possibility that she might have feelings for her best friend. _What was with her thoughts today?_ She grabbed her bag, hoping Kevin hadn't reached the point of being epically frustrated while waiting for her. She forced open the door with an over-exaggerated grunt and saw him sitting on the railing waiting patiently. He was looking up at the sky with his mouth agape in a comical way. Kayn walked up and teased, "Trying to catch flies?"

"Always," Kevin sparred with quick wit and a dimpled grin

"What are we looking at?" Kayn asked as she gazed at the heavens, mimicking his open-mouthed awe.

"Come on, I'll show you," Kevin laughed. He took her hand as they strolled to the field.

_She'd lived this moment a thousand times._ Kevin sprawled in the grass, and she did the same. "Oh, wow. I get it. Look at how fast the clouds are moving. I noticed it earlier...Weird. Maybe there's a storm coming?" Kayn whispered while observing the sky from her spot in the plush cushion of greenery. Suddenly, a sharp pain seared through her core. She grabbed her stomach, sucked a deep breath in and gasped, "What the hell was that?"

"You okay, Brighton?" Kevin asked as he sat up and reached for her.

Kayn winced again as she doubled over, her insides afire with strange penetrating pain. Kevin placed his hand on her midriff, and the pain disappeared as quickly as it had begun.

He looked at her and stated, "I bet you need a big glass of water and something to eat?"

She shook off the feeling she was missing something and stood up. _It was probably just a twin thing, but he was right, she'd skipped lunch._ _She was just dehydrated and hungry._ With the pain gone, she replied, "Yeah, that's probably it."

"You skipped lunch again, didn't you?" he scolded with a disapproving look.

She admitted, "Guilty as charged, I do believe that I did not eat lunch today." _There was a very simple explanation for the sharp undefined pain that she had experienced._ Kayn was often practicing at lunchtime and would forget to eat. Shivers crawled up her spine and she felt the urge to look behind her. Concerned, she spun around, trying to shake off the uncomfortable sensation that had been plaguing her all afternoon. Her internal dialogue was still whispering, _be careful._ She shook off the anxiety. _It's just low blood sugar or the heat._ As they strolled home, they stopped by the turn off to Lakeshore Drive. She recalled the last horror movie they watched. _It had taken place at a lake._ _It was probably just a mix of a bunch of things. Low blood sugar, heat exhaustion, and recalling a horror movie was enough to make anyone feel a bit wonky_. She laughed at her overactive imagination.

Kevin yanked a handful of grass from the earth, inhaled its fragrance and ominously declared, "Just what I thought."

"What's that?" she enquired, knowing he was about to make a joke about the movie.

"It's hillbilly urine, we'd better get our tasty selves' home," he announced with dramatic flair. Kevin ominously pointed in the direction of his house, proving if there was ever doubt, he had no acting chops.

"Let's get out of here you geek," Kayn chuckled. She sighed as she slowly shook her head.

He grinned at her, posed like at the start line of a race and added, "It's got to be close to five, I'm sure dinner's already on the table."

They looked at each other, eyeing up the competition before simultaneously grinning. They sprinted through the field before the trails. They'd been doing this ritual race home since they were allowed out of their yards as children. Kevin had always been a sneaky opponent because there was no possible way to beat her in a race without trickery involved. He shoved her as per usual, and she fell with a gentle thud into the grass. "Cheater!" She hollered after him as he ran away cackling. Sprawling dramatically in the grass grinning, she gave him a head start before spitting out freshly mowed grass, scrambling to her feet and beginning her pursuit. She was right on his tail even with his rule stretching head start. She slowed her pace. _It was good for him to win sometimes._ Kevin let out an obnoxiously raucous cheer as he vaulted over the fence to his yard. He raised his arms in fanfare and took a bow. _He'd never won graciously in their ten years of friendship. She'd take one for the team to see him this happy._ They entered Kevin's house. Her stomach grumbled loudly as the delicious aroma of his mom's cooking filled her senses.

Mrs. Smith greeted her with an enormous loving bear hug. She raised her brows and brushed the grass off Kayn's back while addressing them both, "You two are absolutely covered in grass. Brush yourselves off outside and go wash your hands. Make it quick, we're all at the table ready to eat."

They brushed the grass off each other outside and raced for the bathroom. _This time he legitimately beat her._ When Kevin came out, he gave her a playful shove as he passed. She stepped into the washroom, glanced into the mirror and giggled as she picked strands of grass out of her hair. She quickly washed her hands. _How wrong must it look when two teenagers of the opposite sex show up for dinner covered in grass?_ _Well, anyone else, with them platonic wrestling would be completely normal._ _If her dad walked in and they were wrestling on her bed, he wouldn't even flinch._ Kayn wandered into the dining room and sat at her usual spot. _Kevin's family mirrored her own. They were always cracking jokes and chatting loudly about their day._ She loved everything about the Smith house, from the mismatched frames filled with family photos in the dining room to the outdated green shag carpet in the den. The ambiance was completed by a cozy couch set with two fluffy lounging felines. Kevin's granny sat at the head of the table. Her wispy white hair was even more wildly untamed than usual. She'd always been able to envision Kevin's grandmother as a beautiful younger woman because of the black and white picture of her in the hall. Beautiful, didn't encompass Granny in her youth, for she had been enchanting. She had rich crimson curls and exquisitely structured cheekbones. There was power and immeasurable strength of spirit in her eyes. Yet, physically, she looked as thin and frail as a newborn fawn. She hadn't been the picture of pin up perfection, but she had an unexplainable quality that made you curious. You wanted to know more about her. There were thousands of untold stories in her eyes. She was a girl with many secrets. The chapters were written in the creases of her smile. Granny always wore lipstick ten shades too dark for her teeth that were worn and yellowed from age. She always seemed to have something stuck in them. If she got some false teeth it would make her look a decade younger, but she didn't seem to care in the least. _She was famished._ Kayn devoured her meal, finishing it quickly she reached for another bun. Granny Winnie had been staring at her for a good fifteen minutes and it didn't even look like she'd blinked. She hadn't even attempted to touch her meal. _Was she alright?_ She hadn't spoken a word. _She was usually talking everyone's ears off._ Smiling widely, Kayn enquired, "How was your day, Granny?"

Granny Winnie whispered, "You know something's amiss, don't you?" Her eyes widened. She covered her mouth with both hands like she'd said something naughty.

_Granny was always saying ominous random things, and this wasn't even the creepiest thing this week._ Kayn took a bite of her bun, unsure of how to respond.

"Kayn had stomach pain earlier. She forgot to eat lunch. It was probably that." Kevin answered for her.

Kevin's mom scolded, "You are going to make yourself sick, honey. You need to eat properly!"

She nodded her silent agreement.

"Perhaps," Granny Winnie replied.

Kayn looked at her and she glanced down at her plate. _Granny looked a little ill today._ It felt like she had more to say, but she remained silent. Feeling eyes on her, Kayn peered up from her dinner.

With unmasked sadness, Granny warned, "Always listen to your instincts, child. They are never wrong."

_She'd been saying that for years so she brushed it off._ Kayn didn't really want to go home but they'd reached the age where boy-girl sleepovers were frowned upon. As she was preparing to leave, Granny made her way over, embraced her so tightly she couldn't breathe and whispered in Kayn's ear, "You survive this night. You fight hard."

_There would be at least a three-hour-long conversation about spiritual things, if she asked her to explain what she meant._ She didn't have the mental steam left inside of her to go through the motions today. Kayn excused herself and went to the bathroom. She called home, it went straight to voicemail. _Chloe was probably on the phone_. _Heaven forbid she had a crisis and needed to talk to her parents._ Chloe also had a cell, but she was always grounded from it, and they still allowed her to talk on the landline for hours, which meant nobody else could get through. She tried her mom's cell, knowing she was going to be a few minutes late and left a message when there was no answer. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and tip-toed down the hall to Kevin's room. _She had time for a prank to liven up his evening._ When she reappeared, Kevin's mom handed her a bag of farm fresh eggs for her family from the chickens in their backyard. His dad offered to drive her because it was already dark.

The drive was uneventful. The same old scenery flashed by her window. As they pulled up in front of her house, she leaned across the seat and thanked Kevin's dad with a hug. She opened the door and took a deep breath. _The air smelled like wet cherry blossoms. It must have been raining while they were eating dinner_. She stepped out of the car into a puddle and twisted her ankle. _Of course_. With a soaked foot, eggs and school bag in hand, she hobbled up the steep driveway towards the front door.

She lived in a wooded somewhat isolated area. Normally she would have darted from Kevin's dad's car into the house, but her ankle stung each time she put pressure on it. As she came closer, she noticed the door was partially open. _It was a little windy out and quite normal for the door to be unlocked._ _Maybe it was left ajar and opened by the wind?_ She heard tires on gravel and turned just in time to see Kevin's father driving away. Kayn felt off, apprehensive as she made her way up the long gravel driveway to the door that seemed to have a life of its own, shifting from cracked to closed with the breeze. She dug out her phone to look at the time. _Quarter after eight._ _She was fifteen minutes late_. The door moved again. She shook her head and laughed. _This was obviously a prank. They'd left the door open, and entrance lights off to freak her out. Chloe was probably hiding around the corner. Practical jokes were a daily occurrence in their household._ Slivers of light from the moon flashed through the branches as they swayed in the wind and for a moment it felt like they were waving her away. _She was being silly._ She shoved her cell into her pants, pocket dialling Kevin by accident.

"I'm home!" Kayn yelled as she kicked off her shoes and dropped her school bag. She flicked on the light and nothing happened. _The power wasn't out._ _She'd seen the lights on upstairs as she walked up the driveway._ _It's just a burnt-out lightbulb._ She massaged her ankle. _Great, there goes the track meet._ Kayn tried to take off her wet socks, but a stab of pain from her freshly twisted ankle caused her to place a hand on the wall while attempting to balance. Her hand slid off the wall as she struggled to tug off her sopping wet sock. "Kevin's mom gave us eggs," she called out quietly, suddenly aware she was alone in the house. _Where would they go at this hour?_ _Her mind sorted through the possible scenarios._ _Something wasn't right._ "Mom...Dad?" She called...answered by silence.

She went to close the door and felt something wet _._ A faint sliver of light was streaming through the doorway. She stepped into it and held out her hand. _Her palm was covered in blood._ Ripples of adrenaline coursed through her. _Whose blood was this? It felt like thousands of spiders were running on the surface of her skin._ She froze, paralyzed by fear as shivers of terror crawled across her flesh. She gingerly stepped backwards. A dark figure loomed at the end of the hallway. _Who was that?_ Her sister's voice screamed, "Run Kayn!" In a pitch so raw, primal and shrill that it lit her survival instinct on fire. She spun around and ran, bringing the eggs with her. She sensed someone chasing her but looking back would only slow her down. Kayn ran with no rhyme or reason in the direction she was pointed in. Halfway across the back lawn she slipped in wet grass and scrambled forward, knowing someone was a second behind her. She spotted the overgrown opening to the trails, threw the bag of eggs to slow her attacker, and raced for them, knowing there were a million places to hide. Fuelled by animalistic survival instinct, she burst through the blackberry brambles blocking the path, ignoring the pain as they tore at her flesh for it only heightened the self-preservation that possessed and drove her forward. She barrelled through the overgrowth, where instinct prompted. The crunching of leaves and twigs in the trail behind her told her he was close; far too close to do anything but react. She slipped in the mud again, skidding yet not falling. She'd now lost her precious half a second lead, allowing her hunter to close the space between them. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, threatening to burst right through her skin as her tired legs propelled her body through the winding trail. The rocks on the path brutalized her feet as the sharp reaching branches and twigs slashed at her legs.

_"You have to run faster Kayn! Run faster!"_ her sister's voice screeched inside Kayn's terror-driven mind.

The ground was crunching directly behind her. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her hair and neck as he panted. _He was almost touching her. He_ _was fast, inhumanly fast_. A rush of adrenaline edged her ahead. _She could see lights from the neighbour's house peeking through the trees._ _She was going to make it_. _She was almost there._ The darkness that pursued her was keeping pace. _Almost to safety...just over the creek_. Her bare feet hit the wooden bridge. _Almost there._ _She was going to make it._ Kayn felt the elation of victory. She was about to burst through the bushes as something hot was driven into her back. Her eyes widened in terror as the knife plunged into her again. The blade seared a molten trail of excruciating pain. A sweaty hand muffled her gasp of shock as she sunk to her knees in disbelief. Her captor's arms, slick with perspiration, constricted around her neck crushing her larynx with the strength of a python. _Screaming and pleading for her life was now impossible._

He continuously brought her to the brink of strangulation and then harshly revived her. Each time her eyes slipped shut, she felt the slicing, searing pain of his blade as he brutalized her stomach and chest until her eyes remained open in terror. Blood sputtered from between her parted lips as she attempted to speak. She could see a shadow on the patio through the trees in the luminescence of the porch lights. _Someone was out there having a cigarette._ _They were so close. Help me, oh, God, please help me; see me, please, I'm right here_ , Kayn's mind screamed. He continued to plunge the knife into her. _He's killing me_... _Please,_ her soul pleaded as her vision blurred from her tears. She gurgled as she choked and sputtered out blood. _Why, why are you doing this to me?_

She felt the competing rhythms of their hearts, as his sweaty torso pressed intimately against hers. Her stomach churned with revulsion as she felt the warmth of his rapid excited breathing against her neck. His quiet laughter echoed in her mind as a raspy male voice began whispering things she couldn't understand. Her blood had soaked through her clothes and it was trickling down her arms. _She was going to die._ He released her. She slumped forward and tried to grasp the ground with her fingertips, but no matter how hard she struggled from within the confines of her mind she couldn't move. Her breath came in short laboured attempts as a soothing voice whispered, _Sleep, it's time to go to sleep_. As she closed her eyes, she heard Grandma Winnie's final words to her, _'You survive. You fight hard_.' She screamed from within, clawing at the soil and forcing herself up to her knees. Suddenly, there was a blinding explosion of pain across her head and face. The lights flickered and went out. _In the woods lay a bleeding angel in all her glory. Her arms posed gracefully above her head, her hair soaked in the mud, blood, and feces in which she lay. Dying, fading into the other realm, her form was christened by the rain, as the trees had begun to weep upon her for the brutality she had endured._

Kayn awoke in frigid darkness to the fragrance of damp moss, tree sap and the sweet metallic taste of her own blood in her mouth. Images from her childhood flickered through her mind as the pain recycled in waves until it began to slowly dull and become a tolerable numbness. _She was so cold._ _Where was she?_ Her body gave an involuntary shudder as her mind fed her slivers, flashes of inhuman savagery she'd suffered until she understood where she was and how she'd come to be dying in the forest all alone. _If she kept her eyes closed, he might believe her to be gone_. _She could slip away peacefully and become one with the forest._ She could hear the soothing sound of raindrops as they tapped on the branches above her. _Maybe, he was gone_? She opened her eyes __ and imagined the lush green branches of the cedar trees above as giant arms, capable of offering her protection from the elements. At first the image was nurturing and beautiful, but then the trees came to life. They cackled and mocked, "You're going to die you silly bitch," as they waved their branches to the haunting sound of rattling raindrops and the howling of the wind.

Kayn's consciousness snapped back to reality. _She'd lost a lot of blood. None of this was real._

The forest floor was alive with a dancing mist that seemed to add a thickness to the tapping sound of the raindrops. Writhing in the mud as her essence moistened the ground beneath her, Kayn willed her body to move; her fingers clawed at the soil until she was spent. For a moment she lay still, feeling like a half dead animal waiting to be finished off by its hunter. With her eyes gazing towards the heavens, she'd been watching a stream of light from the moon that had made it through the cover of rain clouds and branches _. It felt like she was breathing through a pinched straw._ She concentrated on each breath... _in and out...a little air_. The glimmer of the ray vanished, leaving only cold isolating darkness and the flickering of blurry confusing images. _Help me._ The only answer to her soul's plea was the crackling quiet sound of the rain. What little vision she had clouded with tears. She screamed from within the confines of her mind as the blindingly excruciating pain abruptly returned. As the wave of agony passed, she sensed his presence. She tried to focus through the glossy film of her tears. His dark shadow ominously loomed as it had in the hallway. _Please, please... No more._ Now only a few feet away, he was watching her. She willed herself to grasp at the moist cold earth with her fingers, but she was unable to move. _Her body was now nothing more than a broken shell. How cruel for her mind to still see; to still desire life at this point._ As his form loomed above her, Kayn looked into his eyes with a desperate plea, _why are you doing this?_ Her body gave an involuntary shudder. Kayn realised she was naked, completely exposed to the elements. _Why was she naked?_ Her eyes filled with tears again. She felt instant, overwhelming shame.

The dark mass of her violator knelt beside her and leaned in. She could smell his putrid breath as it moistened her face. There was an electrical current between Kayn and the man in the dark, it was like a charge. Every hair on her body stood on end as he ran a finger over her exposed breast and said, "You were never to be born, this situation had to be corrected."

His knife glinted in the light from the moon as it was raised above her chest. _Yes,_ she thought. _Let it be over now._ She closed her eyes as he sliced into her flesh and opened them with acceptance. _She felt no more pain._ She stared deeply into his eyes as hers filled with tears.

With a voice thick with emotion, he said, "From this life unto the next." He slowly carved a symbol into the flesh above her heart.

She lay limp in his arms, still conscious of what was happening, as he pulled her close and cradled her naked body like a baby, rocking her broken violated flesh in his arms, stroking her blood-soaked hair. He began to sob as if he were repentant in some way for how he had tortured her. As her vision flickered one last time, the man was gone; it was her mother looking into her eyes. Her mother's eyes were filled with so much love that it seemed to release her from pain and fear as it had when she was a small child. Her mother cradled her as a baby, rocking her back and forth. She was safe now in her mother's arms. She was at peace. _Mommy_ , her heart sang, _you're here to save me._ The warmth of her mother's love enveloped her tortured soul. She looked into her mother's eyes. Her mother lovingly touched her face and started to sing a song that she had sung to her every night when she was small...

_Sleep_ , _sweet_ _sleep_ _till the_ _morning._

_Just_ _dream_ _away_ _and_ _close_ _your_ _eyes_.

_My love, you'll be safe until the morning_.

_Sleeping_ _in my_ _arms,_ _all_ _through_ _the_ _night_.

_Although_ _bad_ _dreams_ _come_ to _scare_ _you._

_My love will scare them all away._ My _heart..._ _The lights flickered, the pain went away, and her mother was holding her, singing: "Sleep, sweet sleep."_

# Chapter Two

### Connected

> _Connected: To be joined_ _or_ _linked_ _together_. _Having_ _the_ _parts_ _or elements_ _logically_ _linked_ _together_ _presenting_ _a thoroughly_ _connected_ _view_ _of the problem._

* * *

Kevin stood at the window waving as his father's car pulled out of their driveway. He'd done this for nearly a dozen years. He started picking at the slivered wood around the window frame with his fingernails. The blue paint was peeling and weathered. He got a sliver of it under his nail and cursed, "Son of a..." He dug the shard out with his teeth. Blood seeped from where the paint chip had pierced his flesh. Kevin stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked on it for a second. "Works better than a bandage," he spoke aloud and turned to check for witnesses. _Every time he talked to himself someone always appeared out of nowhere and made a smart assed remark._ _No...he was completely alone in his room. It was time to relax._

Kevin sprawled on his bed, with his arms behind his neck. _Funny_ , he thought as he spotted the alterations Kayn made to the sexy poster above his bed of Megan Fox in a smoking hot pose. His shenanigan loving friend had given her a jiffy marker moustache. _That's why she was laughing so hard when she came back from the bathroom. It was a stroke of evil genius on her part. He'd allow her to have her moment._ He stared at his ceiling, shaking his head. _She was so weird._

The day he met the Brighton twins had always stood out in his memory as truly magical. He had been playing in the park with his mother and brother. It was only a few days before kindergarten. A woman had given him a flower and told him a story about it. When she was finished, she'd pointed at two identical little girls and suggested he tell them about the flower. He remembered walking over to the blonde girls. He laid down in the grass close by. They were quietly watching bumblebees. He was intrigued by their unusual behaviour. In the end, he had stuck the flower in Kayn's shoe, and just like that their friendship had begun.

In school, the twins wore matching sundresses. They looked like little blonde angels with freckles and glistening shiny ringlets of curls. However, the Brighton twins were not cute identical, they were disturbing identical. They would respond to questions at the same time and often they'd even be thirsty or need to go to the bathroom at the same time. He recalled his kindergarten teacher's frustration with their in-sync questions and answers. No matter how hard she'd try to help them socialize with the other children, they'd just play together like no other children were even in the room. They were different in some ways, even then. Chloe never had a hair out of place where Kayn was all grins, grass stains, and mud. He smiled at the friendly one a lot because Kayn smiled back, he remembered wondering if she still had that flower in her shoe. He suspected that he would also have to become her sister's friend if he wanted to play with her, so he set out on a mission to win over Chloe Brighton. It was a mission that had never ended. That day during lunchtime the girls had been lying in the grass looking intently at a patch of clovers.

Kevin walked over, sat down with them, and said, "What are you doing?"

Kayn glared and whispered, "Shhh, quiet, you will scare them all away...we are petting the bees."

Even at the tender age of five Kevin knew petting bees was a buck crazy idea. "Bees can sting you; it really hurts a lot. Believe me, I know." Kevin exclaimed in a soft whisper.

"My daddy says they won't sting us if we are really gentle with them," Kayn whispered back.

So, Kevin watched the two crazy little girls petting bees for the entire lunch hour. He was just waiting for them to be stung, for one to go screaming to the teacher so he could say: _see, I told you so_. He had been extremely impressed when it was time to go inside and neither one of them had been wounded. As a child, he found himself most impressed when someone did something dangerous without getting hurt. He'd watched so quietly, they must have decided he would be a suitable addition to their duo. Chloe hadn't even acknowledged his presence on that first day, but the next day it was Chloe that asked him if he'd like to come watch the bees with them. They did this all the way through that year and for a few years after.

One-year he bought Kayn a stuffed bee for her birthday. She still had it on her bed even after she found out she was allergic to bees. Kayn got stung and swelled right up like a balloon. It was an extremely scary day. She still loved the bees; just from afar now and with an EpiPen in her little fanny pack. Her parents had forced her to wear that fanny pack every day because being allergic to bees was a life or death situation. That was the first thing that made the twins unique. They never really knew if Chloe was allergic to bees, because she'd never been stung by one. When questioned about whether she had an allergy to bees, Chloe would always reply, _'A bee wouldn't dare sting me.'_ He'd believed that statement the first time she said it as though it were a fact. They had only been eight years old, but he would wager her voodoo powers worked on bees as well as boys. Kevin grinned as he realised the mission of that second day had never ended. _It had been well over ten years, and he was still on a mission to win over Chloe Brighton._ Kevin lay on his bed, listening to the hum of a vehicle as it faded into silence _. For some reason, he was feeling anxious tonight._ Someone knocked on his door.

His mother walked in and remarked, "Do you want to know what I think?" She was standing balanced against his door frame, smiling in an all-knowing manner.

_His mom was sweet to her core, the sound of her voice always put him at ease._ With a funny look, he teased, "Not really, but I bet you're going to tell me anyway."

His mom marched over, gave him a playful swat for being a smart ass and questioned, "Is it possible you're pining over the wrong sister?"

"I guess anything's possible," he replied.

Rolling her eyes, she urged, "Just think about it. Which one do you really want to spend time with?" She kissed his forehead, ruffled up his hair and left his room, shutting the door softly behind her.

The door slammed downstairs. _Great...Hulk was home._ His older brother Clay came thundering up the stairs. It was almost like his testosterone level made him completely incapable of even the simple act of climbing stairs without announcing his all-powerful presence. His brother was a muscle-bound meathead of astounding proportions. _Don't come in my room._ Kevin was not a fan of the inevitable sock in the stomach he would receive if he dared to call his older brother out on a moment of moronic clarity, but it was difficult to keep his lips sealed when he had a great slam teetering on the tip of his tongue. _It was a sibling thing._

Clay was working as a mechanic in town while he saved for college. He also happened to be best friends with the twin's older brother, Matt. Kayn's brother was already in university with a football scholarship. Kevin's bedroom door swung open without a polite knock.

"I need to use the cord for your iPod. I want to go to the gym later and mine needs to be juiced up." Clay blurted as he began digging through the cords around Kevin's computer.

Kevin raised his eyebrows and said, "What if I said no? Presumptuous much?"

Clay shook his head and sarcastically questioned, "Did you seriously just say presumptuous much to me? You really need to start hanging out with some dudes." He started to walk out the door then stopped and added, "No more big words. It's painfully dorky. You're my little brother. You should be making out with chicks on a Friday night."

Kevin looked at his brother and thought, _Well, if I looked like a Greek god like you instead of what Kayn had called me...a vertically challenged dwarf. Oh no, she had called him vertically challenged; someone else had called him a dwarf._ He scrunched up his face as he looked at his buff stallion of a sibling. _This was genetically unfair._ Although his brother had been built just like him at one time, he'd found a reverence for the gym and football. He achieved Greek god status and never looked back. Just then Kevin's phone rang.

Grinning, Kevin teased, "Well, wouldn't you know it. There's a chick right now."

"Oh, come on. Kayn doesn't count." Clay sat down on his bed, looked up at the poster on the ceiling and exclaimed, "You are a creepy little dude."

Kevin ignored him. _Kayn probably forgot her bag._ He answered the call, "Hey, thanks for pimping out Megan Fox. It's not at all embarrassing for my brother to see that." He started talking into the phone as he jogged down the stairs to check and see if she'd forgotten her bag. He pre-empted most useless conversations with his knowledge of her usual foibles. She wasn't talking on the other end. _It was the infamous pocket dial._ He kept listening, hoping for some juice about Chloe. His cell started squealing like there was interference. Just as he was about to hang up, Chloe started shrieking in an ungodly pitch for Kayn to run. He froze as the colour drained from his face. Clay came down the stairs with the iPod cord in his hand. Kevin grabbed his brother's arm and urged, "We have to get over there, right now." _He had to get to Kayn._ His mind kept replaying Chloe's desperate scream.

The brothers ran out the door, jumped into the car and peeled out of the driveway, passing their father coming home from dropping off Kayn. They began frantically honking the horn, signalling for him to follow. Kevin waved wildly out the window. Their father swerved, pulled a U-turn and began to chase after them.

Kevin's heart wasn't with Chloe, just Kayn. Chloe's inhuman screaming was still ringing in his ears like a sick recording, driving his desperation to reach her. Kevin had the cell phone up to his ear. She hadn't hung up. There was a lot of crunching, sloshing, swishing sounds, then silence. He couldn't hang up the phone. He knew she needed him.

They raced down the gravel road to her house as desperation constricted his heart. The idea that someone might be hurting her was too much for him to bear. His mind raced through the worst-case scenarios.

His dad's car caught up as they pulled over in front of Kayn's house and got out.

His father yelled, "What in the hell is going on?"

Choking on waves of fear induced adrenaline, Kevin knew there wasn't time to explain. He took off up the path with Clay, forcing their father to follow. The veil of trees blocked out the glow of the moon, so it was difficult to determine where the path was. Out of breath, he slowed his pace. "Chloe was screaming on the phone," Kevin explained.

"Stop!" his dad hollered, using authority reserved for danger.

_He couldn't..._ Clay seized his arm to prevent him from pushing past his father.

"We don't know what we're walking into," his dad asserted while blocking the path to the door. He commanded, "Stay behind me, I'm going in first."

Danger was thick in the air. There was something dark, an ominous presence that made Kevin's skin crawl. He could feel it... _It was too quiet._ "I have to get in there," he panicked while struggling to wrestle free of Clay's grasp.

His father calmly replied, "I know, son. We are just going to exercise a little bit of caution, that's all."

The ominous feeling came to chilling fruition as his father walked through the pitch-black doorway. He attempted to flick on the light. _It didn't work._ _Was the bulb burnt out?_

In the darkness he heard his brother's voice say, "The lights are on upstairs. I saw them from the road."

"I know," his father replied.

Kevin instantly recalled one of his dad's stories about pranks kids would play at the high school. One evening, every light in the school appeared to be burnt out, but they weren't really... Someone had taken the time to manually loosen each one. So now, whenever there was a burnt-out lightbulb, Kevin's father always checked to see if it had been loosened. His dad reached up, tightened the bulb and it flickered on. Light illuminated the doorway revealing a morbid display of blood spatter on the wall. _This wasn't really happening._ Tears clouded Kevin's eyes. _This was his second home._ There were thick red drag marks, leading to the hall closet. His father covered his hand with his sleeve and opened the closet door.

_It's not Kayn, it's not Kayn,_ Kevin repeated in his mind.

The opened closet door revealed the lifeless body of Kayn's mother. Claire Brighton's eyes were wide open, staring off in the distance. His father looked back and shook his head.

"Don't touch anything," He ordered as he stepped away from the closet and dialled 911. His father was on autopilot from his years as a medic. The soldier had taken over. He'd remained remarkably composed at the sight of Claire Brighton's body.

In shock, Kevin stared at the gruesome scene with his eyes glued on Claire's open glassy stare. _All that had been Kayn's mother was gone._ _This was nothing more than the vacant case that she had come in._ There was a strange moment of spiritual clarity amidst the macabre. Kevin's brain sparked with thoughts of Kayn. _Find her... She needs you._ The Smith brothers slipped down the hall as his father spoke to the 911 operator. Kevin reached up to twist the bulb as his father had in the entrance.

His dad called out, "Don't touch anything, we might be destroying evidence! Go back outside!"

They left the light alone but continued down the hall, ignoring their father's plea. _They couldn't wait for the police._ Kevin's mind kept repeating the same three words. _Kayn is alive._ He turned on the light in the kitchen... It was untouched. The two boys snuck back down the hall and slipped past their father who was busy on the phone with 911. Their father had closed the closet door to shield them from the horrors within. _It was too late for that._ Kevin quickly scaled the stairs, knowing his brother was still behind him. The upstairs hall was lit up, displaying a path of bloody shoe prints leading to the twin's bedroom. They cautiously made their way past the family portraits that were now served as an eerie reminder of what used to be. Approaching sirens brought his shock numbed mind back a touch. A vision of Mrs. Brighton's corpse distorted Kevin's view of the hall and he blinked it away.

His father's voice called out, "The police are here! Get back down here!"

Kevin brushed a crusty red footprint with his shoe. _It was nearly dry._ He bent and touched it with his finger. _It was dry?_ The voice in his head whispered, _find her_.

His father's voice bellowed, "I have to stay here and let them know you boys are upstairs! Once they see this blood, they might shoot us first and ask questions later!"

The doorknob for the twin's room was caked in blood and left slightly ajar. Kevin stiffened, to prepare himself. __ Clay elbowed him out of the way and shoved the bedroom door open from the upper left corner. _The beds were still made._ Clay pointed at the bloody footprints on the carpet. They were like breadcrumbs leading to the adjoining bathroom. Kevin's stomach clenched. _There was a scent in the air; it reminded him of a handful of pennies._

His older brother edged past him and gently opened the bathroom door with his foot. Clay staggered backwards, choking back the bile as it spurted out through his fingers.

_No._ _It's not her._ Kevin maneuvered past his heaving brother, pre-emptively covering his mouth. He stepped into the bathroom and slipped, landing on his hands and knees. Blood covered the white tile. _His hands were submerged in it._ As he grasped what he'd slipped on, his heart constricted in his chest. _He couldn't breathe._ He couldn't even inhale the smallest amount of air. His vision wavered as his mind tried to stop him from seeing what could never be unseen. _Don't... You don't want to see it._ He looked up from his blood-soaked hands. _It was one of the twins._ He crawled through her essence with eyes blinded by tears. She was naked in the fetal position, her grotesquely swollen, severely beaten face was nearly unrecognizable. Blood and brain matter were sprayed on the shower curtains, walls, and ceiling. He reached out to touch her, stopping as a wave of nausea made him covered his mouth with the crook of his arm while taking in the ruthless macabre display. Her wheat coloured locks were matted with blood and the eye closest to the floor appeared to be missing. Her remaining eye stared into oblivion just as her mother's had. Her fingers were clawed, and her arms reaching out as though she'd been willing her body to crawl away from the brutality she'd succumbed to. The towel rack had been ripped off the wall and it lay just out of her grasp on the blood-soaked tile. _Had it been used in her torture or had she ripped it off the wall to use in her defence?_

Kevin inched closer until he was kneeling before her body, tranquillized by shock as an unfamiliar voice kept repeating the words, _this is not Kayn...This is not Kayn_. _You must find her._ He felt this eerie inner calm and it was like he'd stepped away from himself. He heard the rustling of the officers, the voices, the cries of horror and despair but it was as though he was completely detached from the situation. _This is not Kayn. You must find her;_ the voice kept repeating the mesmerizing mantra. A hand clutched his shoulder and he heard a voice say, "Kevin."

His mind repeated the words again, _this is not Kayn. Find her. She can still be saved. Snap out of it._

"Kevin snap out of it!" His father's voice shouted, as he dragged him away from the body and out of the bathroom.

When he saw the carpet beneath him, he started to come back to reality. The reasons why this could not be Kayn filtered through Kevin's mind as he scrambled to his feet. His father pulled him into his arms and he allowed himself a moment of serenity to hear the steady beat of his heart as he tried to ground himself. "It isn't Kayn," Kevin whispered against his father's chest. His father held him tighter. Once again, he spoke, "Kayn had a shower after track. That isn't her."

His father replied, "Kevin, this looks like a home invasion. You need to prepare yourself."

Kevin was aware of the accumulation of officer's, ambulance attendants and other first responders scurrying around. Still in shock, he heard his brother speaking to someone, "Matt's at school...we were texting earlier today. He was going to a party tonight. I just texted him again and told him to call me back. I also called and said it was an emergency."

Kevin struggled out of his father's arms, so he could say what he needed to say, "Kayn had a shower before we left the school. That's Chloe in there. It's not Kayn. We need to find her." He tried to maneuver his way past the officers blocking the door and they wouldn't allow him to pass. He'd seen enough C.S.I to understand that they were trying to protect the integrity of the crime scene. _What did that matter? His DNA was everywhere in this house_.

His father whispered, "Son, they're searching the house for the other bodies, even if it isn't her, chances are..."

"No." Kevin blurted out while shaking his head in denial. "No." _He couldn't listen to unhopeful words, not now. Not when every nerve ending in his body was vibrating with the knowledge that she was alive._ To prove his point, Kevin addressed the lady taking pictures of Chloe's body in the washroom, "Kayn has a crescent shaped birthmark behind her right ear. Chloe has one behind her left." Kevin marched over, puffed himself up in front of the officers blocking the door and asserted, "Kayn's fast, she's a runner. If anyone could get away, it would be her. She would have found somewhere to hide. I know all her hiding spots. You have to let me out of here."

Clay touched his shoulder, squeezed it and whispered, "Kevin, you don't want to be the one that finds her."

_They were in no hurry because they thought they were looking for bodies now. They were counting bodies, and there were two unaccounted for._

_He knew she was alive with every part of his being._ Kevin looked back at his father and brother and asserted, "You all know how fast she is. She would run; with everything she had. She would run!" Kevin spun around and attempted to burst through the blockade of men. He struggled as they restrained him.

Officer Jenkins shoved through the crowd of men and came to his aid as he ordered, "Hands off. I know these people, he's a good kid."

Kevin recognized Officer Jenkins. He'd been friends with Kayn's father since high school. He piped in, "Son, if she's in this house, we'll find her."

"I can find her faster," Kevin asserted.

An officer stepped into the bedroom and announced, "We found Stan in the carport. Looks like he didn't even make it into the house after he arrived home from work."

Officer Jenkin's skin lost its colour as he numbly disclosed, "We're still missing one of the twins."

The young officer addressed Kevin, "We all know there's been a history of issues with men and Chloe Brighton. Has she broken up with someone recently? They were identical twins... It's possible Kayn was mistaken for her sister and abducted."

Kevin's heart sank as he gave his response, "No, she was nothing like her." _They all thought a Chloe stalker had gone nuts and massacred the whole family._ Kevin looked directly into Jenkins' eyes and pleaded, "I know Kayn's alive. I know her hiding spots. You have to let me look for her, she's not dead."

Officer Jenkins took Kevin's desperate pleas to heart as he stepped aside and motioned for the others to let him pass while declaring, "There's nothing to lose at this point. Take the lead, kid. Find her."

Kevin didn't know whether or not Jenkins really believed him, but he began to rally the troops.

Jenkins shouted out, "We still have a missing girl, it's possible she's found somewhere to hide. The kid may have some insight as to where the girl might be hiding. She could be in shock or wounded... Let's find her."

Kevin descended the stairs, and just knew she wasn't in the house. _She would have tried to run._ He stepped outside and following the pull of intuition, he walked around the side of the house into the backyard.

An officer tossed off the panel to the crawl space beneath the house. _She wasn't in there._ _The spiders would have been a deterrent._ Kevin called out, "She's not in there, you're wasting time!" _Kayn could run. She could run fast._ He glanced at the opening to the trail and spotting something white in the grass. He sprinted over knowing what it was. _It was the plastic bag full of eggs his mom gave her._ "She's in the trails!" Kevin shouted as his heart cheered. _She got away._ _She knew these trails. It was possible and that's all that mattered. She was alive._ The search party was enveloped in incapacitating darkness as they entered the overgrown bike trails. Kevin dug around in his pockets for his phone to use the flashlight. He paused midstride and peered down at the cell in his hand. _I can't believe I'm this stupid. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier?_ Kevin grabbed the police officer in front of him to get his attention. "She had her cell phone on her. She pocket dialled me. That's how we knew they were in trouble."

The officer got everyone's attention; the crowd hushed. The woods were pitch black with shadowed outlines of trees and stumps. They couldn't see two feet in front of their faces, but maybe they'd be able to hear her phone. _She would have called him by now if she escaped._ _No...He had to hope for the possibility that she was still alive._ He dialled her number, and everyone was silent. Kevin pressed the speakerphone setting on his phone. In the distance, they could hear her phone's ringtone, as an eerie muffled melody through the misty trails. They made their way towards the sound of the ring. It went to voice mail and the volume on Kevin's cell was loud... They all heard her message.

It was like Kayn had really answered the call. She said, "Hello," then paused and added, "Hello, I can't hear you. It's a bad connection."

Everyone froze, it sounded like she'd answered and was alive.

After about five seconds the message carried on with, "Ha-ha, got you. I'm not able to get to the phone right now. Leave a message."

_He'd forgotten about that message._ Everybody was frozen in place as the split second of hope in their hearts dissolved when they realised it was only a recording. That joke message had been hilarious the first time he'd fallen for it and started talking... It was horrible now.

Officer Jenkins piped up, "Walk slowly and cautiously people. We need to find that phone. There should be a blinking message light. Look for the flashing light. If her mailbox isn't full, we'll be able to call it a few more times before it starts going directly to voicemail."

Kevin knew there was no point in trying to call. Her inbox was always full. The next unanswered call would probably go straight to her voice mail.

It was so dark, they could walk right by her even with the makeshift flashlights. The trails were onyx with an eerie lacing of thick mist lingering just above the forest floor. Kevin was trying to walk the pathway through memory. He felt the absence of the voice in his head. It wasn't urging him on anymore. _Maybe she'd dropped the phone as she escaped?_ Then he saw a glimmer of light through the dense forest and began to walk gingerly to it. The message light indicating the missed call was like a lighthouse beacon through the mist.

"It's over there," someone yelled.

"Kayn, can you hear us! Kayn!" the mix of voices beckoned.

Kevin picked up the cell phone in his hand and stared at it. _Come on Brighton, where are you?_ Feeling defeated, Kevin passed the phone to Jenkins as the rest continued scouring the bushes.

A voice yelled, "Hey, what's going on? Can I help?" It was a man's voice.

"We're looking for a missing girl!" Jenkins hollered.

Kevin made his way through the foliage towards the voice. With a backyard adjoining the trails he couldn't have missed the sirens of every cop car in town.

The man pushed his way through the bushes at the back of his property to see the excitement in the trails. "Oh my God," he choked, "Over here... she's over here!"

Kevin frantically forced through the bushes at the back of the property until he saw the man standing solemnly before a bloody naked body, in the fetal position at his feet. He was immobilized by grief as everyone shoved by. The eerie similarities between Chloe's lifeless body and Kayn's was more than he could bear. Kevin's heart began to race, as the dark violence of the night spun around him. He dropped to his knees trying desperately to catch his breath _. She isn't dead... she can't be,_ his mind repeated as if it could only be the truth if he believed she would survive with everything that he was. An emergency team pushed by him.

Kevin had never been overly religious, but he closed his eyes and began to pray, "Don't take her away from me. Please, I will do anything."

Someone yelled, "We have a pulse! We have a pulse!"

Tears of happiness filled Kevin's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, as he looked up through the darkness towards the heavens. Kevin watched in elation as he followed the paramedics out of the forest. He stood beside his father and his brother as they put Kayn into the back of the ambulance, while desperately fighting to keep her alive. The moment they announced there was a pulse Kevin was overcome by an instantaneous sense of peace. He couldn't explain it, but every cell in his body knew that she would survive. Kayn would fight her way back because she was strong, maybe the strongest person he'd ever met.

# Chapter Three

### Cleansed in Chloe's Blood

Kevin looked at his brother. Clay kept staring at his phone. _Clay would need to go to Matt; it would be horrible to hear this news from a random stranger._ Clay had been leaving cryptic messages and texts on Matt's cell phone for over an hour. _They all knew Matt._ _He'd probably left his cell at his dorm, so he wouldn't lose it while partying. He was probably blind hammered._

"I have to go get Matt," Clay stated.

Kevin stood there as the ambulance sped away. He replied, "That's a good idea. He's going to need to come home." The Smith brothers were frozen in place watching the ambulance's lights fade into the night.

"She's going to be okay," Clay assured. He placed his hand on Kevin's shoulder and squeezed.

More ambulances pulled up with no lights or sirens. The brothers stood side by side as two attendants, and a lady in a suit made their way to the house. A black SUV pulled up, four people with suits got out and quickly walked up the hill after them. _They'd be bringing the bodies out soon, he didn't want to be here for that. He needed to get to the hospital. Where was his dad?_

Clay asserted, "I'm not sure I want to see this. We should leave. I need to get to Matt and you need to get to the hospital."

_For once, he was in tune with his brother_. Emotionally spent, Kevin felt his sibling grasp his shoulder again. He glanced at his brother. Clay was anxiously staring at his cell. They heard their fathers voice and saw him coming. _Everyone knew each other in this small northern town; this would rock the town to its core._

"Boys, the police are done with us for tonight," His dad confirmed. He touched Kevin's shoulder and added, "We should leave."

Kevin met his father's eyes and asserted, "Someone has to be there for Kayn."

"I called mom, she'd meeting us at the hospital and bringing you something to wear," his father replied.

Kevin glanced down at his pants and shirt. _He was covered in blood_ , _and not just a few drops._ A vision of Chloe flashed through his mind. Her hands frozen in time as they clawed at the bathroom floor.

"I'm leaving. I need to get to Matt before the police," Clay announced as they unceremoniously parted and left in separate vehicles.

Kevin had never seen his father look this way. His eyes were vacuous, and he was speaking in fragments. He should offer to drive, but his father was thin threading it, so he chose to do nothing, say nothing. He began to concentrate on breathing. A deep breath in and a deep breath out as they drove in a mentally vacant calm. _Why wasn't he crying?_ Flashes of inhuman violence and brutalized bodies entered his mind, but each time they materialized, something shut them down. He found his mind focused on the family picture in the hall that would now be nothing more than a heart-wrenching memory. He gazed out the window at the scenery he'd passed a thousand times while travelling back and forth between their houses. _Everything would be different now_. _He would never enter the front hall of the Brighton house without seeing Kayn's mother's lifeless glassy eyes._

They arrived at the hospital; there was nothing they could say to each other. There would be no words of acceptance for they had been set adrift in numbness. A mortal's mind was built to shut itself off during brutality or when the grief is too extreme. While facing this night, all thoughts were nothing but torture. Kevin followed his father to the emergency room doors, still cloaked in the mental quiet of shock. As they approached the sliding doors, Kevin took a deep breath, knowing he had to be functional enough to be there for Kayn.

The doors slid open and his mother was there. She froze when she saw him, unable to reign in the horror. Her expression of grief brought him back just a touch. With her eyes a steady stream of tears, she whispered, "Kevin, you need to come with me. You can't sit in the lobby like this."

He followed her gaze to his crimson stained clothes. _Chloe's blood...It was all over him._ Hospital staff rushed to his aid. Kevin raised both hands as he numbly explained, "It's not my blood."

They stopped moving, everything stopped moving as his mother led him through the gathering crowd of stunned staff. He heard his father say the words, "We just came from the Brighton house."

His mother gently led him away from the group of people. She handed him a plastic bag with clothes in it and accompanied him down the hall.

A lady he recognized as someone his mom was friendly with sweetly assured his mother, "It's okay honey, I've got it from here." She pushed open a door into a private room, directed Kevin inside and asked, "Is there anything you need?"

Kevin looked into her eyes and answered, "I just need to know how she's doing?"

The nurse grabbed him a towel and replied, "Last I heard they were still working on her. We're not equipped to treat all her injuries here. Once they have her stabilized, she'll be airlifted to Vancouver."

It felt like someone had just let a burst of oxygen into the room as he took in her words and questioned, "She's still alive?"

The nurse smiled as she affirmed "Yes, she's still alive. Now, you have a shower and clean yourself up. I'll let you know if anything changes." She smiled as she closed the door.

Kevin looked at his reflection in the mirror, he gripped the side of the sink and began to sob. _This wasn't real. This had not just happened._ He raised his eyes back to his reflection. _His pants and shirt were drenched in blood. It was even smeared across his face and clumped in his hair._ He recalled falling in it. He must have wiped his hands on his face at some point. _It was Chloe's blood. Chloe's blood..._ His mind snapped back to reality. _Chloe's blood._ He tore off his soiled clothing and got into the stall. _He couldn't breathe._ He turned on the water and stepped under the powerful stream. The water pummelled his skin. He gazed down at his feet as the red tinted water circled the drain. He stepped out once the water cleared to grab for the contents of the bag. There was soap, shampoo and a scrub brush. He got back into the shower, turned up the heat until it was scalding, lathered up and scrubbed until his flesh was enflamed. When he was certain every drop of her blood was gone, he almost stepped out but noticed his toenails were still caked with blood. _His shoes and socks had been soaked in it._ He slid down to sit on the bench in the shower and scrubbed his toenails until the water ran clear. _He was as clean as he was going to get. It wouldn't matter how much scalding water he rinsed his skin with, he was never going to feel clean again._ _Chloe's blood was never going to wash off._ He could still hear her voice in his head. Kevin looked at his reflection again. His skin had been scrubbed raw.

After putting on clean clothing and untainted shoes, he leaned against the vanity still dizzy from the heat of the shower. He gapped out staring at the soiled pile of clothing on the floor. _He didn't want those clothes._ _He needed every scrap of that blood-soaked material to be burned, even the shoes._ He scooped everything into the plastic bag, tied it and tossed everything into the trash. Kevin paused at the door, knowing when he left the bathroom, he would have to face his parents and the weight of their concern. _He needed to focus on Kayn. Everything was going to be all right if she survived._ _He had to believe that she would._ He walked out of the room, right into the nurse coming to check on him. Kevin looked at her and cautiously enquired, "Is she still alive?"

The nurse replied, "Yes, she's still alive."

The weight on his heart lifted as tears of relief formed in his eyes. He followed the nurse back to where his parents were waiting. Kevin sensed there were things the nurse wasn't allowed to tell them because they weren't Kayn's next of kin. They may not be blood relatives, but they were the best she was going to get until her brother arrived.

Kevin's mother walked towards him, she opened her arms and whispered, "I'm so sorry honey. I wish I could erase everything you had to see tonight."

With intense spiritual defeat, Kevin walked into her embrace and lay his head on his mother's shoulder. Her chest heaved with rhythmic sobs of empathy. Kevin allowed tears to moisten his eyes, and he began to feel calm as he listened to the soothing rhythm of his mother's heart. It seemed to whisper, _it's okay, everything is going to be okay. I have you and I love you._

His father joined their hug. He sobbed, "This is my fault. Kids get older, and you just don't worry as much anymore. I used to walk her to the door and make sure someone was home for her... I just drove away. I dropped her off with a maniac in the house and left her there. I didn't even wait to see if she made it inside. I'll never be able to forgive myself, I'm so sorry."

His mother whispered against his hair as they clung together, "Nobody would have expected you to wait with her. They aren't children anymore."

It felt like someone opened a dam inside his soul as he released a flood of tears. _He wasn't a child anymore; his innocence had been lost in the worst possible way. He would never be a child again._ The three clung to each other sobbing until tears ceased to flow, their souls cleansed and reborn through tears. In that moment, they all found peace.

Hours passed, and each minute that inched by on the clock on the hospital wall appeared to take ten. Kevin glanced up from his ancient magazine sensing a new presence. A nurse had come over to tell them Kayn was still in surgery and that she'd be there for the rest of the night. She suggested they go home and get some rest. They looked at each other. There was no way they could leave knowing they were almost all Kayn had left. She was fighting for her life; they had to stand in solidarity.

"We're staying here," his mother affirmed, her voice unwavering.

They sat on leather benches, thumbing through endless old magazines. No one forcing small talk or even attempting to speak at all. They took turns travelling to the vending machines for snacks and the nurses checked in occasionally.

No one noticed as four strangers arrived at the hospital at the cusp of dawn. No one except Kevin, for he had seen them at the front door. He'd almost cracked a smile as one of them began to curse when they realised the doors were locked. The front door was only going to be locked for another half an hour, but they didn't seem to know that or notice the small buzzer that would call someone to let them in. He watched the group of teens as they strolled around the side of the building past the windows. _There was only one high school. He'd never seen those four teenagers._ _They must be college students camping, or hitchhikers? They weren't from around here._

He tossed the magazine he'd been reading back on the end table and headed to the bathroom. A red-headed girl was standing in front of the bathroom door. Kevin wasn't accustomed to talking to girls. He was contemplating just turning around and going to a different bathroom, when she smiled sweetly at him and said, "You're Kayn's friend, aren't you? She's in my class at school. I just heard what happened to her, it's so horrible." She sobbed dramatically and threw herself into his arms.

Kevin stood there in the hallway, with a hot redhead hanging on him sobbing, whimpering into his shoulder. _No, she wasn't in Kayn's classes. I would have noticed this girl._ He patted her back not quite knowing what to do, yet not wanting to shove her away and say he didn't know who the hell she was. He was beginning to feel a little strange. She was warming him, where her hands touched him. He was starting to feel funny and unusually hot. His whole body was on fire. The world around him started spinning, his vision blurred, and he passed out cold in the hospital hallway.

He awoke to a doctor, his parents, and a nurse pulling him onto a gurney. He felt a sharp pinch on his arm, and he felt fantastic. Followed by another pinch and he drifted off to sleep.

They assumed his gentle personality and devastated mind couldn't handle the stress of what he'd seen and it simply decided to take a break.

As he slipped in and out of the foggy haze, he heard Chloe's voice whisper, "Thank you."

# Chapter Four

### The Devastation of Matthew Brighton

Matt opened his eyes and groaned as his ringtone went off for the eight millionth time. He threw a pillow in the general direction of the phone.

His roommate Ryan murmured, "I'm going to smother you the next time that effing phone rings."

Matt chuckled into his pillow and mumbled, "That won't stop her from calling."

His roommate snapped, "Great, that psycho woke me up. I have to go take a piss."

Matt mumbled, "Good to know." He tried to smother himself with his own pillow as his phone rang again. "Answer my phone and get rid of it, I'm going to lose my shit," Matt slurred into his pillow, but Ryan wasn't in the room to hear him complain. His dorm mate hollered from the bathroom down the hall, "What the fu.... My front tooth's chipped."

Someone yelled from another room, "Nobody cares!"

Ryan staggered back into their room and crawled onto Matt's bed. _He was trying to show him his tooth._ _His breath smelled like cinnamon crap._ _Fireball shots! They'd been drinking cinnamon whisky all night._ Matt hid under his pillow and said, "I'm going to scream if you try anything."

Always the comedian, Ryan moved back to his own bed and chuckled, "You would have loved it."

_He could actually hear his headache._ Matt wondered if he still had all his teeth. His mouth was filled with that lovely chalky paste. It made him gag to run his tongue over his teeth. _Another night lost to the blackening effects of Fireball whisky_. _He'd clearly not guzzled down his usual amount of water before passing out._ He opened an eye to see if there was any on his nightstand. _None._ He was feeling rough, so he wasn't going down the hall to get some. He couldn't remember what they had in the mini fridge. He glanced at it. _No, too far away._ He'd drooled all over his pillow, so he rolled onto the dry one and inhaled the sweet-scented perfume that lingered there. _Had he slept with someone last night? He must have_. Matt stretched his toned, bronzed arms, hearing one crack. He peaked over to look on the floor to see if his nameless booty call had left anything behind. _When did I have the time to have sex?_ _Oh yeah, I brought her home after my morning class. We came back here and partied. Ryan chipped his tooth opening a beer._ _They'd started drinking in the afternoon, yesterday._

Matthew Brighton was easy on the eyes, with a full ride scholarship. In retrospect, life had been one long responsibility free party. He loved his life. Relationships had never been his thing. Matt was a great friend but a shitty boyfriend. _He'd dumped his girlfriend via text before sleeping with somebody else... He wasn't a cheater._ He'd been ignoring his phone all night, because he avoided drama like the plague. If he kept ignoring her texts and calls maybe she'd just give up and go away? This was probably why all his exes venomously despised him. He must have been too drunk to figure out how to turn off the ringer. Matthew gazed across the dorm room noting that his roommate Ryan was in no better state. His phone went off again. _Why won't she go away? She's effing stone, cold, insane._

"Matt, I swear with everything inside of me. I'm going to shove that phone up your ass to muffle the sound."

Matt chuckled, "No means no, Ryan."

His roommate launched an empty beer can at him and missed. It hit the wall on the other side of his bed with a ting. Matt got up and staggered around in search of his phone. He was about to turn the power off, when it began to ring. He stared at it, grimaced, and thought, _Oh, what the hell. I'll be a frigging man._ His roommate began to rifle random things from the bedside table in his direction. __ "All right, I got it." He yelled at his buddy as he answered the call with flirtatious raspy seduction, "Hello, Matt's love palace, Matt speaking."

Clay curtly stated, "I'm downstairs; kick her out. I'm coming up."

_He'd expected a pissed off ex, but it was his best friend's voice._ _Weird timing for a visit._ Matt was far too bombed to even notice he was naked. He stood up, made a valiant attempt to balance on his wobbly legs and slurred, "No, no, don't you get up Ryan. I'll get the door." He glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned, "What in the hell is that douche bag doing here at four o'clock in the effing morning?"

Ryan moaned and pulled the covers up over his head.

He cupped his hand in front of his mouth and exhaled. _Sick_... _He couldn't even stand the smell of his own breath._ Matt flopped back down on his bed, opened his nightstand and ate some toothpaste. _Now, he'd smell like minty cinnamon poop._ He heard footsteps in the hall. _That was fast._ He launched himself to his feet, staggered over and swung open the door before Clay had a chance to knock. Matthew Brighton stood there in all of his drunken naked glory and slurred, "You shit head. It's four o'clock in the effing morning." He hung onto the door frame for support as the ground moved in gentle waves beneath his feet.

A rough looking Clay exhaled and said, "Lovely, you're still friggin' wasted. Put on some damn shorts man. Do you usually answer your door naked?"

Ryan chuckled from his bed, "Only if it's you."

Matt stumbled over, sat on his bed and reached for some shorts that were on the floor. He tugged them on, and grimaced. _They weren't his shorts...gross._ He clutched his pounding head and questioned, "Why are you here at four in the morning? Spit it out."

"Why didn't you answer your phone? This would have been a lot easier if you were sober," Clay replied.

Ryan added his comic relief from the other side of the room, "You have to call him before noon."

Matt chuckled, "Scratch that, I was already having sex with a random stranger by noon."

Ryan rolled over and mumbled, "Her name was Laura. Don't be a tool."

Matt tossed an empty beer can at his roommate and sparred, "What was the other one's name?"

Ryan lifted his lip and asked, "I chipped a tooth. How did I do this?"

Matt rifled another empty can at his roommate's face and laughed, "You chipped your tooth opening a beer."

Clay asserted, "Matt, you need to sober up. Something's happened. I have to take you home."

Matt beamed, pissed himself laughing and teased, "Did Timmy fall in the well again Lassie. Spit it out." _Clay's eyes didn't even register the joke. That was funny._

Clay grabbed a shirt from Matt's drawer, tossed it at him and said, "Something bad happened. Go splash some water on your face. We have to get you home." He walked over to the counter, picked up cold Tim Horton's coffee, sniffed it, put it in the microwave and set the timer.

_Weird...Clay was microwaving coffee for him in the middle of the night_. _His eyes were full of tears. He wasn't sure he had ever seen Clay cry before. Not one time. Not even when they were kids._ The microwave beeped. Clay tried to pass him the cup. Matt waved him away, knowing if he drank it, he'd puke.

Clay ordered, "I will force you to drink this coffee. Don't mess with me tonight. This has been the worst night of my life and it's about to become the worst night of yours. I wish I could leave you drunk and pretend this shit didn't happen, but I can't. The police are going to be here any minute."

"Did something happen?" Matt questioned as his fireball whiskey-soaked mind began to battle its way back. _Police_... _Did he do something?_

There was an ominous expression of agony on Clay's face as he said, "I've been calling you all night, Matt. I wanted to talk to you before the police did. That's why I'm here."

Matt's mind began to reel with possible scenarios. _Police... what did he do?_

"It's your family," Clay's words tightened in his throat.

_What?_ "What about them?" Matt whispered, finding himself instantly sober. He took the coffee from his friend, chugged it and prompted, "Was there some kind of accident? Is someone hurt?"

"They're dead," Clay whispered with tears in his eyes.

"If this is a prank, you are one sick puppy," Matt replied, willing a smile to appear on Clay's tear streamed sombre face.

Clay looked him straight in the eyes and repeated the words that would change everything in his world, "Your family is dead. You should sober up. I have to take you home, Matty."

Matt stumbled back and sat on his bed. _He called him Matty. His sisters called him Matty. They weren't dead... They weren't._ "You're joking," Matt stated again as if repeating the statement would somehow make it true.

"Kayn is still alive, but just barely. She's in the hospital. I came here to take you to her."

Ryan was sitting up in bed staring at him with this stricken look on his face. There was nothing but deafening silence, broken only by the humming of the light above his head. Adrenaline kicked in and he found the ability to speak, "Were they in a car accident?" Matt's eyes burned into his best friend's soul.

Clay did his best to quickly explain, "The police think it was a home invasion... It was bad."

_Home invasion... Bad._ Matt just sat there, stunned. He looked over Clay's shoulder at the picture of his beautiful sisters that sat in a place of pride on his desk.

"I was sure the police would beat me to you," Clay said quietly as he tried to touch his shoulder. Matt recoiled from his friend's attempt to console him; he shook his head, grimacing. _This can't be real. This wasn't really happening._ He heard the hollow click of footsteps in the hallway, followed by the jangling sound of keys. Matt stared at the door and thought, _No, don't you dare come here. Don't come to my door. If you come to my room, it's real._ There were three loud knocks on his door. Matt couldn't swallow. _It was real_. He was sober now.

Clay stood up and made his way to the door. He glanced back at him before opening it and asserted, "One of us has to answer... It's probably the police."

Matt rose to his feet feeling like he was on his way to lay his neck down on a guillotine, for he knew this was the end of his life, with steady legs walked over to stand beside Clay. The door opened to reveal one of the school's counsellors and someone else he didn't recognize. It wasn't the police but that didn't matter. The truth was in their eyes.

The counsellor addressed him with a gentle, consoling voice, "Mr. Brighton, you need to get dressed and come with us. It's probably better if we talk about this in the office."

Matt solemnly replied, "Give me a minute, I'll be right down."

"Take all the time you need. We can wait," the man responded as they quietly retreated back down the hall.

Matt stood there for a second in the doorway with his mind still reeling from his best friend's words. _His whole family had been murdered in a home invasion. They were gone._ Matt grabbed his shower bag off the dresser. _His mother wouldn't want him reeking like alcohol when he spoke to the police._ _He was supposed to come home this weekend because it was her birthday. He got drunk and had the opportunity to sleep with someone; he didn't think it would matter if he drove home the next day. He was still planning to come home for her birthday dinner on Saturday night, but she would never know that._ _It had mattered. He had let her down. She had no Saturday..._

Clay touched his friend's shoulder, "Forget about the shower. Nobody will care."

Matt solemnly stated, "My mom would've cared." _He'd spoken her name in the past tense for the first time_. His heart ached. Tears blurred his vision, he blinked them away. _She would want him to be clean and smell nice._ His shocked mind was only capable of small spurts of rational thought. Matt held his hand up stating in the simplest of movements that he needed a moment. He maintained his composure long enough to step into the bathroom and close the door. He collapsed in front of the toilet with tears burning his eyes. He began to throw up, his chest heaving as his body attempted to rid itself of the poison coursing through it. No amount of vomiting would remove the agonizing devastation that sickened his brain. _He'd let her down._ _He should have been at home tonight._ Matthew could almost hear his mother's voice speaking softly, giving him instructions. _She would have told him to try and calm down. Then she would have told him to think about what he needed to do next._ He turned on the freezing cold water and let it run for a second. Matthew Brighton had been a hyper child. His mother had repeated those words to him on countless occasions _. Calm down..._ As Matt stepped into the shower the ice-cold water pummelled his skin. He couldn't fathom the idea that he would never hear those words from his mother's lips again. The freezing water brought him back to the here and now. He knew what mattered at this moment. _He had to get to Kayn. She was still alive._ _He wasn't sure what he'd do if he lost her too._ He began to pray for his sister. He would hold onto the sound of Kayn's laughter and the innocence of her smile. _He'd focus on her._ _She needed him. He had to keep himself together._ Matt dashed back into the room and put his clothes on.

Clay caught his attention and asserted, "You should grab clothes to take with you. You can't go home."

Matt frantically tossed clothing into his backpack. He thought about bringing the picture from his desk. _They had lots of pictures at home._ Confused thoughts raced through his mind. _Why couldn't he go home?_ Matt reached for the picture and asked, "Why can't I go home?"

Clay dodged the question by saying, "Listen, don't worry about packing anything else, you can wear my clothes."

_His house was a crime scene_. Matt choked out the words, "Thanks for coming to get me." They embraced as Matt shuddered and stifled a sob. _He had to be strong._ He stepped away and stated, "I don't have time for counsellors. I need to be with Kayn."

His roommate Ryan answered, "I got this. You go to Kayn. I'll tell them where you went...just go."

Matt squeezed his roommate's shoulder in silent appreciation and the two boys dashed into the hallway, down the stairs, and out through the courtyard to where Clay had parked his car. They sped away from the campus and drove in silence down the highway, only to be pulled over almost immediately.

Clay rolled his eyes and complained, "Crap, we don't have time for this."

A concerned looking officer leaned down, peered into the window and stated, "We suspected you boys weren't going to wait around to speak to a counsellor. Follow us; we'll get you back to town a lot faster."

"Thanks," Clay stammered as relief spread across his face.

They were escorted back to town with sirens wailing and whirling bright lights, arriving at the hospital in half the time it would've taken. Matt dashed towards the entrance of the hospital with Clay at his side. He arrived with a whoosh of the door, and Matt's eyes met Clay's parent's with unspoken gratitude. The nurse at the front desk quickly escorted him to another area of the hospital.

The nurse by his side warned, "You need to prepare yourself for what you're about to see, she has been to hell and back today. Thank goodness you made it. She's spent the night in surgery. Your sister is one strong young lady. The helicopter just arrived. She's been stabilized. They are airlifting her to Vancouver. We held the flight to give you a few minutes to say..."

He finished her sentence in his mind. _Goodbye. They don't think she's going to make it_. Matt looked through the window into the room and asked, "Am I allowed in there?"

The nurse answered by holding the door open. Matt walked past her and made his way to his ailing sibling's bedside. He clasped a hand over his mouth as he got a good look. Tears clouded his vision as the violence she'd endured sunk in like a weight on his heart crushing his resolve to stay strong. He took his sister's hand as he noticed the machine was breathing for her. She was on life support, covered in tape, needles and tubing. Her face was disfigured, nearly twice its size, partially concealed by bandages. _Who would do this? For what?_ He felt the urge to check the birthmark but allowed it to pass. The monitor beeped slowly. With each beep, a voice in his head whispered, _you should have come home. You could have saved us. How could you let this happen, Matthew?_ His eyes blurred with tears as guilt swallowed ration. _I should have been there. I could've stopped this. They wouldn't be dead; my baby sister wouldn't be... dying_. _This was really happening._ His soul ached with every beep of the life-sustaining machine. _He'd let them all down. He couldn't lose her too._ A river of all-encompassing devastation was flowing down his cheeks as he lovingly caressed her lifeless hand. There was not a sign of life, not a twitch of a finger or a movement that wasn't being created by the machines that kept her breathing. _What had someone done to his baby sister?_ He heard a noise and glanced back at the door. _They were waiting to take her away._ _They didn't think she was going to live. He could see it on their faces. He had to say something. He couldn't let them take her without saying something._ He kissed her hand and whispered, "It's Matty, I'm here. I'm here with you. You're not alone. Please don't go. You need to fight. They need to take you now. I'll be with you as soon as I can. Don't leave me. You can't..." The nurse touched his shoulder. _It was time._ _He was being forced to leave her first, but what if he couldn't?_ _They were gone. Everyone he loved...Dead. What if he never saw her again? He couldn't breathe._ Panicking, gasping for breath, Matt sunk to his knees internally pleading, _take me instead. Please, I'll do anything you want. I'll be a better man. I'll be better._ They were gently helping him up. _No,_ _I'm not done._ _I can't go. I can't ask Kayn to have the strength to stay with me and then leave her first._ Matt reached for his sister sobbing, "No, no, I can't leave her," as they maneuvered him to the door. He could taste the salt on his lips as he blinked his tears away so he could see his sister one last time.

The nurse whispered, "They need to get her to Vancouver. It's her best chance. We're wasting time."

Defeated, by logic, Matthew Brighton noticed the lack of dry eyes in the room. A nurse escorted him out into the hallway and walked him over to stand against the wall. Everything happened quickly. Attendants rushed past with his sibling on a gurney, running alongside of it with tubes, bags and a monitor. They disappeared at the end of the hall. _This was not goodbye. He had to believe it wasn't._

The nurse assured, "I have faith that she is going to survive. If your faith is in short supply, I have enough for both of us." Matt fell into the wise stranger's arms but was only granted a moment of solitude before seeing his father's friend Jenkins walking towards him. A minute later Matthew was being led to the morgue to identify the bodies of his family.

_Jenkins asked if he was ready. How could you ever be ready to identify the bodies of your family?_ _They'd been_ _murdered_. _It was something that happened to other people._ _To people in movies and T.V shows_. _In those shows when they took a family member to identify the bodies, he had always thought it wasn't fair._ _It wasn't, and it was happening to him right now_. The elevator closed and began humming its descent into Matt's own personal version of hell. The elevator paused and the doors whooshed as they opened.

He couldn't help but notice how cold and sterile the basement looked as he stepped out of the elevator. The rest of the hospital had pictures on the walls and a vastly different feel. _There was no need for pretty pictures in a place that only housed the dead._ He turned to look at Jenkins, knowing it was his duty to do this didn't make it any easier to stomach. His father's best friend was accompanying him into hell. There were no large signs in hell and no brightly coloured arrows pointing the way, just a plaque on the morgue's door.

Jenkins paused before shoving the door open. It was obvious he didn't want to go into the room either. Jenkins greeted a man in the white lab coat, by shaking his hand. Jenkins squeezed Matt's shoulder to show his support as he led him the final few steps into hell. The morgue tech opened a metal drawer and slid it all the way out to reveal a corpse covered in a white sheet and lifted the blanket to reveal his father. The act of raising the sheet was like ripping off a band-aid. _He'd never seen a dead body._ His father's mouth remained partially open and he appeared to be as hollow as Matthew felt. It was as though someone had taken everything he loved, lit it on fire and he'd been sent to sift through the ashes. _That's all this was. He was sifting through ashes._ He was in shock, so his mind took him to a better memory. He was about seven years old and he was supposed to be sitting in front of the campfire roasting wieners with his dad. A precocious child, he was trying to catch the ashes floating in the air. That was how he found out that you can't hold onto something once it's nothing but ash. It disintegrates with the slightest touch and floats away on the gentlest breeze. He recalled rubbing his hands together and being amazed when the black soot staining his palms disappeared. It was magic to the seven-year-old version of Matt. _He knew different now_. The adult version of Matt knew that ashes became nothing. This was what they were in the end, absolutely nothing. His heart felt like a solid mass in his chest as he stared at what was left of his father. He had been the most hilarious, loving, example of what it was to be a dad. Until this moment, he hadn't understood how lucky he was to have him in his life. He'd never appreciated him like he should have. Someone had beaten him to death like he was nothing. He would never get to know that Matt had always wanted to be just like him. He'd never get to say the words.

The tech asked, "Is there anything you want to say?"

Matt understood that he needed to go through the motions. He hadn't said anything aloud because he understood that his father was gone. He felt the warmth of Jenkins' hand on his shoulder again and whispered, "I should have come home this weekend. I just always do the wrong thing. I don't know why I do the things I do. I'm sorry I let you down. I was coming home on Saturday for mom's birthday. I didn't forget. Kayn is alive and I'm going to take care of her. I know I've never been the good person that you wanted me to be, but I know that I have what it takes to grow into that person someday, because I was raised by you. I couldn't have asked for a better father. I always knew you loved me. I hope you knew how much I loved you. I should've said the words to you more often." Matt's voice cracked with emotion as he struggled to continue, with a raw whisper, he promised, "I'm going to try to be a better man." Matt finished with his final goodbye and looked at Jenkins.

The strong, silent man that had been his father's best friend was in tears. He took a step closer to the table and spoke next, "I'm going to keep Matt and Kayn safe and I'm going to find the bastard that did this to your family. I miss you already..."

Numb, Matt watched as his father's body was covered up and unceremoniously slid back into the drawer. He looked at Jenkins and said, "Thank you for coming with me."

Jenkins nodded and answered, "I loved your father like a brother. I've known both of your parents since high school. They were there for me through my daughter's death and the divorce. Your family has been my family for many years. I'm still here for you, Matt. I know that's what your parents would've wanted. You need to know, whatever happens, I'm still here for you kids."

They embraced, and Matt understood that he was not alone. He also recognized that he was not a child anymore and couldn't go on pretending that he was. It was time to change. He would have to quit school and get a job so he could take care of Kayn.

Jenkins forewarned, "Your mother's body is far worse than your father's."

The tech pulled out the next drawer. Matt would have known this was his mother's body even if he hadn't been warned. She'd always smelled of Sunflowers perfume. He'd never been able to smell that sweet fragrance in the air without his mother's smiling face crossing his mind and now he'd never smell it without her absence breaking his heart. _In life, Claire Brighton had curly shoulder length auburn hair and an infectious laugh. She was funny and kind. She was his safe harbour, happy place and number one fan._ The tech removed the sheet, and it was as though in one act he'd ripped away the veil of false reality. Her lifeless eyes stared off into the distance, beyond him. There was no laughter in her vacant lifeless eyes. Her lips were parted. And he found himself wondering _, do souls leave our body in a final breath, through slightly parted lips?_ There was no animation in her face and all that remained was a battered, violated shell that resembled her and a whisper in the air of the delicate scent that now tortured his nostrils. His heart ached with the knowledge that he'd never feel the warmth of her embrace again. Matt touched his mother's icy cheek, then leaned over and lovingly kissed her forehead. _She was gone...she was really gone_. He became lost in the flood of tears that thankfully blurred his vision. He choked out a few words, "Mom...Mommy, I'm so sorry. I should have been home. I was still coming home for your birthday. I didn't forget." He touched her hair as he stared at his mother's lifeless body. _The woman with the most beautiful sounding laughter in the world had moved on._ He prayed she would never stop laughing, and when she smiled that it would always be with the same all-encompassing joy. He knew the sound of his mother's laughter would follow him for the rest of his days. Matthew Brighton crumbled and sobbed as he lay his head on the material draped over his mother's chest. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, without looking at her. He wanted to hear her heart beating, but knew it would never beat again, and this shattered his into a million pieces. He felt Jenkins' hand on his shoulder and the warmth of the living, brought him back to reality, he moved out of the way so Jenkins could have his chance to say, goodbye.

Jenkins leaned forward, lovingly kissed his mother's cheek and whispered, "I'm going to take care of them, Claire. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to hurt you, the gentlest soul I have ever met. Be at peace. I promise to keep them safe."

The tech covered up his mother's body and slid it back into the drawer. He looked at him and whispered, "Mr. Brighton, I wish you didn't have to see this but legally a family member needs to identify the body."

Jenkins turned to face the mortician and whispered, "This can't be unseen."

_None of this could. He wasn't going to be able to take much more but he_ _needed to be certain it was Chloe and there was only one way to do that. He had to see her. He had to know it was her without a shadow of a doubt._ Matt nodded his consent and the sheet was lifted off her body. He burst into tears at the sight of her and covered his mouth, paralyzed by shock. _He was going to be sick._ _One of her eyes was missing and she'd been brutalized to the point where she was almost unrecognizable._ _Why...What kind of monster would do this?_ He stepped closer and looked behind her left ear. Once he saw the crescent birthmark, he was certain. He sunk to the cold cement floor and choked out, "It's Chloe. Cover her up. I can't do this anymore." Matt covered his eyes and rocked as he wept. _He'd let them down and now, they were all dead._ He couldn't fathom the horror of his sister's final moments. She'd been beaten so badly she was missing an eye and her face around that socket had been crushed. The coroner hadn't had the time to clean her up. _Her throat had been slit. Who knew what horrors were hidden beneath the blanket?_ He thought about Kayn. _Would she be horrifically disfigured? Was she missing an eye? How would Kayn survive this savage of a beating? Who would she be when she woke up? How could you ever be the same person? How was he ever going to be the same person after seeing it?_ He continued swaying back and forth sobbing, "I should have come home. I could have changed this. I could have saved them." Matt's heart began to race. He was finding it difficult to breathe. Jenkins sat next to him on the floor and whispered, "You would be dead too. If you came home last night, you'd be in this morgue. I'd be here identifying you. That's all you would have changed. Kayn would have woken up to your nightmare."

Matt quietly replied, "You can't know that."

While meeting his gaze, Jenkins clarified, "They were dead by early evening. You would have walked into that house like it was a normal day and you'd be dead. Initially, we thought it was a home invasion gone wrong but the length of time between the deaths in the house and Kayn's assault makes it appear personal. The assailant waited for her. We know she was dropped off around eight pm. It looks like she tried to get away. She almost made it out of the trails. That's where we found her. Your sister's fighting for her life and she only has someone to come home to because fate kept you away from that house last night."

They sat in silence as the tech stood quietly by the door. _He hadn't gone to afternoon classes but would have if an incredibly hot girl hadn't accosted him and practically thrown herself at him. He would've been home around the same time as Kayn. Maybe, he could have distracted the killer long enough for her to get away?_

Once Matt felt like he'd been sitting long enough internally obsessing over the details, they left the morgue and rode the elevator back up to the lobby in numb silence. He came out of the elevator with Jenkins at his side, made eye contact with his friend's mom and walked into Lillian Smith's open arms.

She stroked his hair, whispering, "It's okay sweetheart, I have you. You never have to see anything like that again."

He crumbled into a childlike state in the warmth of her maternal sanctuary. His chest heaved as she consoled him. He found himself listening to the rhythm of her heart. _How desperately he'd wanted to hear that sound when he'd placed his ear against his deceased mother's chest_. _He tried to imagine that this heartbeat was his mother's._ She kept him safe in her embrace until his tears were spent and all he had left was a few trembling sighs. He whispered aloud the word repeating in his mind, "Why?" _He needed to know. He wanted to run around the hospital screaming it at the top of his lungs_.

"We may never know," she soothed while rocking back and forth.

_He would never get to be held in his mother's arms again. He didn't want to let go._ "Did you see what they did to my sisters?" Matt numbly asked as he stepped away.

Clay's father put his arms around him as he affirmed, "Son, you're staying at our house. There's going to be a lot to deal with, we're going to help you."

_Kevin was missing_. "Where's Kevin?" Matt asked.

"My brother is in a bed down the hall," Clay answered.

Matt turned to his friend, "He wasn't at the house, was he?"

"They just had to sedate him," Clay replied. "He's just having a mental vacation."

Matt blankly whispered, "That sounds nice." _He was feeling a bit light-headed._ Lillian walked him to a bench, excused herself and left him with the others. Jenkins went to ask for updates. He just sat there watching people coming in and out of the door in slow motion.

A while later, Mrs. Smith reappeared with a doctor. He asked Matt to come to his office for a few minutes. Matt obliged. _He had nothing else to do._ _Nowhere to go. Everyone was gone. All gone._ _The cases they came in were downstairs, but they weren't there._ The physician led him to his office and asked him to take a seat. Matt sat down and blankly looked around. _Motivational posters. A glass jar full of candy. No cotton balls. Why didn't he have cotton balls? He shouldn't be here. He should be dead too. They were lucky they were gone._

The doctor cleared his throat. Matt looked up. He was sitting in a chair smugly observing. _He wanted to throat punch him for smiling._

The physician enquired, "How are you feeling?"

_He was feeling unusually hostile about the ignorance of that question._ Matt spitefully muttered, "Someone slaughtered my entire family, how in the hell do you think I feel?"

"I understand. You're angry. Rage is a fight or flight response to stress. Your brain is trying to process great loss. Anger isn't the most beneficial emotion to go with in this situation it can lead to rash decisions," he said, while jotting down notes.

Matt coldly bantered, "What would you suggest I feel? Should I have a friggin' party? A giant bloody celebration for the demise of everyone I love. What in the hell is wrong with you?" He got up fully intending to storm out, but he was unsteady on his feet and his headache was brutal. He dropped back into the chair, clutching his head. _It was about to explode._ _It felt like he was being stabbed between the eyes._ A memory of his mother's voice surfaced instructing him to breathe. _She's gone. She would be upset he was acting like this._ He teared up and began apologising, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. I'm not like this. I swear, I'm not. My head is killing me."

The doctor got up, pulled a machine to Matt's side and said, "You have just lived through what will likely be the worst day of your life. You also smell like you had too much to drink last night. Wait here, I've got something to for that." He reappeared with an electrolyte drink and handed it to Matt. "Here, this will help. I'm going to check your blood pressure while I lecture you on the importance of sleep while you're trying to operate a brain in university."

After a few tests Matt decided the doctor was an alright guy and sheepishly followed him back to Clay's mom. The Doctor began speaking to Lillian, "Matthew has a few prescriptions, it's going to be a rough month, stress induced raised blood pressure is normal, but this high at his age makes me uncomfortable so, let's have him come back in a week." He gave Matt a pat on the back but spoke to Lillian, "I explained to young Matthew here that he needs lots of sleep, it's unwise to go more than a night without, in his situation. We'd like to keep him thinking rationally. Best case scenario, his sister will have a long road to recovery. He needs to be strong for her so let's get him through this." The Doctor gave Mrs. Smith a few pills in a bottle and whispered, "This is a light sedative. It should be good until you can get the prescriptions filled tomorrow." He gave a pill to Matt and told him to place it under his tongue.

Matt was too mentally exhausted to argue. He just did what he was told. His stomach grumbled. He looked at the time. It was almost dinner time the next day. His head was probably pounding because he hadn't eaten since yesterday. Truth be told, he didn't care if he ever ate again. He remembered his mother's first line of defence for a headache. It was five glasses of water. The doctor had given him a drink. _That made sense._

It was as though Clay's mother had read his mind. She handed him a can of orange juice. Lillian said, "Let's go home. We will call and check on Kayn as soon as we get there."

Clay's father placed his arm around him and led Matt out into the fresh air. _It was raining. It suited the moment._ The water pelted his face and in the gentle evening shower there came a strange sense of peace, or perhaps the sensation was the calming effect of the drug. _It felt nice. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything. He felt wonderful_. _It was like an emotionless stay of execution._ Matt startled as someone slammed the car door. _It was hilarious._ He began to laugh. The car started moving and now he was chuckling because he didn't recall getting into the car in the first place. He couldn't even remember walking the distance from the hospital to the car. _It was like he'd been magically transported there. Maybe, it was all a bad dream. He'd wake up and everything would be fine. He was fine. Everybody was fine._ _Everything would be fine._ Those were his last semi-rational thoughts as he succumbed to exhaustion and the pharmaceutically enhanced calm. He drifted off to sleep.

Matt awoke the next morning in a bed that was not his own and it all came flooding back. He stumbled out into the kitchen with unthinkable visions in his mind. _Everything was not fine. It had been real. It had all happened, and nothing would ever be fine again_. He wept until he made himself sick. He hugged the toilet and dry heaved for there was no food in his stomach. They gave him another pill and everything was fine again. _He ate and lived that first week in that docile state of numb._

While Matthew was in that state of numb, Lillian arranged for someone to clean the house so it would look like the violence never happened. Jenkins dealt with the bills and kept the empty Brighton house in order. Lillian and Jenkins started the funeral preparations. Jenkins had been named the executor of his parents' will. He handled everything and Matthew remained fine. They hadn't set the funeral date, it had been held off in the hopes that Kayn would be able to come home, but they found out that she was going to be in the hospital for much longer than originally anticipated.

Matt had a few moments of clarity each day before he began to melt down again. It was only postponing the inevitable, but he took another pill anyway and then he was fine. _He was nothing_. He was a numb unfeeling zombie but that was fine. It was preferable to the agony he would have been languishing in.

One day, Matt awoke knowing he'd been dreaming of his final words to his father. _He'd promised to be a good man._ He got out of bed and went downstairs with a clear mind. _It was time to be strong._ He did not cry that morning, knowing he had to find a way to pull himself together. _It was time to stop hiding from the truth._ One of his mother's favourite quotes had been, fake it till you make it. _He imagined he'd be living that way for a while._

Matt and Kevin boarded the short flight to see Kayn. They arrived in Vancouver and took a cab to the hospital. His sister had been kept in a medically induced coma. When they heard the details of Kayn's injuries and how many surgeries she'd been through, it seemed impossible that she'd survived. _It was a miracle._ _He had never done anything worthy of a miracle._

They spent a couple of days by Kayn's side, sleeping in chairs in her room. _Kevin seemed bigger. Maybe he just looked more mature after everything he'd been through?_ Kevin had been sitting on the edge of the bed holding his sister's hand for hours and a thought popped into Matt's head. _Perhaps, this was Kevin's miracle._

Matt just returned from a coffee run, he passed Kevin a cup and whispered, "We never talk about Chloe. Why do you think that is?"

Kevin took a drink, swallowed it and replied, "We found her. It's still too painful to think about."

_That was understandable. They were trying to forget what they'd seen._ _He sure wished there was a way to forget what he'd seen._ Matt casually sipped his piping hot coffee as he stated, "You had the biggest crush on Chloe."

Kevin looked into Matt's eyes and admitted, "I just can't shake the feeling that Chloe's still here. It feels like she's going to bust me talking about her and whip me with her jacket." Kevin looked past him in a way that made him feel like somebody just walked into the room. Matt turned to see what he was looking at and nobody was there.

He glared at Kevin and teased, "You are officially freaking me out Smith. What are you looking at?"

Kevin replied, "Nothing, it's not important." There was a brief pause in the conversation before Kevin looked at Kayn and added, "It looks like she's lost in a beautiful dream." Kevin lovingly caressed Kayn's palm.

"I hope she's someplace wonderful. I hope they all are," Matt stated.

Kevin tucked Kayn's covers around her as he assured, "They all are, I'm sure of it."

Matt tossed his empty cup in the garbage and quipped, "Except for Chloe, right? You feel like Chloe's still here."

Kevin didn't answer him, and Matt didn't blame him. _That was an asshole move._ _He had to find a way to stop himself from saying whatever crossed his mind._ _He had to try to be a better man._

Kevin kissed Kayn softly on her cheek. He looked at Matt and added, "Here isn't that bad."

"Saturday will be bad for me to go through all alone," Matt replied. He paused and took it back, "I'm sorry, that was a selfish thing to say."

Kevin smiled and remarked, "You're not alone, and you're just being honest. Kayn wouldn't want you to go through the funeral alone either."

Matt leaned over, kissed his sister on her unbandaged cheek and whispered, "We'll be back tomorrow."

After a few more days of holding vigil at Kayn's bedside, the boys returned home for the funeral. _Matt felt guilty that his sister wouldn't be able to be there so she could grieve and have closure, but he also felt jealous. He wanted to be able to check out again._ He had purpose when he was by his ailing sister's side. She was all he had left. He was still terrified he could lose her to a random complication. Each time the phone rang his heart leapt and his stomach lurched.

# Chapter Five

### The Edge of the Abyss

On the day of the funeral, there was not a cloud in the sky as far as the eye could see. The family, always being the last to arrive at the service, pulled up at the church and were escorted into a side door. Matthew stood there in his suit and tie gripping the paper that he'd painstakingly written his eulogy on. _He wasn't ready for this._ Just as panic tightened in his chest, he felt Jenkins' hand on his shoulder. The door opened and all eyes turned to them as they were escorted to their seats. The congregation was asked to rise, and everyone began singing a hymn. The sight of the large family portraits at the front made Matt feel such raw excruciating loss, that he had to look down at the eulogy in his hand. He couldn't meet anyone's well-meaning smiles; _it was killing him._ He entertained the thought of abandoning his seat and bolting out of the church. _He'd jump on the first flight to Vancouver and be by Kayn's side while the rest of his world was laid to rest._ _I shouldn't be here. I should be dead too. My picture should be up there beside Chloe's. I'm just a selfish asshole. I was out drinking, while everyone I loved was brutally murdered. Why am I such a horrible person? How had two wonderful selfless people created a piece of shit like me?_ Matt openly wept. _He didn't care who saw, because all he felt was overwhelming guilt._ _The minister had been speaking for a while and he hadn't been listening._ He was halfway between a panic attack and a mental break down when Jenkins touched his arm and whispered, "It's your turn to speak."

Matt stared at his piece of paper and took a second to stand. Jenkins also rose and touched his shoulder for comfort. _He was sweating profusely. It was so hot in here. It was way too hot._

Jenkins whispered the words of assurance Matthew Brighton's heart had been longing for, "I'll go up there with you. You don't have to do this alone."

Tears streamed down Matt's face and he understood that Jenkins had no intention of leaving him alone in this world. He intended to stand beside him, and those simple words meant more than he could ever express. They walked up to the pulpit. Matt felt Jenkins' hand on his shoulder. It was such a simple gesture, but it gave him the ability to find the will to begin. Matt cleared his throat and looked up. For the first time, he saw how many people had come to pay their respects to his family. The church was at capacity, people were even standing outside by the open doors. They were all waiting for him to speak. He looked down at the words he'd painstakingly written, tore the paper in half and spoke, "I spent a lot of time writing out what I was going to say today, but I know the best way to honour them is to speak from my heart. The world was a far better place with my family in it. The sound of my mother's laughter could fill an entire room with light and when she smiled, everyone around her couldn't help but smile back, because my mother was full of joy. She was the most loving person and it was a privilege to be her son. We were so lucky to have her as our mother." He'd choked out the last couple of words, tears now flooded as a waterfall of grief from his eyes and he couldn't continue. He knew he had to, but he just needed a moment to compose himself. He glanced at Jenkins.

Jenkins seemed to understand what he needed without words and took over, "Matthew's father was my best friend. He was funny and eternally optimistic. I'm going to tell you about a few of the moments that stand out in my mind. On their wedding day, everything went wrong. We'd had the bachelor party the night before, which is never a good idea. My buddy was ill-equipped to deal with any drama that day and we were late to start." He looked at Matt as he continued speaking, "Your mother looked incredibly beautiful as she walked down the aisle to your father. I remember the look on his face. He was so crazy in love with her. When they started to say their vows, I thought they both might be a little bit wacky. It was the strangest thing I'd ever heard. It wasn't until I had some experience with love myself that I understood what they were saying to each other. Your father said, I can't promise I won't drive you crazy. I can't promise that there won't be hills on this rollercoaster. I can't promise you there won't be pieces of the track missing, but I promise to stay on this ride with you. I won't get off until the end. Your mother repeated the same words." Jenkin's composed himself and continued, "This will make sense in a minute. Your parents went to the same high school, but they'd barely spoken to each other. We knew who Claire was, but we were in different friend groups. The fair was in town. We were waiting in a line to get on the rollercoaster and the operator paired the two of them up. The guy running the ride laughed and said, 'You two look like you should be on this ride together.' Your father fell in love with Claire on that ride. It was as though it happened the second he sat down beside her. We were walking home with a group of friends that night, when my friend looked at me and made the craziest declaration ever, I'm going to marry her someday." He cleared his throat, blinked away his tears and persevered, "And through three children, they never lost their sense of humour about life. The whole family was magic. There was so much laughter in their home. They took me in when I lost my daughter and showed me that life was still worth living. Your father kept his word. He stayed with her on the ride until the end." Jenkins fared well through his entire speech until those last words. He broke down.

Matt stepped back in, "The night I found out they died. I made a promise to my father that I would try to be a good man. All I needed was a few more minutes with him. I wanted to tell him that he'd been the best dad. He was the best example of what a father was supposed to be. I never got the chance to say those words and I hope that when you all go home tonight. You say them to the people that you love. Tell them how much you love them. Say the words out loud. Don't just assume they know how you feel because if something happens, you will always wonder if they knew how you felt about..." Matt couldn't go on, neither could Jenkins, they were both sobbing.

Kevin made his way to the pulpit. He took his place and began to speak, "I remember Kayn's mom telling us about their wedding. She said the caterer didn't show up and the band didn't come. A friend had a karaoke machine and the guests made their own music. They didn't let anything stop them. Their daughter Chloe was an equally unstoppable girl. Chloe was beautiful and she was so smart. Chloe Brighton was a force of nature and she was also my friend. I've been friends with the Brighton twins since kindergarten. I can still picture them as little girls, picking flowers and putting them in each other's hair, lying in a field of buttercups together watching bumbles bees. I see them braiding headbands out of flowers and dancing around together wearing crowns. I remember thinking they looked like angels. Chloe always had big dreams. She was a fighter by spirit. I went to see Kayn in the hospital and I felt like Chloe was there with her somehow, watching over her. Maybe, it's because I feel like Chloe was actually stubborn enough to refuse to leave this place without her sister."

Giggles erupted in the congregation of mourners. The thought of his little sister's feisty spirit being described in that way made Matt smile through his tears. _It was the truth._

Kevin kept talking, "On the wall in their house there was a framed poem Kayn's mother wrote in high school. I read the words almost every time I walked past it. It read: _One kind word can guide a soul out of the darkness. A hug can show someone that good hearts still exist. Be the hand someone can hold onto while teetering on the edge of an abyss._ This was the Brighton family creed. This was who they were, and they will always be missed."

The Minister took over the service. Every person in the town had known or loved one of the Brighton family members. Matt knew he was not alone in his grief. At the end of the funeral, there was a beautiful prayer for Kayn. It was a prayer that she would return to them as beautiful and innocent of spirit as she had been, before that night. It was a heart-wrenching service from beginning to end.

Jenkins strolled out of the church with his arm around Matthew and promised, "Just in case I haven't made myself clear. I'm here for both of you. When Kayn gets home from the hospital invite me over for dinner, and we'll talk about it. I know your parents wouldn't want you to drop out. You should go back as soon as you can. The faster you get back to school the easier it will be to pick up where you left off."

Matt slowly shook his head and replied, "What about Kayn? She needs me, I have to keep her safe."

Jenkins responded, "Kayn's in a medically induced coma. You'll visit when you can. I'll visit when I can, and we'll try to get her moved back here as soon as possible. Your job is to go back to school before you flunk out. I will keep acting as executor, helping you two out. I'll pay the bills and carry on doing the adult stuff. You just let me know when you feel ready to do it by yourself."

Jenkins winked at Matt, patted him on the shoulder and Matthew Brighton knew he still had a family even if they weren't related by blood. _Jenkins and the Smith's had been there for him. They would be his family now. A new kind of family completely made of friends._

# Chapter Six

### The Long Kiss Goodnight

Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months and still Kayn slept. They finally transported Kayn Brighton back to her hometown where she could be closer to what was left of her family. There she lay like an angel in sweet uninterrupted slumber. A doctor induced coma had given her body time to heal. Still, she slept, even after her doctor's had attempted to awaken her.

_She would have to wake up to the reality of what happened._ _Would she still be the same person, or would she live each day with memories of that horrific night scorched into her soul?_

With Matt back at school, Kevin had been the one by her side each day, watching her dream. He could tell she lingered just beneath the surface of her closed eyes. "Look at all these flowers you have, I bet you had no idea this many people loved you," Kevin said as he sat down in the chair beside her hospital bed. He'd come to the realization that he was in love with her. _Perhaps, he'd just needed to be faced with the thought of losing her to see things clearly._ He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He wanted to kiss her lips as she slept, to see if she'd awaken like sleeping beauty, but he always stopped himself. He needed her to be present the first time his lips met hers in that way. Kevin leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I think I've always loved you." He started to dig around in his backpack, saying, "I have your iPod here with all of your favourite songs on it. I added some Rascal Flatts." He stood up, leaned over and placed the speaker buds in her ears. "I know that was your mom's favourite group. It was always blaring all through your house. I thought it might make you happy."

Kevin paused again, glancing at her heart monitor as it beeped rhythmically. He willed the conversation to reach her wherever she was. Kevin spent at least an hour with her daily, telling her about his day and about how the girls were hitting on him at school. He knew he was most likely talking to himself but didn't care.

In the weeks after her attack, it was as though each morning Kevin would awaken to a slightly buffer version of himself. He'd take his shirt off in front of the mirror and think, _what in the hell_ _is going on_? He wasn't complaining, but it wasn't normal. __ He'd also had one serious growth spurt; he'd shot up a good three inches. His father had always told him he was short until he was sixteen so that part could be explained away. He started to work out with his brother at the gym, so he had an explanation that seemed rational. He'd never thought he'd go out of his way to spend time with Clay, but in the aftermath of that night, they found the sense of brotherhood they'd been missing.

The police hadn't even come close to catching her assailant, there wasn't one strange fingerprint at the crime scene. They had no leads and no suspects. A piece of him feared someone would show up to finish Kayn off. The police had nobody watching her room. When he felt uneasy leaving her, he'd sleep in the chair beside her bed.

He'd started running and doing the things she loved to do because it made him feel closer to her. He listened to the same music she had on her iPod. It felt like these minuscule things, kept them connected. _He was strong enough to protect her now. Nobody would ever be able to hurt her again._ Kevin stroked her hair. Her face had healed without scars except for a very small one, hidden beneath her jawline, her wounds had been dealt with by a plastic surgeon, even the multiple stab wounds were thin lines. He suspected she was sleeping to heal her mind. There was a chance she'd suffered permanent brain damage, but they wouldn't know until sleeping beauty awakened. She had brain activity, that was a good sign. He squeezed her hand and whispered, "I'll be back tomorrow." He walked away hoping she was dreaming of peaceful things like catching bumblebees as a child, while surrounded by the music she loved.

Kevin couldn't wait to close his eyes each night for he'd been having beautiful dreams of them as children. They'd catch bees, climb trees and look in bird's nests but never touch the tiny blue eggs. It would feel so real that he'd wake up disappointed. In dreams, he could talk to her and feel whole again if only for a little while. They'd watch clouds guessing what they looked like. He'd pretend to be disgusted but was always secretly impressed when Kayn's ideas were dirty. Kevin smiled as he plugged the earpieces into his ears and slipped off to sleep, hoping to see her in his dreams.

# Chapter Seven

### While She Lay Dreaming

> _Dreaming: A succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep._

* * *

Kayn was making mews and cries of discontent, her hair was caressed. She focused on her mother, yawned and rubbed her eyes groggily. She was lying beside her sister; she felt confused for a second. _They were young, maybe five or six years old._

Chloe lay in bed with blonde curls fanning out behind her, "Mom, she's wrecking my story."

Her mother scooped Kayn up into her arms, snuggled her and consoled, "It's okay, sweetheart. You just had a bad dream."

She'd been having a horrible dream but she couldn't recall what it was about. _It didn't matter. This felt wonderful. She loved_ _snuggling with her mom._ Kayn inhaled her mom's perfume and stated, "I like this smell, it's a keeper."

"You're a keeper," her mom teased as she tickled her. Kayn squiggled and squirmed, giggling uncontrollably.

"People. Control yourselves. We are reading a story," Chloe crossly huffed.

"Oh, really," her mother giggled as she began tickling Chloe too.

All three were laughing and tickling each other when their father walked in and announced, "There was a story on the news today about a wild animal that escaped from the zoo. It was last seen in our neighbourhood."

The girls were silent, waiting to hear what escaped.

"Do you know what it was?" he said in his scariest voice.

"No, what was it?" the girls asked in unison intensely curious.

"It was a tickle monster," their dad yelled as he leapt on the bed and tackled all three of them.

They tickled each other until one of the little girls squealed, "I'm going to pee!"

The memories flickering through Kayn's brain were so real, it was like someone was changing the channel on a TV. Every so often, she'd hear a faint echo of a familiar voice in the distance, and music...there was always music. She was blissfully unconcerned, as the scenery changed.

Kayn lay peacefully in the grass next to her twin watching bumblebees quietly feeling like maybe someone was missing from the picture. Every so often, she would touch one, smile and feel such wonder. They were fascinating creatures. If she watched closely, she could see the pollen stuck to their tiny legs.

"I don't ever want to leave here. Let's stay forever, Chloe." Kayn whispered to her sister.

"You can't stay here forever, Kayn. You have to go home soon," Chloe whispered back.

"I can't go without you," Kayn said, mesmerized by the furry bumblebee in front of her.

"We can always be together. I can go back with you," Chloe whispered with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Where did mom and dad go?" Kayn asked, feeling panicked.

"They had to leave without us. It's okay though, they are always close by," Chloe whispered like it was a secret.

"I'm so tired," Kayn said, as she yawned, stretching her arms above her head so high that she could almost touch the clouds.

"Go to sleep then Kayn," Chloe whispered, still staring at the bumblebee in front of her. Its chubby pollen covered legs were making it difficult for him to fly away.

"But they might sting me while I'm sleeping. I'm allergic, remember?" Kayn replied. The other bees were delicately dancing from flower to flower.

"They can't hurt you Kayn. Nothing can hurt you here," Chloe whispered.

Kayn sprawled amongst the flowers with her blonde locks cushioning her head as she slept. The fragrant scent of cherry blossoms from the surrounding trees soothed her senses as she slipped into a peaceful slumber.

She awoke from her nap because she could feel a tickle. Kayn couldn't open her eyes. Bees covered every inch of her, carpeting her entire body. She wanted to scream but calmed herself. _Remain calm_ , she thought. _They will not sting you if you're calm_.

She heard her father's voice talking in her head, ' _Be calm Kayn. Stay calm my sweetheart_.' She couldn't move. Her even and steady breathing continued as millions of tiny feet tickled her face and body. _Was Chloe okay?_ _Where was she_? She heard Chloe laughing hysterically.

A male voice she didn't recognize ridiculed, "They can't sting you for real, silly child."

_Who was that?_

"So hilarious," Chloe chuckled. I bet you're freaking out. I asked them to land on you and they did, so cool."

_Ask them to get off me. This isn't nice_. Kayn couldn't say the words. She was afraid to move covered in bees. _This isn't funny, Chloe_. _I'm scared_.

Chloe let out an exasperated sigh, "Okay, spoilsport. You never let me have any fun." Chloe commanded, "Bees, fly away."

They lifted off in unison. The sound of buzzing filled her ears. The bees grouped into a swarm and flew away. Kayn sat up absolutely furious, every pore bubbling with fury as she yelled, "They could have killed me! Why would you do that? How did you do that?"

"I've always been able to do that," Chloe boasted.

"You never told me you could," Kayn countered with utter amazement.

"You don't believe in hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo. Isn't that what you always say?" Chloe sparred saucily.

_Kayn had never been a believer in mythical creatures or mystical things._ "You could have shown me," Kayn replied while plucking a tiny purple flower from the lush grass.

After a guilt-ridden pause, Chloe gathered the courage and confessed, "About that...I did show you. I asked a bee to fly to a certain flower and it did. Then, I asked it to land on my arm because I wanted to touch it, and it did. I wasn't sure if it was just dumb luck so I asked the bee to sting you, and when it did, you swelled up and almost died. I felt horrible. How could I tell you I asked the bee to sting you after that happened?"

"I can't accidentally hurt you anymore so I told you," Chloe disclosed.

Kayn looked at her sister in a moment of clarity and asked, "Are we dead? Is this heaven?"

Chloe's eyes grew darker as she angrily scolded, "I'm not allowed to talk about that."

"We aren't children anymore," Kayn divulged as she took her sister's hand to prove, she held no grudge over her actions as a child. Kayn persisted in her quest for answers, "We're sixteen years old! It's our birthday in three months, we'll be seventeen. Where are we? What is this place?" Eight-year-old Chloe vanished. Rattled, Kayn stood up in the vast field of buttercups and clover. _She'd been abandoned._ She spun around, frantically searching for her sister. "Chloe, where are you? Please don't leave me here!" she hollered into the vast empty space. She turned slowly in a circle, calmly this time, feeling confused, as the yellow buttercups that speckled the endless field vanished in the blink of an eye. She was now standing barefoot in lush brilliant green grass. _What is this place?_ Suddenly, the temperature underfoot plummeted. Her toes became icy and painfully cold. She looked down at the ground beneath her feet as snow began to appear in a circle around her. _What was this?_ The icy circle rapidly expanded until the field was covered in snow. _Her feet hurt_. Standing in the snow barefoot was shockingly painful and her breath was visible in the air. She started dancing around trying to get out of the snow but there was nowhere to go. She was still wearing the white sundress, shivering uncontrollably. Kayn wrapped her arms around her chest. _This must be a nightmare_. _She was sound asleep and safe in her bed._

Her brain was trying to use logic to make sense of how her surroundings had shifted from spring to the dead of winter in an instant. She'd only stopped moving for what felt like a second, and now the snow was up to her knees, packed solidly around her. She struggled, frantically trying to move her limbs, but they wouldn't budge. The weight of the snow made even the smallest movement impossible. _She needed to wake up._

Kayn felt a presence and realised she was no longer alone. A dark figure strolled towards her on the surface of the snow holding her captive. A tidal wave of terror swelled in the core of her being causing her to once again attempt the unachievable feat of escape. _Who was that?_ She wasn't usually terrified of strangers, but by encasing her legs in the snow and rendering her escape impossible, this place, or nightmare, had triggered something within her. As the dark figure came closer, a rush of survival instinct from deep within began shrieking at her to run. _Run! You need to get away! Run!_ Adrenaline-induced terror surged through her being, followed by a strange sense of déjà vu.

Kayn struggled to move again, but it was impossible. _She couldn't get away._ _She was trapped_. As the temperature continued it's decent, her hypothermic flesh felt like it was submerged in boiling water. The forming ice crushed her imprisoned limbs, shattering her bones. She wailed in anguish as the snow's texture changed on the surface, making a crackling sound as the ice solidified. _No, more. Help._ Her tears froze where they'd trickled down her face. _Please. No more._ Her raspy voice crackled through the icy air as she pleaded, "Chloe, Chloe, help me, please."

The menacing figure was at least thirty feet away when it crouched into a crawling position. Panic-driven blinding terror coursed through her veins, as she writhed in agony and begged, "Chloe, please." Her fingernails were broken and bleeding but still, she dug and clawed at the ice with mounting horror as the dark being crawled as stealthy as a cat towards her. The being stopped moving and cocked his head like an animal of some sort.

Kayn called out, "What do you want from me?"

With the being about ten feet away she could see his features as he sat cross legged on the ice before her. Kayn recognized him from somewhere. She was quite sure she'd seen him before. The dark man appeared to be in his mid to late twenties. He was muscular, athletic and agile looking, like a dancer. His clothing was form fitting, black and there was something peculiar about his movements. He was behaving like a large cat hunting his prey. His quirky mannerisms reminded Kayn of someone, yet she couldn't place who.

"I truly despise cleaning up after my sister's mistakes. Frankly, it's beginning to piss me off," he stated with unveiled sarcasm.

The pain numbed her almost everywhere, but her fingertips were still throbbing. Kayn looked down at her hands. Her nails were savaged, jagged, bloody and torn from countless attempts at clawing her way out of the ice.

He noticed her state and ominously remarked, "You still don't remember anything, do you? Did you think I was someone else?" The man slinked closer and ordered, "Give me your hands."

Kayn kept her mangled hands wrapped tightly around her because she was freezing and not entirely sure he wasn't planning to bite one of her fingers off.

"For heaven's sake, I was just being polite. Quit with the drama, it's not like you really have a choice," the dark being held his hands out and against Kayn's will, her hands moved to the same position out in front of her.

"You look confused, there's no need to be dear. It's in your best interest to do as I say," he stated. He gave her a charming, almost trustworthy smile as he hovered both of his hands over hers without touching her flesh.

Instantly, the pain went away and her hands were healed. _What was he?_

"Has anyone ever accused you of being a tad overdramatic?" he remarked.

"No," Kayn replied, viewing her healed hands in utter astonishment.

"A woman of few words, I like it." he sparred while smiling in a way that made her feel at ease.

Kayn was still looking at her hands, trying to process her surroundings. _Was this heaven or hell_?

He answered as if she'd spoken the words aloud, "It's not heaven or hell. Have you ever been waiting at the doctor's office for your turn? It's kind of like that."

"So, I'm dead?" Kayn asked as she stared into the being's eyes.

"Have you been accused of jumping to conclusions in the past?" he scolded kindly as if she were a child questioning him. "Are you still cold?" he asked, almost with a caring tone of voice.

"Yes, I'm freezing. I'm up to my knees in ice." Kayn was shivering as she spoke.

"No, you're not," he answered as he shook his head.

Kayn peered down at her legs which were suddenly warm; she was healed and standing in warm beach water with her feet comfortably in the sand as stunning purple and orange starfish surrounded her. She wiggled her toes as a crab scurried over them and smiled because it tickled. A few orbs of light swirled under the surface of the water, and startled her, causing her to jump as they flashed past her feet. The sand was sparkling as though there were tiny diamonds mixed in with the grains. The sun's rays hit them and made them gleam underfoot through the warm water as it gently caressed her legs.

"What is this place?" Kayn whispered.

The dark man said, "Do you fancy a swim, my love?" He leaned down and ran his hand through the first couple inches of water, creating tiny ripples that as they moved away from them, turned into large waves travelling in each direction. The waves grew larger and larger as they headed away from the small circle of dry sand that they were standing on. The water had vanished and the sand, now fully exposed to the sun's rays shone like stars beneath Kayn's feet. Kayn gasped in awe and got down on her knees to have a closer look. She ran her fingers through the luxurious sparkling silky sand. _They are diamonds_ , she thought, as she scooped up a handful.

In her memory, she travelled back in time. Again, it was like watching a movie starring the people she'd loved. Kayn was an infant, sitting in the sand on the beach with Chloe. Their mother was seated in front of them talking about something in her hand. She was so beautiful with her wild curls flowing in the light summer breeze. She looked like an angel. Matty was running around them with their tanned youthful father, flying a brightly coloured kite. Her sister kept trying to pick up the sand only to have it slip right through her chubby little fingers. Each time Chloe cried, she remembered sobbing out of empathy for her simple plight.

Kayn snapped back to reality and looked at the dust left from the handful of sand which had slipped through her fingers while lost in her memories. _It seemed fitting._ _Her hand was the hourglass; there were only a few grains left so she held onto them tightly, just in case._ The man stood smiling before her as though he'd also seen her beautiful memories. Kayn looked around, the circle of sand they'd been standing on was now a vast beach with only a hint of blue in the distance in every direction. Her bare feet were toasty warm. She wiggled her toes in the silky sand, smiling because it felt so incredible.

He grinned at her and commented, "I'd better get rid of that water altogether. We'd hate to be hit by a forty-foot wave. That will wreck your day." He ran his hands through the air in a flat line and the scenery around them became one large beach as far as the eye could see. Kayn noticed for the first time that her white lacy dress had grown with her in size. She was still wearing it. _Was she still a child?_ She peered at her chest and thought, _No, I'm a teenager_. _This is completely insane_.

"I prefer sanity challenged," the being answered aloud to her private thoughts. He gazed deep into her eyes and questioned, "You do have pretty eyes Kayn. Do men come on to you a lot?"

_No, never. They come on to my sister though_. The cheeky man was sitting cross-legged right in front of her with his hand over his mouth like he was trying to stop himself from saying more. He made her feel like a science project for which he was collecting data.

Once more, the wiry being responded as though she'd spoken aloud, "Well, they'll only be hitting on you now... won't they?"

"I doubt that," Kayn answered with a look of disbelief.

"She's dead, you're not. Get with the program," he coldly answered.

"Chloe's really dead?" Kayn whispered as the words sunk in like a weight in her chest. Her eyes glistened with tears as she choked out, "I just saw her."

The devious being stealthily looked around, checking for witnesses before rubbing salt in her open wound by revealing, "They're all dead. Your mother, father and your feisty twin sister. Overkill if you ask me. It was pretty gruesome stuff." He gave her the tragic details of her family's demise like chatting about the weather.

_She was going to vomit._ _It didn't make sense. This place, the things she'd seen. It had to be a nightmare but what if it wasn't?_ Shuddering between sobs, Kayn kept repeating, "No, no, no." _It can't be real. She had to wake up._

"Yes, yes, yes," he musically tormented, revelling in her grief. With a blatant distaste for humanity, he mocked, "Mortals, always so needy and emotional."

With those ignorant barbs, she believed. _This was happening._ _They'd all been murdered, even her_. _Why else would she be here?_ _Her families smiling faces flashed through her memory. Why? Who would do this?_ The solid weighted mass that was her heart began to ache until it fragmented into pieces just like he'd ripped it from her chest, thrown it on the floor and crushed it underfoot. Hyperventilating and weeping she paced as grief demolished her universe.

After allowing her to have a well-deserved mental breakdown, he cleared his throat. She looked at him through a veil of tears as he assured, "Your body is still alive."

"Why am I here then?" Kayn asked the being who appeared to have a touch of empathy for the unfortunate situation, she'd found herself in.

Removing all doubt that he was horrible, he smirked and taunted, "You're sort of dying if that makes you feel better for surviving that crazy depraved bloodbath. You should have seen the disgusting guts, entrails, missing eyeballs and blood, it was everywhere. Throats were slit, people were disembowelled it was hideous."

In shock with her mouth agape, Kayn fainted.

She awoke to the scent of grass and the sound of a familiar female voice, scolding, "You, my brother, are an asshole!"

"I would imagine she freaked out in an over excessive way because she thought that shell was coming to finish her off," he chuckled.

"As I said, you're a giant asshole. You should have left her to me," the female reprimanded. "You always treat the traumatized ones like they're ants under a magnifying glass in the sun. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Motionless, Kayn pretended she was still unconscious.

The female's voice assured, "It's okay child, we know you're awake."

Kayn squinted in the blinding sunlight as she opened her eyes and sat up. The grass was once again full of buttercups, but now there were also orange flowers scattered everywhere. One of the delicate flowers magically fluttered away. _The field was full of monarch butterflies, thousands of them._ Her heart soared as all at once they took off in flight. She rose to her feet, taking in the awe-inspiring sight. As butterflies scattered in the sky above her, she noticed that the dazzling radiance wasn't coming from the sun. It came from the glorious lady in white. A brilliant beam seemed to attach her to the swirling cobalt blue sky. Awestruck, she stared at the woman whose being exuded an air of royalty that overwhelmed her emotions and made her feel like she should be kneeling before her.

Sensing Kayn's hesitation to speak, the lady in the light spoke first, "My dear, you aren't supposed to be here."

Still afraid to speak, Kayn thought, _Is this heaven? Are you God?_

The man in black started to giggle uncontrollably.

"I'm definitely not God," she whispered, as though Kayn were a child who had said something silly, yet adorable. She gave her a warm, maternal smile.

Kayn felt naked, exposed in a way she'd never experienced before. It felt like this woman was looking directly into her soul. "Who are you?" Kayn asked, sensing the being's gentle nature, she knew the glorious woman had not come to hurt her.

The woman introduced herself, "My name is Azariah, I'm a benefactor of chances and giver of choices, but I have a small predicament as far as you're concerned Kayn." She paused the conversation for a second before continuing her explanation, "I can step towards you or away from you. That part is my choice, but once I take you into my arms you will go one of three places and that will be determined by you."

Kayn was trying to pay attention but she could hear a Rascal Flatts' song playing in the distance. She turned towards the sound of the music. _She loved this song. It had been one of her mother's favourites; it was always playing in the car._ _They would all sing along to it, even Matty._

The woman in white continued, "There are a few things you should know about your unusual situation before making any decisions."

The song in the distance changed to, "Don't Call Me Baby." _It was her running song._ Kayn felt warmth and an unbelievable sense of calm as the lady started to tell her a story, "Your parents had been told it was impossible for them to conceive a child so they adopted your older brother Matthew."

_Her parents never told them Matt was adopted_.

The angelic being continued speaking, "One night as your mother, Claire was driving home from her shift at the hospital when she saw a badly beaten pregnant woman and pulled over to help. Freja pleaded with her to go. She told Claire the people were after her, they'd kill anyone who interfered but your mother refused to leave. She waved down a passing truck and they called for an ambulance. Freja was one of us, she knew the Third Tiers would never allow her to give birth. They'd come to bring her in for breaking immortal law and somehow, she escaped with one goal, to save her unborn child's soul. As Claire tended to her wounds, she confessed that she'd recently miscarried and vowed to stay with her so she wouldn't be alone. As fate would have it, Freja's ability was to be a giver of new life. Freja knew she'd be entombed and the life thriving within her, destroyed. Freja felt her unborn child move within her womb for the last time, as she willed the unborn soul to switch wombs. Your mother found out she was pregnant the next month, but something unexpected occurred, the egg separated creating identical twins bound by Freja's ability, unable to leave this realm but as one. You two became somewhat of an experiment for those of us who knew of the situation; one soul shared between two bodies." She paused, waiting for questions. Kayn remained silent, so the luminescent being continued her story, "Now, new souls can grow. This is the purpose of humanity. Are you following this, child?"

Kayn was fascinated, it felt like being told a fairytale that couldn't possibly be true. _Had she just asked her a question?_ "I think I understand," Kayn replied quietly. The need for tangible sense kept her silent as she pieced together what she'd been told. _Was she really one of those babies? What did that mean?_ The angelic lady stepped closer, trailed by luminescent light. Kayn remembered what she said about a step towards her or away and smiled. _That was two steps towards her._ She listened intently curious as to what happened next. The lady smiled and Kayn remembered that the lady knew what she was thinking.

"Only three of us know what Freja did that night. If you understood how difficult it was to keep this quiet for all these years, you wouldn't be grinning," the immortal scolded.

"Sorry," Kayn quickly apologized, afraid the divine being would step away.

"It's alright child, I just need you to pay attention, without wisdom the proper choice can be difficult to see," she asserted but kept going, "Souls grow each lifetime from newborn to adult, just as bodies do. In your case, one soul was split between two embryos. This was both a miracle and a tragedy. We checked in on you from time to time as children, hoping neither would have an ability and you'd slip through the cracks. Unfortunately, as Chloe aged, she discovered her abilities and began using them recklessly. You, on the other hand, had no powers to speak of, just natural athletic talent. We'd hoped for your sake, we could keep you girls concealed, but as time went on, we knew that would be impossible. Your twin's morality and conscience were severely lacking. She started to control men without setting them free, causing multiple life paths to veer off course. That was how she was detected by the Third Tier's Oracles and your family's line was scheduled for Correction. They wait until after your sixteenth year so you have the ability to fight back."

_This was ten levels of crazy but strangely plausible._

"Under Third Tier law, any soul that alters a life path has committed an offence punishable by Correction. This is what sentenced your entire family line to death. Your older brother is still alive because he isn't genetically related to you girls and he wasn't home. We don't think they know the details, only that a soul slipped through with gifts. Genetic lines with abilities must be Corrected to prevent evolution, for gods are no longer gods if mortals are their equals."

The lady in the light continued the tale with a warning, "Now, here is where the complication lies. Your souls are meant to be one soul and they've grown while apart. Each half, almost as strong as a full soul but they've been bound together. Your sister is deceased and you are hanging on somewhere between life and death, only because you cannot leave here without understanding that if you chose to return, Chloe will follow you back because her soul must merge with yours. There's a chance you may lose who you've become in the process. The strongest soul often will be the dominant one."

_It felt like she was still listening to a story and her character had no chance._

Azariah smiled as she continued, "There are three Clans of immortals residing on earth. If you choose to return, they will come for you, to provide you with protection and training. If you survive until your eighteenth year, you become sealed to your Clan."

As the song ended in the background, Kayn thought of how running made her feel. _Not once in sixteen years had she ever won a single battle of dominance with her twin._ Her mind raced through all the information she'd been given and settled on love. _She would have given her life for her sister in a heartbeat._ Kayn was lost in selfless thought, as the lady in the light took a couple of steps closer. Kayn looked up without fear in her voice and said, "Yes, Chloe can join with me because I love her and I would have given my life for hers, if I'd had the choice."

Standing in regal brilliance the lady in the light reached out, touched Kayn's shoulder and whispered, "One more warning, when people return from this place the ability to see the deceased may be triggered. On the mortal plain, your sister will appear as her last earthly image. You may fear her and she may be angry with you. Dark things will be drawn to the light of the newly Corrected. You must join with the first Clan that comes, for you will not survive on your own. Do you understand?"

"I do," Kayn replied solemnly, thinking about her brother. _Matt was all alone._ _She understood things would never be the same, yet as a child, she just wanted to go home._ The lady in the light took the final step towards her, she opened her arms and they embraced. The warmth of unconditional love enveloped her being as brilliant light exploded around her. Kayn closed her eyes. It felt like she was moving. She took a deep breath and opened them.

Kevin's lips parted in shock, tears of joy began streaming down his cheeks as he said, "It's okay. You're in the hospital. It's okay Kayn." He ran to the door and yelled loudly, "She's awake!"

# Chapter Eight

### Sleeping Beauty Awakens

_Where was she? There was so much white. _She found herself squinting in the brightness of the strange room.

Kevin began yelling, "She's awake! She's awake!"

_Where am I?_ she thought, trying to turn her head _. It wasn't cooperating?_ Her limbs were strangely heavy and her muscles uncooperative as she made a feeble attempt to get up. _Well, that obviously wasn't going to happen._ _She'd start smaller._ Kayn moved her fingers, even that took effort and concentration. Her eyes focused on Kevin. _Kevin? He looked bigger and older. Perhaps, her eyesight was still as foggy as her mind?_

"Please, don't try to move, just wait until the doctor gets here. You need to calm down," Kevin said assertively. He embraced her and began stroking the side of her face, whispering about how much he missed her and how scared they all were.

_What was he talking about?_ "What happened to you?" Kayn said, but her voice was barely audible. _She was obviously in a hospital room._ _There were so many flowers._ In rushed celebrating hospital staff. They gathered at the foot of her bed in awe. _This was getting weird._

A doctor was looking at her charts trying to stifle his smile. He announced, "Welcome back Miss Brighton. Can you tell me your name?"

"If you're my doctor shouldn't you already know my name?" Kayn sparred in a raspy voice.

Kevin joyously laughed, covered his mouth and continued giggling.

"Just a few questions and I'll be satisfied," the doctor with the silver-speckled hair patiently stated.

"Kayn Brighton," she replied with a strange look as she took note of everyone's fascinated expressions. _Did she bump her head?_

"What's the last thing you remember doing?" Her physician questioned.

_This triggered a few flashes of running around the track with the sun beating down on her, followed by a quick image of dinner at Kevin's house._ _Megan Fox with a moustache?_ _It didn't make much sense._ She whispered the only thing that made sense, "I was running."

The vibe in the room became strained as the Doctor probed, "Where were you running?"

"The track. I was on the track," Kayn stated what should have been obvious. _Where else would she be running?_ Relief crossed everyone's faces. She hesitantly enquired, "Why am I here? Did something happen?" She met Kevin's eyes, knowing he __ couldn't lie to save his life. _He was visibly disturbed._ _Was that fear in his eyes? What was he afraid of?_

The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder, gave it a squeeze, and said, "Welcome back Sleeping Beauty."

"Back from where?" Kayn whispered, confused. She noticed the absence of her family. _Why aren't they here?_

A nurse brought her a drink with a straw and sweetly enquired, "Would you like a sip of water? How does your throat feel? You haven't spoken in quite a while Sleeping Beauty."

_Sleeping Beauty? This was concerning._ Kayn nodded and took a sip from the straw the nurse held against her lips. _She was unusually exhausted. It felt like she needed a nap. She wasn't a napper._

The nurse corrected herself and added, "Sorry, old habits, you've been asleep for a while sweet pea. I should probably start using your name."

Kevin appeared agitated as he stammered," I'll be right back."

She followed his departure with her eyes. _Why were the police outside her door?_ She watched Kevin arguing with the officers until her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep. When she awoke, Kevin was sitting on the edge of her bed, caressing her face lovingly. She brushed his hand away in an uncoordinated movement and whispered, "Dude, this mushy stuff is creeping me out."

He grinned at her and replied, "Point taken."

She couldn't peel her eyes away from him. _How much time had passed? He seemed bigger. His skin had cleared up._ A strange mix of confusion and attraction gathered in the pit of her stomach.

"Do you remember what happened after you left my house?" Kevin asked cautiously, giving her a moment to scroll back in her mind.

_She'd gone for a run and had stomach cramps. She remembered that much._ It popped into her head. _She went to Kevin's place for dinner. He was waving from his bedroom window. There was nothing after that. Did they get in an accident on the way home?_ Kayn whispered, "I remember leaving your house. I saw you wave from your window. Did we get in an accident?"

Kevin teared up again, hugged her and whispered in her ear, "It wasn't an accident."

_What's with the hugging?_ She looked at him and exclaimed, "You look different."

"You've been in a coma for almost seven months," he replied.

Kayn shook her head in disbelief. _Seven months, that's ridiculous._ There was drama outside of her door. She looked up and noticed the police were still there. She recognized Jenkins, he appeared to be involved in a heated discussion. _She'd never seen him angry, not once._

"Seven months," Kayn repeated. _She was trying to process it._ Her mind spun through fragmented memories. Kayn felt the absence of her family but sensed she'd regret asking the question teetering precariously on the tip of her tongue. Ignoring her sense of self-preservation, she looked into Kevin's eyes and asked, "How come my parents aren't here?" Her subconscious whispered, _you don't want to know._ An officer forcibly pushed past the doctor, into the room.

In a disapproving tone the physician exclaimed, "I'd like to go on record saying, this is not an appropriate time to talk to this patient."

The officer asserted, "Miss Brighton's security may be an issue. Once news of her recovery hits the papers, her safety may be compromised. We need to speak to her."

_Safety, security. She was uncomfortable with those words._ Ignoring everyone else, Kayn looked directly at Kevin and restated her question, "Where are my parents?" Her mind was scrolling through what she could recall, it was mostly images of Chloe. "Where's my sister?" Kevin's eyes filled with tears again. _Why weren't they here? Mom? Dad? Chloe? No, no, she had to go home._ Kayn tried to pull the adhesive monitors off her chest but her fine motor skills were not cooperating. _She had to get out of here, now. Right this second._

Kevin held her, pleading, "Honey, you can't stand up. You need to be calm. Please, Kayn. I can't lose you again."

_Lose me? Honey?_

He held her in his arms and whispered, "I wish there was a way to keep you from knowing this, but there isn't."

Understanding she wasn't strong enough to get out of bed, she whispered back, "What happened? Just tell me."

Her best friend whispered against her hair, "This is going to be difficult to hear; prepare yourself. I'm not going anywhere tonight. I will be right outside your door. I'll be here when you're ready to talk about this."

Kevin turned to look back at her as one of the officers politely ushered him out of the room. _He was already crying. This wasn't good._ Her eyes teared in preparation for what was to come. Kevin was watching her through the window. _The look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know._ _This was going to be bad._ Kayn wanted to sink into her mattress and disappear but willing her hospital bed to become quicksand would be pointless. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Kevin. _She knew what each of his expressions meant. He was afraid...not just frightened, scared to death_. She silently prepared herself for the worst as she looked down at the white bedding that covered her legs. _If she didn't look back up, maybe they wouldn't be able to say the words. The words she knew were coming. She wanted her mom._

An officer she'd never met introduced himself as Officer James Brandon. Her heart palpitated a wildly erratic rhythm. _No...Don't say the words. Don't you say it._ Kayn took a deep breath as he informed her of the brutal nature of her family's demise. _Murdered?_ Trembling, she absorbed the information but it was too much to take. Her tough exterior wasn't real, it was an act, she was as fragile as glass and her spirit shattered into a million misshapen shards. Her eyes rolled back and she passed out. She had managed to find a way to disappear, if only for a little while.

The doctor came out of her room and the noise in the hallway ceased. He updated the family friends, "It went as I expected, it was just too much for her to handle. She's resting now." He smiled kindly at the Smith family as he left and made his way down the hall. The whole police station had accumulated near the nurses' station. They'd all been at the Brighton house that horrible night and it changed everyone's way of life. __ They'd all assumed they were safe in this sleepy small town where locking doors was never common practice. Since Kayn's return they'd been checking in, hoping her survival would bring back peace of mind and clear the air, frigid and thick with fear of the unknown.

As word spread of Kayn's recovery a new dread arose. What if Kayn's awakening brought the person responsible for this brutal massacre back to town? There had been many theories created by the rumour mill. Maybe, it was a drifter just passing through, or perhaps a resident whose evil had been lying dormant for all these months. Would the fear of being identified ignite their murderous impulses? Would there be more death? The residents of this town had believed they were safe but that false sense of security had now been exposed as nothing more than a mirage. The locals had gone nutty, turning on friends and relatives. Anyone that couldn't account for that chunk of time became a suspect.

Kevin's mom whispered, "The police are afraid the killer will try again, aren't they?"

"I'm staying here tonight; don't even try to stop me," Kevin stated firmly.

"We wouldn't dare," his father replied as the hustle and bustle of the hallway returned to normal with the clicking of footsteps and ringing of phones.

"She's lucky to have you looking out for her," Kevin's mother whispered and winked.

They Smith's spent a few hours chatting outside of her room drinking coffee, waiting for Kayn's brother to arrive. Jenkins had no plans to leave either, he pulled up a chair and sat in the hall outside of her door.

When Matt arrived, he burst out of the elevator with a smile so animated and joyous it caused everyone's emotions to surface. He jogged up and hugged Kevin without a thought about being cool or manly. In the last seven months Matt had gone through some changes too.

"I bet she's sleeping now, isn't she?" Matt enquired. He gazed down the darkened hall and added, "My roommate's waiting in the lobby. They wouldn't allow him up here. It's past visiting hours." Matt noticed Jenkins was sitting on a chair outside Kayn's door, wearing his uniform, he pointed and asked, "Is this an official thing or are you here as family?"

"Police protection," Jenkins replied. "Kayn's recovery hits the papers tomorrow morning."

The grin on Matt's face was replaced with an expression of worry that jolted everyone's heart.

"Do they think there's something to worry about?" Matt probed.

Jenkins stood up and answered, "Nobody knows, it's better safe than sorry. If the person who killed your family thinks Kayn can identify them, she may be in danger."

"I'm going down to the lobby to give Ryan the keys to the house so he'll have somewhere to stay tonight. I want to be here when she wakes up," Matt explained. He turned around and walked back down the dimly lit hall to the elevator. The dark hallway was peaceful at night with only a steady buzzing and muffled voices. Nothing seemed ominous or dangerous. They had all been dreaming about her waking up for so long, they'd never considered how much safer she was asleep.

Kayn awoke to sunshine streaming through the blinds. She wanted to go outside so she could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. Her brother and Kevin were fast asleep in chairs by her bed. What she'd been told about her family flooded her mind. She closed her eyes and willed the pain away. _It still felt like a lie._ She watched her brother dream for a while. _He'd dealt with their loss alone, he didn't need her to freshen up the wound. He'd been strong for her. She planned to do the same for him._ With a raspy, "Morning Matty," she let him know she was awake. Matt woke up confused, _he'd obviously forgotten where he was._

He got up and stumbled over with sleepy Jell-O legs, hugged her tightly, and exclaimed, "You have no idea how incredible it feels to have you back.

_She needed to lighten the mood._ Kayn complained, "Ouch, ouch, that hurts."

"Oh no, I'm so sorry?" Matt apologised, releasing her.

"I'm joking. I'm fine," Kayn chuckled quietly.

Kevin woke up, mumbling, "Yes, she's all good Matt and as you can tell, still completely full of shit."

Matt laughed, shook his head and hugged her again. He pulled away and cautiously asked, "They told you?"

With a weighted throat and survival instinct numbed brain, she responded mechanically, "When they let me out, I'd like to see where they're buried." She focused on the rays of light on her sheets. _Only time would reinforce the wall, she was building around her heart regarding the topic of her family. Matt had already built his emotionless fortress. He'd had seven months to reinforce walls and learn how to shut down intrusive thoughts._ There was no healthy way to process the brutal information she'd been forced to swallow. _She imagined it was all just a matter of compartmentalization._ A crack formed in her foundation but she held back her tears, certain her heart would ache like this each time they crossed her mind. Even from this vantage point, she knew it was her dad's friend on the other side of the glass barrier. _He wasn't buff or intimidating looking. He was like her dad._ _He had an aura of peacefulness that made her feel at ease._ Jenkins turned and waved. _He must have felt her watching._ _Yes, she felt better knowing he was close by._

"You're not getting out of here for a while. There's a fair amount of rehabilitation ahead of you. Well, and that whole pesky security issue," Kevin explained. He also waved at Jenkins who waved and smiled back.

"Which one of you wants to tell me the dirty details? I need to know what happened to me," Kayn asked as she felt her face thoroughly. _Did she look the same? It felt okay but she didn't feel the same._ "Kevin, can you find me a mirror?" she prompted.

"You look beautiful, there aren't even any noticeable scars," Matt responded.

_She wanted to see her reflection to pretend it was Chloe. It wasn't vanity. She just needed to see her twin, even if it wasn't real. It felt like she'd lost a limb. It was a continuous sense that something was missing._

# Chapter Nine

### Learning to Listen

There was the sound of knuckles rapping on her door and the doctor stuck his head into the room and said, "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.

He asked the boys to leave for a minute so he could check her out with some privacy and they both hesitated. _They knew she wanted to know what happened to her_.

The doctor grinned and teased, "She'll be fine for a couple of minutes. Go grab yourselves a coffee." He pulled the curtains closed.

"Let's get this catheter out first, then we'll try to get you standing up today." The doctor pressed the buzzer and called a nurse in to help. He opened the front of her gown and said, "You shouldn't have any pain."

She looked down as he ran his fingers over several thin visible ridged scars on her chest and abdomen. Kayn looked into her physician's eyes and implored, "What happened to me." Her eyes pleaded with him to be straight with her.

He began telling her every gruesome detail, "You were found in the trails behind your house. You'd been stabbed twelve times. You were severely beaten. Your jaw and nose were broken. You almost lost one of your eyes; it's a miracle they managed to save it. You were found naked, but there was no evidence of sexual assault. You have a symbol carved on your chest and on your hip. The police have done extensive research on it and found nothing. The symbols on your chest and hip have almost healed completely. You've had seven surgeries, both reconstructive and reparative. You are healing at an amazing rate." His hand covered his mouth as he thought, _what in the hell is wrong with me?_

Kayn knit her brow. _Had she just heard the doctor's thoughts?_

The nurse was visibly shocked at the physician's robotic overly blunt narrative. Her doctor leaned against the side of the bed, confused. He shook his head a couple of times before regaining his composure.

Kayn looked directly at the nurse and questioned, "Is there anything else?"

In a sweet calming tone, the nurse added, "Most of your scars will disappear altogether, those that remain wear proudly as a symbol for what you've overcome. I have faith you're strong enough to do that Kayn." The nurse thought, _what in the hell has gotten into me?_

_Kayn heard every unspoken word. This was getting weird._ The nurse's words of wisdom vetoed the harshness of the doctor's words.

Dr. Cambridge glanced at the nurse and proclaimed, "That is the most profound thing, I've ever heard you say."

"Thanks," she replied and thought, _I have no idea where that came from._

"Well, it was beautiful," the Doctor acknowledged. He thought, _you probably just saved my ass._

Kayn was hearing their thoughts as though they were speaking aloud. _It felt like she had done something to them to make them say way more than they intended._ _Was she doing this or was her groggy coma mind playing tricks on her?_ Her mortified caregivers excused themselves and sheepishly left her room. _Well, that was awkward_. Her stomach grumbled. She looked up at the bags of liquid hanging by her bed. _I see, I've been on a liquid diet. Somebody needs to feed me, I'm starving._ A nurse appeared with a tray containing chicken consommé, some soda crackers, and Jell-O. _That could have been a coincidence._ Kayn scowled and said, "Tell me this isn't breakfast, I'm so hungry." She glared at that bag dangling beside her and sighed, "Have I really been living off that for seven months?"

The nurse smiled at her and replied, "Baby steps, it's been a long time since you've digested solid food."

Her brother wandered back into the room, drinking a steaming cup of coffee, "Hey princess, how's breakfast?"

"You are such a jerk," Kayn mumbled as she glared at her bowl of clear soup and Jell-O. She stealthily motioned her brother closer and whispered, "Grab me a coffee."

"Don't you dare!" the nurse scolded, with a somewhat comical scowl. She pushed her water with a straw closer, shot her the fakest smile in the universe and asked, "Would you like some help eating?"

_She liked this nurse._ _Strained politeness always made her smile. It was a skill she admired._ She recalled her mother's words, _a summer job in customer service would do you girls a world of good._ _Her mother was gone._ A wave of overwhelming grief snuck up and silently gutted her. _She'd never be there to reprimand her for her smart-assed remarks again_. _She was gone. They all were._ She blinked her tears away and swallowed the lump in her throat. _Logic had to prevail if she wanted to get out of this bed._ _She couldn't allow the harsh reality of her life to destroy her._ _She'd pretend her family was on vacation somewhere beautiful. Avoiding the truth, would work for a while._ _She had to deal with her physical limitations and that would never happen if she sat here wallowing in self pity. She'd cry when she was healed._

She'd moved her arms with no problem earlier, but her fingers were a different story. She fumbled trying to pick up her spoon with uncooperative digits until she was boiling chicken consume with her mind frustrated. _The nurse was watching her stubbornness._ "I can do it," Kayn stammered.

The nurse smiled as she puttered around the room. Her brother was zoned out drinking coffee and didn't notice her struggling. He finally clued in and without saying a word, he scooped a spoonful of cold consommé into her mouth. _She despised feeling this weak. She was an athlete._ He kept feeding her until the whole unappetizing entrée was gone.

The prickly nurse poked her head into the room and teased, "That straw on your tray was for drinking the soup."

Kayn politely replied, "Thank you, I guess I'll know for next time." _Touché food lord. Her mother would have been so proud. The coast was clear._ She leaned over and whispered, "Matty, is there ice-cream in those vending machines?" Matt grinned, he knew she was intentionally pushing the nurse's buttons.

The nurse leaned back through the door and promised, "After dinner, I'll get you some myself, if you don't throw up those crackers."

_She'd been given a symbolic fig leaf._ Kayn smiled as she countered, "I can't exactly run to the bathroom."

The nurse strolled back in, placed a small styrofoam container on her lap and said, "Just in case you need it." She gave her a look that read, _I'm being nice, but you are super high maintenance_.

Kayn looked at the tiny container. _Has anyone in the history of humanity ever puked up that small of an amount? It looked like it would only hold a serving of fries. She'd need like ten of those. She must have imagined those mind controlling abilities because they sure as hell weren't working now_.

Weeks passed by uneventfully, with no attempts on her life, just many small victories that led to big ones. She was doing surprisingly well physically. Emotionally, she hadn't really dealt with a thing. She'd simply avoided any thoughts that led to tears. In the wee hours, dreams fed her fragments of her Sweet Sleep. Strange impossible images flickered through her mind. Visions of joyously running through an endless field of buttercups with her sister, hearing the musical buzzing of bees. Movie reels of brightly coloured starfish and orbs of light as they sped past her toes in the water. It was not only good memories that followed her back to the land of the living. She relived the torturous agony of her legs solidified into ice and the blinding panic of the unknown had come along for the ride. Her subconscious told her all these things were important, although she couldn't recall why. She had magical visions of a lady standing in a beam of glorious light and a mysterious slender man crept in from time to time. She wasn't sure what any of these images meant but had the impression she'd understand when she was ready.

After a month, Kayn pretty much felt like herself again. She'd been rather badass in physio, regaining full use of her body in record time. During each physic consult she went through the motions without a speck of negativity, knowing anything she revealed about what was really happening would make her sound certifiably insane. The officers outside her door, were there on a voluntary basis after the department concluded her assailant must have been a drifter just passing through.

Tomorrow was the day. It was finally time for her to go home. __ Her brother would be home for the weekend. She was excited to go home to feel close to the family, she'd lost. The tentative plan was that Jenkins would stay there each week while Matt was at school. She was seventeen and her brother was twenty, everyone thought it would be best to leave them be. Kevin's family told her they set up a bedroom at their house just in case. _In case she couldn't handle staying in the house where her family was slaughtered._ Kevin's visits were her favourite part of each day. He kept leaving stones on her windowsill saying they were gifts from his grandmother. Granny Winnie had always been a believer in the energy they held. The rose quartz was there to help her heal. Knowing his grandmother, the others were used to ward off evil. _She'd experienced true evil. She'd been a victim of darkness._ Kayn had never believed in his grandmother's tales. She'd listened and even professed to believe but hadn't. She could now profess without a shadow of a doubt, that she'd become a true believer in magic. She'd been seeing and hearing things in the hallways at night. A giggling little girl running up and down the halls. A child nobody else could hear. She had the unmistakable feeling she was being watched _. It wasn't a sense something ominous was watching. Just a feeling someone important was close by._

Kayn swung her legs over the side of her bed and went to the bathroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and imagined she was seeing her sister. _This always made her feel better_. She could almost hear Chloe's well-timed snide remarks as they passed in the hallway while getting ready for school. _This is crazy_. _Why am I continuing to torture myself? She's gone. Chloe is dead._ _It was easy to bring herself back to reality while looking at the scars from that night._ Kayn lifted her nightgown and stood in front of the mirror staring critically at her body. _It was strange to look at the scars that lingered, wondering what happened when she'd received them._ _It was a detached feeling. It was as though she were staring at another girl's body._ Her forefinger traced a still pronounced scar. _This one would probably never go away_. She trailed her finger again. Her memory flickered and took the journey into her darkest night. A cold damp place surrounded by trees, the fragrance of moss and cedar after the rain. She felt stripped of dignity. A sudden onset of searing burning pain made her cry out in agony and double over in tears. Trembling and terrified, she knew she'd regained a memory from that night. With her arms wrapped tightly around herself, she regained her composure. _She was in the hospital_. "It's not real. It's not real," she repeated under her breath. As she stood up, her sister Chloe's bloody brutalized image was where her own reflection should be.

Her twin's remaining eye smouldered with vengeful distaste. With venomous fury in her wraithlike crackling voice, Chloe's manifestation commanded, "Stop!"

Startled by her sister's apparition, she jumped away from the macabre mangled version of her twin. _Chloe was angry._ _It was Chloe._ _She was here._ Summoning the strength of unconditional love, Kayn swallowed her fear and stepped closer to her sister's ghastly Spector. With the agony of loss in her eyes, she confessed, "I miss you so much. What am I going to do without you?" Tears streamed down her face as she placed her palm against the mirror. Chloe raised her hand to meet Kayn's from the other side. As their hands met on the reflective glass, it felt like they were touching. A burst of euphoria enveloped Kayn's entire body. Their joined hands were glowing with white light and it felt wonderful at first. Chloe smiled in a way that made her uneasy. She was a little afraid. She couldn't remove her hand, it was stuck. Chloe's face contorted into a twisted evil smirk, as she gleefully cackled. Kayn squirmed with quiet desperation as she fought to get away. The white light turned orange and began to burn. _It was hurting her._ Chloe was smiling as though her pain pleased her a great deal. Her hand was glowing crimson; it felt like her skin was ablaze. Kayn started pleading for Chloe to let her go, screaming for help. Someone began ramming the other side of the door. Light exploded throughout the room, blinding her and then, went out...

She was shaken back to reality by nurse Penny, with whom she had a rather comical love-hate relationship. Confused, Kayn sat up. _She must have blacked out?_ She helped her up maternally stroked Kayn's hair, triggering a vision of being cradled in her mother's arms and a flash of the moon through swaying branches. _Images that didn't make sense without context flickered through her mind. A swinging front door. A cars lights driving away. The sound of her sister screaming for her to run. Intense pain, so much pain. She was being fed parts of an intricate puzzle with too many pieces missing to make sense of the big picture._ Her eyes widened as she whispered, "I'm starting to remember." She was still in her arms when the doctor walked in.

Jenkins had only left his post long enough to grab coffee. There was panic in his eyes but he managed to calmly say, "Did you see the face of the person who hurt you?"

_There was only one issue in her guilt-ridden mind._ "I saw Chloe in the mirror. Did I see her being killed? Did I run away and leave her there?" Kayn asked, desperate to understand her twin's rage.

Jenkins responded with the fatherly tone she'd grown to depend on, "There was some confusion. Kevin said he went to your house because you'd pocket dialled him. He heard Chloe screaming for you to run but we determined your sister had been dead for hours at the time of your attack."

"I remember hearing her screaming for me to run but the context of the memories is all mixed up," Kayn explained.

"A part of me was hoping you'd never remember anything so you could live out the rest of your life without ever having to relive the pain of that night, even if it meant we'd never know what happened," Jenkins confessed, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm not sure you should go home tomorrow," her physician stated, "I'm concerned about the psychological stress of being in that house."

_She knew it was imperative to regain the missing pieces of the puzzle but she couldn't explain why._ Kayn assured, "I'm not worried. For my own safety, I have to remember and I want to go home and sleep in my own bed."

Jenkins looked at the doctor and promised, "I'm coming home with her. If she's not adjusting, we'll deal with it." He gave her hand a pat, got up and strolled over to chat with the doctor privately. He called out, "I'll be back later."

_She was so glad he was on her side. He would have been a great father if he'd had the chance._ _She knew the story. Jenkins' wife left him after their four-year-old daughter Katy drowned in the swimming pool._ He'd lived with them for a while afterwards. That's why he stepped in to help so quickly. _Katy and Kayn, their names were so close._ _Katy would have been the same age as her now. He hadn't been able to help his daughter but he could help her._

Strange things had been happening since she woke up but she didn't feel like switching to a padded room so she kept it to herself, explaining the creepy weirdness away as brain trauma. One night she'd been listening to giggles and the pitter patter of a child's feet running up and down the hall for hours, when a little girl ran into her room. She was exhausted so she looked her dead in the eyes and scolded, "It's the middle of the night, go to sleep." She realised the child looked like Katy after she left but convinced herself it was just an old memory replaying in a broken mind and went back to sleep. _It was Chloe in the mirror today, that was an irrefutable fact. Her perspective had changed drastically and now, anything felt possible._

After dinner, Jenkins came back to keep her company. They spoke about her doctor's concerns and she made it crystal clear that she needed to go home. He asked if she wanted him to stay for her last night. __ It was easy to see protecting her had given him purpose outside of work and a sense of family. _She needed him too. He'd given her the parental security she'd lost._ "I'm sure I'll be fine," she assured, secretly wanting him to stay.

He sat in the chair and suggested, "I'll just stay for a little while." Jenkins grabbed the remote and she watched whatever he wanted enjoying the company. In no time at all he was out cold. Kayn fell asleep soon after and awoke in the wee hours of the morning with a grin, listening to the sound of a little girl's giggles and the pitter patter of feet running up and down the hall. This time when Katy came into her room, she smiled and didn't shoo her away. _She was beginning to see the big picture._ Katy climbed up on Jenkins lap as Kayn rolled over and closed her eyes. _Maybe one day she'd tell Jenkins his daughter had never really left his side._

The morning of her release her nemesis slash favourite nurse brought her a tub of ice-cream so decadent it was called, 'Twisted.' It was chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter mixed together. She was touched, Penny remembered their first little spat over ice-cream.

She'd been academically advanced since elementary school so even though she'd missed a significant chunk of time, all she had to do was catch up on a list of assignments and take exams to rejoin her classmates. She'd started roughly a week ago and at this pace in a few weeks she'd be back in the grind of regular life. To be honest, it felt great doing something normal. She could almost forget the noise in her head. _The voices she shouldn't be able to hear. The things she shouldn't be able to see. The feelings she had for her best friend._ Kevin's mom gave her an open-ended invitation to stay at their house whenever she needed girl time. _She was touched, but instinct told her she couldn't, not even for a night. She was a murderer's loose end._ _What happened to her family could happen to the Smith's, if the killer returned and she was there. She couldn't take the chance._ _There was less guilt involved, knowing Jenkins put himself in harm's way for his job. He knew how to handle himself in dangerous situations. She needed to do that too. She had to start running as soon as possible to regain the sense of strength and control she had before a stranger destroyed her world. She'd been given a second chance and sensed she knew why. It was right on the tip of her tongue. The plot holes in her memory were frustrating._

When Jenkins arrived to take her home, she attempted to walk out using her fully functional legs but was told it was hospital policy to be wheeled out _._ So, __ Jenkins made it fun by racing her down the hall into the elevator at full speed, laughing. __ Outside of the hospital, she stood in the sunshine, took a deep breath of fresh air and felt her life coming back each time she exhaled. Matt pulled up in the car, followed by Kevin's parents and Clay. Jenkins opened the door. She slid into the car next to her brother and turned to say a quick hello to Kevin. He couldn't stop smiling, but it wasn't a real smile. _It was one of those plastered on smiles._ _He was trying hard to look like he was happy._ _What was going on with him?_ Everyone was stressed as they departed the hospital. She could hear Kevin's thoughts, loud and clear. _He was nervous. He hadn't been back to her house since that night._ _Officer Jenkins and her brother were wondering if the house would trigger more memories._ She was agitated. _Everybody's internal dialogue was getting to be a bit much._ She glanced back at Kevin and assured, "You don't have to come in, I'll understand."

He snapped out of his pity party and quickly answered, "No, I'm fine."

_He wasn't fine._ _He was terrified but in best friend mode._ _He was going to suck it up._ It occurred to her that everyone had a version of that stressed smile on their face. The one that meant, I'm smiling on the outside. They were passing recognisable scenery but it wasn't the same anymore. _Nothing was._ So, she kept her gaze fixed on her brother until the car stopped. Excited to be home, Kayn got out and looked at the upstairs windows. _She wanted to see if the lights were on but wasn't sure why._ She calmly sauntered up the hill to the house she'd grown up in, oblivious to anything but happy childhood memories experienced within its walls. She hadn't been given details on how anyone died or where the bodies were found. __ Nobody had breathed a word about that to either of the surviving Brighton siblings. This was a planned decision, made between the police department and the Smith family, knowing the Brighton kids had no hope in hell of ever selling that house to anyone with a full disclosure of what had happened within its walls.

She strolled through the front door into a brightly lit foyer. _They'd decorated._ The giant sign read, 'Welcome Home Kayn.' She noticed something new on the wall and questioned, "What's that?"

"It's a battery powered push light but if there's a power outage solar plugs will light up outlets," Kevin's dad rationalised.

"The police department suggested a few safety measures," Matt explained. "There's also a security system. The downstairs windows are armed and there's a panic button on each floor."

Kayn went to the kitchen without saying anything else. _She may still be in danger. Their paranoia was understandable_. She spied colourful stones on the windowsill. _That was the fragrance in the air. Granny Winnie had been burning sage to clear the house of all things dark and twisty._ Kevin's mother was placing trays of sandwiches on the table in the kitchen. _Chloe provoked her daily at that table._ _One of her mother's speeches about how special it was to be a twin replayed in her mind._ _She needed to be alone_. __ She thanked Kevin's mom and escaped before she could respond. Everyone was chatting in the living room. She slipped past her well wisher's unseen, dashed up the stairs, walked by the family pictures without looking and froze at her partially open bedroom door. She pushed past the uneasy feeling and went in. _Their ridiculous sibling bickering flooded her mind._ _The countless nights in side by side beds, talking about their hopes and dreams for the future._ She numbly stood there. _This room was an echo of who they were._ _Chloe had no future. The empty bed beside hers would be a constant reminder._ Kayn wandered over to Chloe's dresser, picked up her perfume and sprayed her comforter. _She'd pretend she was still sleeping beside her until it hurt less. It would work until she opened her eyes._ She squirted some in the air and walked through the fragrant mist. _She'd never liked this perfume but did now. Weird._ Kayn ran a fingertip across her sister's dresser. _This needs to be dusted._ She went into the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel. _Was that a new towel rack?_ She opened the drawer, grabbed a lipstick from her sister's makeup case and applied some to her lips in the mirror. It looked good. So, she put on some blush and eye shadow. Her sister's live image was staring back at her. She pressed her hand against the glass willing there to be a hot shock or signal her sister was still with her. She smiled while wiping Chloe's makeup off. _If she walked downstairs like this, it would freak everyone out._ She took her hair out of her ponytail though, allowing it to flow in beautiful golden waves and ringlets down her back. _Maybe,_ _she'd wear her hair down today in tribute._ Kayn left the washroom. _It felt like someone was watching her_. She turned back to the mirror and saw only her reflection. She passed her closet shaking her head at herself for being paranoid, jumped and squealed. Kevin was standing in the doorway, grinning. She hadn't heard him come in _._ "You scared the crap out of me," she accused nervously, catching her breath. The lights flickered and the air became icy cold. She turned away from Kevin, feeling a presence. As she exhaled her breath was visible. Her heart began thudding wildly. _She was dizzy._ The room shifted around her and the lights went out.

# Chapter Ten

### A Door is Opened

Kevin went upstairs to check on Kayn. It took a moment to regain his composure after smelling Chloe's perfume and seeing her in the bathroom where they'd discovered her body. There was an air of sensuality in her mannerisms, as she gazed at her reflection. He'd been relieved when she took off the makeup.

"It's so cold I can see my own breath. Jenkins must have turned the heat off. You're going to land yourself right back in the hospital with a nasty case of hypothermia," Kevin exclaimed. He went to turn the heat up but it was already. _Weird._ He turned it off and back on again, as Kayn dusted Chloe's dresser and smoothed down her deceased twin's comforter. __ "We should go downstairs and have lunch. I heard there's even a cake down there." Kevin baited as he watched her get down on her hands and knees to straighten out the fluffy pink rug beside Chloe's bed.

"Cake...I hope it's cheesecake," Kayn sighed as she stood up.

"You mean rice crispy cake? That's your favourite. You hate cheesecake?" Kevin responded with a strange look.

"I'll be right down. There's just one more thing I have to do," Kayn declared while dusting her dresser. She scrunched her nose, examined the cloth and mumbled, "So, gross."

He was by the door watching her with a confused expression. _Since when did Kayn care about being tidy?_ _Her side of the room was usually strewn with clothes._ _Chloe was the anal retentive one._ He snuck up behind her planning to playfully guide her back to her company. _Ouch._ There was a quick zap followed by a rush of warmth. "You shocked me," he laughed nervously as he peered down to see if she had plastic soled slippers. _She was wearing florescent cartoon cat socks._ He grinned at her wacky choice of footwear. _Chloe wouldn't be caught dead in those._ He winced at his own inner dialogue _. It was probably quite normal for someone dealing with an identical twin's death to emulate certain aspects of their behaviour_. He motioned with his finger for Kayn to follow and sweetly urged, "Eat cheesecake if that's what you feel like."

_There was a flash of light in the dark sea of nothing. Had she dozed off?_ _She'd never woken up from a nap to find herself standing in the doorway of her room before._ _Was sleepwalking while napping even a thing?_ She shrugged it off. Kevin motioned for her to follow and told her she could have cheesecake. _She didn't even like cheesecake?_ She went with him even though she was confused. _Who randomly falls asleep with a houseful of guests?_

They had a wonderful visit, sharing stories and when it was time for her guests to leave, she walked them out. Her brother stood in the doorway with her as they said goodbye and hugged everyone. When it was only Kevin left, Matt excused himself and went inside.

The sky was beginning to darken, a light breeze tussled her hair as she inhaled the pleasurable scent. _Kevin Smith was wearing sexy cologne. Sometimes it felt like she'd woken up in a parallel universe._ She couldn't help but notice the definition of his muscles through his form fitting shirt. _He must have been working out like crazy while she was in that coma. He was hot now and it was messing with her mind_. _It was like he'd grown up without her._

"I should get going. Everyone's waiting in the car," Kevin said.

She caught herself staring at his lips. She had the strangest urge to smell his cologne. Kayn boldly leaned in, smelled his neck and complimented, "I like that scent. What is it?"

He grinned and answered, "It's a new one. It's called scared shitless. Have you heard of it?"

_There he was._ Kayn grinned and teased, "It suits you." _It was sexy._ She hadn't pulled away after smelling his aftershave. She felt the craziest urge to kiss him.

While gazing into her eyes, he whispered, "Glad you like it."

His lips moved closer, time stood still and the wind went from light, sexy breeze to gust of an impending storm, whooshing her hair into her mouth. She puffed out her cheeks and blew it out. _Sexy moment over._

"I should get down there before they start honking," he chuckled. He dashed down the hill, yelling, "I'll text you later."

Kevin was watching her from the rear window of the car as they drove away. She waved and grinned. _Nothing says I want you to kiss me like a puffy-cheeked blow fish impersonation._ She shook her head at herself as she went into the house and made her way down the hall to the kitchen. Jenkins and Matt were sitting on stools at the island drinking coffee. _They'd already cleaned everything up and made a fresh pot. Impressive._

Jenkins got up and announced, "I'm going to do a perimeter check and lock up." He grabbed his coffee to go, a flashlight from the counter and strolled out of the kitchen leaving the siblings alone together.

"We've got this security stuff covered. There's nothing to be concerned about, just enjoy being back in your own bed," Matt said as he casually sipped coffee and flipped through the local paper.

"I can see that," Kayn teased. She grabbed a glass, poured herself some orange juice and leaned against the counter as she drank it. _Nice._ The headline on Matt's paper was, Survivor of Brutal Family Massacre Goes Home! _Guess she wasn't going to be flying under the radar._ She refilled her glass and said, __ "Do me a favour, get rid of the paper. I'd like to avoid that headline at breakfast."

He flipped over the paper and growled, "Seriously, printing this story is like daring someone to come back and finish the job." Mortified, Matt looked up and apologised, "Sometimes, I'm so stupid it's ridiculous."

_He wasn't wrong._ She saw Jenkins' flashlight bobbing around the backyard out the kitchen window and announced, "I'm off to bed." She wandered out into the hall with her glass of juice in hand. A piece of paper came flying at her. _Jenkins didn't close the door properly._ She placed her drink on the bookshelf and went to close it. Her heart clenched. She froze mid-step too terrified to move as the wind gusted rain sideways down the hall at her. Her mind flickered through memories she'd already recovered. She stopped herself from calling out for Matt. _What if she was being ridiculous? The headline made her paranoid._ Once again, she attempted to walk to the open door, but a burst of irrational panic kept her feet firmly in place. She exhaled and cautiously stepped forward as tears formed in her eyes. Her head started humming. _What was this?_ The door shifted back and forth in the wind. She inhaled the scent of fresh rainfall and listened to the gentle tapping of drops trickling through branches of the ornamental bushes by the door. With the next gust of raindrops and wind, the clouds in her mind cleared to a vision of Kevin's dad driving away from her house. As she started walking up the hill, she noticed the front door was slightly ajar. Kayn's memory fed her breadcrumbs as it allowed her to reach the door and go inside. _Her ankle hurt. Her feet were wet._ _She'd tried to turn on the light but it was burnt out. There was something on her hand._ She recalled the sight of her blood covered palm in a ray of light, followed by blind panic and the sensation of millions of spider legs scurrying across her skin.

"What in the hell are you doing? Close the door. Everything's getting wet," Matt complained.

_His voice was far off in the distance but she became aware of his presence._

Directly behind her, Matt's voice said, "Are you alright?"

_She couldn't answer. She was lost in returning memories,_ _Blood, Oh, god there was blood._ She heard Chloe screaming for her to run. _There was a shadow at the end of the hall._ She backed out of the doorway and ran. _Someone was chasing her._ She tossed the grocery bag full of eggs behind her before running into the woods. She was sprinting through the trails with everything she had, driven by fear. The visions stopped. _What happened next? She had to go into those trails._

Jenkins appeared at the door. _She needed to know._ Kayn bolted past Jenkins in her stocking feet. The wind whistled ominously as she sprinted across the backyard towards the opening of the trails.

"Where in the hell are you going?" Matt's voice called as he pursued her.

Kayn slipped, got up covered in mud and continued to run. _She had to know everything._ She sprinted into the freshly cleared trails. She could hear the steady crunching of footsteps chasing her and she was jolted back to that night. She raced over the bridge and down the winding path. _She saw a light through the trees. She was going to be okay._ _She was almost there._ At the precise moment she believed herself free, she felt the excruciating heat of a blade penetrating her back and crumbled to her knees on the forest floor.

With tears streaming down their faces, Matt and Jenkins watched Kayn relive that fated night. In a trance like state, she dropped to her knees with terror filled eyes. It was like she was being strangled and stabbed but there was nobody there. Her body crumbled inwards. She was clawing at the earth with tears in her eyes as an invisible entity savaged her. "I can't watch this anymore," Matt wept feeling gutted. He tried to go to her.

Jenkins grabbed his arm and asserted, "No, this isn't about you. She may still be in danger."

Matt covered his tear blurred eyes, unable to witness to the depravities done to his sibling. Jenkins spoke his name aloud. Matt removed his hands, knowing a part of him needed to remain present. Kayn's face contorted in anguish as she writhed around in the dirt, undergoing excruciatingly painful torture. Matt wiped away his tears and pleaded, "No more. We have to stop this."

"I want to stop this too, but she wants to remember," Jenkins replied.

_Her torture appeared to be over._ Kayn was in the fetal position on a bed of moist earth, humming a song. As they cautiously made their way closer, the wind whistling through the trees sounded like it was humming along to the haunting lullaby. Colour drained from Matt's face. With his hand over his heart, he whispered, "My mom used to sing that to us when we were little." They watched for only a minute before Matt was sobbing, "Enough, that's enough." He choked back his tears, scooped his sister up in his arms and carried her drenched, shivering body back to the house. The three were emotionally drained and soaked to the bone as they stepped back through the open front door and closed it.

Kayn Brighton had a dream that night, it included bumblebees and impossible situations. There were frightening images only remotely plausible in someone's most terrifying nightmares. In the midst of these horrors, were flashes of splendor and bliss. Visions of magical places, so intoxicatingly beautiful they took her breath away.

The lady in the light had given her rules and warnings. She'd granted her a second chance at life. Able to recall every moment, she understood her twin wasn't completely lost to her and that they'd never been normal girls. Kayn had always known life's simple pleasures held the greatest joy. Chloe had been the opposite side of the coin, tossed into the air for sport, by immortals. _She would show them what their little human experiment was capable of._

Kayn opened her eyes to rays of sunlight streaming through her window. It was a new day. _The sunlight blinded her. She felt purified by its rays. She had been in the dark for so long and in so many ways..._

For the fist time, she awakened with full knowledge of what was to come. _Matt was sleeping in Chloe's bed. She'd been changed into pajamas._ She could remember every second of that night but gratefully, the emotions had been removed from the memories. She tiptoed away from her sleeping brother, snuck to her adjoining bathroom, soundlessly closed the door and took a gander at her epically frazzled self.

"Chloe," she whispered at her reflection, willing her sister to answer. _Maybe, it needed to be just like last time?_ She slipped her top off and stood before the mirror, looking down at her scars. She ran her finger across one as she gazed at her reflection hoping to see her sister. _No Chloe_. Kayn decided to get into the shower. She turned the knob and the water came out freezing cold. _Nobody had touched this shower in months._ She allowed it to run before stepping under the spray and closed her eyes as the water pelted her skin. When she was finished, she reached for a towel from the rack. As her hand touched the metal, it shocked her. She yanked her hand away, rubbing her wounded digits while cursing. __ Instead of fearing her reaction to the metal, she was only moderately intrigued as she carried on with her preparations for the day. She dried her hair while staring at her reflection feeling far more attractive than she had only moments before. _Maybe she should go to the high school to pick up her work?_ _She didn't feel like being invisible today_. _Would it hurt to wear a little makeup?_ Kayn expertly applied her sister's makeup and stared at her reflection. _That's much better, she'd see Chloe each time she wandered past a mirror today._ When she wandered back into her room, her brother was gone. _She must have been in the bathroom for a long time?_ The pleasing aroma of coffee and bacon travelled up the stairs, delighting her senses. Kayn passed Chloe's dresser, spraying a touch of her perfume and inhaled the delightful mix of fragrances that became stronger as she left her bedroom. Kayn gracefully made her way down the hall past the familiar pictures. She descended the stairs feeling as though her senses were about to explode, every one of them had been amplified, even the sun's rays as they filtered through the sheer curtains felt glorious. The carpet felt like it was caressing her feet as she pranced to the kitchen with her hair floating behind her like a runway model.

Both her brother and Jenkins began to choke on breakfast. _Weird?_ Matt sent a text.

"Who are you texting?" Kayn nonchalantly asked.

Matt peered up and replied, "Kevin."

They watched with disbelief and morbid fascination as she flounced around searching through cupboards practically dancing while eating a piece of bacon.

"Are you feeling all right this morning?" Matt warily enquired as he took a giant gulp of coffee.

"I feel fantastic this morning. Why do you ask?" she chimed in, as she shot a giant toothy pageant smile in her brother's direction. Kayn flipped her hair with a devious glint in her eyes that screamed Chloe.

"I think I might be going crazy," Matt mumbled as he downed the rest of his coffee.

Jenkins composed himself and probed, "What exactly do you remember about last night?"

"Absolutely everything," she disclosed while calmly pouring herself a cup of java. As she added sweetener, she didn't normally use, Kayn preened, "Yum, I love bacon, thanks Matty."

Puzzled by her Chloe-esque behaviour, Matt questioned again, "Are you certain you're feeling alright...Kayn?"

"I'm feeling extra wonderful," she sang. _What's with these two?_ She squeezed her brother's shoulder affectionately as she flounced by and Matt's look of confusion heightened.

"Do you know who killed your family?" Jenkins asked out of the blue.

She far too casually answered, "I couldn't make out his face. It was too dark, but he was heavier set, and there was an awful smell I can't place. I'd know who he was if I ran into him again."

"How would you do that, if you didn't see him? Are you suggesting you could tell who he was by his scent?" Jenkins questioned.

Kayn rolled her eyes as she countered, "I'm saying, I have a feeling my sister saw him. So, between what I could smell and what she saw, I should be able to identify him."

Visibly confused, Matt clarified, "Chloe's dead. I was at her funeral."

_This wasn't the right timing for this conversation. She'd have to give it to them in small doses, so they'd see it as irrefutable fact and not merely a fictitious tale from a grieving somewhat nutty coma girl._ She pictured how the conversation would go. _Hey guys, due to an immortal mishap, I share a soul with my twin and our spirits must become one_. She giggled because even in her thoughts it sounded completely insane. They looked at each other and stared into their mugs. _They were both simultaneously thinking she'd gone crazy._ Kayn answered their thoughts as if they'd been spoken aloud, "I heard that, and for the record, I'm not crazy. You guys are just going to have to trust me. I'm going for a run to the high school later. I need to get back into a routine and I'd like to figure out my schedule."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea today, Kayn," Jenkins replied aloud and then thought, _because you've gone batshit crazy and being out in public is probably not a good idea._

"Once again, I'm not batshit crazy, Jenkins," Kayn countered sweetly. __ She grinned while awaiting his reaction to reading his mind. When she didn't receive one, she teased, "I prefer to think of it as sanity challenged." She gave him another wide, pageant style grin.

There was a loud familiar knock on the door, followed by a doorbell ring, it abruptly stopped their conversation. __ Kayn went to answer the door.

Jenkins got up and announced, "I should be the one answering the door, at least until we know it's safe."

"Oh, don't be silly, it's only Kevin. He's knocked on that door the same way since we were kids. Kayn's perfectly safe, don't get your panties in a twist," she stated as she flounced away, leaving the two stupefied men behind in the kitchen.

"Did your sister just talk about herself in the third person?" Jenkins whispered from behind his newspaper.

"I believe she did. Personally, I'm contemplating the idea of going back to bed and pretending that last night and this morning didn't happen," Matt sighed as he got up to rinse off his dish.

Kayn opened the door. Kevin's jaw dropped when he saw her. _Oh, get a grip. It's a little bit of makeup._ She flirtatiously said, "Good morning handsome." It felt like she had all the guts in the world this morning, so she planted a provocative kiss square on his lips.

"What the hell was that for Kayn?" he stammered while still standing in the doorway.

"Just for being you, sweetie" she replied in a seductive tone. _He'd been flirting with her since she woke up, why was he freaking out over a little peck on the lips? Perhaps she misread his intentions? Maybe he did just want to be friends?_ "The boys are in the kitchen," she disclosed. She had the urge to smack his butt as he walked away, so she did.

He jumped, placed his hand over his behind, stared at her and asked, "Are you feeling alright this morning?"

She nodded and replied, "I feel amazing, Kevy."

They parted ways, __ Kevin walked to the kitchen and she went upstairs. _She needed to lie down and rest her eyes._ _She was so tired._ She wandered down the hall to her room and flopped down on Chloe's bed instead of her own. She was out cold in a matter of minutes.

As Kevin entered the kitchen he confessed, "She just kissed me and smacked my ass. What in the hell is going on?"

Jenkins raised his coffee mug, saluted him and exclaimed, "Your guess is as good as mine?"

"She woke up like that today. That's why I asked you to come over," Matt explained as he poured Kevin some coffee and added, "Would you like Baileys, instead of creamer? That's what we're having."

_They were offering to spike his drink and Jenkins was a police officer. It must have been an epically strange morning._

Jenkins glared at Matt and scolded, "Don't offer the minor alcohol. What's wrong with you?"

_For_ _a second there he thought they'd both lost it._ Kevin grinned and questioned, "Why is she acting like a horned-up version of Chloe? Did something happen between last night and this morning?"

Matt finished his coffee and replied, "Did something happen? Well, that's an understatement and a half. She remembered everything last night and when she woke up this morning, she came downstairs as Chloe. Then she switched back to Kayn and then to Chloe again."

Jenkins blankly stared into his empty coffee cup and mumbled, "Apparently, she can hear what we're thinking now too."

"I'll go upstairs and check on her", Kevin assured. Feeling worried, he briskly made his way down the hall and up the stairs _. It felt like his duty to protect her. He'd been by her side for so many months waiting for her to come back._ _He felt guilty for not being there for her when her memories reared their devastating head. Had it been too much for her?_ As Kevin passed the photos in the hall, for a split second he saw bloody footprints on the floor. _Would he ever be able to walk down this hallway without having flashbacks from that night?_ He paused outside her bedroom and peered in. _She was out cold, sleeping in Chloe's bed._ _She never slept in Chloe's bed? Maybe it made her feel closer to her sister?_ He snuck in, sat on the bed and imagined it was Chloe. _She was still alive and she'd been the one to kiss him at the door. For years he'd dreamt of nothing more than that._ _She'd been the star of every one of his prepubescent fantasies._ _He'd be sitting on her bed just like this, she'd look into his eyes and he'd just know she wanted him back._ He touched Kayn's hair and grinned. _If this were really Chloe, she'd wake up and call him a dirty pervert right now_. He caressed her silky hair running one of her ringlets through his fingertips feeling strangely drawn to her. _Snap out of it, man_ , he thought.

Kayn opened her eyes, looked into his and baited, "I saw you wipe my kiss off your lips earlier." She pouted seductively.

Before he could stammer out an apology, she slid a hand through his hair and aggressively pulled his lips to hers. With an intoxicating mix of guilt, shame and arousal, he succumbed to her seduction. As her tongue darted against his, he lost all self-control, kissing her back passionately until every nerve ending in his body was wildly exposed and raw. Her hands began searching under his shirt, he shivered as they met with his flesh. _He heard footsteps on the stairs._

"Hey! You guys okay up there?" Matt hollered.

Kevin abruptly pulled away and yelled back with his voice a couple octaves too high, "I'll be right down!" It took him a minute to regain his composure as his need for her pulsed through his body. He touched his swollen lips and when he looked back, she'd rolled over and gone back to sleep like nothing happened. _Could Kayn be possessed by her twin? He'd been seeing strange things and knew anything spiritual was feasible._ He needed to stop staring at her and get off the bed but the pull to stay was so powerful it felt impossible to move. _Chloe had always made him feel like he wasn't in control of his actions while he was around her._ He touched his lips again as his body hummed with raw physical need. _He had to think clearly._ He wasn't going to be able to do that if he kept sitting here willing her to wake up and rock his world again but he couldn't exactly go downstairs in his condition. __ He went into the bathroom, looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw Kayn sleeping peacefully in the background. _He felt guilty for kissing her while reliving old fantasies._ Kevin splashed some cold water on his face and when he opened his eyes and looked in the mirror, the brutalized bloody version of Chloe was sitting on the edge of the bed watching Kayn sleep. He spun around, but there was nobody there. He turned back to the mirror and Chloe looked up from her sleeping sister, met his eyes in the reflection and placed a finger to her lips, signalling for him to be quiet. With adrenaline rippling through his veins, he spun around and she'd vanished. He looked between his legs... _problem solved._ _Apparently, fear trumps being turned on_. Kevin strolled over to where he'd seen Chloe and waved his hands back and forth in the air. _There was nothing there._ He left Kayn to her dreams and snuck out. He'd always wanted their first kiss to be incredible and it was amazing. He wished he was sure she wasn't being possessed by her dead sister at the time. __ Kevin raced down the stairs and bumped into Kayn's brother.

"What took you so long?" Matt questioned, "I thought you were just checking on her?"

"I'll tell you if you promise not to hit me," Kevin said with hesitation in his voice.

"You didn't have time for anything I'd beat you up for," Matt retorted as he gave Kevin a playful brotherly shove.

"She kissed me, it sure seemed like Chloe," Kevin cautiously replied.

Matt shoved him again, this time not so lightly as he scolded, "What are you thinking? She's clearly not herself today. Chloe's dead. We buried her."

Kevin stammered, "I know, it's just the way she kissed me, Kayn would never kiss me...like that."

"What do you mean...like that?" Matt enquired while glaring.

_He felt guilty enough without Matt's protective reaction._ _It already felt like he'd taken advantage of his best friend in a weakened state._ "She kissed me with experience. Porn star experience," Kevin explained the situation the best he could, but when Matt's expression changed to anger, he knew he'd only made it worse.

"Let me get this straight before I deck you. Are you calling my dead sister a porn star?" Matt came at him.

While defensively stepping backwards, Kevin replied, "No! I'm just saying there's a difference between your sister's skill levels with the opposite sex."

Matt scowled as Kevin valiantly tried to save the conversation, "Kayn's only been kissed a few times and that was in elementary school. That kiss was from someone who knew what they were doing." The Neanderthal in Matt was not capable of hearing what he was trying to say. "We should call her doctor or maybe a priest?" Kevin suggested cautiously.

"Why? Do you want to marry her first? Because I'm all for that," Matt teased making it obvious he'd been messing with him. With a shit-eating grin, Matt roughly patted Kevin's shoulder and snickered, "You must name your first born after me."

Relief spread across Kevin's face. _Kayn's brother was simple as an ape sometimes._ He bluntly decreed, "Either she's mentally ill, in need of a psychiatrist, or possessed and in need of a priest." _It was obvious Matt thought he was completely full of shit._

With not so thinly veiled sarcasm, Matt clarified, "So, you're going with Kayn would only kiss you if she were possessed by Chloe? What do you expect me to say? Why Kevin that sounds like a perfectly reasonable explanation. I'll find a priest that's willing to do an exorcism because Kayn's a better kisser than you thought she'd be. Maybe, she's kissed a bunch of guys and just didn't tell you?"

Kevin rolled his eyes at Matt and said, "This is Kayn we're talking about. We've spent almost every day together since we were in Kindergarten. She doesn't even speak to other guys. You texted me saying she was acting like Chloe. I'm agreeing with you."

Their voices were getting a little too loud as they debated. Matt whispered, "Listen, she remembered everything last night and it was horrible. She's traumatized and from what I witnessed, she's entitled to a breakdown." Matt paused before quietly asking, "What would you have me do? Put her back in the hospital? I finally have her home after almost a year. She's all I have left."

"I'm not saying she needs to go back in the hospital. I'm suggesting she might require a different kind of help," Kevin whispered back.

Matt stared blankly at Kevin, knowing where he was going, yet not wanting to say it aloud.

"I'll just throw this one out there. What if she's possessed like on, 'The Exorcist?' I saw something strange in the bathroom mirror," Kevin said bluntly with no humour involved this time.

Officer Jenkins walked into the room and added his piece to the conversation with perfectly timed sardonic humour, "Why don't we just try calling her doctor first boys and save the exorcisms for another day."

Kayn Brighton abruptly awoke from a sexually charged dream to the sound of someone knocking on her bedroom door. _Why was she sleeping in Chloe's bed?_ She cleared her throat and said, "Come in." She felt the heat of embarrassment rise in her cheeks as Kevin entered her room. _It felt like the details of her naughty dream were written in neon, flashing across her forehead._

He strolled over, sat on the edge of her bed and enquired, "How are you feeling?"

Kayn shifted a little, moving her body a few extra inches away from Kevin's almost gravitational pull that seemed to be making her feel warm and tingly all over. _What in the hell is going on?_ The attraction to him was beginning to tug enthusiastically at her insides. _Am I really this shallow? I'm not remotely attracted to him for all these years and then he works out, gets a little hot and I want to roll over with my legs in the air?_

"I'm just going to throw a wild guess out there, you don't remember kissing me, do you?" Kevin enquired as he ran his hand from her shoulder down the length of her arm.

Strange warm shivers rippled over the path his hand was travelling. Her memory instantly brought her back to the sexually charged kiss they'd shared earlier. Her cheeks turned to brilliant crimson as she realised the truth, that sexually charged dream was mortifyingly real.

"I remember kissing you," she timidly admitted.

Confusion registered on Kevin's face as he whispered, "I was sure that..." He paused mid-sentence, looked into her eyes and said, "Do you mind?"

Her heart palpitated as he did to her what she'd done to him in a dream. He ran his fingers through her hair and drew her close. Their lips met in a blend of molten electricity and urgency. Instinct took over as Kayn rolled on top of him and slid her hands under his shirt, wanting to see what he looked like with his shirt off. She was confused as he tried to pull away, she whispered, "What's wrong?"

Kevin caressed her hair and groaned, "I don't want to take advantage of you."

She pinned his wrists to the bed and teased, "Who is on top of whom right now?"

"You're on top of me," he replied, still grinning.

Kayn kissed him in a way that made it crystal clear this was exactly what she wanted. She was swept away and didn't care where they ended up in the end.

There was a loud pound on the door and they jumped away from each other. Kevin fell with a loud thud onto the bedroom floor and ducked. He was completely hidden on the other side of the bed as Matt strode in.

Kayn sat up in bed looking flustered, her lips swollen from Kevin's kisses. "You scared the crap out of me," she laughed nervously hoping Kevin would stay hidden until he left.

"I thought Kevin came up here to get you?" Matt interrogated from the doorway without entering her room.

"He's not up here anymore, he went back downstairs," Kayn replied in an unusually calm voice. Usually, she couldn't lie to save her life. She would always speak a few octaves higher when she wasn't telling the truth.

Matt knew her idiosyncrasies so her brother took her well-spoken lie as fact. He suspiciously looked around and remarked, "Weird. Maybe he went for a walk to get some fresh air?" He turned to leave, turned back and teased, "Or he's hiding under your bed."

Kayn darted her eyes over to where he was hiding, smiled and announced, "He's not hiding under the bed today." _It wasn't a lie. Not really. He was beside it not under it._

Kevin pressed himself against the floor beside the bed, shaking like he was silently laughing.

Matt paused in the doorway for a second more and disclosed, "Your doctor thought it would be a good idea if you spoke to the counsellor after everything that happened last night."

Suspecting her brother was waiting for her to get angry and deny she needed help, Kayn answered, "Okay, that's probably a good idea." _The sooner Matt left her room the better._

Smiling, he admitted, "Good, because I already agreed. He's coming over. You should come downstairs and have lunch first. We saved you some bacon from breakfast. You've been asleep for hours. I'll make you a B.LT."

"I'll be right down. I just need to freshen up," she politely hinted for him to leave. Kayn smiled as she slid off her bed and strolled to the bathroom, leaving her brother standing in the doorway. In the reflection of the bathroom mirror she saw Matt looking under the bed. _Oh shit!_ Luckily, Kevin shimmied under the other bed by the window. There was a loud crash downstairs, Matt left cursing. She heard Chloe's voice in her mind, ' _you owe me one. You little slut. I didn't know you had it in you._ _Kevin isn't looking half bad. I completely understand.'_

Kevin emerged frazzled and got up chuckling, "That was close. Good thing I moved. I'd better go out your window." He was climbing out just as her brother walked outside to look for him. He dove back in, laughing.

Kayn giggled as he checked to see if the coast was clear so he could sneak out her bedroom window as he had a million times before. Only this time it wasn't as innocent as it had been on prior occasions. He waved at her before crawling out of her window.

Her bedroom door opened again. Matt stuck his head in and announced, "The doctor's here. It looks like you'll have to wait for lunch."

Kayn turned back and replied, "I'm coming and I'm not hungry yet anyway." Her door shut again and she dashed to her window. Kevin was hanging from the lower level gutter with only a small drop.

As Kevin was dangling there, he made eye contact with Jenkins through the living room window. Jenkins with his openly wacky sense of humour started to belly laugh.

Kevin mouthed the words, "Oh shit," as he dropped from the gutter.

Matt walked into the room with a perplexed look on his face and said, "Have you seen Kevin? I thought he was upstairs in Kayn's room, but he's not up there."

"He's outside. I just saw him a minute ago," Jenkins answered truthfully. He pulled his newspaper back up in front of his face to hide his laughter. Jenkins' whole body was shaking behind his newspaper.

Matt knit his brow and questioned, "Are you laughing?"

"Nope, not laughing," Jenkins snickered.

Just then Kevin walked in and announced, "Hey guys, what's up?" He plopped himself on the couch across from Jenkins.

"Where were you?" Matt asked as he glared at him.

"I just needed some fresh air," Kevin casually replied, trying to keep a straight face because Jenkins was laughing behind his paper.

"What is so funny?" Matt growled, starting to get ticked off.

Kevin pressed his lips together so he wouldn't start laughing. He looked down, trying to avoid eye contact with them, especially Jenkins.

"Do you two think I'm some kind of moron?" Matt hissed.

_That was it_. They started gutting themselves laughing.

Matt walked away muttering, "You two are friggin' hilarious."

Kayn was already sitting at the island in the kitchen chatting with the doctor when Matt came in. _Dr. Corning wanted to walk her through what happened and she was surprisingly fine with taking a return trip down the emotional rabbit hole._

"We're going for a walk in the trails. Do you want to come with us?" Dr. Corning enquired.

"I'm not sure that's a great idea," Matt replied protectively. "Jenkins already gave a statement to the police. Can't we just do the counselling and hit pause on the field trip for a few days?"

"I can't hide from this, it's already happened. I have to exhume the past, so I can learn how to deal with it," Kayn explained as she glanced at the doctor.

As Jenkins strolled in, he was immediately filled in on the plan. "Nobody goes anywhere without me," he asserted.

With a serene voice, Kayn walked Dr. Corning through that night, explaining things as they unfolded, remaining detached as though each depravity happened to someone else. _This was how she was dealing with it. Wrong or right it worked for her. She needed everyone to believe that she was okay._ _Nearly nine months had passed for everyone else, but not for her._ When they reached the place in the trails where her body was found, she abruptly stopped. _The area was a shrine._ Kayn read the notes, most were still legible after many months of island rain. _Her fated spot had become a memorial for her entire family._

She touched a picture of her mother in her younger years, glowing with promise. _The happiness in her eyes never dulled with time._ Her father during his high school days. _She'd never seen this picture of him._ _He'd always been a strong, gentle soul._ _There was a hollow void in her where love used to be. She missed them so much._ _She'd resolved to live by her mother's wisdom, fake it till you make it._ She touched a picture of her mirror image. _She understood the complexity of their intertwined life paths now. It made sense as it was revealed. On some level she'd already known it to be true._ Tears blurred her vision and she blinked them away. _If she started blubbering, she'd trigger a pity party and she'd been denying breakdown invites for a month._ A salty escapee fled down her cheek.

Unable to look at photos of oblivious smiles, Kayn hung her head and stared at the soil beneath her feet. _In her final moments, she'd been cradled in her mother's arms. She remembered every detail._ The others silently gathered around. As she processed the madness, she heard Matt's thoughts. _He was still torturing himself for not coming home that night. He felt selfish, soiled and ruined. She wanted to tell him everything. What happened on that night had nothing to do with him._ Kayn fought the urge to run into her brother's arms. _He'd been carrying this burden._ _She wanted him to know she'd never blamed him. There was nothing he could have done. It was predestined. She'd said far too much this morning. She couldn't risk his safety._ _Her sister hadn't known using her gifts in public would make her bloodline a target._ _She knew though. She kept her mouth shut even though it broke her heart to do so and allowed the urge to console her brother to pass._ She looked up. _They were genuinely concerned._ Kayn's gaze met her doctor's as she enquired, "Should I keep going?"

"We'll come back tomorrow, if it's too much," he sympathised.

"It'll always be too much. Let's just get it over with," she admitted, opting to give only facts and leave out magical things they wouldn't understand. _After the tale was told, the emotionally exhausted group solemnly left the trails and walked out into the sunshine leaving behind shrines and memories of evil best left buried in the past._

# Chapter Eleven

### Leaving Normal

For weeks she'd been consumed by researching those claiming to have similar abilities while longing for a sign Chloe was still around but she'd vanished. On the bright side, her body wasn't being highjacked by a Spector anymore so her erratic behaviour had stopped. She hadn't pounced on poor confused Kevin in weeks, and even though she had the urge to put on makeup, she didn't. She spent her time catching up on semesters of missed schoolwork, listening to thoughts and finding ingenious ways to deter Kevin's visits. _She'd complicated things by adding making out to their list of activities. She wanted to be with him so badly but wasn't sure she should._

She fell asleep one night holding the plush bumblebee he'd given her when they were kids and something peculiar happened. She could see Kevin in his room and hear his thoughts but the words echoed like they were coming from the end of a tunnel. This became a regular thing, she started randomly checking in on him. He was thinking about sex far too often and his intimate daydreams weren't only of her. There was another girl, she was exquisitely beautiful with shiny flowing midnight tresses. She knew it was normal but it stung. _A teenage boy probably looked at a desk and fantasized about making out on one._

Eventually, Kayn discovered she didn't need the stuffed animal. If she relaxed, closed her eyes, and really thought about Kevin, she'd just be there. He'd be sprawled on his bed, listening to music or playing guitar completely unaware. She looked this up online, it was called astral projection. _It was also called stalking._ She grinned, as she thought of the conversation they'd have if she was forced to come clean. _There was no possible way to broach the subject without it sounding slightly disturbing and more than a wee bit creepy._ "Kevin, I've been watching you in bed and listening to your thoughts for weeks," she disclosed, playing out the conversation, in the mirror. _There was no possible way to make that sound less creepy._

She found herself fixated on her ability, and as this obsession escalated, the urge to push it further was always in the back of her mind. _It felt dangerous, intoxicating and extremely addictive_. There was a primal urgency to unleash the energy building beneath the surface of her skin, and for the first time, everything became clear, the struggles of her twin's abilities had driven their relationship apart. _She'd resented her twin for shining like a diamond because she'd walked through life feeling like a stone. None of this was her fault. It had been the luck of the draw and she'd always thought she was the unlucky one._ Guilt crept in... _How much of her sister's pain had she ignored while drowning in jealousy? How many times had she tried to tell her? Had she come to her for help? She needed to know_. Kayn began the search for her sister's diary. It became her mission to learn more about her sister's feelings in the weeks and months prior to her murder. She looked under mattresses and in every box in the closet, needing to tie up loose ends in her heart. She honestly couldn't see Chloe hiding it somewhere difficult to get to in a teenage venting emergency. Kayn recalled her sister's lengthy bathroom visits. She'd always assumed she was texting friends or talking on the phone.

Underneath the sink there was nothing out of the ordinary, just cleaners and feminine products. _Where would it be?_ She opened the drawers, finding only nail polish and makeup. In the linen closet, the towels were all folded neatly. She scaled the top shelf, ran her arms under the bedding and her fingertips brushed against something hard. _She'd found it!_ Grasping the diary in one hand, she climbed down. _Her sister may have written every sneaky deed and evil thought in this diary._ _Should she be reading it? Did she really want to know her twin's deepest thoughts?_ _Her sister's uncensored for kindness reflections on her day would be in these pages._ Kayn didn't want to taint her sister's memory but needed to know if she'd missed her emotional turmoil. _Maybe that was the reason her twin's spirit was so angry with her?_ She sat on the counter and opened the diary. It was thick and pink, with words hastily scribbled on each page. On the first pages were little ditties like _'life sucks. Kevin is so Kayn's little bitch',_ Kayn giggled. She couldn't help it, Kevin was Chloe's little bitch at the time. Truth be told, he'd always been Chloe's bitch. It still irked her even though she understood why. _Was her inability to see Chloe's pain the reason Chloe made Kevin want her?_ She flipped through the endless pages of dribble. The entries became longer and more in depth as the pages went on. It was almost as if Chloe started the diary on a whim and then realised the purpose behind having one. Kayn read on, realising that even though her sister appeared to have hundreds of friends, she was lonely. She longed for true love and happiness just like everyone else. Finally, she found what she was looking for _. How would she know if anyone truly loved her? Were there others like her?_ Chloe wrote about feeling out of control. _She didn't know how to fix them once they were broken._ This was about the obsession after ending things. __ She'd filed multiple restraining orders. _All she had to do was decide she wanted someone and they'd be hers. She'd realise they had no free will and didn't really love her, this made her feel hopeless_. She wrote about the guilt involved in cutting someone loose and having them lose their mind.

_Her sister loved her._ _It had been difficult to see in those last years._ All it would have taken to end her friendship with Kevin was for Chloe to tell him not to like her. Their friendship annoyed her and made her a little jealous but she'd never messed with it. She wrote about being purposely cruel to Kevin. _She wasn't being a bitch to hurt Kevin. It was so she didn't accidentally take him._ _She had nobody to trust with her secrets. She wanted to tell her sister but knew she wouldn't believe her._ Kayn teared up as she read the entries filled with loneliness and isolation. _She'd been covering her true feelings under cockiness and bravado._ _How had she felt so in tune with her sister in their younger years and never picked up on this?_ Even though her twin wasn't alive, she climbed up and put her diary back where it belonged. Kayn paused in front of the mirror and whispered, "If you were here, I'd tell you how much I miss you. I'd want you to know that I'm so sorry I didn't see what was happening to you. To be honest, I was always jealous. You were being cruel to Kevin for me, weren't you?" _If the master plan was to join with her, where was she?_

Kayn discovered quite by accident she could move things with her mind if she concentrated hard enough while upset. She stepped on a fork barefoot and in her pain-induced fury, shot it across the kitchen floor. After that random discovery, she moved saltshakers, plates and a phonebook. Her Jedi-esque mind powers failed her whenever she tried to move something larger. Long-term survival probably involved using these abilities. If something scary showed up right now, she only had enough juice to toss a fork at it. She knew there was a Clan coming to help her but didn't know what that meant. _Maybe they were all going to toss forks together?_

Most evenings were spent watching Jenkins pretend to read while thinking of his daughter. _Katy hadn't followed Jenkins home from the hospital. Maybe she'd moved on? Knowing what people were thinking had proved to be beneficial, but heartbreaking whenever she took a stroll through Jenkins' mind._ Time passed in the blink of an eye. She'd been talking to Kevin on the phone and texting but kept him at arm's length saying she was swamped with schoolwork. Visiting in person wasn't a pressing issue, she'd spent time with him every day, he just didn't know about it.

Finally, it was time for her to return to school. Throwing away preconceived notions about recovery time, her physician assured Matt she was well adjusted all things considered. Any quirky behaviour was explained away as grief or figuring out her place in the world without her family. Matt had a year to adjust to his new life. She only had a few months to adapt and deal with her grief. She was a marvel to the medical community, but only Kayn understood, her miracle came with a price she'd yet to pay. There was fine print at the bottom of her contract, soon she'd be forced to read it.

# Chapter Twelve

### Where the Wild Things Are

Kayn awoke to the annoying crow of the alarm, set for the first time in nearly a year. The clock was a funny gift from Chloe, who'd always been a perky morning person. She'd loved watching her twitch and cringe with every obnoxious cock-a-doodle-doo. She needed to be left alone for at least twenty minutes in the morning. Any human contact before her first cup of coffee wasn't usually a bright idea. Chloe also bought her a coffee mug that read, _Duck and Cover_. A family joke aimed at Kayn's distaste for morning conversation. She smiled as she thought of Chloe's gift. _It would have been much funnier if everyone but her had a duck and cover mug._ She could picture her family gathered around the island in the kitchen, drinking coffee and teasing her lovingly. Her heart ached just a little for the list of things she'd never experience again.

_Taking exams with everyone else this week was a longshot, she wasn't prepared._ _What would her reception be like?_ _She despised being the center of attention._ Kayn imagined the whispers while walking down the hall and pulled the covers up over her head. _Maybe she could just hide here for the rest of her life?_ She tossed her purple patterned comforter to the side and decided to get up. _She couldn't hide in her bed forever. Why not get it over with? There was no point in pretending it wasn't going to happen. The drama that came with being in high school was a certainty._ She put on makeup to draw from any residual self-confidence Chloe left behind when she'd hijacked her body. She tugged on a pair of jeans and sporty t-shirt thinking, _maybe I can just blend in_. Her nerves were screaming, _home-schooling. You want to keep home-schooling._ She grimaced and jogged down the stairs with her bag. Jenkins met her at the bottom with a travel cup full of coffee and a piece of toast with peanut butter and jelly. _He looked nervous for her. That wasn't helpful._

Jenkins grinned and urged, "Eat this. Kevin is showing up in five minutes to drive you."

"Thanks," Kayn answered with a smile _. She hadn't had peanut butter and jelly since she was a child._ She ate every bite in a flash and then dove into the bathroom to check her teeth for toast. She applied lipstick and summoned her twin, "Come on Chloe. Help a sister out." Not even a scary version of her appeared in the mirror to terrify her. She sighed and thought, _I guess I'm on my own_. Kayn was a little nervous. _She hadn't seen Kevin since that kiss, it probably looked like she'd been avoiding him._ _Hopefully he wasn't ticked off. She couldn't really give him an explanation, fingers crossed he wouldn't ask for one._ There was a knock at the door but it wasn't his usual knock. Kayn peered through the peephole. _It was him._ _He_ _just keeps getting better looking._ She opened it and smiled.

"Hi stranger," Kevin teased as he strolled into the house.

_They'd shared two amazing friendship altering kisses and she'd ghosted him._ _What if he assumed that was the reason?_ _Was this going to get weird_?

"Is something funny?" Kevin enquired. He leaned in to kiss her and she moved, his lips landed on her nose.

She'd been startled by his attempted intimacy, but in true form she always had a comeback, "That was hot."

He skipped a second attempt and laughed, "Grab your bag; we still have time to stop for coffee on the way."

Kayn wanted him to try again, but coffee sounded like a great alternative. She followed him to his blue, beat up ancient Pontiac. _He had a car...this was so weird. She'd missed an important gap of time._ As they approached, she commented, "Love your ride. It's cute."

Kevin rolled his eyes and replied, "It's not much but it's mine. No payments." He winked at her.

_Why had he rolled his eyes? Oh yes, she'd called his car cute_. _Even though he had bulked up in size and was no longer short, cute was still his kryptonite._

"You also look cute today," he confidently teased.

_She wasn't a fan of the word cute either, touché._ She enquired, "Are you going to unlock the door or are we just going to stand here making cute jokes?"

Tilting his head, he boldly enquired, "Was that an accidental evasive maneuver or are you always going to duck when I try to kiss you?"

Enjoying the flirty standoff, she confessed, "Accidental." She held her breath as he leaned in and sweetly kissed her cheek while reaching behind her to open the door with the length of his body pressed intimately against hers. _His cologne was amazing._ He didn't move. Her pulse was racing. _Was he toying with her_?

Kevin whispered in her ear, "I can't open it if you stand there."

_She was such a dork. She was in front of the door._ Kayn awkwardly stepped out of the way. He opened it and she slid in. _She'd almost forgotten to breathe_. _This new version of_ _Kevin had game_.

He slammed it. A second later, he got in the driver's side and chuckled, "Sorry about that. If you don't slam the door it swings open when I turn corners. I took it upon myself to assume you wanted to stay in the car."

Intrigued by their new dynamics, Kayn crossed her legs and bit her lip. _This was the smart assed Kevin she'd missed._ She winked and replied, "I guess only people who know how to tuck and roll get to ride shot gun."

Kevin hadn't started the car. He teased, "Or I could just make sure my passengers wear their seatbelts."

_Funny._ She quickly did up her belt. They drove in silence as she beat their attraction to death in her mind. _Chloe's first act while possessing her was to make out with Kevin. Awkwardly enough, she'd been aware of what was happening._ _She'd recalled every detail like it was a dream and just gone with it._ _Had he wanted to kiss her or had he been enraptured by Chloe's presence?_ _It was an exhilarating, sensational kiss with no ration or boundaries but was Kevin merely an addict in search of another fix_? _Boys were drawn to Chloe like fireflies to flames, unafraid of being consumed lost embers floating away in darkness._ _He'd gone after that flame and it had been incredible, but how awkward would it be if the next kiss was nowhere near the last? What if they'd both been lost in the magic of Chloe's ability? This is what it must have been like for Chloe, never knowing if anyone chose to love her._

Kevin glanced over and remarked, "Don't be nervous. It's only a few exams. You'll barely have time to be accosted in the hall by random strangers."

_Not even close to what she was thinking about._ Kayn smiled and replied, "I've got this."

With his hand on her knee, he said, "We've been overthinking everything for far too long."

_He took the words right out of her mind._ She grinned, as they passed familiar scenery. _Everything looked the same but it wasn't... Nothing was._ _It felt like she'd gone to sleep one night and woken up to a different life._

He cleared his throat, drawing her attention away from the blur of local sights and cautiously probed, "How do you really feel about going back to school? Aren't you even a little freaked out?" He glanced away from the road to gauge her response.

"Not at all Smith, I'm looking forward to a glorious day of peopling," she sarcastically jousted while digging through her purse looking for gum.

"Ha-ha funny Brighton," Kevin chuckled. He grabbed her a piece of juicy fruit from his pocket and handed it to her.

She unwrapped it saying, "I'm superwoman, mere mortals may not harm me." _Now, he couldn't accuse her of lying by omission. She'd say, on my first day back I told you I was superwoman. He'd smile and accept the insanity. She wasn't naive enough to believe it but it was a nice thought._ With a giant shit eating grin, she patted her friend's arm and added, "Kayn out."

"I see my sporty, smart and sexy, slightly dorky friend has returned," Kevin teased. "Might I make a small suggestion? Always stop short of quoting Star Trek."

_Since when? Oh, yes, he'd changed too._ They approached the coffee shop, conveniently located across the street from the high school. _It was packed. They never used to come in here_. _This was where the jocks and princesses bonded over lattes. Where Chloe used to hang out_. _Introverted her wanted to wait in the car._ Kevin parked his beat-up Pontiac, jogged around and opened her door. _She'd only been joking about that but she liked it_. She sucked it up and followed him. They pushed through the swinging doors and humming whispers began. _She was the girl whose family had been murdered._ Her sister's minions were at their regular table. She was expecting hostility but they came at her in a swarm of empathy and overzealous embraces. As her twin's besties released her, she found her eyes drawn to an extremely beautiful girl sitting in the corner. _The word beautiful couldn't even begin to do her justice. This girl_ _was breathtaking. She'd seen her before._ _She wasn't a figment of Kevin's naughty imagination after all._ The most intimidating female she'd ever seen, barely acknowledged their presence. "Who is that girl?" Kayn whispered in Kevin's ear. She was miraculously stunning with midnight hair glistening in sunlight streaming through the window.

Kevin knew who she was talking about without even turning around. He whispered back, "Her name's Lily."

Lily's cat-like teal eyes peered up to see what the fuss was about. _Those must be coloured contacts._ She made eye contact with her and smirked like she wasn't impressed. _This Lily girl had a strange vibe. She felt important and a little dangerous._

"She's the new queen bee around here. She has a thing for me," Kevin preened, draping his arm over her shoulder. He kissed her hair like they were only pals and enquired, "What do you want, Brighton?"

The feeling of floating through romantic territory was snuffed out by being publicly shoved back into the friend zone. Kayn sighed, "Surprise me." _The new girl seemed irritated. Was she jealous?_ Kayn swallowed the urge to ask questions as Kevin passed her a coffee. This day was destined be full of drama without adding more to the pile. As uneducated as she was in the romance department, she wasn't an idiot. _She was moving ten steps ahead of herself_. _They'd kissed a few times._ Needing to lighten things up, she suggested, "I have to figure out where my tests are. Onward Smith, the concrete jungle awaits." He pushed open the door with his hip and sang, "My lady." _This was why dating your best friend wasn't a good idea. It was like starting on date five hundred. What were the rules?_ _How was she supposed to act? Hell, she'd never even been out on a real first date._

He one arm hugged her as they crossed the road and declared, "Go forth and conquer. Good luck on test number one." He kissed her hair again.

"You too," she replied. _What in the hell was with this hair kissing thing?_

Kayn attempted to slip down the main hallway unnoticed but was repeatedly stopped for random hugs and condolences from people she'd never spoken to. While sitting through her tests, she realised how easy everything would be for her. Every decision, every test answer she could hear in a room full of internal dialogue. If she kept pace, she could check her answers with the majority to make sure she aced it. _Some people might call it cheating, but her thoughts were so jumbled with everyone else's, she had no choice but to listen._ When her test was completed, she sat there watching Kevin __ struggle. _Could she send answers through her thoughts without him freaking out? What question was he on?_ Kayn focused on his thoughts through the jumble of everyone else's. _He was a quiet thinker._ _Nobody else was._ She touched the spot he'd kissed earlier and __ concentrated. _He was frustrated, reading the same question repeatedly. The answer is C. Kevin, listen to me, the answer is C_.

He looked back at her and thought, ' _Was that Kayn? It couldn't be, she's sitting too far away._ _Someone else must have said it_.' He looked down at his paper and surmised, ' _It looks right. I'll go with that_.'

_He wasn't stuck anymore._ Lily passed Kevin a note. He looked up, smiled and slipped it into his pocket. _He looked flattered and curious. He wanted to read the note. She'd been asleep for nearly a year. Maybe her recovery interrupted something?_ _He'd changed so much during her absence. There was a sexy confidence he didn't have before._ She wished he still had a scrawny body and took it back. Aware, she was feeling uncharacteristically territorial. _After_ _everything he'd done for her, how could she wish him anything but happiness, even if that meant it would be with someone else?_ She recited in her head, _it was only a kiss. Just a few mind-blowing kisses, that's all it was. He's your friend_. _It doesn't matter if you can see that girl coming a thousand miles away, it's his life_. Her gaze locked with Lily's. She winked at her. _That witch was messing with her on purpose._ The humming of muffled inner dialogue grew louder as adrenaline surged. Irrationally livid, she contemplated using her rage fuelled ability to smoke that bitch in the head with something. A female voice in her mind scolded, _'Don't you dare.'_ Kayn spun around. _Lily didn't appear to be concerned about anything, she was reading. Was she losing her mind?_ Instinct urged her to leave before she did something stupid. Kayn put her test on the teacher's desk and left, without even glancing back at Kevin. Her focus was elsewhere and she bumped into a boy she'd known since elementary school. _Jesse was his first name. She didn't recall his last name._ Kayn stammered her apologies, as she darted past him.

Kevin walked over and placed his test on the teacher's desk. Smiling, he left the room expecting to see Kayn waiting, but it was Lily instead looking insanely beautiful as always.

"So, did you read it?" she enquired, smiling flirtatiously as she kept walking until she was intimately close.

"Not yet," Kevin answered. _She was surprisingly easy to talk to._

"I'll get that for you," Lily smiled, as she slipped her manicured fingers deep into Kevin's pocket causing him to squirm.

"I can get it," he choked with his pitch a few octaves higher.

"I've got it," she assured, smiling seductively as she unfolded it and passed it to him.

_It was in another language. It looked Greek._ "Is this a poem?" he asked. Lily urged him to read it aloud. _The words were dark and ominous, not sexy in the least._ Somehow, he knew how to read it but had no idea what he'd said. He sighed, "Is this a joke? Are you filming me saying something messed up in another language for YouTube? __ I probably said, I love a good donkey show, didn't I?"

Lily grinned, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "You see dead people. Those words will help you create boundaries. Try to remember them. They might come in handy someday."

_How could she know that?_ Flustered, he grilled, "How do you know that?"

She spun around to walk away, glanced back and probed, "Can you see the future yet?"

He shook his head and replied, "No, I can't. Who are you?"

Lily took a lighter out of her pocket and said, "A friend."

As she wandered away, she casually lit the note on fire and tossed it into a metal garbage can. He followed the hypnotizing sway of her hips with his eyes as she strutted away. _What just happened?_ The fire alarm went off causing students to giggle, squeal, and scramble, exiting the school. She'd disappeared, it was like she'd evaporated into thin air halfway down the hall. Kevin raced to where he last saw her. _What in the hell?_ He looked in each direction. _She was gone._ He gave his head a good shake. _Evaporating into thin air was impossible but so was seeing the dead._ Dumbfounded, he stood there as students funnelled past.

He was the only one left in the hallway as the principal came around the corner and directed, "Get to the meeting place."

Desperate to be rid of the humming excess of noise, Kayn rushed down the hall. _It wasn't any better in the bathroom with the amplified buzzing of fluorescent lighting._ _Her emotions were all over the place, she'd overwhelmed her senses with information. It was time to pull herself together. He wasn't a dorky little guy anymore. Why wouldn't girls flirt with him? She couldn't be weaving skin coats in the corner every time a girl spoke to him._

While grinning at her hilarious inner commentary, she made her way back and came around the corner just in time to witness him being publicly fondled by the hot girl from the coffee shop. _There was something about that girl that rubbed her the wrong way._ She observed the intimate exchange from afar. Lily strolled away, lit the note on fire, set off the fire alarm and disappeared from her line of sight. Kevin ran after her and she was forced to exit the building with the herd of students to the meeting place. _This hurt. Why hadn't he just told her? She would have been fine with it if he hadn't confused her with kisses and mushy stuff._

Kevin was standing with a group of people waving her over. _Five minutes ago, he was being fondled by a ridiculously hot girl._ She was torn between high fiving him and beating him senseless with her binder for being led around by his manly bits so she pretended she didn't see him. She wasn't sure why she'd expected more after how he'd been around Chloe. Lily was surrounded by an adoring swarm of admirers. Instinct prodded her to see what was right in front of her face. _No way._ _Lily was like Chloe._ They were told it was safe to go back inside.

Everyone was already seated by the time she made it to her next class. _Of course, Lily was sitting beside Kevin._ _What was she up too? Why was she intentionally baiting her?_ Kevin kept looking, smiling. _He was worried about her_. She smiled back, assuring him all was fine. _What was she going to say? Hey, I think the hot girl that hits on you all the time might be an immortal sent to protect me?_ Lily kept giving her smug little smiles during the test, so she grabbed her books and moved to an empty desk closer to the front of the classroom. She was gathering up her things when she was smoked on the back of the head by a heavy textbook. She was stunned for a second before turning around and sputtering, "What in the hell?"

The puzzled boy sitting behind her started apologising, "Oh God, I'm sorry. It must have slipped out of my hands."

_Lily pageant grinned and winked at her._ _That psychotic Bitch! She brainwashed a guy to chuck a book at her. Oh, it's on. She was so done with this skank._ Seething with fury, she glared at Lily's coffee until it exploded like a caffeine bomb.

Lily was laughing amidst the confusion as Kayn grabbed her books and fled. Her heart was beating so rapidly she could barely catch her breath. _She just publicly exploded a mean girl's coffee. A part of her was elated for nerd girls everywhere._ Reality smacked her down. _She'd just publicly used her ability because she was jealous. She wasn't in control of this at all. She had to get the hell out of here._ She sprinted down the hall and burst out of the main entrance into the group of jocks she usually avoided. _Crap._ _Do not see me. I'm not here_. She slinked by the hot guys congregated at the steps.

"Wait," Jesse called out as he mischievously snatched her arm to keep her from escaping and led her away. "Talk to me."

His flirtation intrigued her so she willed herself to act normal as she confidently met his gaze and replied, "Long time no see." _He was her elementary school crush and the only boy she'd ever kissed, until Kevin._ The entire teams' heads were shaved but for Jesse it worked and those blue eyes. _He hadn't spoken a word to her in five years._

Once they were out of ear shot, he divulged, "I thought about you a lot but never had the guts to go see you because we hadn't spoken in so long."

Kayn smiled as she replied, "We're speaking to each other right now."

"Yes, we are. I just wanted you to know I was pulling for you the whole time and I'm sorry about your family," he disclosed, still holding her arm so she couldn't politely escape. Her former crush boldly switched directions, "What's the deal with you and Smith? Are you together? Did I miss my opportunity?"

_Really? Right now?_ "Honestly, it's been a confusing day," Kayn admitted, perplexed. _She'd obviously stumbled into a parallel universe. It had to be an alternate reality because he'd never known she existed._

"Join me for a coffee if you ever find yourself available," Jesse proposed. He let her go to wave at one of his impatient buddies. She watched in astonishment as he took out his cell phone and confessed, "Chloe gave me your number last year. I tried to talk to you at school a few times but it felt like you were avoiding me."

_She'd been avoiding him for years. She dove into many bushes._

He showed Kayn her name in his contacts with an XO beside it. "I wanted to ask you out a long time ago," Jesse revealed.

_He'd liked her before all of this. He'd just given her a much-needed dose of reality._ She smiled, wishing he'd asked her out a year ago when her life wasn't this complicated.

"I should get going but I'll text you so you have my number," he promised smiling flirtatiously.

"Sure," she replied, feeling a mixed bag of emotions. He texted her as she walked away. _She wasn't invisible anymore. Maybe she never had been?_ She glanced back and said, "I have it." _She'd seen Kevin standing in the doorway watching the conversation a minute ago._ _Where did he go?_ _Maybe, he just went to the car?_ Kayn left Jesse standing there holding up his cell phone.

Her surprise admirer yelled after her, "I'll be waiting."

She was still giggling when she arrived at Kevin's car.

Kevin was comically banging his head on the steering wheel saying, "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

She rapped on the window. Kevin peered up as she teased, "If you're finished beating yourself up, can you still give me a ride home?"

"How was school?" Kevin blankly questioned looking at the steering wheel.

"Things have changed a lot since I left," she answered quietly.

# Chapter Thirteen

### Forgiven and Forgotten

They rode in detached uncomfortable silence, managing to make it all the way home without uttering a word to each other. _If they'd been walking home, they would be lying in the grass talking things out by now._

"What are your plans?" Kevin asked, attempting to clear the strained air.

_Maybe a few hours of normalcy would fix the uncomfortable mess otherwise known as her first day back at school?_ "Come for a run?" she offered.

"That actually sounds great," he sighed. Their eyes met and a hopeful spark ignited between the pair as they go out of the car.

"You can borrow shorts from Matty. He's not home. I saw some in the folded clothes on his bed," she disclosed as they entered the house.

"Be right back," Kevin ditched his shoes and raced upstairs with a giant smile.

Kayn grabbed bottled waters from the kitchen, downed a glass of orange juice and darted into the laundry room. She stripped down, knowing she had shorts and a tank top in the dryer. She was down to thong underwear and nothing else when Kevin abruptly opened the door.

"Hey Kayn," was all he said before noticing her sparsely clothed state. He covered his eyes with both hands and with a mischievous grin, spread his fingers and peeked, getting a good look at her nearly naked.

"Kevin!" She shrilly scolded, "Get out of here! I'm changing!"

"I can see that. You look incredible," he countered, boldly removing his hands from his eyes and stepping closer. His gaze was drawn from her arms covering her breasts to the barely visible scars on her chest. He whispered, "You're perfect."

"I'm not," she replied covering her chest.

He intimately caressed the ridged scar above her heart that looked like a symbol and whispered, "What does it mean? Did you look it up?"

_Her scars looked hideous, especially the creepy one carved above her heart._ "No, I haven't," she answered, avoiding his eyes. _It was the truth._ With everything, she'd explored online, she had never looked up the meaning of that symbol. Perhaps, she really didn't want to know.

"I'll wait outside," he offered. As Kevin turned to leave, he added, "You've always been beautiful to me."

As he gently shut the door, she whispered under her breath, "I feel the same way about you." She envisioned him leaning against the other side of the door. _They were going to be just fine._

They left through the kitchen out the patio doors. The trails loomed ominously in the distance beckoning her. _Challenge accepted._ Kayn sprinted towards the opening.

"Are you sure you want to run through there Brighton?" Kevin called after her, breathing heavily.

Kayn stopped so he could catch up, grinned and declared, "It's the fastest way to the track isn't it?" Her mind darted through foggy memories as she burst into the trails with an odd sense of rebirth. She heard every noise and made a mental log of every change in her surroundings. The trees blowing in the wind applauded her re-entry with the brisk rustling of their branches, even though her heart began staging a revolt pounding vigorously through the sparse material of her tank top. _She would have to keep running through these trails until she conquered the fear. She needed to feel powerful again._ Kevin was just a pace behind her. As the trail thinned, she realised they'd chosen the route that hadn't been cleared. She jogged through the mossy branch strewn path, wincing at the sound of Kevin's repetitive steps behind her. The steady crunching of twigs stimulated a subconscious need to run faster. As she burst through the overgrowth a branch sliced her arm creating a visual pathway to the horrors she'd survived. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She fought against the instinct to panic as her bloody arm flashed by in her peripheral vision. She clenched her fists. _Woman up._ _It's only a scratch._ Even though she was doing her best to avoid overreacting, the flashes of blood stood in front of her wall of strength and screamed. _She couldn't wimp out, it was time to slay fear with determination._ It was more than strength she sought, she yearned for the rush and longed to recapture the joy she'd lost to the depravity that failed to consume her. _He was keeping pace with her. Weird. It felt like she was running fast._ A wave of adrenaline fuelled her amplified senses. She heard musical crickets, chirping birds and could distinguish scents in the air. _Hearing thoughts was only the tip of the iceberg._ They passed the shrines for her family. She saw Chloe through the trees and silently thought, _I miss you._ They broke through the overgrowth into the yard behind her property. A man was on his back porch having a cigarette. He waved as they jogged up the side alley, so they smiled and waved back. She was waiting for Kevin's commentary about being half dead but he was still jogging beside her as an equal. _It seemed impossible. I guess the same could be said of her recovery._ Instead of slowing as they hit the track, they both sped up. It quickly escalated into a competition as they sprinted around the track. Instinct urged her to show him up but they were running impressively fast already. They passed the track team like they were standing still.

The coach shouted, "Brighton! You still got it kid!" as they passed in a flash of limbs. He did a double take and cheered, "Smith! Way to go son! Wow!"

They completed another lap and collapsed on the grass laughing. She sprawled on the lush greenery and mimicked the coach, "Way to go Smith! Wow!"

"Oh, it's on," he chuckled as the wrestling match began. He tickled her until she was out of breath giggling, "Stop. Stop. I'm going to pee."

He ceased his tickles and teased, "You know, I'm into many things, but peeing is just not sexy."

_They almost had a normal moment._ _The track team had gone inside. They were all alone_. She gave him a playful shot in the stomach. He stopped himself from returning one. _He'd recently seen the scars and wasn't ready to take off the kid gloves_. Their eyes locked as she replied to his thoughts, "You won't hurt me."

Positioned on top of her, staring into her eyes, he whispered, "I would die before I let anyone hurt you again."

He seductively ran his thumb along her bottom lip. _She wanted him to kiss her._ She caressed his face and as their lips met, she allowed herself to believe she was just a girl and he was just a boy. Their G-Rated make out session went poof as tongues darted between parted lips and hands roamed beneath shirts. She arched her spine succumbing to his pleasurable touches. _They were in a public place._ She whispered, "What are we doing?"

He nibbled on her neck and ear as he said, "Whatever we want."

_She believed him._ She looked into his eyes and knew he loved her. _He didn't need to say the words. They'd always been said, through his actions and with the way he'd always been there for her. They'd always loved each other._ Her mind whispered _, 'Run Kayn_. _'_ She looked over his shoulder. _Something was falling from the sky._ _'Move Kayn,'_ the voice prompted. In a fluid movement she rolled him away, launched him to his feet and really ran, towing a confused Kevin thirty feet in seconds. There wasn't time for a breath before a gigantic blazing tree hit the field with such force, they were knocked off their feet. They were in the grass, choking and sputtering as the dust cleared. An enormous flaming tree was where they'd been making out.

"Holy shit," Kevin stammered seeing how close they'd come to being squished.

"You can say that again," she huffed, trying to catch her breath as they got up.

"Holy shit," the gym teacher shouted as he raced up the hill, "You kids okay?"

_Not really, she was reasonably certain a mythical being just tried to kill her._ She felt sick to her stomach. Instinct was prodding her to keep moving. She briskly walked away from the scene, aggressively towing Kevin with her.

He forcefully planted his feet and asserted, "Hold on! Where did that tree come from?"

_There was no logical explanation_. Her mind reeled. _She'd pulled him out of the way too quickly. Would they Correct him now? What had she done?_

"How did you see that before it hit us?" Kevin questioned, visibly freaked out.

_He wasn't coming with her until she explained and she couldn't._ _It felt like a cruel joke. Her feelings were crystal clear, now that it didn't matter at all._ _She loved him. She loved him so much it hurt_. _He'd almost been killed._ _That tree was meant for her._ _What if there was another one coming?_ Kayn tugged his hand and pleaded, "I have to get you inside." A shiver ran up her spine. Her stomach cramped. _It was a warning. She was beginning to understand._ She looked back just in time to see a second flaming tree flatten the gym teacher. Waves of guilt washed over her as she stood watching the train wreck her presence created. _She'd killed the coach she adored by being here._ Kevin stood with his mouth agape as the crowd of traumatized inconsolable teens gathered. _She'd get him inside and then she'd stay away from him. It would kill her but he'd be safe._ "We should get inside," Kayn stated as she led her unwilling friend to the gymnasium. _She felt numb, emotionless, with her need to keep Kevin safe guiding her._ _They weren't going to kill thirty people just to kill her, but she could be wrong._ The sobs echoed as she forced her way through the horrified mob of teenagers. _And here it was,_ she thought. _She'd caused the death of another human being. She knew this was the truth._ _She had to push him away so he wouldn't become collateral damage in this twisted immortal game. This new life was not her own._ _This was the fine print in the contract. She couldn't stay._ With eyes moistened by tears, she looked at Kevin and said, "You should stay away from me."

"What do you mean?" He stared at her blankly.

"It's the only way that I know you'll be safe. I can't keep myself alive if I'm worried about you and your family's safety all of the time," Kayn replied with unfiltered honesty.

"What in the hell are you talking about Kayn? __ My family is safe," Kevin countered.

He tried to touch her, she asserted, "Don't make it harder."

"Wait a minute, what's going on? You don't seriously think someone just tried to kill you with a tree? That's insane," he questioned, desperate to know why she was pulling away.

"You can't understand," Kayn whispered as she took a step back.

"What are you talking about Brighton? You're not making sense," he replied, shaking his head as she continued to back away. "What could this possibly have to do with you?"

"I wish I could explain. I can't be with you. I'm sorry," she apologised with her heart aching as she fled, forcefully shoving her way through the stunned crowd.

Kevin shouted after her, "Seriously? You're breaking up with me? We can't break up! We never got together!"

Her heart disintegrated into a million pieces as she walked away from the sound of his voice.

"I love you! I'm coming over later! We're talking about this!" Kevin yelled over the noise.

"You shouldn't," Kayn whispered back under her breath.

A blonde guy Kevin didn't even know poked his arm and teased, "If you come over after they break up with you, that's how you get a restraining order put on your ass."

"She's my best friend. It's not like that," Kevin explained.

The stranger patted his arm, winked and sparred, "That's what they all say."

Dusk arrived as Kayn ran home like she could escape what happened. _She couldn't elude the inevitable. A future without Kevin was certain_. _Her mind needed more time to wrap itself around the clause in the second chance she'd been given._ _She couldn't be more than friends with him. A Clan was going to come for her and she would have to leave._ _She didn't even know what that meant?_ _What kind of help was she going to be able to offer anyone?_ _Wow, she could move salt and pepper shakers around a table and explode someone's coffee. What was that going to accomplish?_ Nausea slowed her pace to a jog. _Everything was about to change why rush it?_ _She'd_ _convinced herself she'd have plenty of time to say goodbye._ _She didn't._ Kayn quickened her pace. _No matter how fast she ran she couldn't outrun fate._ _Something fated was predestined, so leaving was inevitable._ She stopped as she reached the winding unfinished gravel driveway that led to her door, needing a minute to compose herself. She felt a tickle on her forehead as sweat trickled from her hairline. She wiped it away with the back of her hand as she trudged up the path. She was halfway there when she froze. _She should walk away from this house and never come back if there was even a chance her presence might hurt the people she loved. She'd thought she was dealing with mortal evils, not amped up immortals throwing flaming trees._ ****_It felt like tempting fate standing outside alone and motionless. Anything could snatch her up or toss a fiery tree at her. Maybe that would be better than a life without them?_ A gust of wind burst through the trees, she could almost hear the sand in the hour glass of her life trickling through the branches. The lady in the light told her a Clan would be coming for her. _Help was coming. She wasn't going to be left alone._ Kayn continued her journey towards the front door, relieved to see it closed. _If a Clan was coming to protect her, they had better hurry up._

# Chapter Fourteen

### The Arrival of Clan Ankh

In a rustic looking cabin on picturesque Sproat Lake about fifteen minutes from her house, a group of partially immortal beings met to discuss all things Kayn Brighton related.

Markus, a slight built man with dark features and kind eyes rose to speak before a long cedar table. Ankh's leader had a surprisingly deep voice. If one closed their eyes, they'd imagine him seven feet tall. He cleared his throat and the whispers hushed as he began, "Hayley from Seattle did not survive her Correction and as you all know we lost Melody to Trinity at the beginning of the year. Sharon from Minnesota did not survive. Brantley from Arizona also didn't survive. We've only had one survivor out of the last group and that's Kayn from British Columbia. She's why we've gathered here today. After a lengthy recovery, she appears to be fully healed so it's time to step in and claim her. We have a couple weeks' leeway before the other Clans arrive, a month at the most but Abaddon could show up anytime. You've all been made aware of the special circumstances. We can't lose her. It's game time."

A crimson haired vision with a sultry hint of southern accent spoke first, "Once we've marked her and begun training, she'll be tracked by the Legion. The deceased twin had the abilities. This kid can't fight her way out of a paper bag."

She's Freja's offspring," Markus curtly replied.

"Come on, she's only half of a half of Freja's offspring. She isn't even a whole one and she has obvious issues with authority, just like her mother. I have the coffee stains to prove it," Lily huffed. Her cell vibrated for the tenth time. She picked it up and smiled at the text.

With impeccable timing Frost wandered in, sat in the empty seat beside Lily and questioned, "How in the hell do you have service?"

Markus scowled and remarked, "Good of you to join us."

Frost grinned as he stretched and said, "No problem."

The feisty red-haired beauty Lexy began comically pointing out what was ticking her off. "Number one," she glared at Frost and scolded, "Why are you not wearing a shirt?" She directed the second jab at Lily, "Number two, I swear with everything inside of me if that phone buzzes one more time, I'll be forced to shove it somewhere offering you the same irritation I get from hearing it buzz all of the damn time." Her hilarious comic timing took out her Handler. Grey laughed and spit his gum on the table in front of her. Lexy scrunched up her face, picked up the chewed wad and stuck it on his arm.

"Cute Lex," Grey chuckled, he popped it back into his mouth.

A pretty blonde named Arrianna sipped her wine and declared, "That's disgusting Grey. Nobody wants to kiss someone who eats table gum."

Grey teased, "Is that an offer? I thought we weren't doing that anymore?"

Lily's phone vibrated again and Lexy stood up.

"Don't get your panties in a twist," Lily sighed. She rolled her eyes, turned off her phone and slid it across the table to Lexy snuffing out the cause of the squabble.

Lexy brushed Grey's slightly unkempt hair out of his eyes. He placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Mellow out my feisty friend. I'll have to retrieve the phone."

"Would that really be so bad?" Lexy sparred with a wink.

Grey leaned closer and whispered, "Awe Lex, you're the best wingman ever."

Markus smacked the back of Grey's head and scolded, "I'm standing right behind you."

Grey turned around and innocently said, "Didn't see you there, my bad?"

Their frustrated leader shook his head, as he strolled around and stood at the head of the table. The whispers ceased as Markus addressed the group, "I really need at least one of you to attempt to act your age. Fake it if you must. I just need to feel warm and fuzzy about the remote possibility that one of you is capable of following orders."

Frost leaned over and whispered in Lily's ear, "I bet frog sticker girl has less of a problem with authority than you do."

Lily gave the dark featured sexy adonis a scathing look and snapped, "Go put on a damn shirt."

Frost's eyes met Lily's as he mouthed, "You want me."

"Kiss my ass Frost," Lily whispered with a smile.

"Name the time and place," he quietly bantered returning her sultry smile. Her phone buzzed in front of Lexy. Frost whispered, "I'll get it."

Markus slammed his fist on the table and angrily scolded, "Cut that crap out. I don't feel like being roofied by you two."

"What crap Daddy?" Lily replied. Her innocent smile deceiving not a person.

"Pat down your horns honey they make your hair poufy," Lexy countered.

Markus paced back and forth behind his daughter's seat as he spoke, "Lilarah, help me understand the events of today. I'm assuming you know it's a bad idea to kill our only survivor for spilling your coffee?" He stopped walking and waited for her response. She didn't give him one. He clutched the back of her chair with every speck of patience left and scolded, "I sent you in months ago so we'd be there to protect the girl and to keep an eye on the clairvoyant. I didn't want you causing drama by flirting with her boyfriend. You tried to murder the girl on her first day back to school. You killed an innocent gym teacher." He met Lily's defiance with a glare of fatherly disapproval.

"I wasn't trying to kill her. I was just messing with her a little," Lily answered, nervously tapping on the table.

Markus spun Lily's seat so she'd be forced to look him in the eyes as he interrogated, "How old are you? We are not allowed to just off mortals for no reason. We're liable to get into some serious medieval shit for altering timelines."

Lily sighed as she explained, "He walked right under it. I blame it on movies. Mortals are so desensitized from the shows they watch. I don't know about you, but when shit starts falling from the sky, I run away. I don't wander over there to get a better look."

"You've now volunteered yourself to be a member of Kayn's permanent detail. Freja's kid doesn't leave your sight until she's eighteen," Markus ordered without room for objections.

"Grey, keep an eye on my daughter and make sure there are no more unfortunate incidents," Markus commanded with his hand on Grey's shoulder.

Grey glanced at Lily and replied, "No problem. I'll keep an eye on her." He winked at the raven-haired seductress.

She winked back and flirted, "You know how much trouble I get into if I'm left to my own devices."

Markus sat down at the head of the table and muttered, "You people are driving me to drink."

In a beautifully timed move, Grey slid a bottle of wine down the table and it stopped in front of Markus.

As he picked up the bottle, their leader questioned, "Am I supposed to open this with magic or with my teeth like one of you dumb asses?"

Always having her Handler's back, Lexy strutted over to the fireplace, grabbed the poker, came back, snatched the bottle of wine from the table and smiled. If one didn't know her, they may assume she was about to do the obvious and jab the cork into the bottle with the poker. Instead, she swung her arm back like batting practice and smashed the neck of the bottle off. Shards of glass exploded everywhere and tiny droplets of wine covered everyone in the room. She beamed as she filled Markus's glass. Markus sat quietly at the end of the table not daring to utter a word.

Lexy pulled out her chair, sat back down and said, "Try not to swallow any of those tiny shards of glass. That might hurt."

Grey had his hand over his mouth almost in tears, silently belly laughing at Lexy's behaviour. Everyone else was dead silent as Grey stretched over to the middle of the table and slid another bottle of wine to Lexy and prodded, "Do it again."

She was laughing so everyone cautiously joined in. Lexy walked the line between sanity and insanity as though it were an invisible tightrope. It was always a horrible idea to wiggle her wire. She was the Clan's Dragon, which was a nice way of saying she was an immortal hitman with slight anger management issues. Absolutely nobody wanted to piss Lexy off. Grey and Arrianna could get away with almost anything. She'd never hurt them. They'd gone into the Testing together. Only fourty years ago they'd been in Kayn's position.

Grey caught Frost's attention and asked, "What about the boy? Is he viable?"

The devilishly gorgeous dark-featured immortal answered, "He was quite easily tiered up due to his Psychic lineage. Did you see how much that kid filled out in seven months? Hot damn!"

"We've been stuck in this cabin for two months and one can only binge watch so many hours of Netflix, so we did some research. The boy's grandmother is a Psychic and I'm pretty sure the boy can see dead people," Lily disclosed.

Confused, Arrianna questioned, "How did we find out about this other kid? Nobody told me anything about this."

Markus fished another shard of glass out of his wine, opted out and explained, "We suspected he was from a Psychic family line after we found out he was able to hear Kayn's twin's spirit during her Correction. We tiered him up that night on a hunch. His interference may have triggered another Correction. We couldn't risk the Brighton girl being caught in the crossfire. I thought the act of not murdering her boyfriend might help us all become better friends. After doing a little bit of research, we discovered that he is from a gifted powerful Psychic line. We always need Psychics and we've lost a lot of people this year. This could be a two for one deal."

"You should probably try to avoid sleeping with him," Frost whispered in Lily's ear.

Lily turned around and glared at Frost, "Back atcha, regarding frog sticker girl. Will you be wearing clothes to school, because it may be hard for us to stay under the radar if you're half naked looking like a water cooler delivery boy from a commercial?"

Frost smiled but didn't bother to reply.

Their leader instructed, "Please, just this once, can you four do exactly what you've been told to do. No creative changes. No excuses. No messing around. No ego trips. No more accidental murder sprees. Just go pick up those two Second Tier kids and brand them Ankh."

"No problem," Frost replied.

Their fearless leader sighed, "Right...No problem." Markus looked at Frost and exclaimed, "You've been waiting a long time for this one. Go mark frog sticker girl. If you get the chance to mark them both, do it. We'll worry about explaining everything to the boy later."

"And if he doesn't want to come?" Lexy enquired as she slid Lily's phone back to her.

Proud of her for giving the phone back, Grey squeezed Lexy's hand as he answered, "He is in love with her and he's her best friend. He'll come."

Markus stood up and announced, "We have no time to dick around, if the boy doesn't come willingly, mark him Ankh and kill him. We can worry about becoming friends later. The girl will have to suck it up, better us than a Correction."

# Chapter Fifteen

### Welcome to Clan Ankh

Kayn flopped down on her bed like an exasperated rag doll. She lay motionless wishing she could reverse the hands of time. There were a million small seemingly insignificant moments that could have been altered today if she'd had the ability to do so...

The guilt from her teacher's death was eating her alive but it was more than just one thing. _She was a real danger to the people she loved._ She'd always thought the person who killed her family was just a man. They could fight back if it was just a person. They could put alarms on houses and lights in hallways. Everyone would be protected and she could go on living her life. _She wasn't even going to graduate. She'd lost her life that fated night. Her departure was inevitable. How could she leave with strangers?_ She sobbed into her pillow, allowing herself the luxury of the mental breakdown the year owed her. _She should have trusted her instincts._ She'd woken up feeling wary, with a dozen reasons to stay home, but instead of listening to that inner voice, she left quiet solitude and entered the lion's den, otherwise known as high school.

_She felt vulnerable._ She hadn't understood the severity of her situation, blinded by the death of her family. She'd falsely believed if she concealed her abilities, she'd be reasonably safe for years. _Perhaps, she just couldn't take another second of reality so she pretended it wasn't really going to happen._ She looked as she rubbed her thumb and forefinger together. _She wasn't supposed to be alive. This was only a skin suit. Her life was not her own._ _It had been given back to her for service in a Clan. She didn't even know what that meant._ _What Clan? Where were they?_ As in love with Kevin as she was, there were no choices left to make. There was only one way to guarantee his safety. _She should have called him._ _She would have had these last weeks to hold onto in her memory. She could have kissed him a hundred times by now._ She rolled over and stared at her ceiling. The gym teacher crossed her mind, she cried until her eyes were puffy and swollen.

When she'd cried herself out, she started obsessing over what she'd done. She'd publicly broken things off to keep him safe but now all she wanted was to be in his arms. _She could check on him, it's not stalking if you're concerned for their safety_. _What if he wasn't alone?_ She recalled his comeback, _we can't break up because we were never together._ A teeny tiny glimmer of jealousy expanded until common sense was non-existent. The thought of him with someone else was a heart wrenching possibility. _She knew him better than anyone else and he made rash decisions when he was hurt._ _He was making out with Lily right now and she'd shoved him into her arms._ _If only she'd owned up to her feelings years ago when he was just her geeky, scrawny remarkably endearing friend._ _Why was everything so damned complicated now?_ Mentally exhausted, she closed her eyes.

_She must have fallen asleep?_ Her eyes were graced by the darkness of night as she looked at her window. _How long had she been asleep?_ She glanced at the clock. It was flashing 4:00 p.m. _She hadn't been home to accidentally unplug it at four?_ Her socks hit the cushioned carpet and she wandered to her en-suite. A metallic scent made her hesitate before reaching for the doorknob. There was another fragrance she recognised. _Was that Chloe's perfume?_ She shook her head at herself. _She must have sprayed it before she fell asleep. She always felt disoriented after an impromptu nap._ She opened the door, flicked on the light and staggered backwards until she was flush against the bathroom wall. On the floor was Chloe's freshly brutalized body. She swallowed the lump of shock in her throat. It was like watching Chloe on a television screen; her sister's fingers twitching as she willed her nearly lifeless body to move. _It was a vision of her sister's final moments._ Kayn whispered, "Chloe," as she inched closer. A chill shivered up her spine, she shuddered as the air grew colder by the second. _It didn't feel like they were alone_. It was chilly enough to see the steam from her breath pirouetting in front of her. _She'd heard many stories about visitors from the other side._ Granny Winnies's tales always included frigid temperatures when spirits were present. Since that incident in the hospital she'd only seen Chloe out of the corner of her eye, sensed her presence and even thought she'd heard her voice. She'd see her in mirrors as she passed, but when she doubled back it was always her reflection. _She'd seen her in the trails today. She'd been certain of it._ Her sister's fingers twitched as her breathing slowed. Something cuttingly cold passed through her. _It was a darkly clothed man._

He leaned over Chloe's body and whispered, "You scratched me you little bitch. You're a fighter. You've proven to be a worthy adversary indeed." He lovingly stroked her sister's wet hair away from her bloody disfigured face and removed a concealed blade from his pocket. Leering over her with sweat glistening on his brow, he panted with anticipation while carving something into her flesh.

Tears fogged Kayn's vision as Chloe shuddered and made eye contact with her. She sensed her twin was trying to tell her something. She had to pay attention, even though every cell in her body was screaming at her to stop him from hurting her. _This had already happened. There was no way to stop it._

He stroked her hair once more and creepily whispered, "Why don't you just die?"

Her mother's voice called out, "I'm home! You'd better be doing homework, Chloe!"

_Mom. No._ Shivers coursed through her being as tears flooded her vision.

The man who'd just mutilated her twin whispered, "Oh dear, mommy's home. I should go greet her at the door. Wherever are my manners?"

As the evil passed through her, Kayn gasped _._ It was as though the entity was the dead of winter. As soon as he left the room, Chloe began struggling again, willed her savaged body to save her mother. _She wasn't dead._ Kayn wanted to cheer, forgetting how it played out for a second. _She hadn't been able to save her mother. This must have been where they found Chloe's body._

"Mom," her sister's raspy voice croaked. _She was trying to warn her._ She felt Chloe's desperation as her voice crackled, "Mom." She shuddered and soundlessly mouthed, "Mom." Anxiety filled the air as her sister's internalised emotions pulsated through Kayn's being with such raw urgency and desperation it became impossible to separate reality from the vision. There was no way to disconnect from the horror as her twin's soul shrieked within her own mind, ' _Run! Mom! Please run!'_ Kayn wanted to go to her mother but couldn't bring herself to leave. _She couldn't let her die alone again._ She heard a single, muffled scream from the landing and found solace in how quickly her mother was silenced. _She'd died fast. He hadn't come for her._ With thankful tears blurring her vision, Kayn sat down in her twin's blood. "I'm here honey," she whispered to her dying sister in the fetal position barely breathing. "I'm with you. You are not alone," Kayn consoled lovingly. "It's going to be okay," she vowed. She sang to her nearly lifeless sister, _Sleep, sweet sleep till the morning_. _Just dream away and close your eyes_. _My love, you'll be safe until the morning_. _Sleeping in my arms all through the night_. _Although bad dreams come to scare you. My love will scare them all away_. _My heart..._ She was too choked up to continue. __ Peace slipped across her twin's face and with a final shuddering breath she was gone. Her remaining eye vacantly staring through her. _She was afraid to move for fear of breaking their fragile connection._

Chloe's head ominously cranked, looked directly at her and creepily warned, "You're next. Run Kayn." Her entity turned to mist and evaporated.

Kayn scrambled away, whipped around to check behind her, breathing a sigh of relief when nobody was there to kill her. With an uneasy feeling, she scanned the bathroom. _Was her sister talking about that day or right now?_ Her legs felt like Jell-O as she got up. _How long was she sitting there?_ Her bedroom door abruptly opened and she leapt.

Matt stuck his head in and announced, "Twenty minutes until dinner."

"You scared the shit out of me!" she scolded. Matt was giggling as he closed the door. _She didn't even know he was home._ She felt a presence, turned and squealed with her heart in her throat for the third time in minutes. A hot guy wearing nothing but black silky shorts was lounging on her purple comforter.

"They were right. You are overdramatic," the half-naked dark-featured stranger teased as he got up and boldly came towards her with a hand extended in greeting.

"How did you get in here?" She demanded as the living breathing underwear model from a city billboard confidently approached. She backed down the hallway into the bathroom, prepared to slam the door in his face and lock it.

He held up his hands and chuckled, "Kayn, take a deep breath and calm your self down. I'm from Clan Ankh. I've been looking forward to meeting you. I'm Frost, I know Freja. Your bio mom, or whatever you plan to call her."

_He was from a Clan_. _It was surprisingly difficult to ignore the rules she grew up with. This is probably a good half naked stranger surprising her in her bedroom._ She recalled her conversation with the lady in the light. _She'd agreed to this as the terms of her survival. She hadn't known they could appear out of thin air and in her bedroom but beggars can't be choosers._ "Not Jack Frost?" Kayn teased with a touch of sarcasm.

"Wow, she has a sense of humour. It's not like I haven't heard that one a million times," the uncomfortably sexy guy fired back.

She couldn't manage to pry her eyes away from his chiseled abs and perfect everything, not even for the sake of being polite _. He smelled incredible._ With a deviously naughty grin, he continued to approach. She felt the colour rising in her cheeks _._ "Is it part of your job to show up half-naked?" Kayn enquired.

He winked and roguishly replied, "It is."

_Of course, it was._ His presence had turned her sex drive up ten notches. She felt a disturbing absence of control as heat surged in the pit of her stomach. Her sister crossed her mind. _He was like Chloe but a guy._ _She got it now, although it didn't help much._

Enjoying her weakness to his mind-altering pheromones, he flirtatiously taunted, "I think it's time you became less interested in stalking that boy and more concerned with what I have to offer you."

Kayn swallowed and nervously asked, "What's that?"

The half-naked Adonis inched closer. "Why safety in numbers and training, what do you think I'm offering?" he countered, oozing sensual charisma.

_Closing the bathroom door clearly wasn't an option. He'd overpower her and she'd let him._ _She wasn't frightened_. _It was quite the opposite. She felt dangerously alive._

First things first, don't be ridiculous get over here you can't get away," he chuckled summoning her to follow.

_Shit, she might as well._ She followed him into her room.

"Open your hand." The roguish immortal commanded.

He placed a small bag of what felt like rocks in her palm. Kayn cheekily proclaimed, "I've had the healing rock thing covered for years, my best friend's grandmother has a fetish."

"You didn't even look. What if they're magic beans?" he provoked, intrigued by her weird comebacks.

"Magic beans didn't work out well for Jack in that unfortunate beanstalk incident, did they?" Kayn countered, defiantly tossing the bag on her bed.

"You're quite the nerdy little smartass, aren't you?" Frost chuckled, shaking his head. He patiently held out his hand.

She stifled the urge to ask for a spanking. _Calm down. He has voodoo powers. He's like Chloe. You love Kevin_ , she repeated in her mind, trying to keep her shit together.

Frost chuckled and exclaimed, "It doesn't matter how much you love that Kevin kid. Right now, the only thing that matters is that you play along. You've already agreed to the contract."

_He'd read her mind just like she'd been able to eavesdrop on people's thoughts. Could they all do this?_ With a touch of foreboding, she placed her hand in his unprepared for the surge of hedonistic pleasure that made her tingly everywhere. She yanked her hand away and asserted, "Let me get this straight. You want to give me a bag of rocks and drug me by holding my hand. Assuming I'm not a complete moron, how about an explanation first?"

"You're entering a new existence where explanations will be few and far between. Sweetheart, life will be way easier if you just go with it," he coolly responded.

_That was ignorant._

The roguish immortal grinned at her inner dialogue and explained, "Those stones you tossed on the bed are for protection and healing but I'm going to assume your friend's grandma didn't tell you they come in quite handy when you're in need of privacy from a higher-level soul. Humour me and I'll give you more details later." Frost extended his hand once again and urged, "Now, take my hand frog sticker girl. This is getting old."

Confused, Kayn questioned, "Frog sticker girl?"

Frost winked and replied, "It's a long adorable story. I'll tell you the whole thing someday."

_She was afraid but she wanted to trust him._

Frost's eyes softened as he responded to her thoughts, "I would never do anything to hurt you but you have to be marked Ankh. It'll be worth it, I promise. We're spiritually bound as an immortal family. If you're in danger, we'll know and we can protect you."

"I can't bind myself permanently to anyone at seventeen," Kayn stated with adult resolve.

Frost patiently clarified, "If I have to take you by force, you leave right now. If you do this willingly, you'll have more time."

_Twenty minutes had to be up by now. What would happen if Matt came back upstairs?_

She gazed into the immortal's eyes and asked, "Will it hurt?"

"Yes, but I swear it'll be worth it," Frost tenderly responded as he extended his hand.

Kayn hesitantly took it and felt the same intoxicatingly carnal sensation he'd given her before. He roughly pressed his ring into her palm. "Son of a bitch!" she shouted as the symbol on the ring melted her flesh. _He'd branded her! Holy hell, it was excruciating._ She held her wounded hand defensively and furiously hissed, "What, in, the, hell!"

"I'm sorry, it had to be done," Frost apologised. He tugged off his white fingerless leather glove to show her his brand as he justified his actions, "This is the symbol of Ankh, it's our key to the in-between. It has been branded on your flesh and soul. One of those rocks in the bag you tossed on your bed is for protection while travelling in your mind, I thought that might interest you. The Snowflake Obsidian is for foresight development. You know that feeling you get when something is about to go wrong?" Frost paused and asked, "Did you catch any of that?"

Kayn shot him the dirtiest look in her repertoire and accused, "I lost the ability to pay attention when you branded me."

He sighed, "Just let me get through the welcome to Ankh speech and you can go back to obsessing over your friend. This is important, you can't just astral project wherever you want. Well, not if you'd like to come back and find your body in one piece. You need a spiritually safe zone."

_Was that why Granny Winnie kept giving her stones?_

"Probably," he responded to her inner dialogue. "Now that you're Ankh you can't die. If you're killed your soul will remain in the in-between and be drawn back to your body when we heal you. Once you've reached the age of eighteen that mark is permanent, you'll do the Testing and earn a tomb."

Kayn raised her eyebrows as she declared, "Feel free to quote me. I'm never sleeping in a tomb."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about falling asleep in one of our tombs," Frost chuckled.

Deafened by the stinging, agony of melted flesh. She pursed her lips and gave it a cooling blow but it only made it worse.

"Oh, quit being such a baby," Frost reprimanded as he reached for her hand.

"Seriously. Do you think I've been sniffing glue? Why would I give you my hand again? That really hurt," Kayn said, offended he thought her that stupid.

"Sniffing glue?" He questioned, obviously missing something in her sarcastic wit.

_How about, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. I'm not crazy enough to give you my hand again. If you burn my hand once, shame on you, but burn me twice, shame on me_.

"You have quite the active hamster wheel spinning between your ears, frog sticker girl," he teased.

Kayn glared at him, boiling rabbits with her eyes. _I'm in pain you douche._

Do you want me to heal that for you?" He asked with genuine tenderness.

_Her instincts were telling her to trust him even though it made no sense to._

He held up his branded hand and instructed, "Place your symbol against mine."

_What would it hurt now?_ _She'd already let him brand her._ She did it and it tingled, warmed up then felt normal as he took his hand away. Kayn stared dumbfounded at her pain free healed palm.

"Better now sweetie?" He asked.

She nodded, fascinated. _He'd healed her._ _This was so crazy. All of it._ He cleared his throat and she peered up.

"Let me show you something cool," Frost said. He pinched her hard.

She snapped, "Ouch! Not cool!" _What is wrong with this asshole?_ _That was hard, she was bleeding a little._

He smiled and instructed, "Now, look at your palm."

She looked at her hand. _It felt warm and her mark was glowing. Crazy._

Frost raised his hand to show her that his was also glowing, "Once you're Enlightened, you'll get a ring just like this one."

"Do I get to burn unsuspecting people too?" Kayn cheekily sparred.

"You sure do frog sticker girl," he teased.

_He seemed proud of that condescending nickname. This wasn't even an act._ _He was such a douche._ After a moment of inner thought, she truly hoped he'd heard, she spoke, "This is a lot to take in."

The grinning immortal grew serious as he revealed, "On a personal note, we've been watching you for a long time. You had natural talent and this likeable humility. We weren't allowed to stop the Correction, but we did what we could by amplifying the spirit world around you. Hearing your twin screaming for you to run gave you a few extra seconds. Freja's our friend. You didn't have any abilities, we wanted you to have a fighting chance. There was a glitch in our plan when your little boyfriend also heard Chloe scream."

_Kevin_. Kayn asked, "Is he in danger?"

Frost answered, "Truthfully, he might be. He interfered with a Correction."

Kayn's heart sank as she said, "But he didn't know?"

Frost did his best to explain, "Any mortal with a genetic predisposition to access unattainable portions of their brain can have a dormant ability triggered and when we left that door open to warn you, your sister was able to reach you and unfortunately him. Under immortal law any mortal that has knowledge of the immortal world must be Corrected, but any Second Tier can be claimed by a Clan. So, knowing he must have some Psychic ability, we took a chance and gave him a surge of energy from one of our Healers to see if we could make him viable enough to claim. You didn't find his dramatic physical changes strange?"

"Of course, but I was asleep for so long and there was just too much to take in when I woke up. Does he know about any of this?" Kayn asked.

"Psychics are naturally occurring genetic mutations among the human population, sort of like evolution. Most Psychics know not to mess with fate and never with death," he responded.

_Kevin's grandmother knew I was going to die and let me go home anyway._ Kayn felt the ache of deeply penetrating betrayal.

He whispered, "She knew if she stopped you that her family would be next. Nobody escapes their Correction. If you had been paying attention, you would have seen the signs to your own demise."

Kayn slowly shook her head in denial even though she knew he was speaking the truth.

"Think about it, you felt your sister being killed as you lay in the grass and blew it off as hunger pains even though you knew that it was far too painful to be just that. You had a sense of foreboding you chose to ignore as you walked towards the house. There should have been three, Kayn. When was the other one?" Frost questioned.

_The wind blowing up the dust on the track when there had barely been a breeze. She'd even joked about someone walking over her grave._

"You are protected by Ankh," he announced. Suddenly, Frost looked irritated. "Pardon me for a second love," he strode over to the window and flung it open. Kevin startled, slipped, and fell. Frost grabbed his arm as he dangled off the ledge and scolded, "Are you going to be a problem young man, or an ally?"

"An ally! Definitely an ally!" Kevin stammered as the immortal yanked him through the window like a rag doll.

Trying to remain calm, she implored, "Don't hurt him, Frost."

Frost winked and replied, "I knew he was out there the whole time. I let him hear everything so I wouldn't have to explain it twice. Now you know your grandma's a Psychic and Kayn's a Second Tier soul. Did you follow along all right or do you need anything explained to you?"

"I think I got it. I'm good," Kevin quickly answered.

"Are you going to tell anyone, kid?" Frost interrogated as he stared right through Kevin like he had a built-in lie detector.

"No, never. I wouldn't," Kevin stammered in response.

"Any questions?" Frost added with dry annoyance.

"Where's your shirt?" Kevin teased.

"You two are perfect for each other," Frost sparred, struggling to hide a smile that crept to the corners of his lips even though he was trying to be intimidating.

"Well, pass me your hand then kid. It's your turn." Frost smiled as Kevin held out his hand willingly.

Frost took it and remarked, "How blindly we love when we're young and unscathed." He branded the symbol into Kevin's hand as he repeated Kayn's colourful words. "Welcome to Clan Ankh," Frost chuckled. "We'll be in touch kids. You have a lot to learn." Frost grinned as he twisted his ring back around, grabbed a couple fingerless gloves out of his pocket, tossed them on the bed and said, "Don't forget to cover those symbols with these. Any other questions or are we good here?"

"Will someone still be coming to kill me?" Kayn asked as she looked at Kevin, her heart aching because he'd tied himself to her.

"Oh sweetheart, you can count on it," he blurted coldly. Then smirked and added, "On the bright side if either of you are brutally murdered, we can bring you back. You're Ankh now, it's no big deal."

_Right, brutally murdered, no big deal_.

"Kev, you okay little buddy?" Frost gave him a brotherly pat on the shoulder.

"Just trying to absorb everything. It may take a minute, or a year or so," Kevin answered calmly.

"Well, my young friend, time is irrelevant. Does that help?" Frost countered with a grin and a supportive shoulder clasp.

"Not so much, but thanks for throwing that out there," Kevin mumbled shaking his head.

Frost grinned and replied, "Anytime." He picked up a picture of the twins from Chloe's dresser, looked at it then placed it back down. "Well I guess it's time for me to go. Behave yourselves. We'll be in touch. And Kevin, it's not really stalking," Frost teased with a giant grin in Kayn's direction.

"Huh?" Kevin replied, not understanding what he meant.

Frost waved and climbed out of her window. Kayn grinned. _She'd totally thought he'd just magically appeared._ _Wait a minute...She didn't even hear him climbing in her window? She'd been preoccupied by trauma...Again._

"He branded my hand," Kevin stated numbly.

"He was either going to kill you or brand you," she mumbled, still confused. Let me see your hand. I want to try something," Kayn took his hand and hers warmed. Kevin's symbol lit up. He gawked at his healing hand utterly astonished. The bedroom door opened.

Her brother stuck his head in and complained, "I told you to come down for dinner five minutes ago."

"Sorry Matty. I'll be right down," Kayn stammered. _When I regain my faculties._ He gave them a strange look.

"Kevin, just use the door next time instead of creeping in my sister's window. Are you staying for dinner?" Matt harassed.

"Sure, sounds good," Kevin answered his voice cracking in embarrassment as Matt closed the door.

"Frost was here for a good hour, wasn't he?" Kayn questioned as she looked at her clock.

"At least," Kevin agreed, peering at his watch. Confused, he added, "Only twenty minutes has passed since I climbed up the tree to your windowsill. That doesn't make sense? Alright, I'm officially a little creeped out by all of this."

"Just a little?" She countered as they sat on her bed, neither one moving a muscle. I know we need to talk about this but Matt's going to freak out if we don't get down there."

"We have a lot to talk about after dinner," Kevin sighed, as he got up and tried to take her hand. Both of their palms began glowing. They let go. "Mental note, no public hand holding unless we're wearing gloves," he remarked as they each grabbed a glove.

# Chapter Sixteen

### Forever and Ever, Amen

Kayn took her place at the dinner table as her frazzled mind scrolled through the events of the day. _How was she even supposed to process all of this? Her gym teacher's wife and children must be going through hell tonight._ _It was her fault._ _He was just an innocent bystander_. _It felt like Kevin was avoiding any direct eye contact with her. The hamster wheel between his ears was probably spinning so fast it was invisible._ _He'd just given up his life and in her own words; seventeen was a little young to be thinking in terms of forever..._

Matt kicked her under the table and remarked, "You haven't touched your food."

Mindlessly staring at her plate, Kayn confessed, "I keep thinking about the gym teacher's family."

Kevin looked directly into her eyes and said, "It's not your fault."

Matt squinted at Kevin and commented, "That was a weird thing to say Smith?" He addressed Kayn, "I assume you guys are talking about that gym teacher? I got a text from Clay about him getting squished by a tree. How messed up is that? I guess when your numbers up, it's up." He finished another mouthful and added, "I loved that guy. He was my gym teacher when I went to school there. Kevin, your brother is pretty upset about it. How did a tree end up falling in the center of the track? It just doesn't make any sense."

_What could she say? Someone tried to kill her again? Kevin probably thought that she was insane when she'd said those words to him at school._ She glanced at Kevin. _I bet he doesn't think I'm crazy now_. _She didn't want her brother to ask questions. He was mortal and therefore completely expendable._ "It was a horrible random accident," Kayn said as she looked down at her plate, cut a slice of her cold roast beef and ate it. _If she didn't eat, she'd draw unwanted attention to herself._ Her brother obviously hadn't heard they'd been standing right in front of the gym teacher. They continued to eat in silence.

After dinner, they went back up to her room. She told Kevin a story about twin sisters that share a soul and events that were completely unbelievable. He not only believed every word but was a little upset she hadn't told him everything from day one. He in turn, told her he could see dead people. He told her Lily was one of them and that she'd already come to him. The note she'd asked him to read aloud had something to do with having privacy from the spirits and boundaries. She opted out of harassing him for not telling her, they were even. They lay side by side on her bed, staring at each other.

Kevin broke the silence by saying, "You should have seen me outside your window watching you with some random shirtless guy. I don't think I've ever been so jealous in my life."

His comment lightened the mood. Kayn chuckled, "Frost's ability turns you on just like Chloe's gift did."

"Your sister turned you on?" Kevin teased covering his mouth feigning shock.

Kayn punched his arm and sparred, "You're hilarious."

Kevin laughed, "Kidding, I'm joking. I know what you mean. Lily also has that ability."

"Have you kissed her?" _Why did she just say that? She really didn't want to know the answer but the train had already left the station._ She shifted in bed and met his gaze, balancing on one elbow. _Absolute truth time goes both ways._

He lovingly caressed her face as he answered honestly, "I wanted to but I didn't."

She abruptly pulled away as he leaned in. "I knew she voodoo powered that guy into hitting me with a book," she grumbled.

He played with her hair as he teased, "In all fairness you did explode her coffee. That was you...Right?"

"She deserved it," Kayn whispered as they inched closer.

As they embraced, he kissed her cheek sweetly saying, "Please give me a chance to explain before you blow things up in my face."

She played with the edge of his shirt while stipulating, "I promise to refrain from blowing things up in your face until after you've had a chance to explain."

"I'm sure you meant to say you'd never do that," he teased, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Never say never," she baited. Kayn looked around and abruptly changed the subject, "Are there any dead people in my room right now?"

"Not a one," Kevin replied as he whimsically caressed her hair.

Kayn gave him a playful shoved and laughed, "You're bad at lying, you have an easy tell."

Captivated, he probed, "I'll bite, what's this easy tell?"

_Kiss me you idiot._ She flirtatiously revealed, "If I tell you what it is, you'll change it and I won't know when you're lying."

He clutched her pillow and menacingly threatened, "Tell me or I'll beat you senseless with this green tea scented orthopedic pillow."

She lounged back on her bed, arms behind her head. "I'm all for trying something new," daring him.

He stopped horsing around and admitted, "I'm sorry it took me so long to see us for what we are."

She placed her gloved hand against his and as they intertwined their fingers, she disclosed, "I thought I was going to have to leave you but now you're coming with me. Can you really tie yourself to me forever at seventeen?"

Kevin lovingly gazed into her eyes as he confessed, "I was tied to you forever at five."

She teared up so she let got of his hand, wiped her eyes and swatted him, laughing, "You're so full of shit. I saw the tell."

With tears of adoration glistening in his eyes, he whispered, "I knew you were the weirdest, most incredible, completely insane girl I'd ever laid eyes on. I have never regretted giving you that flower, not once. You'll always be my friend no matter what. Nothing can change what will always be the truth." Kevin took her hand again, laced his fingers through hers and brought their hands to his chest, shifting her body closer. His teared-up eyes penetrated hers as he asked, "You can feel my heartbeat against your hand. You know it's the truth."

Deeply moved, with their lips a breath apart, she opted to show him she believed by tenderly pressing her lips against his. As their lips parted, their eyes locked. Their futures had been drastically altered. They had no control over anything. The unknown was terrifying. Everything in their lives was a complete mess but they were certain. What they wanted was undeniable. Their lips passionately reunited. The G-rating was lost as he boldly seduced her with his tongue. Where had he learned to kiss like this? He grazed her bottom lip and she gasped. That was it, the games were done as he rolled on top of her. She started pulling up his shirt, wanting his skin against hers, aching to be his. She needed the end of this day to be about more than trauma and pain. She wanted this day to be about something beautiful. She seduced him with her eyes as she removed her shirt and chucked it. His inner dialogue was gloriously epic as she took off her bra making her intentions clear.

Awestruck, he gasped, "Are you sure?"

She nodded and whispered, "I've never been so sure of anything." He hastily took off his shirt and tossed it aside. He'd physically changed so much. His abs were in a league of their own. Captivated, she caressed his muscular chest as their lips met once again in a beautiful breathless dance. She adored him with every whisper of her being. This was deeper than lust. This wasn't two teens doing something impure. This was the most untainted form of love. It was a passion built on friendship, a devotion built on kissed skinned knees and crying on shoulders. This was a love built on placing brick after brick of trust into its foundation. Their hearts were as intertwined as their fingers. Hers raced as he ignited embers of lust by seductively kissing her neck, chest and continued the titillating journey all the way down to her abdomen causing her to squirm beneath him, laughing. She mischievously pulled his hair. He peered up and grinned as she naughtily bit her lip while beckoning him with a finger to get back up there and kiss her. She gazed deep into her best friend's eyes as she fumbled with the button on her jeans.

From the bottom of the stairs Kayn's brother yelled, "Hey! Don't make me get the hose! Kevin! Your mom says it's time to go home!"

"Oh no, I think he's on to us," Kayn giggled.

Kevin groaned, tugged his shirt back on and whispered, "I'm going out that door and climbing back in your window."

She quickly kissed him again and teased, "I have a sneaky suspicion Matt will be checking on me every five seconds tonight."

He chuckled, "I'm just glad he didn't barge in here. That would have been awkward."

Matt was angry, seething at the bottom of the stairs. _What was the appropriate reaction to Kevin and Kayn's changed relationship status?_

Jenkins wandered up and taunted, "What's wrong buttercup?"

"I think they might be making out up there. That bed was squeaking," Matt whispered.

Jenkins smiled and provoked, "I'm sure they are."

"Well, what should I do?" Matt said helplessly. "I yelled at Kevin and told him to come down. I told him his mother wanted him to come home."

"Give the kid a minute to compose himself. If you know what I mean," Jenkins chuckled patting his shoulder.

"Oh, like hell." Matt hissed. He tried to push past Jenkins to the stairs.

Jenkins assertively seized Matt's arm and said, "This is Kevin you're talking about, not some schmuck with a sports car who is going to love your sister and leave her. You should be happy about this; they may even get married one day." He towed Matt away from the stairs.

"I should at least threaten him," Matt grumbled as he looked back at the stairs.

Jenkins promised, "He's going to stop whatever they were doing and go home. Kevin's a great kid. You'll have the upper hand if you don't overreact."

"She's only seventeen," Matt replied.

"What were you doing at seventeen?" Jenkins asked.

"Oh God, I'll kill him!" Matt panicked.

Jenkins was belly laughing as he maneuvered Matt to the kitchen, "Let me make you a nice cup of coffee with Baileys in it. It'll calm your nerves."

Sure enough, only a minute went by before Kevin raced down the stairs and waved as he left.

Kayn didn't come downstairs. She was a little embarrassed and preferred to avoid lectures. She changed into pajamas, rested her head on her pillow and thought about her heartbreakingly sad confusingly sexy day.

As she drifted off, Chloe's voice whispered, _"That was a little naughty, I'm almost impressed."_

Exhausted, Kayn smiled but didn't waken to spar as she slipped off into a dreamless slumber and awoke rested. She looked at the symbol on her palm and it all came rushing back. She slipped on the fingerless glove. Stubbing her toe was part of her routine. She was as graceless as a bull in a china shop in the morning. Kevin was already sitting in the kitchen having a coffee with Jenkins when she stumbled in wearing purple pajamas and a robe with scraggly lion's mane hair. Jenkins was having an awkward chat with Kevin about doing adult deeds elsewhere to preserve Matt's sanity. _Nope, she wasn't doing this._ _Kevin was a rock star boyfriend_. _Look at him go._ _He even admitted they got caught up in the emotion of the day and hadn't thought it through. He was good._ Jenkins gave a mortifying practice safe sex speech as icing on the humiliating conversation cake. She was at the fridge trying not to laugh, looking for something. _She sure as hell didn't want to be involved in this conversation._ Kevin assured Jenkins they'd slow things down, think things through and give Matt some time to get with the program. _She agreed a tiny bit._ _She didn't really want to though_.

Kevin grinned as she went back to the coffee maker, poured herself a giant mug and remembered why she went to the fridge in the first place. She went back for flavoured coffee creamer. _It wasn't there. Ohhh, she wasn't happy about this._ Kevin got up and brought it to her without saying a word. _He knew the drill. Ten or fifteen minutes of peace and she was good to go._ She took her coffee and went back upstairs to get dressed.

A few minutes later she reappeared as her perky happy self. They sat in silence sipping coffee, making faces at each other whenever Jenkins turned around. When he stood up to start making breakfast. They got up to help.

Matthew Brighton was summoned from his slumber by the enticing scent of the sizzling bacon. He walked in and when he saw Kevin standing there, his eyes widened like he was about to throw down. _He totally thought Kevin spent the night._ She pressed her lips together to stifle her laughter. Kevin was obliviously grabbing plates from the cupboard.

Matt came in and Jenkins started giggling. Without turning around, he clarified, "Kevin just got here. He brought us some farm fresh eggs for breakfast."

Her brother's mood instantly shifted from I'll tear your limbs off to awe that's nice as he said, "Thank your mom for us."

After breakfast, they snuggled in fleece blankets on opposite sides of the couch to preserve Matt's sanity as requested. They spent their day watching movies, laughing and pointedly avoiding conversations involving the events of the day before. They slowly inched closer to each other and held hands beneath the blanket. Eventually, Kevin stopped concentrating on the movie but he wasn't thinking about naughty stuff like she was. _He was wondering what she could do but she had to take a breather and dial back the drama so she could process everything. She needed to be ordinary teenagers eating popcorn, cuddling on the couch. She wanted to continue to pretend this was all they were._ "Bathroom break. I'll be back," Kayn ominously sang the __ horror movie watching no-no. She smiled flirtatiously as she provocatively swayed her hips, listening to his musical laughter as she walked away. Realising she was thirsty, she detoured to the kitchen for orange juice. While standing at the sink she peered out the window and saw a girl in the bushes. The girl met her curious eyes and flashed her a friendly smile. The stranger's wavy hair and natural beauty felt familiar. She was about to open the sliding door to ask if she needed help, assuming she'd lost her dog in the trails but as Kayn touched the handle instinct prompted her to be wary. She'd been cautioned to listen to her inner voice. She wasn't overly concerned but still checked to be sure the sliding door was locked before leaving the kitchen. As she passed the front door, she also made sure it locked before wandering into the den. She handed Kevin his orange juice.

"Thanks' Brighton. Why did you lock the door?" he enquired.

"There's a girl in the bushes out back, she probably lost her dog. Better safe than sorry," Kayn answered, sipping her juice. Kevin bolted to the kitchen forcing her chase after him. _That was a bit of an overreaction_. They looked out the kitchen window and Kayn remarked, "She's gone now," and shrugged. _The warning from last night echoed in her mind._

"Maybe," he replied. With his arm around her, he kissed her head sweetly as they wandered back to the den. Three aggressively loud knocks on the door rattled them. Kayn reached for the knob.

Kevin asserted, "No. Don't answer it, we don't know enough about any of this yet. What if it's someone coming for you?"

"They're not going to bother knocking when they come to kill me," Kayn laughed as she stepped back and gestured for him to go ahead and open it.

He peered through the peephole and remarked, "There's nobody there?"

_That was weird._ An ominous shadow passed the curtains in the den. Was someone in the bushes? She heard tires in the gravel and looked out the peep hole. _Matt was an innocent bystander. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he got caught up in this._ "Matty's back from the gym," she panicked. "I have to open it."

Kevin stepped in front of her and flung open the door.

A visibly startled Matt blurted, "If you yell surprise kid. I'm going to kick your ass."

The fun mix of fear and fury in her brother's expression made her giggle. _Matty was getting sick and tired of feeling like the butt of everyone's jokes._

Kevin peered out the door and explained, "Sorry, Kayn saw a girl snooping around outside."

_Every car that passed and every unexpected visitor was a threat in the back of her mind now. It felt like she was on borrowed time. It made sense, her time was already up._

"Maybe, I should see if she's still out there?" Matt remarked as he tossed his gym bag on top of everyone's shoes.

_He couldn't._ Kayn sighed "Don't worry about it. I'm just being paranoid." She changed the subject, "How was your workout?"

Kevin grasped Matt's shoulder and suggested, "Let's make a fresh pot of coffee. What's new at University? Hook ups worth mentioning?" He not so inconspicuously urged him down the hall.

"Yes, to coffee. University is going well and there's been a few. Why are you acting weird?" Matt answered, understandably confused.

Kayn peeked out the peephole as they walked away.

"Kid, you using the term hook up in a sentence bothers me immensely," Matt commented.

_Her brother was touchy and paranoid but how could she blame him? She was all he had left. How was she going to leave him and vanish? He would look for her. He wouldn't just let her disappear._ They had coffee, laughed and chatted about random things. Sixty minutes later they were still distracting her brother, whose one-track mind kept circling the conversation back to the girl creeping around outside. Matt left to take a private call.

"There's one of his hook ups now," Kevin whispered.

Deciding now was as good a time as any, she answered his inner dialogue's question about what she could do by showing him. _If you can hear my thoughts, nod._ He nodded and winked. _Lovely._ _Oh, she could only imagine the weird crap he'd heard listening to her inner dialogue._ _Awkward._

He responded without words, _'I already know you're a weirdo it's all good.'_

Kayn stared at the salt and pepper shakers, speaking in her mind, _Watch this._ They shifted a tiny bit. _That was rather anticlimactic but I can do this. It works better when I'm angry._

_'Okay, I made out with Lily,'_ he thought. __ The condiments shot across the island, smashing on the floor. "I was joking. Shit," Kevin laughed as they both leapt to clean up.

"You better be, I'm getting stronger," she countered as she swept.

"Wow," he commented. ' _The ten-year-old in you must be freaking out right now.'_ He tipped the dustpan full of shattered glass into the garbage.

Matt walked in joking, "What are we wowing?"

Kayn fessed up, "I accidentally knocked the salt and pepper shakers off the island."

Her brother questioned, "Off the center of it?" Matt mumbled something under his breath as he peeked in the trash, looked up and probed, "How?"

"She's always been the accident prone one," Kevin bluntly responded.

_They were both bad at lying and Matt wasn't buying it._

"I'm not frigging stupid you two." Matt said as his inner dialogue took a savagely dark stroll, ' _If I catch you trying to have sex with her,_ _I'll tie you naked to a tree in the trails and rub you down with raw meat.'_

Kevin choked and coffee spurted all over the table.

While shooting evil eye daggers, Matt coldly stated, "The paper towel dispensers empty. I'll be gone for two seconds, don't get any ideas."

Kayn looked out the window and whispered, "This is getting awkward. Want to go for a run?"

"You'll do anything to avoid confrontation, won't you? An hour ago, there was a stranger lurking around out there," Kevin teased.

"True," she replied, feeling trapped within the confines of her house. _She needed to feel free even if it was only a mirage._

He caressed her arm and vowed, "I promise it won't be like this forever.

She gave him a quick peck on the lips and whispered, "You can't promise me anything anymore Kevin."

"I know our situation has changed. Call it a feeling but I think we have amazing things ahead of us," he assured, playfully luring her closer.

_There would be no college, no white picket fence with the three children playing in the yard as she'd always imagined. They may finish high school but she wasn't going to hold her breath. How long would it be before they'd be forced to leave with the Clan?_ _Where would they be in five years, in ten? So many questions and no answers._ She looked into his eyes and smiled. _He'd been following her thoughts._

"I will always want to be wherever you are, that much I can promise. You're stuck with me Brighton," he vowed, tenderly kissing her forehead.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in this mess," she whispered.

He lovingly teased, "It was completely my choice to stalk you outside your window last night."

"Yeah...While we're on the subject of stalking." _It was time to fess up about her creative observation before it got out some other way._ She came clean about astral projecting into his bedroom at night and listening in on his most intimate fantasies.

Several shades of scarlet, he chuckled, "I'm surprised you're not running for the hills."

"Why? It's was just what you'd expect to hear in a teenage boy's mind," Kayn confessed as heat crept into her cheeks.

He took it to a whole other place by saying, "Do you think about the same things when you're alone?"

"Not even close," she fibbed red-faced.

"You lie," he provoked, enjoying watching her squirm. He whispered in her ear, "I bet your naughty thoughts put mine to shame. Did you hear anything intriguing in my fantasies? Tell me what you heard, don't leave out any details."

Jenkins barged in and announced, "I ordered pizza and rented a few scary movies. Let's attempt to take this day back to a PG rating before your poor brother has a mental breakdown. I know it's probably his turn to have one but I say we skip it."

They looked at each other and silently followed Jenkins back to the living room where they ate pizza and watched movies. It was late and nobody was motivated to drive so Kevin called to tell his mom he was staying there for the night. They had secretly planned to sneak away once everyone had gone to sleep and finish what they'd started. It was the one thing they could control that was still their choice.

# Chapter Seventeen

### Being Psychic 101

> _Psychic: From Greek word psukhikos of the soul or life_
> 
> _Sensitive to influences or forces of the nonphysical or supernatural_
> 
> _(A person) sensitive to forces not recognized by natural laws._

* * *

That night Kevin remained on the couch downstairs, even though he wanted to sneak into her room and climb into bed with her, so badly it hurt. Matt must have gone to the bathroom eighty times to make sure he was still there and not in Kayn's bed. _Maybe he should just marry her?_ _It was a crazy idea but what was the difference between being married and what he'd just agreed to? He'd consented to be with her forever. Well her, and a bunch of partially immortal strangers._ _He'd met Lily and that shirtless dick Frost. How many others were there?_ _He knew nothing about what he'd signed up for. Nothing but the fact that Kayn had to go and wherever she was is where he wanted to be._ _They only kept him alive because they thought he had his Granny's gift._

He'd never believed his grandmother's craziness, until he started to change. The physical transformation happened so fast. It was like he went to bed one night scraping the bottom of the gene pool and woke up on top. He sprouted up, his acne cleared and muscles just appeared out of nowhere. Clay accused him of using steroids which was laughable. Their family doctor did all kinds of blood tests and in the end confirmed it was a growth spurt. He was a late bloomer. _He might have bought that diagnosis if he also wasn't seeing the dead and occasionally hearing other people's thoughts._ _What if he never got any Psychic abilities? What if he could only ever see the odd dead person in pajamas and slippers wandering around confused?_ _This Clan he'd joined probably expected him to be able to see the future, or something equally spectacular. At least seeing the dead had opened his mind up enough to just go with the insane situation, he'd accidentally become a part of._ _Kayn had done remarkably well adapting to the craziness._

He'd been staring at the ceiling tossing around a ball of anxiety for hours. Each time Matt came downstairs to check on him, he'd stifled his giggles and pretended to be asleep. He started laughing. _They'd both allowed themselves to be branded by a random shirtless guy in Kayn's bedroom._ _He'd checked out the meaning of Ankh online after he got home even though he'd overheard Kayn's entire conversation with that overly flirtatious asshole. He'd always known on some level he was meant to be with her so wherever they ended up they'd be alright if they were together._ _That much he knew for sure._ _He was supposed to pick up Granny around lunchtime tomorrow but he had lots of questions and he might need to have a meltdown over the old school supernatural shit he'd accidentally signed up for. He'd go over there first thing so they had a good chunk of time to talk._ _Kayn was coming over for dinner, he'd pick her up after that._ His eye lids grew heavy and he succumbed.

Kevin opened his eyes in a bedroom he didn't recognize. _Where was he? Why was everything covered in plastic? He felt different._ Confused, he looked down. _He had boobs. He was wearing a nightgown. He'd always had strange dreams but never dreamt he was a girl before._ There was a friend mural on corkboard behind the plastic. _He couldn't make out any faces. Dreams usually had a figurative meaning._ _Fumigating was an obvious explanation for there being plastic everywhere but this was a dream so it's meaning wouldn't be obvious. Might as well go with it._ He ripped away the plastic covering the door and opened it. He was assaulted by a pungent odour, so putrid it made him wretch. _What fresh hell was this?_ _Good thing everything is covered in plastic, he was about to toss his cookies. There was another scent, campfire?_ He cautiously descended an old timey cherry oak ornamental staircase. Everything was concealed by plastic but the slippery wooden stairs and fancy railing _. This was a weird dream._ He glanced down to see if he was still a girl and poked a boob. _It felt real, not that he'd had much experience._ He started scrolling through the reasons why a house would be covered in plastic. _He didn't smell paint so that was probably out. They could be remodelling or fumigating for a rodent or bug infestation? That didn't explain the foul stench of rotting meat with a hint of campfire and egg. Was this a serial murderer's house?_ He froze in place. _Maybe he could just go back to bed and avoid finding out anything?_ He opted to go back. There was a solid wall at the top of the staircase. _No choices. Just like real life, avoidance wasn't an option._ A powerful wave of nausea made him clutch the railing and swallow as a barf deterrent. _It was so disgusting. So rancid_. He plugged his nose, only taking shallow breaths as he continued down into a plastic covered living room. _The putrid aroma was sickeningly vile._ He was bent over retching as something moved beneath the plastic on the couch. _Oh, what in the hell was that? He felt weird._ _Holy crap. He was floating._ He drifted over to the couch. _There was nothing he could do about it._ Panicked, he wanted to air swim away but didn't have a body at all. _What was this shit?_ He was hovering above the squirming tarp, praying he was invisible as the plastic removed itself, revealing a decaying twitching charbroiled cadaver. _Holy crap_. He floated over the body through the wall and out into an empty street. Every house was on fire but he couldn't smell anything anymore. He soared higher until the clouds surrounded him with white and nothing mattered anymore. _Kevin, wake up,_ _he heard through the nothing._ _It was impossible, there was nothing but white everywhere. There was no up or down, no left or right it was just nothing. Kevin, wake up! It was louder this time._ It was like being stuck in a spider web, dangling amidst infinity, unmovable and untouchable. He heard someone whisper, _Kevin, you need to wake up_. He could feel the moisture of someone's breath through the web in which he dangled. He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.

A decaying face pushed through the veil and whispered, "You die next."

Kevin jolted awake and yelled, startling Jenkins who was calmly reading the paper in the chair next to him.

"Morning sunshine, that was one hell of a nightmare," Jenkins remarked. He flipped the page and continued reading.

"I should get home. Thanks for letting me stay last night. Tell Kayn that I had to take off. I'll text her about dinner later," Kevin hastily said as he collected his things and bolted out the front door. _He needed to see Granny Winnie alone. He needed to know if he really was next_.

The sun was shining so brightly it felt like mid afternoon in the dead of summer. Kevin ran down the gravel path to his car. He got in and the interior was middle of summer hot. _Strange for this time of day._ _He was going to his granny's house right now. She was always up early._ The temperature in the vehicle became icy cold _._ He reached for the jacket he'd chucked on the passenger side. Chloe was there. He swerved on the road, quickly regaining his sanity. _Next to him was the bloody dead version of Chloe he'd found on the bathroom floor._ He took a deep breath of the icy air. It had become so cold, he could see his own breath as he exhaled. __ He looked straight ahead. _Be cool Kevin...Be cool._ _She was your friend._ He pulled over, turned to her and said, "Hi Chloe."

"You can see me. This is an interesting development. Hi Kevy," she flirted.

_It was the same melody filled voice dripping with sexual innuendo, yet with her in this gruesome state it didn't have the same effect._ "I sure can Chloe Bear. Is there something you need from me?" Kevin asked her just as sweetly as he would have if she'd been alive.

"Not stuttering over your words anymore? You've become a hottie," Chloe's voice was a tad flirtatious, yet definitely not reaching its target.

They sat there together in his car by the side of the road. Kevin tapped his hands nervously on the steering wheel unable to look at her, summoning up the courage, he said, "I saw what happened to you that day, I'm so sorry Chloe."

"It's not your fault. You know, I thought about you when I was dying. I'm not sure why, but I just wanted you to know I did," she confessed.

_She'd been his friend. A slightly abusive friend but a friend none the less_. His heart warmed as he turned to look at her and there she was _, the captivatingly beautiful version of the girl he'd always been slightly obsessed with. She had not a scratch on her, wearing a white dress that reminded him of something the twins would have worn as children._ "You thought about me because you knew I loved you. I always cared. I was your friend," he quietly disclosed with a freshly aching heart. _She was really sitting there right beside him._

"You were always my sister's. I knew you couldn't see past me, but you do now. I'm glad you finally realised it was her," Chloe admitted.

"I think a part of me always knew that Kayn was the one but I know a piece of me will always miss you, even though you spent most of your time torturing me," he teased and winked.

Chloe touched his face and whispered, "I understand why you couldn't see her before you lost her. I never really saw you before this happened either. I see you now though Kevin and my sister is a lucky girl. Can I tell you a secret? You are the part of joining with Kayn, I'm looking forward to most."

He turned three shades of crimson. His face tingled where she caressed his cheek. He sneezed three times.

"I'll be damned, that old hag was right," Chloe chuckled in her usual saucy manner.

"You know you're talking about my grandmother and I'm on my way to her house right now," Kevin scolded.

"Don't get all pissy with me Kevy, I'm just kidding," she countered, smiling innocently.

_It was almost like he had her back._ _Wait, what in the hell am I thinking? Wanting her had been a force of habit for so long. Maybe she still had the ability to make him want her?_ A car drove by, its occupants were staring at him like he was insane and then he remembered, _Yup... I'm talking to an empty seat_.

"So, you're going to stick around and come to Granny's then?" Kevin enquired. _This was going to go well. His grandmother hated Chloe in a ridiculous way._

"Nothing better to do, my social life has hit pause for obvious reasons," Chloe replied, shooting him a fake pageant girl smile.

He smiled and shook his head as he parked in the driveway. He sat for a minute, just breathing. _Was he even allowed to talk to his grandmother about any of this?_ He looked at the garden encircling her house and for the first time he noticed the stones. She'd been handing him stones his whole life, for every occasion. _It's your birthday. Here's a bag of stones. Let me tell you what they're for._ _He'd pretended to listen most of the time._ _The next holiday would come and once again she'd hand him another bag of stones._ _She was protecting him._ _He'd spent his whole life thinking his grandmother was completely insane_.

He was still sitting in the car next to his sort of girlfriend's dead sister when his grandmother opened the front door. She was standing there with a look on her face that told him, she already knew everything. He got out and walked towards her. She placed her hand on his shoulder as she guided him inside. Chloe tried to follow them but couldn't enter the house.

Granny looked straight at Chloe and said, "Sorry dear, no ghosts allowed. You will need to wait in the car. If I let one of you in, it will turn into Grand Central Station around here."

_That was reasonably polite considering the volatile nature of their relationship when Chloe was alive._ _She'd acted like it was no big deal that he drove up with the ghost of his girlfriend's dead twin sister in his car._ Granny Winnie shut the door in Chloe's face with a giant fake smile. _There it was._ He released the chuckle he'd been holding back. _Those two always had a strange love-hate relationship. In all honesty it was mostly hate._ He snapped back to the serious conversation he needed to have with his grandmother.

"I've prepared an area for us to speak freely," she explained as she signalled him into the circle of stones and what looked like table salt. His grandmother took out a deck of tarot cards and flipped five over as she spoke, "I know everything so let's just cut to the chase shall we. You need to let your abilities guide your actions. In the beginning, it can be difficult to just let go. Being a Psychic is like blindly jumping from a plane. You feel like you have a parachute on but you have no idea if it will open. Usually a Psychic has years to develop their skills. But you don't. You need to surrender to them completely, or you stand no chance of seeing your next birthday."

_She'd always been a little blunt but that was brutal._

Granny removed his glove, turned his hand to look at his symbol. Visibly relieved, she said, "Thank God for Kayn. At least you're protected by a good Clan." She ran her fingers over his symbol as she added, "Multiple Clan's Oracles have been sniffing around disrupting my Circle's energy." Granny Winnie poured a tea for herself, motioning to Kevin to see if he wanted some. "If you have something else you need to discuss, best say it. If even a grain of salt shifts, we'll have eavesdroppers." Knowledge stirred in his grandmother's eyes.

_She knew he had more to say._ Kevin explained his dream, "I had a nightmare last night. A decomposing corpse told me, I die next."

"We are all going to die Kevin," While stroking his hand she whispered, "Trust in your Clan. This symbol prohibits you from passing through the hall of souls."

"So, I'm really going to die?" He whispered back feeling his heart race.

"Hasn't this already been explained to you? Death is just a word. It's a human word, a term that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Let me explain something to you. The symbol on your hand is the symbol of Ankh. You are now of service to the Clan as a Psychic, which is why you need your abilities to ripen quickly. You need not fear death for you are now a member of a Clan which includes Healers. There will be someone to bring you back from whatever fate befalls you. I have known the date of my mortal death for over thirty years. I even know the graphically violent details of how I'm going to die, but I'm not afraid. I go on to do great things after my death. My demise is only the beginning of a new stage in my existence."

_He was having a hard time with the confirmation of his death but was open to the possibility that dying wasn't the end. It was strange that out of everything, immortality was the most difficult concept to grasp._

"It's a great honour to be taken into one of the three Clans. You'll have a front row seat for all that is to come and the opportunity to save many Second Tiers in the future. The powers that be have been erasing tainted family lines for a thousand years to stop humanity from evolving. Some Second-Tiered souls escape their Correction, but if they aren't protected by one of the three Clans they'll eventually be taken by the Legion of Abaddon. The gifted ones rarely make it through childhood without being slated for Correction. The young do not know they need to hide. Power is a seductive playmate for a child. Your purpose right now is to train with Ankh. You need their protection from the Legion of Abaddon, until your eighteenth birthday. Once you reach the age of eighteen, your soul becomes sealed to your Clan. You can be stolen by the other Clans as well as the Legion of Abaddon until you reach that age. Your goal after you reach the age of eighteen will be to achieve Enlightenment. Some do not acquire their full potential until their Testing. As in all things there will be a test at the end, where you will have to show them what you've learned. In the Testing you will prove your worth. I know that it's a lot to take in. Trust me. Listen carefully and absorb it all," his Granny stated.

She offered him a plate full of cookies and continued, "Once every thousand years or so, a spiritual mix-up happens and a Conduit is formed. If Kayn successfully merges with her twin she will become a receiving vessel for abilities, both good and bad. Kayn has to not only survive but remain with the Clan she is in right now. This is the most important thing. Kayn must remain with Clan Ankh."

"Won't you get in trouble for telling me this?" Kevin asked.

"We are protected in this circle. Psychics can share the rules with other physics. If anyone ever asks, I was simply telling you the rules," Granny answered softly. "There's something else, I'm willing my abilities to you today." Granny took off her necklace; a multicoloured stone in a sterling silver setting that had hung around her neck for as long as he could remember. She rose from her seat and came over to her grandson, holding the amulet in her outstretched hand. "Never take it off, not even to shower."

"No, I can't take this. You may need your abilities," he rationalized, shaking his head in disbelief. _It felt like she was saying goodbye._ His eyes teared up as he took the necklace from her trembling hands.

"I keep them until I pass on. This amulet will simply make you the receiver of my abilities when I pass," she explained with peaceful acceptance. "Pay attention now child, you have a lot to learn and I have little time to teach you." She calmly began to tell him rules, "A good Psychic knows all, but tells some. Always hold back, you'll soon discover that people do not really want to know the bad things. If you reveal too much to a mortal, you may cause a Correction. Always keep that in the back of your mind."

"I will," he whispered as he looked down at the plate of cookies.

His grandmother cupped his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes as she said, "You are the tether that will keep all that is Kayn closer to the surface. I know you don't want to lose her, but the souls must combine. Kayn will need the strength of both good and evil in order to survive. The twins are like the opposite ends of a battery. Kayn receives good and Chloe receives evil."

"Chloe isn't evil Granny, she's just Chloe," Kevin spoke out in her defence. _After all she was sitting in the car waiting for him._

"Evil is a strong word. Chloe's half is particularly dark, whereas Kayn's half has always been light. You'll understand soon enough. You'll know who to trust simply by the feeling. If you end up with even half of my abilities, you'll be a huge asset to your Clan." They embraced and without further conversation, she kicked the circle aside and strolled out the front door like a badass.

He grinned as he followed. _Chloe was still waiting in the car._

"Are you really going to make me sit in the backseat young lady?" Granny Winnie asked sweetly.

"Oh... all right," Chloe complained. She appeared in the back seat pouting a little.

Kevin looked in his rear-view mirror as Chloe's fake pout turned upwards to a grin. Smiling, she said, "Are we going to pick up Kayn now?"

"Actually, I'm going to drop you ladies off at my parent's place. You can chat about the afterlife while I go get Kayn by myself," he teased, feeling awkward about the emotional conversation he'd had a few hours ago with his girlfriend's dead sister. _She'd told him she was looking forward to being with him. This whole situation was so messed up._ He didn't want to spring the presence of Chloe on Kayn at a family dinner. He needed to tell her about their conversation, it felt dishonest not to. "So, I'll drop you guys off first."

"I guess so, but only if she promises to be nice to me," Chloe accused while pointing a menacing finger at Granny Winnie.

"Granny, can you please attempt to be nice to Chloe?" Kevin questioned, raising his eyebrows in her direction.

"I am always nice," Granny Winnie responded and glared at Chloe.

"Like hell you are you old bat," Chloe huffed as she folded her arms and scowled dramatically at the feisty elderly lady in the front seat.

"You know what young lady, you're dead. If I wanted to, I could simply ignore you. Listen hard you little hussy, unless you want silent treatment from the one person capable of breaking up your time in limbo, might I suggest you find some respect for the elderly," Granny retaliated, her voice oozing with sarcasm.

"Takes one to know one you menthol reeking snaggle-toothed, aging cougar," Chloe slammed back.

_He had their relationship all wrong._ _They liked each other. They were both smiling_. _They'd been apart long enough to miss their verbal warfare._ Kevin pulled up at his parents' house and advised, "Granny, you are aware nobody else can see Chloe. I'd simmer the hostility down a notch, if you don't feel like being booked into the psych ward."

"You," he pointed at Chloe. "There are ways of making you have to wait outside if you are incapable of behaving yourself," he warned as he got out of the car and politely opened his granny's door for her.

"I'll behave" Granny promised, with a far from innocent smile.

Kevin stood there waiting for Chloe to follow granny into the house; she wasn't budging. "Get out of the car Chloe. You're not coming with me," he urged pleasantly.

"Never threaten me Kevin," Chloe sulked as she sat there with her arms folded across her chest stubbornly.

_Oh, come on. "_ I'm sorry. Now, please get out of the car," Kevin persisted maintaining his patience.

"Aren't you going to open my door?" Chloe nit-picked stubbornly.

"Seriously Chloe?" Kevin questioned. He opened her door and she got out. "If I were you, I'd get inside before Granny Winnie surrounds the house with salt."

With her infamous pageant smile, Chloe exclaimed, "Go get our Candy Kayn. I'm looking forward to this. Even if I only get to watch, it's going to be so much fun being a fly on the wall for one of these family dinners I was never invited to."

"I honestly never thought that you would come," Kevin stated with a slight pang of guilt, quickly snuffed out by Chloe adding flippantly, "Probably not." He watched her flounce to his house and straight through the closed front door. "Bitch," he chuckled shaking his head at her for making him open the car door. _He'd missed her, and it wasn't just siren Chloe he'd missed, it was every fake smiling inch of her._ _She'd always been a constant in his life._ He giggled the entire drive to Kayn's house, knowing ghost or not, Chloe would go out of her way to piss Granny Winnie off. _So, he was a Psychic now. A dead people seeing, scary dreaming Psychic...Wonderful._ He parked behind a police car with its engine idling and trudged up the rocky path to the front door thinking, _they really should pave this_.

A spiffed-up Jenkins in uniform, answered his first knock, "Hey Kevy, I'm off to work take care of our girl." He patted his shoulder as he passed and jogged to his partner's car.

_Sure_ , Kevin thought, _we're just going to have dinner with my Psychic grandmother and Kayn's dead twin sister, who by the way... looks fantastic._ Instead __ Kevin replied, "Always," as he went in and shut the door. He looked up the stairs and yelled for the Brighton siblings, "Are you guys ready?"

It had been an unusual afternoon for Kayn. She'd received a few texts from Jesse, which made her feel a teeny bit guilty. _She should have texted him back and told him she was in a relationship with Kevin._ _She'd forgotten to clarify the situation._ _He wasn't stupid though. He'd seen them together_. Boys had never bothered to chase her in the past. _It was flattering._ They never contacted her for any reason other than her twin sister. She put on a bit of sparkling lip gloss and took a good look in the mirror. _Was it wrong to want to feel desirable? She'd always been strong and funny. Why couldn't she be a little bit of everything?_ She heard Kevin calling her. She hollered back, "I'll just be a second! Matt's already at your house!" Kayn padded down the hallway and descended the stairs. Knowing nobody was home, she leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as they kissed.

He cupped her behind with his hands and provoked, "If we didn't have the family dinner from hell waiting for us at my house, I'd throw you over my shoulder and take you upstairs right now."

Kayn released her thigh's grip and her feet hit the floor. She locked the door and they strolled to his car hand in hand.

As Kevin opened her door, he spilled his guts, "To make a long story short, I had a bad dream, where this burnt up decomposing guy told me I was going to die next. Followed by a strange sexy car ride with your dead sister, who came to Granny Winnie's house where I was given information about being a Psychic and a few ominous warnings. Apparently, you're a Conduit. We'll look that up later. Granny and Chloe argued in the car all the way to my parents' house. I dropped them off together. So, by now... I'm pretty sure they're bickering at each other and because they can only hear one side of the conversation my family probably thinks Granny's gone mad." Kevin took a deep breath while awaiting her response.

Kayn barely flinched during his wacky confession. When he was finished, she remarked, "So, you're owning the whole Psychic thing...Congratulations?"

"Yayyy...for me," Kevin grumbled as he started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

She placed her hand on his knee and questioned, "Is Chloe really at your house? How does she look?"

"At first she looked like an escapee from The Night of the Living Dead. Then she got all hot and flirty just like she was when she was alive," Kevin explained.

Kayn smiled wryly as she ribbed, "Does my dead sister still make you horny Kevin?"

"Sadly...yes," He cautiously replied. "It's like she still has her voodoo powers, although they're less effective while she looks like a walking corpse. Once she changed into hot Chloe it was back on."

"Necrophilia is where I draw the line of understanding, just putting that out there," Kayn teased as she squeezed his knee.

He pulled up to the curb in front of the Smith house, looking visibly disturbed, he stated, "I have a bad feeling about this." They heard granny's meltdown from the curb as they got out and raced up the driveway into the house. Kayn could hear the conversation in detail. _Granny was openly arguing with Chloe who no one else could see._ _This isn't good._

Granny grabbed a bun off the table and pitched it at an empty seat, "You smelly little wench, you stink like a thousand farts!"

_Wow,_ Kayn thought. The rest of Kevin's family was trying to ignore their certifiable grandmother. _At least she was drinking red wine quite heavily._ _Good cover. She was a crazy old drunk lady, instead of just insane._

Granny screeched again, "Ghosts smell like sulfur, like a foul gassy fart, a gross nasty smelly cheese and feet fart!"

Clay leaned over and whispered to Kevin, "How drunk was she when you dropped her off today? We could have used a warning."

"Sorry man, she was shit-faced when I got there. I wasn't sure what to do," Kevin answered innocently.

"She hasn't been this drunk in years. She's swearing at people who aren't even there," Kevin's mom whispered a little worried.

Kayn smiled, recalling stories about his granny's drunken rants. _She'd never been a drunk, just tired of being accosted by spirits._ Kayn glanced at Kevin. _If his family caught on wouldn't they have to be Corrected just like hers?_ She stood up, walked around the table and sat in the empty seat Chloe had obviously been occupying.

Kevin whispered in his grandmother's ear, "So if you just allow people to think you're drunk you're allowed to say anything you want. That makes sense."

Granny winked and hissed, "I'm not drunk. I never have been. I'm just being harassed by dead people. Smelly, bitchy, dead people." A bun smoked Granny in the forehead from out of nowhere. She picked up a retaliatory bun as she got up screeching, "Show yourself you skanky whore bag!"

Everyone's eyes widened like saucers then suddenly the room erupted with laughter.

Clay yelled, "She's over here!" He pointed at Matt.

Granny wound up and rifled a bun right at Matt's head as he looked down at his plate. Poor Matty was trying to pretend that everyone hadn't gone nutty at the Smith house. His sense of humour sparked when the bun hit him, bounced off and knocked over his wine.

"That's it Granny, it's on." Matt declared as he winged a bun at granny's head.

Granny Winnie snapped back to reality and ominously said, "Oh yes, young man, it's on." She picked up a handful of brussel sprouts and threw them across the table at him. Matt ducked and they landed on Kevin's dad's dinner plate, knocking over his wine.

Mr. Smith leapt to his feet to avoid getting it on his lap. He grinned and menacingly vowed, "That is it Winnie. You spilled my wine and I've been dying to do this for years." He grabbed a handful of the food off his plate and launched it at his mother in law.

Practically cackling, Granny picked up a whole bowl of peas and hurled them at Kayn who was almost peeing herself laughing. She ducked, they missed her and the peas rained down on Kevin's mom. The whole table erupted into a huge laughing drunken food fight.

After the giant cleanup from their impromptu family food battle, Kevin and Kayn went up to his room. Kayn hadn't been able to see Chloe but she'd been able to hear her. _Why was that?_ _She'd seen her sister more than once._ She'd even touched her in the mirror. Kayn strolled in and sat down on his bed as Kevin closed his bedroom door.

Chloe's voice sang, "How much fun was that?"

Her twin's voice came from right beside her. "Why can't I see you anymore?" Kayn asked in the direction of her twin's voice while longing for a glimpse of her.

"I don't know but if I'd known how much fun these family dinners were, I would have come to one years ago," Chloe's voice ribbed.

Kayn stared longingly at the empty space on the bed that her twin sister's voice had come from.

Kevin looked at Kayn and then at the empty space and said, "I'm not sure how you are supposed to do this, but I was told earlier that you two have to join."

Chloe's voice replied, "I've been trying to. It doesn't stick."

Kayn recalled that first kiss. _She'd remembered it afterwards even though she'd only been a fly on the wall in her own body at the time._ She looked at Kevin and stated, "She took my body out for a spin and I felt like I was along for the ride."

"I've tried to jump into her a whole bunch of times. It never lasts longer than a few minutes," Chloe explained.

Matt stuck his head in the doorway and warned, "We're leaving, I want to wash my car before it gets too dark."

"Just give me a minute," Kayn answered.

Matt grinned and harassed, "One minute, you have no time for any funny business. I'll be waiting in the car."

As soon as Matt closed the door Kayn stood up and said, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She hugged him. _It felt a little weird knowing that her sister was right there watching her do it._

"You couldn't keep me away if you tried," Kevin whispered in her ear.

"Are you absolutely sure about that? Because apparently, I'm going to be Batman powerful someday," Kayn baited, grinning.

"What if you're only SpongeBob square pants powerful?" Kevin sparred.

"That is pretty powerful," Kayn gasped.

Chloe's voice groaned, "You two may very well be the geekiest people on the planet."

Kayn laughed and answered her invisible twin, "Well, it's always been my long-term goal."

Chloe blurted, "And what in the hell is that?"

Kevin started laughing and shaking his head while staring at his bed.

Kayn knit her brow and asked, "What's she doing?"

Kevin smiled as he replied, "She's lounged out on my bed staring at the poster on the ceiling."

Kayn stepped into his embrace, kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "I guess being alone isn't in the cards, is it?"

He nuzzled her neck and assured, "If Matt wasn't waiting in the car and your dead sister wasn't sitting on my bed, you'd be in so much trouble."

Chloe's voice chimed in, "She's still hot, even with a mustache. Does Kayn know that you are secretly into dudes?"

Kevin spun around and said, "Your sister did that. It was a joke you turkey."

"Well, I do prefer being called a turkey over being called a bitch," Chloe taunted.

"You heard that huh?" Kevin laughed.

Kayn was listening to the conversation. It was like a tennis match of voices with one invisible player.

"That's okay," Her twin's voice admitted, "I'm sort of a bitch. I can give you that one."

Her voice moved across the room to the doorway where Kayn was standing as Chloe suggested, "Let's go drive grandma home. I think she wants a sleep over tonight."

Kayn shook her head and laughed at her sister. _She wanted to see her so badly._

"You can't get into her house remember?" Kevin laughed as he opened the bedroom door for Kayn and her deviously cocky invisible twin.

"Darling there's no need to go inside her house. I'm just going to ring her phone and set car alarms off all night in her neighbourhood. You should try it. So much fun," she teased.

Kevin grinned, looked at Kayn and commented, "At least she owns it proudly." She hugged him once more, and they went downstairs.

Grinning, Kayn sang, "Good luck Smith. See you tomorrow." Her brother had started honking the horn. She waved and ran down to her brother's car.

# Chapter Eighteen

### There's Something About Lily

Lily stood at the bottom of Kayn's driveway. Her brother was washing his car. She didn't want to get sprayed, so she decided to wait for him to acknowledge her presence before attempting to walk past his hose. His shirtless sun bronzed chest glistened with both water and sweat as he went through the motions of washing his vehicle. He turned around. She got a good look at his face and her heart skipped a beat. _It was him._ He kept bending over in front of her putting on a show. _Brazenly cocky men always intrigued her._ Matt continued the facade of pretending he hadn't noticed her there as he soaked himself in water.

Lily was mesmerized by Matt's every movement. 1986 was the last time she'd laid eyes on Sam. It had been far too long. Every twenty to thirty years she'd find him again. _There he was, tormenting her with his existence. Only this time his name was Matt. The last time it had been Paul._ She could hear the song in her head as she thought about their final moments together during his last life. "The Glory of Love" was playing. She'd worn a brilliant blue satin dress with puffy shoulders. They'd danced and it was nothing less than perfect. It always ended one of two ways; he would try to kill her or he would be killed because of her.

"Hey," Matt addressed a still somewhat shocked Lily. "Are you looking for Kayn?"

"Yes...I am," she choked out, unable to breathe. Her heart was always secretly waiting for him. It throbbed with anticipation as she made her way up the gravel driveway towards the karmic joke that followed her across time. Matt appeared to be equally shocked to see her. _His brain was probably reeling through memories, trying to figure out where he knew her from_. Lily was dying to say, _you know me from all your past lives. This was going to hurt like hell_. She should just turn around, walk away and save herself the pain but this time it wasn't an option. _Fate was a sick and twisted foe. He was a new Ankh's brother and that meant his days were numbered._ His face was so familiar and his smile so genuine, that even though she knew how tragically their story would end she closed the space separating them. _It was really him,_ _after all these years._

"Her bedroom is upstairs, the door is unlocked," Matt said gesturing to the door.

Lily smiled politely as she brushed by him and said, "Thanks."

She opened the door, took off her shoes and left them by the foot of the stairs with the others. _It's a good thing she wasn't coming to kill her._

Matt dropped the sponge in the bucket, tipped it over with one foot and followed the insanely gorgeous girl inside. He looked upstairs, shook his head and walked to the kitchen where he found Jenkins at the island reading the paper. "Have you ever met that new friend of Kayn's? Wow! She is smoking hot!" Matt exclaimed as he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and chomped on it.

"Gross," Jenkins replied from behind his newspaper.

Matt laughed nervously, "Oh, I know. I'm just saying, she's pretty."

Jenkins chuckled behind his paper, "Once again Romeo...So gross."

"I'm not saying I would try to date her," Matt stammered as he tossed his apple core into the garbage and wiped his hands on his shorts.

Jenkins laid his newspaper down and sighed, "Damn you. Now I'm too curious to keep reading. Are they friends or did you send up a hot female stranger off the street?"

"Hot stranger, you'll get it when you see her," Matt countered.

"Hot people can be murderers too Mathew. I'd better get a look at the girl who instantly turned you back into a player and make sure she's not a serial killer." He poured a few coffees and walked over with one in each hand, paused and asserted, "So we're clear, I'll arrest you if she's underage."

Matt grinned and sparred "I'm only a couple of years older and I'm not a player anymore. She should be so lucky."

Jenkins chuckled, "Try four years, Matthew Brighton and you'll always have a neon sign flashing player on your forehead, it's part of your charm." He wandered out saying, "I'll go offer them coffee and check out the girl confusing your sense of right and wrong."

"Age is but a number," Matt called after him.

"Four years at this age can be like a lifetime, my philandering friend," Jenkins replied as he disappeared at the end of the hall.

Kayn was sprawled on her comforter, attempting to do her homework. _Attempting would be the operative word._ _She was not Math's biggest fan. Crap._ She got up to grab liquid paper off her desk so she could attempt to clean up the mess she'd made. She sat back down on her bed cross-legged chewing on a pen. Her door opened. She looked up expecting to see Jenkins or Matt. _It was that bitch Lily from school._

"Hey there," Lily said as she closed the door softly behind her. "I'm sure you've already figured out why I'm here."

Kayn cracked a grin and replied, "Sorry. I'm flattered but I sort of have a boyfriend."

"Hold that thought," Lily exclaimed as she took stones out of her backpack and made a circle around the bedroom. Lily spoke some words in another language, "Ας μην υπάρχει σιωπή εκτός του κύκλου."

"What does it mean?" Kayn asked, recognising the language.

"It's Greek for let there be silence outside of this circle," the gorgeous raven-haired immortal answered as she sat on Chloe's bed and patted the spot beside her. "My ability is like your sister's. Trust me, if I wanted you to switch teams. It would happen," she teased as she pulled a fingerless glove off her hand and turned it over to show Kayn the symbol of Ankh on her palm.

"If we're on the same side, why have you been such a horrific bitch?" Kayn stated opting to stay on her own bed.

Momentarily caught off guard by Kayn's blunt question, she laughed, "I deserved that, but all mental sparring matches aside, I'm here to give you a quick education in all things immortal. There are three Clans, Ankh, Trinity, and Triad. In each Clan, there are various breeds of Warriors, Healers and Psychics. We accept whatever variety of Second Tier talent we can find. We split into these groups a thousand years ago when tier two souls lost their status. We only have status and protection if we belong to a Clan now. Our job is to police the spirit world. We do the Third Tiers dirty work and in turn they agree to leave us alone. On an unpleasant note, it's open season on your soul until your eighteenth birthday. The other Clans, soul-eating demons and the Legion of Abaddon are all going to want you."

Kayn flung herself back on her mountain of pillows and stuffed animals and questioned, "You do realise how crazy all of this sounds?" _Wait a minute, did she just say Demons?_

Lily read Kayn's thoughts and laughed aloud, "Seriously? That's the stumbling block? Superhero powers, immortality, mass murder and ghosts not a problem, but demons...way too far?"

Kayn stared at the hills and mountains on her stucco ceiling as she sighed, "Soul-eating demons... Seriously?"

Lily smiled and repeated, "Seriously."

Kayn grabbed a stuffed animal off her bed, hugged it and said, "I avoid groups of people at school. I'm not big on confrontation and sometimes I eat my lunch in a bathroom stall so I can avoid eating it in front of anyone. I'm not exactly the spirit world policing kind of girl."

Lily stared into her eyes and clarified her situation, "No... you used to avoid confrontation. You used to hide in the bathroom stalls to eat your lunch with privacy. That's not who you are anymore. We all have the ability to be strong when there is no other choice."

She was about to object when Lily launched a stapler at her head. Kayn swung her hand up and blocked it, using nothing but instinct. She not only blocked it, but it didn't even come close to touching her.

Lily smiled and said, "We are always so much stronger than we believe ourselves to be."

Kayn's door opened and Jenkins brought them both a coffee. He announced, "Just so you know it's decaffeinated because it's almost eight o'clock. I assumed neither of you wanted to stay up all night."

They each took a big a sip of their coffee as Jenkins excused himself and closed the bedroom door.

After a dramatic pause, Lily casually continued speaking, "You will meet some of us at school on Monday. We're going to need a few hours of your time after school to get started. Don't worry you'll be home before dinner."

"Uh huh," Kayn mumbled, having lost her glib attitude somewhere around soul-eating demons.

"We are going to be staying in that house directly behind you through the bushes. It's discreet, yet close enough to get to you quickly," Lily stated.

"The man that lives there, where is he going to be?" Kayn questioned. She could still remember how close he was to her that night.

Lily smiled and replied. "Oh...he's still there. Long story, but he's a tad brainwashed at this time."

"Let me get this straight. You've stolen my neighbour's house with him still inside of it, so you can teach me how to defend myself in there? Can't we just do it in my room?" Kayn enquired.

The stunning immortal ribbed, "He has space for our tombs in his basement. I'm guessing your brother may notice a half dozen glowing rose quartz chambers in your bedroom?"

Kayn was hesitant to ask, but did it anyway as she clarified, "What are the tombs for again?"

Lily gave Kayn's knee a friendly squeeze and said, "They are for healing and travelling purposes. We aren't going to make you sleep in one at night, none of us are Vampires."

_None of us are Vampires. Were there really Vampires?_ Kayn replied, "Right...Good to know. _Mental note, no Vampires in Ankh._ This whole conversation sounds totally logical and I'm sure after a couple of years it will make sense. I guess I'll see you all on Monday at school. I do think its time to call it a night though. I'm overdue for a small albeit satisfying nervous breakdown.

"Given some time this will all make perfect sense. Just give everything I've said some thought. Don't make any plans after school, I'll see you Monday," Lily chimed with a shockingly genuine smile as she waved and left her room.

A moment later she heard Lily saying goodnight to her brother and Jenkins. The front door closed. Kayn dialled Kevin's number, he didn't answer. She wandered down the stairs and opened the fridge in search of a snack. _In truth, she felt like eating everything in the house._ _Scratch that, she planned to eat everything in the house._ Jenkins had left a drink on the little island in the kitchen. Kayn smelled it, took a swig, gagged and spit the vile liquid into the sink. _It was warm pop and alcohol._ She grabbed a box of Triscuits, and a container of flavoured cream cheese before wandering back upstairs. She put on baggy pajamas, a giant fluffy robe, stretched out on her bed, turned on the T.V. and began to flip through the channels. A show popped up with an exorcism and she groaned, "Not a chance." She switched the channel. One came on about aliens. She commentated, "Not likely." She farted and laughed. _She always laughed whenever she released one into the wild._ As she flicked through the channels, she found one of her favourite shows about superheroes. She only watched for a few minutes before deciding the storyline hit a little close to home. She suspected the Clan's version of immortality wouldn't be glamorous. _There probably wouldn't be any jets or fancy cars involved. No bat mobile for her._ She opted to watch reruns of friends while eating a tub of cream cheese and a whole box of Triscuits, sprawling on her bed feeling like a partially sedated moose. _She was going to be sick._ She rubbed her overstuffed belly. _There was a food baby in there. An enormous cream cheese and Triscuit food baby_. Kayn chuckled and whispered, "I will name you heartburn." Her phone vibrated. It was a text from Kevin. He wrote, I just tried astral projection. I just got the chance to see what you do when you are alone. It was not nearly as sexy as I imagined it to be. She howled laughing until tears formed in the corners of her eyes and texted him back, you should come over and rub my food baby. He texted back, my favourite part of your evening was when you farted and laughed at yourself...it was pretty damn hot. She recalled doing it and laughed even harder.

# Chapter Nineteen

### Training Kayn

> _Immortality: the ability to live forever._

* * *

Kayn awoke Monday morning with her senses on overload again. She could smell coffee brewing downstairs, mixed with Jenkins' aftershave. He was making bacon for breakfast. She heard the whispering sounds of voices and the ringing of a phone. Kayn could hear parts of their conversation. Her senses had been a little heightened before, but today it was insanely overwhelming.

It didn't get much better when she arrived at school. _It was too much._ The hustle and bustle of the hallways as her peers pushed past frayed her nerve endings. She watched for unknown faces in the crowd. The hallway was thick with pungent scents. A guy began spraying cologne on himself at his locker; she fought the urge to tackle him and beat him senseless with the aerosol can. It would be so easy to attack her while she was feeling this overwhelmed by the plethora of sensory confusion caused by this many people in an enclosed space. __ She scanned the crowd. _Nobody could attack her here. It was too public. This whole other life was a secret; good or evil, no one could risk being exposed._ She took a deep breath, while attempting to calm her racing pulse. The intercom screeched. Kayn covered her ears and doubled over. The voice was calling someone to the office.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Kevin's soothing whisper, "You are obviously having the same morning I'm having. Just breathe. Stand up straight and breathe." __ He slipped his fingers through hers, squeezed her hand and assured, "I'll always have your back. You are not alone in this anymore. We can do this together." He kissed her cheek, laughed and said, "But I do have to leave you for a second. I need to use the bathroom. I'll meet you in class."

She giggled and the noises in her mind calmed. "Wait a second," she declared, wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him square on the lips in public. They both heard the hushed thoughts of at least ten passing people, _I knew it._ She couldn't help but smile as he raced down the hall away from her. _He had told her she wasn't alone and then taken off._ _It was kind of cute and so the comic relief she needed._ Kayn remained by the lockers, attempting to pick a posse of immortals out of a crowd. _It was a little funny. Why did she have a feeling this was going to be a complete and total gong show?_ Kayn observed the herd of students as they surged down the hall. _Not an out of place Xena warrior princess looking girl in the bunch_. She made her way to her first class. _If they were just normal looking people they'd sneak past her radar._ She found her desk and bent down to pull out her books, fumbling with her zipper she noticed a pair of shoes by her bag.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" the shoes asked with an all too familiar silky tone that oozed raw sexuality.

_Lovely._ Kayn looked up, her eyes following the curve of his tight jeans to his muscular thighs. _It was her half-naked bedroom visitor._ The fully clothed version of Frost wasn't less intoxicating.

"Hi stranger, remember me?" Frost whispered with a dimpled smile as he leaned over to do up her bag. "You should be more careful. If you leave the zipper undone, you might lose something important."

_Everything he said sounded naughty._ His hand barely grazed hers and an electrifying jolt of pleasure scrambled her common sense. Her throat was so dry, she could barely swallow. _Inconspicuous my ass_. Kayn blinked a few times, gave her sexy pheromone dumb head a shake and sat up in her seat. _Talk about sending in the big guns_. Her eyes were drawn to his tanned muscular arms straining against his shirt. _Logically knowing it was his ability, hadn't altered her reaction a speck._ She stealthily looked around, even her teacher's cheeks were flaming red from his raw sensual vibe. _Great._ _Every female in a ten-mile radius was totally side-tracked. Scratch that, literally everyone. How in the hell was he passing for a guy in high school? Frost looked like he was in his mid-twenties._ She heard his internal dialogue, _"Who is going to call me out Frog sticker girl? Certainly, none of these ladies."_

Lily arrived and chimed in, "So sorry I'm late." She scooted into her seat.

The teacher hadn't even taken attendance. She was as flustered as every other girl and boy in the room. _He was good._

Kayn heard Lily's voice in her head, " _Tone it down Frost."_

_"I'll behave_ ," her deviously naughty classmate answered using only his mind.

_This was all really happening._ _They didn't need to speak aloud to each other._ Her mind scrolled a list of her childhood fears. _Her parents had always assured her monsters weren't real and they'd been violently murdered by a mortal monster on a normal afternoon. The monster hadn't come for her during the night as she'd imagined a monster would when she was very small. Those were the childhood rules...You only ever had to be afraid of monsters in the dark. Now that Kayn was grown up, she understood that anyone could be a monster on the inside. Hiding in plain sight would be the easiest thing to do._ _Would she know a monster if she saw one?_ She was amped up and frankly, a little bit more than aroused. _It was the proximity of the sexy supernatural pool boy seated directly in front of her._ Kayn looked for Kevin. _He hadn't come back from the bathroom?_ As she stared at his empty seat, anxiety ridden thoughts of losing him stifled her reaction to the immortal's ability. The door opened and in walked Kevin looking rather unkempt. _What had he been up to?_

"Glad you could find the time to join us, Mr. Smith," the teacher piped in.

"Sorry. Running behind this morning," Kevin mumbled hauling his books out of his bag. He saw the two immortals, and he shot a welcoming smile in their direction.

_He was being strangely casual about their appearance. He must have known they would be here too._ She looked at her paper and pretended to pay attention to the lesson until the bell rang at the end of first period. Everyone got up and exited the classroom in a rush except for a pack of girls lingering in the doorway waiting to greet Frost.

"It just sucks to be me," he sighed. With an arrogant swagger, he sauntered over to his mesmerized groupies.

Lily walked up to Kayn and asked, "Have you met the others yet? Did anyone come and introduce themselves?"

"Besides you two, I haven't even seen anyone new," Kayn answered, watching Frost surrounded by his fawning harem. She scowled as he wandered away with his arms around a couple of pretty girls. _What an idiot._ She looked at Lily and said, "Shouldn't Romeo turn down his mojo a bit if he's trying to fly under the radar?"

"He's just having a little first day of school fun with the ladies. He gets all pissy when I mess with his ability to sleep his way through the phone book. Don't even get me started on his naughty behaviour when we travel overseas. It's just who he is. We just try to ignore it," Lily casually responded.

Kevin walked up, "Hey ladies."

He kissed her on the lips. This made her smile. _He'd kissed her right in front of Lily._

"We should go find Lexy. I know where she probably is," Lily sighed. They made their way to the office and sure enough, a tall beautiful redhead wearing the most inappropriate outfit ever created, sat slumped on the bench outside the principal's office picking at her cherry red nails.

"Seriously? You're in trouble already? Thanks for playing nice with the principal by sitting here," The raven-haired temptress teased as they approached.

With a hint of sultry southern accent, Lexy replied, "This bitch openly mocked my boots. You know how much I love these boots."

Kayn looked down Lexy's mile-long legs, then at her outfit. Short shorts with fire engine red cowboy boots. _Wow. Way to be inconspicuous_. _She could have picked these three out of a crowd in about two minutes flat._

"Did you forget the whole conversation we had about lying low and blending in?" Lily ribbed. She turned and assured, "This will only take a second."

After a short conversation with an extremely understanding authority figure, they wanted to make sure they pointed out the Clan member they hadn't met. While searching halls of beige lockers and clicking footsteps they found out Lexy slammed a girl's head into a gym locker for sarcastically saying, nice boots. _Mental note...Never piss her off._ A group of free-spirited skateboarders walked by playfully shoving each other with a new member. A blonde guy with rather unkempt hair grinned and waved.

Lily smiled and declared, "And that would be Grey. He's an acquired taste. You'll see him after school. We have it worked out so one of us is in each of your classes. Don't even go to the washroom alone from this moment on," Lily firmly decreed.

_No privacy...Check._ The bell rang, Kayn rushed to her next class with Lexy.

A teacher was standing next to her crimson-haired companion's desk as she sat down and announced, "For future reference short shorts are only allowed if you're wearing tights."

"I'm sorry, I had leggings on but they ripped. It won't happen again," Lexy promised with her intriguing accent. The crimson-maned rage grenade crossed her legs as everyone ogled her.

_That was polite._ _What would it feel like to be jaw-droppingly hot? Maybe all hot people were mean? She looks like she's murdered people. She definitely had a serial killer vibe._ Her pencil fell off her desk _._ She reached down to pick it up and it rolled away like someone kicked it. The girl in the desk across from her passed it to her and she said, "Thanks." She put it down and it fell off her desk again. _Oh, come on._

Her teacher picked it up and enquired, "Having a problem?"

"Sorry, just clumsy," she responded, smiling awkwardly as it was passed to her. _I'm painfully dorky._ Her pencil started rolling again, she stopped it and turned around. _Her immortal babysitter grinned._ _Lexy was messing with her._ _Oh, crap, her inner commentary had been rolling that whole time. What did she think? Oh no. Crap. Guess they weren't going to be friends for a while._

She opted out of practicing for track at lunch. There was no point in reviving old routines. She shared fries with Kevin and they chatted about only mortal things. It felt moderately normal. Lily was on the other side of the cafeteria chatting with friends. Frost was entertaining a swarm of admirers. Lexy was the most fun to watch. She was a table away playing with her phone, oozing hostility. Whenever someone attempted to speak to her, she air swatted them away and curtly said, "Flee."

School ended with the shrill ring of the final bell. Kevin was waiting outside of her classroom. He grabbed her bag and grinned as he chucked it over his shoulder. They walked out to his car passing Jesse and his group of friends at the main doors. She waved as they walked past the group. _She felt_ _guilty about not answering Jesses' last message. All she needed to text back was sorry she was dating Kevin, but she'd been sidetracked by the craziness. It just felt stupid to send now._ They crossed the street and when they reached his car, Kevin dropped the bags and silenced her conscience with a slow passionate public kiss. As their lips parted Kayn breathlessly baited, "Wow. What was that for?" Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Jesse trying not to watch. _Kevin was still jealous about her conversation with Jesse. He was staking a public claim._

"Just for being you," Kevin teased smiling.

Kayn called bullshit silently in her mind but allowed him to get away with the fib.

He opened the car door gallantly and announced, "Your chariot awaits."

Kayn slipped into the front. The back door opened and three of the four immortals squeezed in. _She hadn't even seen them coming._

"Okay chariot driver, you two can make out later. It's training time," Lily declared.

Lexy leaned forward and explained, "We have to get started. You two have a lot to learn."

"Where are we off to?" Kevin sighed as he put the key in the ignition.

"Oh, you are going to love it. This is the fun part. Let's go to our house," Lexy declared while holding up a little rhinestone mirror and applying cherry red lipstick.

."This is going to be awesome," Frost piped in from the back. After a brief pause, he questioned, "Hope I'm not making you uncomfortable sweetheart? May I add...Wow. You two are seriously identical."

He was flirting with empty space. Kayn deduced her deceased twin must be sitting there.

"Totally identical," Lily stated adding, "How's the afterlife? Did I sit on you?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm stuck here. I can't get out of this car," her sister's voice responded.

Kayn turned around to the sound of her sister's voice, "Hi Chloe, I wish I could see you."

"You two need to combine before something happens. You're not strong enough alone," Lily declared as she rifled through her purse.

"I've been trying," Chloe's voice responded.

"Keep it up. I'm sure you'd rather be a solid person instead of an inconsequential ghost being squished by a stranger in the backseat," Frost taunted.

Chloe sexily countered, "It's not like I've never been squished by a stranger in a backseat before."

Frost grinned and flirtatiously whispered, "You must be the naughty half, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you."

Kayn rolled her eyes. She glanced back at Frost and assured, "I've already agreed to this. There isn't really a choice to be made here. It's done."

Chloe's voice explained, "I've tried a couple of times, it only lasted a few minutes. I tried again this morning but it's not working at all."

Kayn answered her sister's voice, "If I'm stopping you from joining with me, I have no idea how I'm doing it."

They arrived at the porch smoking guy's house, got out and strolled to the door, everyone entered except for Chloe. She was stuck outside. She complained, "Hey, what in the hell?"

Kayn turned back and asked, "Can she come inside with us?"

"Sorry love. No ghosts allowed," Lexy sweetly replied.

Frost stuck his head back out the door and baited, "You're welcome to hang with me anytime sexy vixen. Well...Once you jump inside of your sister."

"That sounded so wrong," Kayn laughed. She couldn't help but smile. Chloe was dead and a boy was shamelessly flirting with her. _In another time and place this Frost guy would have been her sister's fantasy man. He would have given her a run for her money._

The house had a unique décor. There was glass shelving spanning the length of the wall with thousands of tiny hand painted soldiers. The sofa was still covered in plastic. _It was a peculiar thing for a middle-aged man to do._ _There wasn't even a television set in the living room?_ It was a sterile looking environment.

Lily walked up to Kayn and remarked, "If I were to hazard a guess your sister has unfinished business. That's why you haven't merged."

_That made sense._ Kayn replied, "Of course she has unfinished business. She died at seventeen." She followed the group down to the basement where Lexy and skater boy Grey were waiting.

"What took you guys so long?" Grey asked.

"Nice to see you again Grey," Kevin said and chuckled.

Kayn questioned, "You've already met?"

Kevin winked as he responded, "There was a conversation a while back about restraining orders and stuff. He's been around."

Grey grinned as he shook both of their hands. He removed a pink stone from his pocket, squeezed it in his palm and chucked it on the ground. A tomb appeared. First as a hologram and then it solidified. _So cool_. All the others did the same with their stones. Kevin and Kayn stared at the ominous looking coffin-esque chambers lined up across the basement. _This was crazy._

"Do you like video games kids?" Grey chuckled with an Aussie accent and a giant comical grin.

# Chapter Twenty

### Training Games

The tombs that materialized were reminiscent of Egyptian tombs she'd seen in an old movie. Lexy placed her hand on the symbol on the lid of the tomb closest to her. Kayn and Kevin glanced at each other, recognizing it immediately as the symbol of Ankh that each of them had branded into their flesh. She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. _Her best friend was nervous. He was probably wondering how far he'd be asked to stray from his comfort zone. He'd never been a fan of confined spaces. There was absolutely no way in hell he was getting into one of these tombs voluntarily._

Lexy twisted her palm on the symbol, the tombs opened with the ominous grinding of stone against stone. _There were no more scientific explanations to search for, this was just believing in something bigger than yourself magic. This was going to irreversibly change her life. She knew it with every fibre of her being._ A magnetic pull was urging her to a tomb in the middle so she let go of Kevin's hand and it was as though her legs had a mind of their own. In the blink of an eye, she was standing before a tomb feeling like her soul had made the choice. The tomb had a pink stone lining. _Was that rose quartz?_

"What are these for again?" Kayn asked with a strange mix of nervous energy and apprehension. Her pulse raced with adrenaline and without being given an answer, she climbed into the tomb and laid down. Kayn smiled as she ran her fingers along the pink shiny stone that now almost fully encased her. She wasn't sure how or why she'd willingly climbed into a stone tomb without any prompting. _Yes, it would be a cold day in hell before Kevin willingly got into one of these things._

Lily sat up in the tomb next to her. With an exasperated eye roll, she commanded, "Get in the tomb Kevin."

Her best friend answered just as she'd predicted, "Listen. I think I've been pretty easy going with all of this bizarre stuff, but a giant pink coffin may be where I draw the line on my crazy today. I'll stay here to make sure Kayn gets out before dinner."

"If anyone understands how your feeling, it's me. You can stay here just this once, but next time you have to go," Lexy's soothing accent replied.

Kevin peered into Kayn's tomb and nervously questioned, "Are you sure about this?"

_From his perspective, this must be quite the sight._ _Four specimens of humanity displayed in pink stone lined tombs_. _They weren't really specimens of humanity at all, were they?_ _They were something more._ "It feels right. I don't know what this is about, but I'm certain this is where I'm supposed to be," Kayn assured with blind resolve.

Grey hollered, "Hey Lex. Chuck me that iPod."

Lexy smiled as she grabbed it off the work bench and pitched it into his tomb.

Grey's voice chuckled, "Thanks beautiful. Everything's more fun with theme music. Close us up Lex."

Kayn's heart thudded vigorously with anticipation, as the lid on her tomb slowly began to close. From the echoed scraping vibration, she suspected they'd all closed in unison. _What in the hell was she doing?_

She heard Frost's sultry voice say, "Hold onto your pantyhose love muffin."

Lexy's voice urged, "You might as well learn something if you're staying behind. Help me Kevin."

Grey's music started. _Eighties rock?_ Her tomb jolted sideways with a click, click, click. The rose quartz her body was encased in began glowing with luminescent light. _What did she get herself into?_ The glare became brighter until she could no longer keep her eyes open. _It was probably to late to back out._ The blinding rays began to pulsate. She could see the brilliant light each time it strobed even with her eyes squeezed shut. The tomb she was in vibrated and for second, she wondered if that's all there was. Grey started cat calling and hooting. _Oh Shit!_ Her tomb shot up into the air with such force, her stomach flip flopped. She started laughing and squealing with excitement with her hands against the sides of the tomb. The mixture of eighties rock and stomach-churning vomit inducing motion reminded her of being on a carnival ride. It stopped moving and once again she wondered if the ride was over. Her stomach lurched as the tomb began to fall. _Oh no!_ She felt the rippling pressure of wind against her skin. Her hair was whipping around her face. Terrified, she frantically felt around for the stone protecting her. _It was gone._ _Holy crap!_ She screamed in terror, flailing wildly as she plummeted through moisture filled clouds towards certain death without any tomb at all. She heard a chorus of laughter from the others through the howling wind.

Frost's voice yelled, "Don't worry!"

She was spiralling out of control towards the beige coloured land below. The rapid stomach-churning descent began to slow. Kayn landed simultaneously with the others, squatting in the warm luxurious sand. Still in shock, she remained bent over, battling the urge to vomit all over her bare feet. _Everyone was clapping?_

Grey's voice announced, "At least you didn't scream all the way down. They usually do."

_Good to know you bunch of immortal assholes. Somebody could have warned her._ She stared at the sand beneath her feet and wiggled her toes. _Why did she have bare feet?_ The urge to purge her last meal passed. She stood up and took in her peaceful surroundings. She was standing in what appeared to be a desert. _Had she come here before?_

She heard Chloe say her name and spun around. Her heart flooded with joy as she saw her twin. They ran to each other and embraced with tears of joy streaming down their faces. _She could feel her. It was like she was alive_. She stepped back and began squeezing her twin's arms up and down in disbelief. _Chloe was here._ Kayn gasped, "You're really here. Wherever we are, you're really here with me."

Grey interrupted their reunion, "This is all beautiful and shit, ladies, but it's time to get down to business."

With sun kissed olive skin and glistening ebony hair, Lily laughed, "Well, this is an unexpected twist. You really are tethered, aren't you? I guess we'll have to train both of you. It's nice to get a chance to meet you in the flesh Chloe."

As Chloe shook the stunning immortal's hand, Lily caught sight of something astonishing on her palm. She excitedly parted Chloe's fingers, gawked at her Ankh symbol and whispered, "I'll be damned."

Kayn was overjoyed to see her deceased sister shaking Lily's hand and as they noticed the symbol on Chloe's palm, her heart surged with love. She put her arm around her, triggering Chloe's water works. _My sister_. _You're here._

Frost started to speak, "Today, we'll be learning to trust each other. You'll need blind trust in your Clan to follow through with the questionable things you'll be required to do."

"Questionable is just my style," Chloe flirtatiously dared as she gave Frost a suggestive look.

Sparks ignited between the two. Frost couldn't draw his eyes away as he took Chloe's hand, provocatively kissed it and toyed, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you...in the flesh."

Her sister seductively bit her bottom lip, shamelessly scanned his body and taunted, "Likewise."

_In this space and time, Chloe was as real as she was and that naughty immortal was totally into her sister._

"This undead situation intrigues me," Frost whispered under his breath.

Grey remarked loudly, "You do realise you're hitting on a ghost? Really Frost?"

Frost defended his actions, "Oh, come on. She's as flesh and bone as you are in this place."

"Get down with your freaky bad-self man. I'm not judging you," Grey quipped.

"Where are we?" Kayn asked as she slowly spun around. There was nothing but desert as far as she could see in every direction. The clouds she'd passed through on the way down were gone and the breathtaking sky was splotchy vibrant hues of blue. Visually it was like someone just grabbed buckets of blue paint in multiple shades and tossed them into the air.

Lily smiled and explained, "This is the in-between. This place has many other names but it's created from our hopes and dreams. Here you see whatever you need to see before you move on. However, we come here to train and mess around. This symbol prohibits us from passing through the hall of souls. We're not truly dead after all, just visiting. So, let's get back to that speech about trust and ability management. That is what we'll be trying to focus on this week."

Kayn's eyes widened as she asserted, "I can't be here for a week."

Lily grinned as she answered, "It will only be a half an hour, maybe a touch more earth time. Trust me, you two have a lot to learn if you're going to stand a chance at surviving this month without being taken. You need to understand your intuition-based abilities and you both could use a crash course in self-defence before being faced with the challenge of fighting someone who knows what they're doing."

_A_ _week in the desert learning how to fight? She'd never even been in a fight._ Kayn looked at her sister, Chloe was smiling and it was a real one with not a speck of pageantry, just pure unencumbered joy. _Her twin felt so alone in the days before she died. She was probably deliriously happy to be around people like her. She'd read the entries in her sister's diary. She knew what was in her heart._ Kayn had meager abilities compared to her twin but she grabbed Chloe's hand in solidarity and said, "Okay, what are we going to learn first?"

A gentle breeze blew sand across her feet _. Bare feet_. She'd noticed that before but had been sidetracked by her sister. Her athletic attire had disappeared and in its place was an oddly familiar white dress. The girls all wore similar mid thigh length white sarongs with one shoulder bare. The boy's material barely concealed their unmentionables. _Why was she wearing something different?_ She looked down and her childlike dress had morphed to match the others. _It was disturbingly angelic_. _Nothing but blind acceptance was going to work here._ She smiled as she thought about Kevin. _He was nowhere near blind acceptance. He'd rather bluntly refused to get into a tomb. Her boyfriend had chickened right out. Boyfriend_...she grinned. _It still felt strange to think about him that way._ _How were they going to train him when he was claustrophobic?_ Kayn was brought back to a memory of searching for him after school. He hadn't shown up at their meeting place. Some jerks had shoved him into a locker in the boy's change room. He was screaming bloody murder when she rescued him. Chloe started jumping up and down squealing with delight and Kayn stopped daydreaming. _Her sister had a whole week to flirt with a gorgeous immortal boy. She would get to feel what it was like to be alive again. It was only a matter of time before they both lost their autonomy forever_. _What would happen when their souls combined?_

Lily looked directly at Chloe and said, "I am glad you could join us. It's perfect because we aren't sure which of you will be the dominant soul once you're combined. You'll need the same training as your sister."

Chloe answered, "I'm glad too. I felt like I didn't exist anymore until today. Now I feel like maybe I still do."

Her sister was still beaming but Kayn had a mixture of confusing emotions. _A part of her had begun to let her sister go even though she knew what their future would hold._ The happiness of being with Chloe again was mixed with the fear that she would be lost when they combined. _She was the weaker link._ _What would happen to her?_ She'd survived against all odds and her sister had died but it was her identity slipping away like grains of sand in an hourglass. She felt guilty for her thoughts. _The twin she loved so desperately had been alone for so long._ _She needed to give her this time. They were both afraid of what came next. That was probably why it hadn't happened yet._

"Back on track," Lily addressed the two identical girls, "I know Kayn loves to run. I can't explain this it's something you have to feel." The group was all smiles as they sprinted away from the twins. Lily was ahead of the rest, she yelled back at them, "Follow my lead and remember we operate with blind trust. Do exactly as we do."

Without hesitation, Kayn chased after the group. Untamed and free as a pack of wild horses with multicoloured flowing manes, they galloped across the warm inviting sand as it slipped like silken scarves between their toes with each hoof beat. Kayn's soul leapt to the occasion. The Clan's feet churned up the sand in strange unison, setting it adrift on the breeze in their wake. Chloe caught up with joy sparkling in her eyes.

It occurred to her that she didn't feel thirsty or tired and they'd been running for a while. This only made the glorious experience better for her. _She always hated it when her body started to scream at her to stop doing what she loved to give it what it needed. She didn't have to worry about that here._ The sandy desert was nothing but sky ahead as a cliff appeared out of nowhere. One by one they leapt over the edge, arms out as if they could fly. Kayn followed fearlessly with her arms raised as wings. _Who wouldn't take the opportunity to experience flight if given the chance? There was one small problem...she couldn't._ The rapid decent took her through wispy white heavenly clouds. _They'd all slowed down last time. She had this._ The clouds altered. She closed her eyes while rapidly descending through an ominous storm. She was soaked to the bone by the time she'd passed through the thundering gray nothingness. Rain was still angrily pelting down but she was able to see the others. They'd also been soaked. She was trying to remain zen but looked down at the rapidly approaching ground. _Oh no!_ Adrenaline stole her badass. _They were going to hit._ She frantically looked at the others as the swirling beige grew closer with each passing second, nobody cared. _What in the hell?_ Her wet hair thrashed wildly around her. She couldn't remain calm anymore as she began waving her arms in a vain effort to stop her collision. Everyone disappeared. She was falling alone. _Oh! Shit_! _Help!_ The scenery flashed by her peripheral vision. _She couldn't stop! It wasn't working! Shit!_ Bracing herself for impact she let out a blood curdling scream just before becoming a splat in the desert.

Back in the basement of the house Kevin and Lexy had been chatting about random inconsequential things when Kayn's tomb began to pulse out of rhythm from the rest. Lexy calmly strolled over and laid both palms on her tomb. Her Ankh symbol began to glow. She reset the pulse of Kayn's tomb to match the others.

"What was that?" Kevin enquired concerned.

"You don't really want to know," Lexy replied and distracted him by offering him a bottled water.

Kayn awoke with a wickedly painful headache. _Was that sand beneath her?_ She twitched her fingers. _It was...Good_. _What happened?_ _Oh yah. She went splat in the desert_. She pushed up with her arms, hacking out sand and peered up livid. They were standing around her smiling like jerks. "What the hell was that?" Kayn seethed, glaring at the thoroughly entertained immortals. She looked for her sister. _Hmmm,_ _Chloe felt guilty about something_.

"Shall we try that again?" Lily announced.

_Let's not_.

Lily looked directly at Kayn while passive aggressively pointing out, "At least you did it. Your sister didn't even jump."

Chloe flipped her golden locks and declared, "I'm not jumping off a cliff without a parachute. I wouldn't even do it with one. Why would I possibly want to jump off a cliff? Do I look insane?"

Frost pressed his lips together to stifle his laughter but Lily didn't find Chloe's high maintenance shenanigans entertaining, she lost it, "You're dead. For the love of everything holy! You're already dead! You should have jumped without even giving it a second thought!!"

"I guess that's true. Okay, I'll jump this time," Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed. She winked at Frost and he started laughing.

Lily looked at Kayn and said, "I'm proud of you for jumping. Let's do it again, but this time try to stop yourself before you hit the ground."

Kayn shot her a strange look and blurted, "How in the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"I threw the stapler at you in your room. You blocked it. Do the same thing but on a bigger scale," Lily answered, nodding like what she was saying made perfect sense.

"I've only ever done that with small things," Kayn replied.

Lily patiently walked her away from the group as she explained, "Lesson number two. Adrenaline is what gives you strength and falling to your death gives you a shit load. Harness it and stop yourself from hitting the ground the same way you stopped the stapler."

Once again, they ran through the desert. The group came to the edge and jumped off.

Well, everyone except for Chloe, who stopped on a dime. "I just can't!" she shouted over the ledge.

"Did you chicken out again?" Frost provoked.

Chloe whipped around. The sexy immortal was standing there, inches from her grinning. "You wouldn't dare," she baited. He gave her a gentle shove. "You Asshole!" she yelled as she fell into nothingness.

The decent was faster this time as everything whooshed past her. Kayn focused on what Lily told her to do. Beneath her the rapidly approaching ground was green not beige like sand. _A grassy field? They'd changed it up. Nice_. Her eyes focused. _A forest. Lovely._ _I'm sure it won't hurt at all to smoke every branch on the way down._ _Please. This better work._ Adrenaline coursed through her. She focused through the terror. _This was going to suck._ Goose bumps prickled on the surface of her skin as she rapidly plummeted. _There was a clear patch of grass. Hope._ She imagined she wasn't moving. The ground was being hurled at her and shoved against the impending impact releasing a guttural aggressive wail, slowing her decent. _It was working._ She did it once more with everything she had left and landed in the lush grass with a moderately painful thud.

Everyone else walked out from their hiding spots behind trees around her clapping, "Almost perfect Kayn," Lily applauded.

Frost chuckled and suggested, "You should all move out of the way."

Chloe was spiralling downwards, thrashing her arms, high-pitched shrieking. It looked like nobody was even going to attempt to help her. Kayn shut her eyes and turned away as her sister hit the ground with a thunderous pound. In the blink of an eye they were all standing in the desert.

"Okay ladies. One more time," Lily ordered.

_She didn't have the energy to do it again._ Lily gave her a playful shove. Kayn toppled over and stayed in the sand giggling.

Looking down at her grinning, Lily teased, "Woman up, Brighton." The stunning immortal held out her hand. Kayn took it. Lily yanked her to her feet and chuckled, "There's no time outs. This isn't preschool."

_She wished she was still there. Nobody ever tried to murder her in preschool. Heck, hurting yourself was also a big no, no._ Her sister groaned and Kayn smiled having just been there.

Chloe picked herself up, sputtered out a mouthful of sand and barked, "You Asshole!"

Frost grinned as he replied, "There's no point in denying it, is there? Suck it up princess. Time to go again. If Kayn can do it, so can you."

In the days that followed they worked on moving things and pushing objects away. During a brief pause in training her eye was off the ball. _Her sister's emerging love-hate relationship with the incorrigible yet delectable Frost was far to entertaining. It was like watching a soap opera._ Grey launched a giant boulder, she saw it spiralling at her with only enough time to think, _crap._ Her brain exploded like a watermelon dropped from a hotel balcony. She lay on the powdery desert floor a morbid display of brain matter for other-worldly training games.

Kayn came to, inhaled air into savagely painful lungs and faintly groaned as her hazy vision came into focus.

"You are sick in the head," Chloe slammed, kneeling beside her.

Kayn struggled to move only twitching fingers in the sand with an excruciating pitchy echo in her ears.

Lily's face appeared over Chloe's shoulder as she explained Grey's unorthodox move, "This is a dose of reality. Nobody is going to ask for permission to take you out. If you're blindsided it takes a while to reboot your brain. Nobody would expect to be hit with a giant boulder while standing in a desert but stranger things can and will happen."

_Expect the unexpected._ _Lesson learned._ The girls blocked objects for hours never feeling hungry or thirsty, with different places and scenarios each time. _Surprisingly enough, it was Grey she was most drawn to. Perhaps she had the inner workings of a feline? Drawn to the person who didn't appear to like her._ Not trusting his silence, she looked around. Grey vanished. _Strange?_

Lily's raven hair shimmered in the sunlight as she clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and announced, "Now, looks like a good time to have a break."

Frost and Chloe vanished leaving Kayn with Lily. Out of sheer curiosity Kayn enquired, "So, what's Grey's story?"

Lily smiled at her and replied, "This isn't how he usually acts. Relationships within the Clan can be a bit tricky. It's not you." She held out her hand and suggested, "Let's go find him."

The scenery flashed and in the blink of an eye they were standing in a burnt-out shell of a barn after a fire but there was fresh hay. _Peculiar, but everything was now._ "What happened here?" Kayn asked as they both sat on a fresh haystack.

"This is one of Grey's places," Lily answered quietly.

A rickety old farmhouse appeared in the distance. Black swirling angry clouds formed above as thunder rumbled.

"Damn it," Lily exclaimed, "I know this place." Grey burst out the front door of the farmhouse.

"What's going on?" Kayn questioned as the charcoal sky crackled lightning and wind thrashed the barn's fragile blackened frame.

"He made a mistake! He can't let it go!" Lily yelled. Her voice barely audible over the howling wind and violent claps of thunder.

In a rage Grey marched through the field towards them. _This can't be good?_

Over nature's temper tantrum, Lily hollered, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result!"

Kayn and Lily stood up as he approached with their hair whipping savagely in the wind. The sky above was swirled with ominous shades of black and grey. _It looked like a tornado was forming._ The barn became solid in the next flash of lightening. The solid walls shocked her, she stumbled back and fell to the dirt floor. _The mortal part of her mind was having a difficult time. She kept reminding herself it wasn't about her, it was Grey's memory._ The stirring of animals, whinnying horses and the barking of dogs filled her ears as the barn returned to its original state.

Lily began to explain, "It can be hard to comprehend this truth. There is a reason for everything we're asked to do. The most unthinkable of acts can be the difference between saving one life and thousands. In Grey's case, true evil came in the form of someone he loved."

The barn door swung open in the wind and it felt horrifically familiar. Her heart skipped a beat as her memory flashed back to the night that she came home to a door swinging in the wind. The next flash of lightning revealed Grey's form in the doorway.

He screamed, "Laura!" Wrath silenced the livestock and you could hear a pin drop. "I saved you! I protected you! Why?" He was speaking to nothing but air. He yelled the name again and the hay was ablaze.

_Mental note, Grey lights fires with his mind._ Kayn whispered, "Who's Laura?"

"She was his younger sister. This night was the result of his mistake," Lily whispered back. Grey continued searching the stalls for the invisible Laura. Lily leaned in and whispered, "Stay out of sight. He's not in control, he'll light us on fire. Trust me, it's a level of unpleasant you'd prefer to avoid."

The room was stifling, all the oxygen had been sucked out. Panicking, Kayn grasped at her throat. _She couldn't breathe._ Her view from the forest floor as she lay dying flashed through her mind. She saw the branches of the trees above her and recalled feeling like they were alive and somehow mocking her.

Kayn heard Lily's voice say, "You don't need to breath, your body is somewhere else. This isn't real."

As the barn's walls burst into flames, Lily tackled Grey. The barn filled with oxygen and disappeared. Kayn took a deep breath. When she looked up, Grey was sobbing in Lily's arms as she stroked his hair lovingly, assuring, "It's all in the past darling, you're in the here and now."

Empathy moistened her eyes. Something dripped on her brow. She looked up. The burnt frame had reappeared and the sky was serene. _The storm was over. It was just a leftover droplet of rain._ Kayn sat on the fresh stack of hay that once again felt out of place. An abandoned broken-down farmhouse in the backdrop remained. It was in this moment she understood. _He'd been forced to kill his own sister._ _Tragedy had created them all._

# Chapter Twenty-One

### Love, Lust and the In-Between

The two immortals were sprawled on silken grass looking at gentle rolling hills of lush greenery speckled with dainty buttercups. Chloe brought Frost to a place from her cherished childhood memories. She picked a tiny golden flower, held it up to her chin and questioned, "So, do I like butter?" She was met with a blank stare. "Come on, don't tell me that you've never heard that old wives' tale." She tossed her flower at Frost.

"I have not had the privilege. Do tell?" Frost said, grinning at her cute little story.

Chloe smiled as she explained, "If you hold a buttercup up to your chin and see a yellow shadow, then you like butter."

He picked a flower, put it under his chin and teased, "So...do I like butter?"

"You do, there's a yellow shadow," she flirtatiously affirmed.

"Oh, I see. Is that the reason we're hanging out in the grass? You were desperate to see if I liked butter? If you asked, I would have just told you," Frost teased sweetly.

Chloe grinned as she picked another and began plucking off the petals with her golden blonde hair flowing delicately into the grass behind her. She heard the buzzing of a bumblebee and excitedly sat up for a better vantage point.

In awe of her, Frost did the same. He reached out, touched one of her curls and complimented, "You have beautiful hair."

She winked and remarked, "I usually straighten it but straightening irons are difficult to come by when you're dead." She held out her hand and the bee landed on her open palm. It walked with tiny ticklish feet across it as she revealed, "When I was a little girl, bees were the first creatures I knew I could control. I was much older, when I moved onto larger things like people."

"I knew I was different when I woke up in a pile of dead bodies at nine years old," Frost confessed.

Chloe stopped playing with the bumblebee as she looked at him and replied, "That is really messed up."

Frost grinned and laughed, "It definitely was."

She glanced over with a sultry veil of dark lashes and probed, "I bet you know a lot about life? How old are you?"

He spontaneously laughed and disclosed, "Old enough to know I'm destined to be lying in the grass with you, wondering what I'm doing."

As her tiny buzzing minion flew away, Chloe met his eyes and seductively provoked, "What are you doing?"

He suggestively revealed, "Wondering, if your lips are as soft as your hair?" He touched Chloe's bottom lip as he confessed, "I want to kiss you so badly it hurts, but it would be stupid to kiss you. It would be ridiculously insane to allow myself to fall in love."

Playing an alluring game of chicken, she cheekily baited, "You only want me because there's no chance in hell of us ever really being together. I know what you are... I am you."

He caressed her hair as she inched closer. Frost did the same as he whispered, "You know what I am and you still want this to happen?"

Bewitchingly, she massaged his earlobe while admitting, "I've never been with a man I couldn't control. It's exciting and dangerous. Honestly, what do I have to lose?"

He seductively toyed with her neck, she gasped as a ripple of pleasure made her shiver. He slid his fingers into the soft delicate curls at the nape as their lips met with a gentle caress that intensified into a burning passionate submergence of souls. Frost shifted on top of her.

They leapt apart as Lily's sarcastic voice cut through the pleasure of the moment like a knife, "Excuse me. I believe we are saving the sex education training for tomorrow."

In awe, Grey sighed, "He never ceases to amaze me. He's like a self-opening piñata of jokes. I don't even know where to start." Grey began to slow clap. Lily elbowed him. Grey whispered, "Why not sleep with the dead twin? What safer relationship could he possibly find?"

"I'm right here you guys," Kayn sighed. Her sister and Frost got up and brushed themselves off. _Chloe looked happy. Why not have fun with a devastatingly sexy scoundrel?_ Kayn grinned and ribbed, "I can't believe it. You're dead and you still have cat nip on you somewhere."

"I found no cat nip anywhere," Frost sparred, his voice laced with innuendo.

Kayn groaned, "Oh please Frost, it's actually getting painful." She was giggling and shaking her head as she walked away with her sister. Kayn looked into her eyes and asked, "Are you happy?"

Chloe grinned and dreamily replied, "He's amazing."

Kayn hugged her and said, "I'm happy for you." _There was no point in lecturing her. Chloe needed this._

They spent the next couple of days enjoying every second they had together. She'd come to rely on the beautiful shared moments with her twin as much as oxygen to breathe. Chloe and Frost took off alone on every break from their training. Kayn understood that her sister was falling in love. Her twin adored Frost and unless she was misreading the situation, he reciprocated her feelings. Kayn in turn, discovered she was much stronger than anticipated. Grey had warmed up to her a touch by the time they were ready to go home and Lily felt like a friend. Her new buddy Lily assured her Grey's indifference wasn't personal. He didn't want to care until he was sure she was staying with Ankh. She could be taken by another Clan and it would hurt more if they were friends. _Her sister was getting a chance to experience the great love she'd longed for before she died. It wasn't really that absurd. Had Chloe survived and not her, Frost would have been perfect for her sister._ They were even holding hands. She sensed the affair was upsetting Lily. At first, she thought it was jealousy, but after Lily shared the story of Sam with her, Kayn knew her concerns were based on the fear of knowing her twin's soul was an extension of hers. _It wasn't like she'd be reborn and they'd see each other again._

Her daydream was interrupted by Lily's voice, "It's time to get back to reality. I think some of us are beginning to lose touch with it. You two have had a good start in your training."

Kayn glanced at her sister and held out her hand wanting one last moment just in case she couldn't see her when they went back to the land of the living. _They'd had the chance to do something most people never got to do after the loss of a loved one. They had the opportunity to speak the words left unspoken._ There was no ceremony this time or rose quartz carnival rides, just a flash of incapacitating light and she awoke inside a tomb with no movement. It was as though she were a butterfly in a cocoon preparing to emerge from a long hibernation. As the tomb slid open revealing Kevin's smiling face it felt like a new life. Kayn took Kevin's hand and he helped her out of her figurative cocoon. She had a million stories to tell him. She could see something else in his eyes. He was wondering if she'd changed. _It was true, she'd grown. She felt stronger and less afraid of the unknown. She believed in magic_.

"You have to come with me next time, it's amazing. Chloe was there. I could touch her and speak to her. It was as though she'd never died," she explained with tears of joy. Their lips met and as they parted, she whispered, "I missed you."

"You've only been gone for an hour," Kevin laughed as they hugged.

"For us it was a week, but we didn't have to sleep or eat, so it was like twice that time in training. I need to get up there. I'm really hoping I can still see her," Kayn replied.

A yellow light emitted from Kayn's skin as she scaled the stairs. Kevin jabbed Lexy and said, "Kayn is glowing. I mean physically shining. Not just happy glowing."

Lexy chased after her up the stairs and hollered, "Wait Kayn! Stop!"

Kayn paused on the stairs and asked, "What?"

Lexy casually touched Kayn's shoulder and the halo of yellow light disappeared.

The crimson-haired Healer grinned and commented, "Good catch."

Curiosity urged Kayn back down the stairs. She looked directly at Kevin and asked, "What did you catch?"

Her boyfriend whispered, "You were glowing."

_Glowing?_ _She'd better stick around for this conversation._

Lexy picked up Grey's earbuds off the floor while enquiring, "What made you feel like telling me about it?"

Kevin shrugged and answered, "She felt unsafe in that state."

Lexy grinned as she shoved the earbuds into her pocket and declared, "Look at you go, you're a viable Psychic after all. That burst of energy after we get out of the tombs is how Abaddon finds unsealed Clan. The halo attracts the Legion like a beacon. All it takes is a touch from a Healer to get rid of it. The veil of light only follows the newly claimed. I always see that as a child's halo. To me it's that last touch of mortal innocence and purity."

Kevin smiled at her and said, "That's kind of beautiful."

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Lexy replied. She pointed at Kayn and asserted, "If it happens when we're not around, cut yourselves and get in circle of salt." Lexy raced upstairs.

_A circle of salt?_ They stood there confused for a second before following her.

# Chapter Twenty-Two

### Evil Soul Sucking Demons

Chloe was nowhere to be found as they stepped outside. Lily told them she'd disappeared into the bushes separating the properties, looking as she had at the time of her death. They'd seen her that way before but her new boy toy hadn't. They wandered across the backyard and made their way into the woods. She'd been avoiding this place. Seeing the heartbreaking shrine for her family was like driving a stake into her heart. It felt like she should at least warn the immortal that had grown to care for her sister. She touched Frost's shoulder to get his attention, he turned to look at her. Kayn explained, "I feel like I should warn you, Chloe's death was excessively brutal."

"I know...I saw you in the hospital," he admitted. Frost began to read the clipped newspaper articles on the trees aloud, "Local Brighton Family slain; one twin still alive in long-term coma." He touched Chloe's picture and remarked, "She was incredibly beautiful."

"Chloe was a force of nature," Kevin affectionately added.

Kayn gave Kevin a playful shove as she taunted, "Should I just leave you boys alone with my sister's pictures?"

Kevin placed his arm around her, snuggling her against him and lovingly teased, "I'm not sure you've ever fully comprehended this but you guys are identical twins."

"Identical," the immortal show pony confirmed.

Kevin saw Chloe first and whispered, "She's over there." He pointed her out.

As Frost came towards her, Chloe nervously warned, "One more step and the magic will be gone."

"I highly doubt that," Frost replied. "I've seen a rather large number of dead people in my lifetime."

Kayn could only see Frost's reaction to what he was seeing. _Now that they were back in the land of the living, she couldn't see her sister anymore._ Frost froze mid-step as he took in the horror of what Chloe endured in her final moments. His eyes filled with tears as he reached out into nothing but air. He had a peculiar look on his face as he wiped away the foreign liquid from his eyes.

Kayn turned to Kevin and whispered, "I think he's really falling in love with her."

Kevin whispered back, "I think she loves him back and for years I wasn't sure if she was even capable of it."

_Old insecurities can be difficult to get rid of._ Kayn couldn't help it as she quietly asked, "Are you a little bit jealous?"

Kevin gazed into her eyes and said, "Do you honestly not know how I feel about you?"

She held her breath sure he was about to confess his love.

Instead of saying the words, he chuckled and teased, "I got branded for you."

He held out his tell-tale gloved hand, she took it. _They had forever._ They left Frost and Chloe alone and headed back to her house. _He dealt with uncomfortable situations by joking around just as she did._ When they unlocked the door and went inside. _Nobody was there._ _This was exciting._

"I promised we'd behave," he countered in response to her thoughts.

She slipped off her shoes, glanced back and innocently baited, "Watch a movie and order a pizza?" Kayn tempted as she scaled the stairs. _He'd be right behind her once he talked himself into misbehaving_. She sprinted down the hall, shoved open her bedroom door and leapt on her bed. She grabbed the remote, turned on the T.V and began flicking through the channels. Kevin entered her bedroom. _He'd taken a while to make his way upstairs._

He grinned as he strolled over to her bed and announced, "I texted my Dad to tell him I'm staying here until Jenkins get's home." He sat down on the bed beside her and added, "By the way, there's a note on the fridge from Jenkins. It says he won't be back until ten."

She __ pointed to the flyer on her nightstand, innocently bit her lip and remarked, "That's hours from now. We could watch two movies and eat a pizza by ten." _They'd watched a million movies but she didn't want to just platonically watch movies anymore._ She jumped up and said, "I have to run to the bathroom."

Kayn glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She grabbed the tube of toothpaste, squirted some on her finger and rubbed it on her tongue. She took a quick drink of water and put a dab of perfume on. She opened the door to find him standing there.

He cautiously came in and disclosed, "I thought I wouldn't be able to come close to this bathroom without having flashbacks, but all I see is you, just like the day we met." Kevin took a tiny purple flower out of his pocket. knelt and tucked it into her sock just as he had on that day.

_They'd only been five years old when he put that purple flower in her shoe. She could easily picture him on one knee holding an engagement ring. For her, remembering that flower meant just as much._ As he got up, she lovingly teased, "That was smooth Smith."

With a giant grin, he flirtatiously sparred, "Brighton, you have no idea how smooth I can be."

He boldly backed her up against the counter, naughtily kissing her neck as happiness surged in her heart. Giggling because it tickled. _She wanted him to kiss her._ She gazed into his eyes as his lips came towards hers.

He paused, with his lips just a breath away and provocatively teased, "Maybe we should go to my house. I only promised we'd behave here. We can get off on a technicality."

"Get off on a technicality?" She provoked. _She could be naughty too._ Kayn raked her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth to hers, ridding him of all hesitation. Their tongues intimately danced as hands feverishly explored uncharted territory. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, as he carried her back down the hall across the room to her bed. The bedroom door opened. He abruptly dropped her and she landed on her butt with a thud.

Jenkins was busting a gut as he came in laughing, "Seriously? You guys didn't even last five minutes."

Kayn cringed and questioned, "You were never working late, were you?"

"Nah, I was just messing with you," he chuckled. "I ordered you pizza, and here." He tossed a movie at her.

Kayn was still sitting on the floor, crimson faced. She picked up the DVD and awkwardly replied, "Thanks."

"Oh...don't mention it," he piped in as he left.

They both started laughing. Kayn marched over to lock her door. Just as she reached for the handle, Jenkins opened it and passed her a pizza. Kayn grinned and nodded as she took the box. Painfully embarrassed, she politely said, "Thanks Jenkins." She turned around and declared, "Damn, he's good."

In the forest surrounding the Brighton house, Chloe was back to her beautiful perky self. Frost and Chloe had been hanging out, reminiscing about days gone by. They were having a wonderful evening even though they couldn't touch physically. They were carnal creatures reaching new levels of intimacy with honest conversation when she reverted to her tragic self. It wasn't just the blood and entrails that shifted the mood. Something changed... The frogs stopped croaking, the crickets ceased monotonously chirping. The familiar sounds of dusk disappeared as everything became still. Chloe looked away from Frost and as her eyes scanned the darkness of the forest behind her, she turned back in her victimized form and ominously whispered, "Something's coming."

A black mist eerily swirled, wrapping itself fluidly around the trees as it slowly methodically flowed in their direction. "Get out of here Chloe!" Frost yelled. She vanished into thin air as he grabbed a bag out of his pocket and dumped the fine white contents in a circle around him. The onyx coloured mist whirled around, unable to enter the circle of safety simple table salt provided. He knew what this mist would be followed by. He removed the blade from his pocket and sliced his hand. A thin stream of blood trickled down his palm. He placed the wounded hand on his heart, as his symbol began to glow. Frost had learned a long time ago that there were some dark things you never attempt to fight alone.

Back at the house Kayn and Kevin had just finished their pizza and they were on top of the covers watching a movie like children. They wanted to carry on where they'd left off, but Jenkins kept popping his head in unannounced offering humorous completely random things. _It was like he'd purposely bought a huge stash of distraction snacks._ Kayn felt her hand warming under the glove. She took it off and her symbol was glowing. Kevin grabbed her arm. His hand was glowing too but as he looked down, he forewarned, "I can't go with you. I'm not sure what this means, but you have to get into the circle as fast as you can."

Kayn whipped her glove back on and replied, "I'll be right back. Run interference with Jenkins."

"Never say I'll be right back. That's how people die in horror movies," Kevin quipped as he slid his glove back on and followed.

They snuck downstairs without a creak. Kevin remained at the door ready to sidetrack any attempt Jenkins made to go upstairs. The last thing they needed was for a well-meaning Jenkins to appear smack dab in the middle of dark immortal shit. With a blinding sense of urgency, there was no time to put on shoes. She quietly opened the front door and snuck out. On supernaturally fuelled autopilot, she sprinted down the side of her property in her socks to the backyard and didn't hesitate for a second as she bolted into the opening of the woods, she'd run into almost a year ago. The trails were clear of debris. She'd been aware of every sound last time, but tonight she was aware of the lack of noise. Not a cricket's chirp or owl's hoot, just the repetitive soft thuds of stocking feet hitting dirt. It was unnaturally silent. __ There was an ominous presence. _She wasn't afraid._ Her night vision was crystal clear. She saw the Ankh in the distance, surrounded by black mist. Grey, Lily and Lexy were standing in a circle with Frost. _Kevin was right._ _She had to get into that circle._ She ran directly at her Clan, crossed her arms in front of her face and plunged through the mist. She felt unusually out of breath and a little faint. "What's the plan you guys?" Kayn huffed as she tried to balance on wobbly legs.

Lexy shook her head and laughed, "The mist you jumped through stole some of your lifeforce." Lexy touched her and a warm surge of energy flowed through Kayn's body as their Clan's Healer continued to speak, "If you're injured or killed, I'm the one that repairs your body. Arrianna is our Clan's other active Healer, but she's not here. Each of us has our own special talents, but first and foremost, I'm Ankh's strongest warrior. Do what I say."

"Why are we just standing here in a circle of salt?" Kayn asked candidly, a little concerned after all the bravado in her training that they were cowering in a circle.

"You can't fight mist. It's here to subdue us for something else," Lexy replied.

_They seemed far too relaxed. They were all grinning._

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that patience is a virtue?" Frost sparred with cocky sarcasm.

"Fools rush in," Lily laughed.

Kayn stood there watching the onyx mist swirl as it circled the group. She had the strongest urge to touch the circle of salt. _What would happen if she just threw some at the mist?_

Frost touched her shoulder and sighed, "Please don't. If you touch that salt, we'll all have an incredibly shitty evening."

_Mental note: try to remember they can hear your strange inner dialogue_. "What comes after the creepy black mist?" Kayn asked, dreading the answer to her question.

Lily grinned and countered, "It's a sensitive area for you."

_Oh, Crap._ "It's one of those soul-sucking demons you were talking about, isn't it?" Kayn probed as she fought the urge to do the logical thing and run away.

Lexy shook her head slowly from side to side in response to her inner commentary and said, "We are going to wait here in this circle. When it gets close enough, we'll link hands, create a current of energy and blow his ass up. We only have enough energy to do it once, so we have to wait until its right beside us."

_We are going to wait until its right beside us. Great._ Kayn whispered, "I pictured us kicking ass not making traps and for the record, black mist is not what I pictured when you said soul-sucking demons."

"Is that how you pictured them then?" Lexy asked as she pointed to a set of long curved claws grasping the moss-covered bark of a giant fir tree about thirty feet from where they were standing. A black glistening half human, half reptilian creature slowly moved through the bushes.

"Yes...That's more like it," Kayn mumbled, wishing she hadn't tempted fate. The air became as icy as a winters night and each time she exhaled visible breath rose from her lips in small panicked bursts. _Oh Shit._ _This can't be good_.

As the long black terrifying savage creature shuffled toward them, Lexy added, "There is a bright side to this though."

"What could that possibly be?" Kayn stammered. _This hideous monster could not possibly be real. It was utterly terrifying. Its claws looked capable of slicing through human flesh like butter. In her worst nightmares, there had been nothing even close to this._

Lexy leaned closer and whispered, "At least we're all here. It could have just come into your bedroom and gutted you as you slept."

_Well, that wasn't helpful._ " Has anyone ever told you Frost isn't the only asshole?" Kayn laughed nervously.

"At least, I'm an asshole with a purpose," Lexy sparred, triggering giggles from the group of trapped immortals.

Frost pitched in, "Ladies, I resent that. It's clearly true, but I resent it nonetheless."

"You're being awfully quiet, Grey. Don't you feel like being eaten this evening?" Lily pestered, giving him a gentle shove.

"I hate these friggin' things. They creep me out and for the record, you suck." he complained nervously.

"They're really slow. Why don't we just throw the salt at the mist and walk away?" Kayn questioned as it came at a snail's pace towards them.

Skater boy Grey whispered, "We've tried that and failed. See, they work as a team. The mist wounds you, slows you down and this giant cuddly guy eats the leftovers and gets rid of the evidence." Grey took one of Kayn's hands.

Lily glanced at Lexy and said, "Stomach or arm?"

"Stomach, I guess. Don't knick my liver," Lexy replied as Lily far too casually stabbed her in the stomach.

Kayn's mouth dropped open. Frost reached for her other hand, squeezed it and assured, "She's a Healer. She's fine, that's not even going to wreck her evening." He looked at the others and announced, "Okay, just a few more steps and he'll be close enough to take out."

Once everyone's hands were linked, Kayn felt the current of energy flowing, it was rather pleasurable at first but then it started to burn. One of her hands felt like it was on fire. Grey's hand had a flame like glow. _She couldn't let go._ _It was burning_. Conveniently, her energy was fuelled by terror induced adrenaline and there was plenty as she struggled to get away. Grey tightened his fiery grasp. She heard his thoughts. _'Trust me, you do not want to break this circle.'_ Just when it felt like she couldn't take anymore she felt a surge of euphoria, unlike anything she'd ever experienced. A wave of energy rippled away from the circle followed by a burst of flames, disintegrating the soul-sucking demons and igniting the alligator on steroids leaving behind a sizzling charcoal corpse.

"I got this," Grey announced as he released her hand and kicked the demon's ashes. It dissolved into a cloud of dust that travelled away on a gust of wind.

She gazed at her unharmed flesh. _There wasn't a mark on her. She felt amazing_. "That was kind of awesome," Kayn declared as they all stepped out of the circle.

"Brains before brawn. You don't live this long assuming you can win every battle," Lily replied as they strolled back through the slightly damp but no longer chilly woods to her house. The adrenaline high wavered. _That was a real monster._ A wave of nausea washed over her. _What_ _if one of them went to the house?_ She saw Kevin standing by the edge of the woods, having a conversation with empty air _. Oh, thank God._ "Where's Jenkins?" Kayn called out as she approached.

Kevin closed the space, while responding, "He's snoring on the couch. He started giggling and whispered, "Chloe just ran at Frost like she planned to leap into his arms and stopped at the last second before she sailed right through."

_She wished she could see her_.

Frost wandered over and sarcastically remarked, "Thanks for picking that one up, Kev."

Lexy gave the show pony a pat on the shoulder and explained, "He did pick it up. I healed Kayn on the stairs before we left the basement. I thought we caught it in time. Everyone else knew, but you took off before I could warn you."

"Good job Kevin," Chloe's voice praised.

Kevin raised his hand like he was about to high five someone and said, "Do it tomorrow when you're solid."

_Her sister's hand would have flowed right through his as nothing more than a chilly breeze._

Frost glared at the Clan's Healer and baited, "You stinker, you didn't mention it on purpose. You could have texted me. Hey Frost, just so you know, there could be Demons. Keep an eye out."

Lexy winked and sparred, "We don't have a T.V. I was bored stiff so I rolled the dice. What were the chances?"

"Apparently, pretty damn high," Frost countered, laughing.

Lily piped into the conversation, "All joking aside, Abaddon knows we're here now. We have to go back in tomorrow to train."

Kevin nodded and admitted, "I feel like an idiot for not going."

Lily's eyes softened as she looked at Kevin and responded, "No games tomorrow. Abaddon knows she's here. They send one of those things when they aren't sure but next time there may be a dozen."

Frost touched Kayn's shoulder and poorly reassured, "They can't come in your room. That's what the stones are for. Lexy's messing with you but what Lily just said about a dozen of them coming to get you. That was the truth."

_Awesome. That's just awesome._

"After school tomorrow at our place," Lily commanded.

"Yes! This is incredible!" Chloe's voice cheered.

Kayn couldn't see her sister but she felt her joy. _She wouldn't have to wait another week to feel alive again. To be honest, she was more than a little stoked to go back. She couldn't wait to show Kevin everything she'd experienced there_. _Her mind kept scrolling back to_ _I just helped blow up a real monster._ _Next time they'll send a dozen of those monsters. Frost had confirmed it._ She plastered on Chloe's usual smile. _She understood its purpose now. Fake it till you make it._

Lily added an ominous warning, "Miss Chloe, dead or not you're the other half of the Conduit. They're here for you too. It would be beneficial to Abaddon if you never became one. Keep that in mind as you stall for time."

Kayn looked at where she surmised Chloe must be standing beside Frost. This coming week would be their last as separate entities. It was go time, if they wanted to protect what was left of their family.

# Chapter Twenty-Three

### Murder, Resurrection and Miscellaneous Mayhem

Lily sprawled on her bed recalling each horrific ending to her love story with the mortal reborn under many names. _She was dying to see Kayn's brother again. She could visit him secretly._ _It was during the week so Matt would be in his college dorm._ Lily concentrated on thoughts of him and she was there.

His room was slightly untidy but not gross as some boys kept their rooms. He'd just had a shower and only had a towel around his waist. His torso rippled with toned perfection. This wasn't going to make staying away easier. She remembered his touch like it was yesterday and the feeling of his toned stomach as she ran her hands over those abs. There was absolutely no point in getting all hot and bothered over a boy who was off limits. Matt was sitting on his bed as he ran his hands through his short damp hair. She thought he was reaching for his phone but he picked up a picture of his sisters and stared at it. Kayn's brother had a death sentence and he didn't even know it was coming. The hourglass of his life had started losing sand the moment they met.

She'd hoped, if she kept her distance, he'd be spared this time around. Her instincts were telling her that assumption was wrong. History would undoubtedly replay as it always had in the past. She sat on Matt's bed watching his bedtime routine. She followed as he walked into the bathroom and began brushing his teeth, she travelled off in her mind to who he'd been in his last life.

She remembered every detail down to the song that was playing as they entered the dance together, "The Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera. It wasn't a long time for her but it was decades ago. Lily's dress was poufy shouldered brilliant blue satin. Her ebony hair was permed, glistening with sparkles, with curls down only one shoulder. He towed her to the dance floor where she melted against him with her head resting peacefully on his shoulder. She swayed to the music in his arms wishing they could stay like this forever but with each steady beat of his heart she heard their inevitable goodbye. Lily ran her hand lovingly across his chest as if this action would erase what was destined to happen. As they kissed, it was a blissful moment of perfection in her long, complicated existence. They left the dance early and went back to a hotel room where they made love for hours. Afterwards, she lay wrapped in his muscular arms, glistening with perspiration overflowing with joy. She was so deeply in love, lust and everything in between. In prior lives, he'd always died before they had a chance to consummate their love. After many reruns of the same tragedy there was a flicker of hope.

He'd kissed her cheek and asked if there was anything she wanted from the store across the street. He wanted butter pecan ice-cream. He kissed her lips tenderly, grabbed his jacket and took off. In what felt like seconds she heard screeching tires and screaming. An eighteen-wheeler took out her heart right outside of the hotel room where they'd just finished making beautiful love. Lily remembered lying in the bed wrapped in the covers, still damp from their union. _Maybe if she didn't move or take a breath?_ Despair cascaded down her face as she rushed to put her clothes on and raced out into the pouring rain. Drenched to the bone as she saw the truth, she dropped to her knees. There wasn't even a body left to hold onto as he took his last breath. Just blood spatter on the road. _He was gone._

Something hardened inside of her after countless versions of losing her true love. Yet still, in the back of her heart, she waited for him to return as he always had so she could hold him once more. _If nobody intervened, Kayn's brother's death was inevitable._ Her essence returned to her body and Lily awakened with renewed purpose. She would find a way to make Matt an immortal and redesign her destiny to include the man she loved. She just needed a half a dozen miracles and some back up. If they left right after school, they could stay under for two hours without suspicion. Two weeks in the in-between might be a little dangerous for Kevin. He could become lost between reality and fantasy but all three needed to be trained properly and quickly. Lily knocked on Frost's bedroom door.

He bellowed, "What do you want?"

"Can we talk for a minute?" Lily asked as she entered his room without waiting for his answer.

Frost patted the bed next to him.

Lily strolled around the bed placing stones on his floor and then she did the same with a circle of salt as she recited the words, "Ας μην υπάρχει σιωπή εκτός του κύκλου."

"You know that you can just say that in English instead of Greek...it still works," Frost teased.

Lily sat down and made Frost a proposition that would be difficult to resist, "Will you help me do something morally questionable if it helps you get more time with Chloe?"

"I'm listening," an intrigued Frost replied.

"What if we kept them in training for two weeks? I know it's on the dangerous side but I will personally keep Kevin in touch with reality. I'll make it my duty and it will give you more time with Chloe. Maybe when the twins join, you'll have a chance?"

Frost winced and said, "The others will never agree but I'm curious as to what you want in return?"

Lily took a deep breath, exhaled and whispered, "Help me save Kayn's brother. Maybe we can find a loophole and make him an immortal?"

"I saw the twins' brother; he looks just like him," Frost whispered back. "It's a sick twist of fate. I'm guessing you haven't thought to mention this tidbit of information to either of the twins?"

Lily answered, "I've stayed away from him but you know as well as I do the family's always end up dead."

Frost sighed and whispered back, "A week ago I would have been pissed off to hear this self-destructive plot but now, I kind of get it."

"Somehow, I knew you'd understand," she quietly replied.

Frost leaned in so close to Lily's ear, she could feel the warmth of his breath as he whispered, "Let's say we attempt to save Matt or Sam, or whoever the hell he is. How would we go about it?"

Lily softly whispered, "We could mark him, kill him and then try to revive him? If he gains a Psychic ability, we could take him with us?"

In a hushed voice, he replied, "You know if he has no Psychic lineage, it won't work."

She whispered, "He's adopted. We have no way of knowing what he's capable of?"

Frost touched her cheek lovingly and quietly responded, "You know how much I want to be with Chloe but I understand that our time is almost up. I've accepted it as fact. I suggest you do the same. You know our wild little schemes never work out."

_It was usually best to keep the others out of private conversations involving murder, resurrection and other miscellaneous mayhem so they'd have plausible deniability but she sensed it was too late for that._ _They had company._ Lily opened the door to find Lexy and Grey standing there.

Lexy spoke first, "You know if you whisper loud enough people can hear you, circle or no circle. Another interesting bit of information darling, if someone hears those words in Greek, it's hard not to eavesdrop out of curiosity."

Grey's face was afire with undisguised frustration, "Make that circle again, you just walked through it and by not turning you in, we'll get in the same amount of trouble as you two bloody morons. You might as well fill us in."

Lily recreated the circle and the four began arguing about her utterly insane plan. In the end the group agreed to a two-week stint in the in-between but not to the resurrection of Kayn's brother.

# Chapter Twenty-Four

### Being Eaten Really Sucks

Kayn rather enjoyed the company of her new Clan. Their presence added a touch of reality to the crazy situation she'd found herself in. Being around Lily felt like being in the presence of royalty with glossy ebony hair cascading down her back like shimmering silk. She had olive skin and a pearly white smile with naturally rosy lips. The girl was breathtaking. She kind of reminded her of an emotionally jaded Snow White.

Grey had grown on her with his boyish good looks and free-spirited ways. He made her grin every time he spoke because she couldn't quite figure out the origin of his accent. She'd originally thought he was a pompous, chauvinistic, idiot but soon realised it was an act meant to keep her at arm's length. He had that brotherly vibe and was smacked, hugged or punched in the gut often. For her, this made him oddly endearing.

Lexy was referred to as the Clan's Healer. She had an intriguing southern drawl, a kind heart and a kickass punch, which she'd obviously shared with someone again today. Kayn grinned as she passed by the office and spotted her sitting in a chair outside of principal's door. _That girl has serious anger management issues._

Frost was the hottest guy she'd ever laid eyes on. He was making her sister happy so that made him alright in her eyes. It was the end of the school day and they were all supposed to meet in the parking lot. Kevin was practically bouncing in the driver's seat with excitement as they all piled into his car.

"Meet you there!" Grey yelled, flying past on his skateboard.

"Let's grab a burger before we get started, if I'm sitting in the basement half-starved it'll throw me off my game," Lexy chimed in as they passed Grey.

Kevin grinned and replied, "You don't have to ask me twice to eat a greasy cheeseburger." He turned into the drive-through.

Once their stomachs were full, Lily casually mentioned the two-week long stint in the in-between.

"Isn't that too long?" Kayn enquired as they pulled up at the house.

"I thought more than a week was a bad idea?" Kevin asked a little reserved.

"It is, but after what happened last night, we have to catch you up to the other two quickly," Lily cautiously responded.

Kayn put her hand on Kevin's knee and smiled. She knew what he was thinking about. _If he hadn't been afraid to go the first time, then they would all be on the same page._ Chloe hadn't said a word but Frost kept smiling at the empty space in the backseat. Kayn could sense the omissions in the conversation. They all got out of the car and one by one she watched the immortals disappear into the house. _You tell yourself that the things that go bump in the night aren't real. That's how you go to sleep and trust you'll be safe until the morning. They were coming for her and always would be. Now that the veil of the spiritual world had been raised, she'd probably never be able to feel that blind sense of security again._

"Okay let's go then," Kevin blurted out.

Kayn shut off her negative thoughts and decided to focus on the positive. She was going to have the opportunity to hug her sister and Kevin was clearly excited to experience the in-between. Her stomach knotted, she felt apprehensive. _If she felt uneasy, there was usually a reason._

As Kevin passed the empty stoop, he addressed her invisible twin, "How's it going, beautiful?"

Chloe's voice responded, "I'll feel much better in about ten minutes."

"I'm glad," Kevin answered sweetly.

Kayn paused in front of the empty stoop and said, "See you soon."

Her sister's voice replied, "I can't wait."

As Kayn walked in the door it swung shut behind her.

Lexy was the only one still standing outside of the tombs as they made their way down the stairs, "Hop in with Grey. I wish I could go with you guys but someone has to operate these things."

Kayn watched as Kevin pensively walked over to Grey's tomb. He took a deep breath and climbed inside. _Why did she get her own and he had to share?_ She climbed into the empty tomb and this time it felt like she was boarding a carnival ride knowing exactly what she was getting into. She sensed his panic as the heavy stone lids began to close and wished she'd given him a pep talk. _He did have Grey_...she grinned. The tombs lurched to the side, clicked and exploded with brilliant blinding light.

There was rock music playing from Grey's tomb again; it heightened the exhilaration as they were abruptly catapulted into the air. Grey was hooting with excitement and Kevin was stone silent. Kayn's stomach twisted and churned as her tomb spun. They paused but she knew the ride wasn't over this time as they began to deadfall. She heard squeals of excitement as they began descending into the in-between free of their tombs. Kevin was a short distance away, freaking out. Fight or flight had taken over as he plummeted into the unknown, flailing and shrieking.

Kayn was calm this time. She called out his name. Their eyes met and he stopped screaming. _It's okay, calm down_ , she spoke to his soul as they descended into the in-between. The group landed gracefully in the desert. Kevin face planted, spitting the sand out of his mouth.

Frost helped him up and remarked, "You must have been an alto in choir?"

Kevin brushed the sand off his white Ankh attire without appearing to notice that he wasn't wearing pants and stated, "Actually, I was an alto." Everyone got the giggles. Kevin scolded, "Really mature you guys...really mature."

They were all hysterically laughing, until Lily sighed, "Thank you. I so needed that."

_Their weird sense of humour was beginning to rub off on everyone._

Kevin spun around in awe just as she had while taking in his surroundings. He blurted, "Are we staying in the desert for two weeks?"

_She'd had the same reaction to the clean slate of the in-between's immortal landing spot._

Lily smiled, gently touched his arm and explained, "This is the in-between. Ankh usually arrives in the desert but this place is whatever you imagine it to be."

"Anything I want?" Kevin enquired as he gazed up at shades of blue in the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun's glare with a hand.

_There were diamonds in the sand sparkling in the sunshine._ Kayn knelt to get a closer look and touched the silky sand. _It felt the same._ As she strained the luxuriously fine grains through her fingers, she felt a tug in her heart and knew something was off. Kayn sat in the warmth of the sand examining the sparkling grains. _They appeared to be a hologram or a mirage._ When she looked up, Kevin was standing above her with a confused expression on his face. _He'd noticed everyone's barely there attire, including his own._

He knelt next to her and whispered, "Where are our clothes?"

While laughing on the inside, Kayn whispered, "Just listen, don't worry about your clothes."

Lily continued to speak, "We arrive on a blank slate and create through our minds what we want our version of the in-between to be. The Ankh come to the desert because everyone recognizes it. If you weren't Clan and you died, you'd arrive to a happy moment of immeasurable beauty from your life."

"That makes sense," Kevin replied, still in awe of the glittering sand beneath his feet.

Kayn got up and smiled as she watched Kevin wriggling his toes in the sand to feel the silky warmth between his toes. _She'd done that too._ The sky had altered a touch, it was now swirled with sparse puffy white clouds across the brilliant blue canvas.

Lily began her talk about blindly trusting your Clan. Kayn was too excited to pay attention. She couldn't wait to show Kevin all the miraculous things she'd experienced. Kayn hugged her twin and stood beside her. _They were both here._ _This was her version of heaven even if they were standing in the desert the entire time_.

Kayn squinted as the sun glinted off the diamonds in the sand, creating magical rainbows of light. She was enraptured by the glorious visual spectacle when a past memory filtered through and she recalled where she'd seen these diamonds in the sand before. They'd been glittering beneath the surface of the water, amidst brightly coloured starfish. Instinct urged her to close off her thought process. _Kevin needed to train, he didn't need distractions._

Lily's speech was over and it was time to go for a run. Kayn looked into Kevin's eyes and whispered, "Do you trust me?"

"Always," he quietly answered as he took her hand.

She didn't want him to feel discouraged by being embarrassed again, so Kayn quietly assured, "You can't die. We are somewhere created by love and filled with beauty and magic. Just be free and trust that you can never be permanently hurt here."

"Party pooper," Frost teased with a giant grin, shaking his head at her. He leaned over and whispered in Kayn's other ear, "That's cheating love."

"Sometimes cheating is necessary," Kayn whispered back with an innocent smile.

"I'm going to hold you to that!" Frost yelled as he took off ahead of her. She laughed as she raced after him. They all sprinted through the exquisitely beautiful desert of diamonds. As they reached the drop off, Kayn paused and waited for Kevin, she nodded as she held out her hand, he grabbed onto it and trusted her as they leapt off the ledge. Kevin wasn't going to be able to stop until he knew how. As they plummeted downwards, Kayn shouted through the howling rippling wind, "I have to let go. You have to learn to stop yourself!"

"How?" he yelled as he watched Kayn put her hands in front of her.

Kayn hollered back, "Use your own adrenaline to push your body away from the ground!"

As Kevin rapidly spiralled through the air, Kayn noticed a necklace falling beside him. He grabbed for it and a visible bright yellow haze surrounded him. As he clenched the necklace in the palm of his hand an orange surge of power pulsed around his chest. Kevin placed his hands out, instinctually knowing what to do as energy pulsed forth pushing him away from the ground. He slowed to a complete stop before impact and lingered there; suspended in midair. Kevin's cheeks exploded into a victorious smile. He hovered for another second before allowing his feet to land on the forest floor beneath him. The Clan stood in silence with their mouths agape and Ankh symbols glowing.

Frost spoke up first, "Wow. I underestimated you, kid."

"Holy crap! How in the hell did you hover there like that?" Grey exclaimed.

Kevin opened his still glowing hand to show them the amulet covered in blood in his palm. He'd squeezed the necklace so tightly during his rapid descent into the unknown that it pierced his flesh. Blood trickled down to his wrist, christening the sand with his essence.

Kayn recognized the amulet and hesitantly asked, "Where did that come from?" _She already knew the answer but didn't want it to be true._

He told her the necklace had been willed to him along with his grandmother's power in the event of her death but he'd left it at his grandmother's house that day refusing to take it with him.

Unconcerned, Kevin shrugged and exclaimed, "I guess leaving it behind wasn't optional."

Kayn's eyes filled with tears. _He was still in shock from the fall, overwhelmed by everything and he didn't see it yet...But she did._

Kevin placed his grandmother's amulet around his neck. He started to choke, clutching at the necklace, desperately trying to rip it off. He dropped to his knees in the grass, gasping for air in tortured agony as he crumpled to his side. Kayn bolted towards him. Frost restrained her mid-stride, holding her as she fought to squirm away, desperate to stop the excruciating pain he was in. Kevin was shrieking in pitchy agony like he was being shredded to pieces. Restrained by Frost, Kayn was begging Chloe to help but Grey had her pinned down in the grass.

She stopped struggling, relaxed against him and came at Frost from another angle, "He's in too much pain. I can't take this. Please...Please help him. Make it stop," Kayn sobbed into his shoulder.

Frost whispered in her ear, "He's a Psychic. He's having a violent vision fed to him by the amulet he just put around his neck. Which is never good news but news we need to hear. This is his job now."

Chloe was sobbing and pleading with Grey to help Kevin. Kayn couldn't help but notice the expression on Lily's face. It looked like she knew a horrible secret. While Lily was sidetracked, Kevin squirmed towards her and made contact with her flesh creating a link to his visions. Lily froze in horror and began clawing at her chest as she dropped to the grass.

Kevin's mind pulsated with graphic images of violence and torture. Lily's mind was flooded with the same disturbing images. She began to kick Kevin's hand away from her ankle in a desperate attempt too free her mind before it fizzled.

"Do something!" Kayn shouted as they squirmed in anguish.

"I've never seen this happen before. He's passing his vision on by touch. He shouldn't be able to do that. He's not an Oracle," Frost whispered.

During his confusion, Kayn broke free of Frost's grasp and leapt between the two. The outside influence severed the link. Kayn landed between them and before she could think, the grass surrounding her came alive, rapidly grew encircling her into a teal mummy and swallowed her whole. It happened so quickly the others didn't have a chance to react.

Back in the basement three of the tombs were out of sync. _It didn't make sense._ As Lexy touched Kevin's tomb horrific images accosted her. _He'd passed on a Psychic vision via tomb. Impressive. They'd need every second of training they could fit in to have a shot at altering the future she'd just witnessed. The shit was about to hit the fan._ She heard the blaring noise only the Clan could hear and staggered around covering her ears until it ended. That racket meant a battle had begun. The area was sealed off. Lexy bolted up the stairs and rushed to a window. Sure enough, there was a massive amount of Clan fighting in the backyard. _Black mist began swirling around, they disbanded but they'd be back. It had only been a few minutes since her Clan left to train in the in-between. The entire house was spiritually blockaded but that didn't mean that there was no way inside, just that it wouldn't be easy._ She ran back into the basement, poured salt across the doorway and placed a line of stones along the door's wooden frame. She wedged a shovel and a few other objects under the doorknob and hurried back down the basement stairs knowing she'd have to wait until the last minute to climb into the protection of her tomb. These kids were going to need every second of their training to even stand a chance. She had to heal them for a few more hours. __ Lexy grabbed a knife off the counter, sliced her palm and placed her dripping hand on the side of the first tomb, sending a current through all of them. They lit up and pulsated twice with a giant surge of energy. This would warn the rest of their Clan something was amiss back in the land of the living. Lexy grabbed her head and bent over, willing the violent toxic visions to stop repeating. It would be extremely helpful if Psychic visions had a time stamp.

Back in the land of the deceased Lily groggily came too in the plush grass and questioned, "How in the hell did you transfer your visions to my mind? That was brutal."

"We have to go home, right now," were the first words out of Kevin's mouth. His voice was raspy, thick with emotion as he explained, "Lexy was torn apart. There was so much blood. You were being torn apart too Grey."

Grey threw his hands up in the air, "Awe shit, not again. I hate bloody dying that way. Just tell me I'm not being ingested by something. Being eaten really sucks."

With only a look, Lily commanded their attention and panic lulled as she solemnly addressed the group, "This is why we have you here Kevin. Foretold events involving us can be altered. As we train your visions will change. That is what would have happened to us if we went back right now. After a couple of weeks of training in the in-between there will be a different outcome." She touched Frost's shoulder and quietly suggested, "Give Chloe whatever she needs to find peace." Grey continued pacing back and forth swearing like a sexy-accented truck driver cut off in traffic. Lily placed her hand on the temperamental immortal's shoulder and gave him a condescending pat as she reassured, "If something is eating you, I promise to stab you in the head and find you a new body just as sexy as this one if we can't heal it."

"I don't give two shits about my sexy body. It friggin' hurts," Grey complained causing a few smiles to erupt even in the face of dismemberment.

This sent Grey into an over-dramatic hissy fit, "Oh yeah. Have a good laugh at my accent, you bloody idiots. Do you have any words that you want me to say today?"

Beaming, Frost provoked, "Say encyclopedia." Grey wrestled him into a choke hold as he laughed hysterically.

"Is it still funny asshole?" Grey hissed, out of breath struggling for dominance in his testosterone fuelled tantrum.

"I'm going to pee myself. Stop! It's not funny. I swear it's not," Frost chuckled. Grey released him from the choke hold and threw him down. He thudded on his behind in the grass.

Lily yelled harshly, "Enough fooling around you two!"

"Where's Kayn?" Kevin questioned.

"I'm going to look for her. Kevin, why don't you come with me? I think I know where she is," Lily answered, "I think you need to be there too."

"What happens if Lexy dies before we get back?" Kevin enquired.

In that moment, their symbols began to strobe. Lily held up her hand to show Kevin that her symbol was glowing but he was already staring at his own. She explained, "As soon as multiple tombs strobe out of sync, she's aware something has gone wrong in the in-between. Lexy's job is to make sure our tombs are all in sync. That's why she's there. When our symbols start going off like this with long steady flashes versus quick ones. This is her warning us that something has gone wrong back in the land of the living. The rest of our Clan is already on the way to the house. Lexy is a bad ass. We don't worry about Lexy."

As they walked away from the others, Lily grabbed Kevin's hand and assured, "Understand this one thing, we cannot actually die. None of us can pass through to the hall of souls to be reborn. If you die, you come here. End of story. Lexy will secure herself in the basement. She'll continue to heal us for as long as she can. If she shows up here it means the battle has come into the house. Our mortal shells are safe in the tombs. We just wait here for the rest of our Clan to get us out."

# Chapter Twenty-Five

### The Triad Connection

Kayn was standing in Kevin's grandmother's kitchen. The pots hung above a small island in the center of the room. The fragrance of lavender still lingered in the air. Herbs grew on the windowsill. Slivered rays of sunshine crept across the room through vertical blinds making it dim yet cozy feeling. Sensing someone else's presence, Kayn turned and smiled as Kevin's grandmother came across the room with her arms open wide.

With her beloved grin and twinkling eyes Granny welcomed her, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you, dear."

_She understood why she was here._ "You died?" Kayn questioned, leaning out of the embrace to see how she felt about it.

A shadow darkened her joyous smile as Granny Winnie quirkily replied, "I've known exactly when and how I was going to die for a long time."

They embraced again. Kayn held on tightly, afraid if she let go, she'd disappear into the hall of souls before Kevin had a chance to say goodbye.

"There's nothing to worry about dear," the elderly woman disclosed, I'll be here for a long time. I couldn't get through to the hall of souls if I tried." Granny opened the top button on her blouse revealing a brand on her flesh by her heart.

She began to tell a tale or horror story, depending on how you looked at it, "My family died in a tragic accident when I was a child, only I survived. At sixteen I fell through the ice on a frozen pond and nearly died. Not long after, a Clan took me from my orphanage. I was naïve but I had survival skills. I'd always known I was different. I saw things other people couldn't. Triad told me it was a gift. I felt like I was part of a family. My Clan took care of business the other two Clans don't have the stomach for. So, the only chance I had to retain my sanity was to turn off my emotions. I allowed my soul to go dark. I had to assimilate too survive. In my younger days, I was quite pretty. I caught the eye of the Clan's leader and we fell in love. Procreation is illegal under immortal law, so when I found out I was pregnant, I had to disappear. I pretended overuse of my Psychic ability had fried my brain. A part of me wanted to believe he wouldn't do it but the leader I loved so desperately left me at a sanitarium and walked away, leaving me to the mercy of the dark things. I hadn't been sealed to my Clan and knew Abaddon may come for me but it was a chance I had to take. Only one person came to visit me, the most exotically beautiful girl I'd ever seen. She noticed I was expecting. I was sure a Corrections team was coming for me but they never came. I named my daughter Lillian, after her."

Kayn's heart warmed, knowing it was probably their Lily that came to see her so long ago. She'd given Granny Winnie's baby a chance to live by saying nothing of its existence.

Granny continued speaking, "I planned to be a model patient so they'd see me as emotionally vacant but harmless and eventually let me go. I played nice and made friends with the orderlies. I showed myself to be a gentle, kind spirited person to my doctor. They released me without a hassle upon the birth of my child. I found a church and told a slightly altered story to a pastor who most likely thought I'd been kidnapped by a cult or something equally macabre. They let me stay in the church basement with my baby girl. That's how I met the man Lillian believed was her father. Paul was a member of the congregation. We got married and moved away for a fresh start. My husband acted like the baby was his to everyone we met. He died in an accident when Lillian was only six months old, leaving me a widow, which was preferable to an unwed mother back in those days. I cared for Paul deeply, he was my best friend but I always felt guilty for not being able to love him. I allowed him to save me and he had in a million different ways. I was devastated when I lost him but truth be told, I was always carrying a torch for my first love, hoping his power hadn't driven him mad. Kevin's biological grandfather is Tiberius, the leader of Clan Triad."

Kayn's heart froze in her chest. She'd been following along but hadn't fully absorbed the gravity of the situation until now. "What exactly does that mean for Kevin?" Kayn whispered, afraid if she spoke too loudly someone might hear.

With a reassuring touch, Granny exclaimed, "Your future is a choose your own adventure story. You will make decisions and your future will be altered accordingly."

It felt like she'd been holding her breath for five minutes when relief allowed her to exhale. _She couldn't stomach the thought of losing him. Their bond was much more than teenage infatuation. Inseparable since early childhood, almost every beautiful mortal memory she held dear included him._ _She could close her eyes and be transported back to a million incredible moments in time. She could feel the simple bliss of lying in a field full of buttercups staring at clouds._ _He'd always been by her side._ _For so long they'd been untainted by life, with their only complaints being things like his height and her sister's magical voodoo powers. They'd played pranks and envisioned various versions of their futures over their years of friendship._ Kayn came to the silent realization that the futures they'd imagined had never been theirs to have. _Their fates had been set in motion long before they were ever a twinkle in their parents' eyes_. Kayn tilted her head as she questioned, "So, he could be more than a Psychic?"

"Nobody knows what he's capable of. Kevin looks just like my side of the family but I'm certain if anyone from Triad sees Clay, they'll catch on quickly. Clay looks just like his grandfather."

Kayn realised she'd missed an important fact. "You aren't dead?" She spouted, suddenly excited. "You can get a new body and come back with us."

"I have other plans for my future," Granny Winnie revealed as she got up beaming and announced, "Kevin's here. Don't give him any information. I want to see how much he knows all by himself."

_That's why she was fine with being dead. She was Clan, dying was merely an inconvenience. Kevin's bio grandpa was the leader of Triad._ Granny knit her brow and shushed her. _Had she always been able to hear her inner dialogue?_ _Awkward._

Granny stood up and shouted, "My sweet boy, you're finally here!"

Kevin walked into the room and said, "I thought maybe I could sneak up on you."

"You can't sneak up on a Psychic; it's the whole point of being a Psychic. We know things before they happen silly," Granny chuckled as Kevin came towards her with raw emotion in his eyes.

Choked up, he accused, "You're dead. Couldn't you have just changed it?"

Her eyes softened as she explained, "I've known about this for a long time, I was ready. I had let it happen. If I'd changed one thing it would have endangered my family. I had to pretend I didn't see it coming." The elderly woman they adored clarified, "If I'd fought back, I would have exposed you."

He hugged his grandmother and she began squirming in his arms. Kevin pulled away and stammered, "What in the hell was that?"

Smiling, Granny explained, "It's one of those little glitches. I willed you my ability. We're connected...Always."

Kevin reached over, snatched an apple out of the bowl on the table out of habit, smelled it and took a bite. He smiled as he passed it to Kayn and urged, "Try it."

Kayn took a bite. _It was real. It was the most delicious apple she'd ever tasted_. She beamed as she declared, "This is incredible." She took another bite before passing it back.

Granny Winnie began speaking, "Every day your futures are altered according to the decisions you make. That is where a Psychic ability comes in handy. You'll to hear this in various languages but it all means the same thing. Out of great devastation comes a greater healing. Out of great pain comes victory. The three Clans have a part in everything that happens. You will be asked to do the unthinkable for the greater good. You must decide where that line of right and wrong exists within your soul." She gazed into Kayn's eyes and prodded, "Name one thing you feel you could never do."

"I could never kill a child," Kayn answered as though it were simple fact.

The elderly woman laid out a scenario, "What if you knew a child had a virus destined to kill thousands of people and most of them were also children? What if that one life could be traded for thousands?" Granny was met by silence as both teens realised, they wouldn't only be fighting other Clans but their own hearts. "Let me show you what I've been through Kevin." She placed her grandson's hands on her temples and urged, "Try to see my memories. It's going to hurt because we're connected but it's important you know everything."

As his hands contacted his grandmother's temples, Kevin shut his eyes and held them there. He yanked them away, looked at his fingertips, peered up at his grandmother and questioned, "So, let me get this straight. I have a monster for a grandfather who is practically Clay's double and I'm Ankh now, so I don't have to be Triad?"

"Yes," Granny replied, "Only if nobody in Triad lays eyes on your brother. Your grandfather will want to store him as an insurance policy. For himself as an extra shell or as leverage to keep you in line. Either way, Clay's soul will be trapped in the in-between."

Looking both mortified and amazed, Kevin probed, "He'd really just off his own grandson and steal his body?"

"Without blinking," Granny bluntly answered.

"So, you can come back with us. You just need a new body," he deduced as he curiously touched the tablecloth.

_She was doing the same thing._ _How was she holding Granny's tin saltshaker? It even had the banana sticker on the bottom holding it closed._ _How?_ _Adding real life objects from home was confusing the division in her brain._

Granny noticed what they were doing and giggled as she said, "I'd rather guide you through this from afar. Trust me, if I went back it would complicate things."

Kevin looked like he was trying to keep it together as he whispered, "What will mom and dad think happened to you?"

Granny spoke cautiously, "They'll never know what happened to either of us."

Kevin looked confused as he countered, "But I'm not ready to leave them."

Smiling sympathetically, his grandmother whispered, "My dear boy, surely you understand this isn't a choice. The Legion of Abaddon has seen Kayn. It's only a matter of time before they know who you are." Granny beckoned Kayn to her with a delicate bony finger.

As Kayn took hold of her soft fragile hand, her heart clenched and tears filled her eyes. _It was like fate kept drawing lines in the sand between her and the life she used to have._

The elderly woman whispered, "There will be time for tears later. We know he has mine, but we need to see if Kevin has access to his grandfather's abilities. This may be disturbing. Don't try to stop it."

Unsure of what she meant, Kayn agreed, "Okay, I won't."

Granny Winnie let go of her hands and nodded. Kayn returned the gesture, got up and went back to her seat as she summoned Kevin and instructed him to place his palms on her temples. With her eyes reddened by tears, she endeavoured to speak, "I'm so..." She composed herself, "I'm so sorry. I thought if you never knew, you'd be safe. I was wrong."

"I don't want to do it again," Kevin whispered with an empathetic smile and misty eyes.

Granny spoke in a stern voice, "If you're more than a Psychic you'll be more valuable. For my own peace of mind, I need to try to help you along. See through the connection between us. Go inside of my mind and take everything you need; not a small piece like last time. You must stay connected to me until you've taken everything you can." Kevin tried to pull away. Granny grasped his hands tightly securing them to her scalp as she spoke sternly, "You need to do this. Premonitions of the future are helpful but if you can dive into someone's past and see their memories, you'll know what they're afraid of. You'll know if they usually choose to run right or left. It's these intricate seemingly insignificant things that will give you the upper hand in a battle. It's going to hurt like hell but you have to grow up and stop being a little chicken shit."

"Did you seriously just call me a chicken shit?" Kevin chuckled.

She had to muzzle herself with her hand to stop herself from laughing. _This was a serious situation but watching Kevin being called a chicken shit by his elderly grandmother was freaking hilarious._

Kevin was concentrating but nothing was happening. He complained, "I can't do this. I'm not even sure what you want me to do?"

He tried to drop his hands but Granny held them firmly in place and insisted, "The information you need is in there. Keep trying until you get it."

Kevin muttered under his breath, "I'll try again."

Something was happening. _He's in agony. He's trying to let go._ Granny aggressively kept his hands in place as Kayn fought the urge to step in. _He's scared._ Suddenly, his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out on the kitchen floor.

Lily walked into the room and exclaimed, "What happened to him?"

Kayn rushed to his side, whispering, "Kevin...Kevin, wake up." She stroked his hair while repeating his name softly.

Lily shoved her out of the way and said, "Oh for heaven's sake." The gorgeous immortal hauled off and cuffed him across the face.

"What in the hell was that for?" Kevin mumbled as he opened his eyes and rubbed his stinging jaw. "You three are practically on top of me."

Kayn giggled. All three of them were leaned over staring right into his eyes. They all backed up a little but continued to leer.

He stammered, "Okay seriously, which one of you hit me? Was that really necessary?"

The three women crouched over him as Lily piped in, "I slapped you; it was me. They were panicking."

Kayn explained, "You were out cold."

Kevin sat up, looked at his grandmother and said, "Are you sure that Triad doesn't know about our family?"

Granny added, "I can't be certain but it's possible that Triad's Psychics have picked it up by now. They were in my house and I have pictures of you boys all over the place. As I said before, once anyone sees Clay, they'll know."

Lily looked at the two as they had their coded conversation and questioned, "What about his brother Clay?"

Granny met Kevin's eyes giving her silent approval. He explained, "Clay looks just like our grandfather."

"Okay, so why is that relevant to me?" Lily asked sarcastically.

Kevin replied, "Our grandfather is Tiberius, the leader of Triad."

# Chapter Twenty-Six

### I Would Beat You to Death with my Tiara

A hush fell over the room. It was as though everyone lost the ability to speak for a second.

"Shit," Lily cursed as she abruptly stood up and paced back and forth nervously. "Oh shit," she swore again, "shit, shit, shit." Lily was practically doing laps around the kitchen. She appeared to be dangerously close to having a mental breakdown.

"You alright?" Kayn asked cautiously. She got up and stood in front of her blocking her path mid pace.

"Not even a little bit alright. We are in some seriously deep shit. If he knows about you, he will be hauling out the big guns," Lily remarked under her breath. "We don't have enough time to get you ready for what could be coming."

Kevin stood up and replied, "We can't really do anything at all except get the hell out of town and away from our families, so nobody else gets killed."

Throwing her arms in the air dramatically with an exasperated sigh, Lily huffed, "No, I don't think you get the full picture, the fighting has begun, there's no getting away from anything."

Winnie looked at Lilarah and disclosed, "He was in my house. There are a few photos of the boys in my bedroom. If any of his men saw those pictures, Tiberius knows."

With the weight of reality upon her, Lily revealed, "Okay. Full disclosure time. I need to be straight with you, while we're with Winnie. She's a Psychic, maybe she can help. This situation gets more complicated with every passing second. Kayn, your brother Matt is Sam's reincarnation. I just want you to know, I completely stayed away from him this time around."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Kayn questioned as she knit her brow.

From behind them Grey entered the room and added in sarcastic jest, "Tell me if I'm following along. Tiberius was allowed to procreate. He has spawn and the offspring is Kevin's mother. Kevin has a brother that looks exactly like Tiberius and Kayn's brother is Lily's great love Sam reincarnated? I couldn't have thought this shit up. It's diabolically brilliant. Fate just never ceases to amaze me."

Kayn started giggling after Grey's summation. _She couldn't help it. She was going to lose them all. The writing was on the wall. Her brother and Jenkins were probably going to die_. _Maybe even Kevin's family too._ Kayn was now gutting herself. She'd finally snapped.

Her best friend clasped her shoulder and enquired, "Are you going to be okay?"

A few bricks short of her load, Kayn announced, "They are all going to die. All of them are. And there's absolutely nothing we can do about it." She howled laughing. _If she didn't keep laughing, she was going to start bawling._ She wanted someone to say, _No Kayn, you're wrong. They will all be just fine. We will find a way to save them all._ Kayn kept searching faces for a flicker of hope. _Nope...Not a damn thing._ Not a one was going to attempt to blow sunshine up her ass so she could feel better about this.

Grandma Winnie assured, "Death is not a permanent state of being."

Kayn stormed over to the fridge and began rifling through it in search of food.

Lily with the perfect body commented, "That's not going to fix anything."

Kayn grabbed a fudgsicle out of the freezer and blurted, "I run miles every day for fun. If I want to, I can suck back a damn fudgsicle every time I get upset. I don't need well-meaning commentary from the peanut gallery." Kayn lifted her dress and showed off her toned abdomen.

Lily winced and said, "Point taken and just so you know for next time. You're not wearing any underwear. It's a sarong."

Kayn turned a lovely shade of burgundy. She attempted to cover up her embarrassment by biting her frozen treat in half like she didn't even care. She attempted to swallow half the frozen treat whole and ended up clutching her head while doubled over with brain freeze and the giggles began.

Lily smiled and suggested, "Rub the roof of your mouth with your tongue and it will go away."

Kayn began to rub the roof of her mouth with her tongue and the pain vanished. She said, "Who taught you that trick?"

"Believe it or not, it was a five-year-old," Lily replied.

Grey whispered in her ear, "Brilliant I can binge eat anytime I want to speech." He smacked his own abs and whispered," I think yours are actually way better than mine are. By the way, you have a nice everything else too."

Kayn turned an even deeper shade of red.

Kevin shook his head at her and teased, "I'm so glad I got to see your woo ha for the first time with Grey, Lily and even my grandmother."

Kayn glanced up at Granny Winnie. The elderly woman was grinning so widely it made Kayn shake her head at herself. She smiled back.

Granny Winnie walked over, placed her arm around Kayn and whispered, "I always get a charge out of you my dear. You will never need to worry about being a bore. Sit down at the table for a nice cup of tea and do try to keep your clothes on."

Absolutely mortified, Kayn sat down and took the cup that was passed to her without saying anything back to the, do try to keep your clothes on comment. She grinned as she realised that accidentally flashing everyone had taken her mind off her mental breakdown. _Now that was ironic._ Granny Winnie began to pour everyone else a piping hot cup of tea and passed them around.

Grey glanced across the table, took a sip of tea and casually asked, "Are you planning to call that satanic nut bar grandpa?"

Kevin took a sip and replied, "You know what, princess, I found out about this shit less than five minutes ago. Can you give me a break? I've never met the guy, nor do I want to after spending a few minutes in my grandmother's memory."

"Don't call me princess...that is completely uncalled for," Grey remarked. He took another sip of tea while grinning at Kevin's rare show of testosterone. They were all caught up in the moment and being a little ridiculous. Grey added with a smile, "It's a good thing I like you kid or I would beat you to death with my tiara."

The funniest part of Grey's comeback was that he looked half-serious as he said it. As he took his next sip of tea, he raised his pinky for effect. _They were sitting at a table with Kevin's recently deceased grandmother having tea while the shit was hitting the fan back home. She understood their lessons were emotional as well as physical._ _Granny Winnie was the perfect teacher. They already loved and trusted her._ _Chloe had loose ends to tie up. They were giving her the time alone with Frost she needed_. _Kevin had taken an, all things Clan catch up course courtesy of Grandma Winnie's memories and she was just here, finding new creative ways to humiliate herself._ Kayn leaned over and whispered to Lily, "Can't we at least try to bring my brother and Jenkins to safety?"

"I wish there was something we could do but everything has already been set in motion," Lily confessed. "I know how unfair this is, believe me. I have lived it over and over for longer than I care to admit."

Grey threw in a quick well-timed barb, "I have lived through a thousand karmic lobotomies in my time but this one is rather evil and ingenious."

"There's no way he survives, is there? Everyone keeps dodging around the cold hard reality of it all. Give it to me straight?" Kayn stated.

Lily answered her, "You have to know that the next place Triad went after Kevin's grandmother's house was probably to yours but there's lots of variables in play. Maybe Matt doesn't come home tonight? Maybe he stays at school? They could miss him, like they did last time. Maybe that nice old guy Jenkins works late and doesn't come home either?"

"Matt always comes home on the weekend," Kayn answered under her breath, letting the impending inevitable loss of her last family member sink in. There was a lengthy time of absolute silence. Kayn ran her fingertip around the rim of her teacup as she gazed at it and counted the number of times her forefinger circled the cup in her mind. She realised what she was doing. She was going for a run on the track in her imagination. Even though it wasn't a real track it worked and her racing anxiety ridden pulse started to decrease as her breathing calmed and leveled out.

Granny touched Lily's hand from across the table and assured, "Someday you'll alter the outcome of this painful circle you've been caught in. All you need to do is open your heart to change and it will come."

Grey looked straight into Lily's eyes and hinted, "Maybe if you spent less time looking for love in the past?"

Granny Winnie looked directly at Grey and said, "Maybe you should take your own advice?"

He got up from the table and announced, "I am going to have to love you and leave you all for now. Great talk Winnie, I will take it under advisement." Grey abruptly left the kitchen.

Granny took Kayn's hand, "Kevin was there that night. You were brutally violated and barely alive. I dreamt of it and was dying to stop it but couldn't do anything. I know who you really are and I've seen what you are destined to become. All heroes are born out of the embers that linger after the fire of great tragedy."

_This made sense to her now._ _She had been reborn that horrible night almost a year ago but so had Kevin._ She remembered every horrifying moment; the searing fire of the blade as it sliced through her flesh. _She'd held fast to the thought, it would never happen again but she would have to let that go._ _She had signed up for a second chance at life as a sacrificial lamb for the greater good and she was on her way to the slaughter. Violence would always be part of her job description. She understood she could be healed but with sacrifice there would always be pain._ _They'd come here to learn how to accept the premise of immortality._ She found herself beginning to let go of the anger and as it slipped away, in its place was something else...Acceptance. _It was faith that she allowed her heart to succumb to._ The faith that they would be doing acts of heroism and whatever happened, they would be victorious if their job was completed. Tears were building behind her blank stare. She chose to be human for one minute longer so she could allow herself to cry. Kevin rose from his seat and rushed to her side. She buried her face in his chest. She kept her face hidden until her tears ceased to flow and the last one had been spent.

He sat down beside her, squeezed her hand and raised it to his lips. After kissing it tenderly, he whispered, "I bet it felt good to let that out."

Kayn smiled at Kevin. _She was so lucky to have him with her_. She peered up at Lily and attempted to break the tension by saying, "So, there was no way for you to come out of the gate and say, Nice to meet you, you're one of us now. You have to leave your family before they get killed."

Lily smiled back and replied, "Someday you'll be sitting where I am wishing it was that easy."

Granny smiled sweetly and explained, "Everything is in a giant circle. For every action, the universe has a reaction. This time Sam became your brother. Lily was forced to step away from a self-destructive path because of your relationship to Sam, or Matt as we know him. You will give Matt or Sam a chance to save someone that he loves before his death as he failed to in his past lives. It must all play out just like this to heal everyone involved. Jenkins couldn't save his daughter but he can try to protect you. We are all bound together in a circle of souls."

Lily had been staring at Winnie for a while. It was as though she had something that she really wanted to ask but was afraid to get it wrong.

"Do you remember me like this?" Granny Winnie whispered, and as she spoke the sentence the tone of her voice became smoother and more youthful. Her skin began to tighten and freckle. A healthy blush appeared on her cheeks. Her hair began to thicken and her teeth whitened to a pearly white hue. The skin on her arms tightened and the darkened age spots disappeared revealing a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl.

Winnie was almost the same age as Kayn was right now, maybe a touch younger. _She'd been an innocent looking girl when her life had taken a turn for the immortal._ She laced her fingers with Kevin's as she noticed him trying to control the urge to burst into tears. He set himself free, sobbing as he took in the sight of his grandmother, transformed before his eyes into the young girl she'd been before darkness had entered her life. _Before she'd become lost in it._

They all rose to their feet out of respect and watched as the ebony haired beauty's lips parted in recognition. Winnie full on bear hugged a stunned Lily. She'd never seemed like a cuddly type but she was positively glowing from Winnie's warm thankful embrace. She acknowledged what Lily had done for her, "You said nothing about my pregnancy when you came to see me in the sanitarium. You told no one after what happened to your child and in doing this, you allowed mine to live. I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in real life. You turned out to be just as beautiful on the inside. I named my daughter Lillian after you."

Tears swelled in Lilarah's eyes as she responded, "Nobody has ever said those words. I've never been called beautiful on the inside... Not once."

_She really felt like she was beautiful on the outside and nothing more._ Kayn embraced Lily and whispered, "Somebody should have." _Kevin was only alive because Lily went against the rules to do what was right._ _She'd often wondered what it would be like to be a Lily or a Chloe. She may have been clumsy and dorky but she'd always known she had a good heart. She'd always been told that. How was it that Lily, the most beautiful creature she'd ever seen, didn't know her inner worth? Perhaps, it was so easy to compliment a beautiful thing that nobody had ever chosen to point out the wonderful qualities beneath her fancy wrapping Many interwoven life paths had come to light on this day. Their souls had been connected long before they met._ Kayn stared at the brand on her palm. The mark of Ankh had a price, she couldn't go back and make another choice. It would always be an aching reminder of what immortality cost her. She'd see her brother again, he'd find his way back to Lilarah as he had in each lifetime before. Jenkins would fulfill his goal of saving someone he loved. It was going to be devastating, messy and horrible but she'd survive it. Perhaps, once the demons were buried beneath years of healing, she'd be able to look back and see beauty in life's simplicity.

"Thank you," Kevin whispered quietly in Lily's ear as they hugged.

_Winnie still didn't know that her name was Lilarah, not Lillian._ She smiled but chose to remain silent. _Winnie would figure it out someday._

# Chapter Twenty-Seven

### I Will Light Your Asses on Fire If Either of You Tells a Soul

Lily and Winnie sat at the table chatting like old friends while Kayn was submerged in guilt, obsessing about her brother and Jenkins. Every once in while her eyes met with Kevin's and she suspected he was thinking about his family too. There was a lot of information to process and it was mentally exhausting so Kayn excused herself from the table and left the room. _This house was so full of memories and it had been preserved in pristine condition but what would it look like when she returned?_ _She probably wouldn't have the opportunity to go to Granny Winnie's house before they left with Ankh. It would be better for her heart to always picture it like this...Peaceful perfection._ _Would her home still be standing when they came back from the in-between? Would it be full of those dark things?_ _Would Abaddon beat her there? Home... is where your family lives. It was a word that would never mean the same thing to her again._ _Where would her home be now? There were so many things she didn't know._ _Everything about her future was so uncertain._

As Kayn passed the cellar door she decided to take a quick peek downstairs. She twisted the handle. She couldn't help but smile as she opened the door and it squeaked. Everything was exactly as it had been, from the creaks in the floorboards to the squeaks of the hinges. She descended the stairs into the concrete room which still contained Kevin's red tricycle. She sat on the bottom step as visions of their childhood flickered through her memory. She could clearly see the two of them getting caught playing doctor in the corner beneath the stairs. They'd hidden special treasures all over this basement. _Was everything still where they'd left it?_ Kayn crawled under the stairs, brushing away the dust bunnies and thick cobwebs in her path to find a quarter they'd hidden behind a loose board. She crawled back out with the quarter clasped in her hand and sat on the stairs. She brushed the dust off her legs, held the coin in her palm and stared at it. This was the quarter they flipped to end arguments. They'd spent endless hours giving each other pretend speeding tickets riding the tricycle that still sat right where they'd left it when they grew up and got bikes. Kevin always wanted to be a police officer but she'd never really known what she wanted to be _. The choice had never been hers to make, maybe that's why she'd never been able to decide?_ Kayn dusted off the coin by rubbing it between two fingers. She heard a creak on the stairs behind her and knew it was Kevin.

"Do you want me to call someone who cares?" Kevin whispered as she gazed at the coin between her digits.

Kayn glanced back and questioned, "Call someone?"

"With that quarter that's in your hand you turkey." he teased.

She grinned as she got the joke. He was referring to an old country song they'd heard countless times at his grandmother's house. Without looking back, she answered wistfully, "I bet it's one hell of a long-distance charge from here. It would cost way more than this quarter."

"Probably," Kevin said as he began lovingly massaging her shoulders.

Kayn turned around, smiled at her best friend and exclaimed, "Our whole life went to hell, didn't it? I guess there's no point in attempting to use this quarter to call for help."

He laughed and ribbed, "We should totally call 911 when we get home. That's a fabulous idea. Can you imagine the therapy they'd need afterwards?"

Kayn smirked and decreed, "Nobody would need therapy, they'd all be dead."

He ran his hands through her curly locks as he asked, "Are you okay?"

_Half of my family is dead the other half is about to die. I signed up for a life of being a sacrificial lamb, a peacekeeper and a murderer. Why wouldn't I be fine? "_ I thought you were a Psychic. You're sleeping on the job," Kayn fired back. She grinned while shifting to face him.

"We're going to be okay, I promise," Kevin whispered as he cupped her chin with both hands and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I know we will," Kayn whispered back with a weak smile. She turned to look at the basement. _Nobody else will be though..._

"Come back upstairs Kayn," Kevin requested as he kissed the curls on the back of her head. He left her there on the stairs to stew for a while longer.

Kayn stood up and took a good look at the basement. She strolled over to the small tricycle in the corner. _There were no choices left._ She smiled and attempted to squish her teenage sized butt into the seat on the tiny tricycle. Once in the seat she pretzeled her legs and made a valiant attempt to operate the pedals. She tried quite unsuccessfully to experience a moment from her childhood and managed to make it about five feet before the tricycle fell apart. _Oh Crap. She was stuck._ She heard laughter coming from the stairs. She winced as she peered towards the giggles and sitting on the bottom step was a grinning Grey.

He winked as he remarked, "Hey, I totally understand. I'm not even going to ask you what you were thinking. I already know." He stood up and wandered over.

_This was so embarrassing._

Grey squatted beside her and asked, "Answer one question, was it worth it?"

With a giant grin, she admitted, "Strangely yes."

Helping her get out of the twisted metal, he affirmed, "That's all that matters."

He hadn't judged her even though she'd just attempted to do something completely bizarre to make herself feel better. Trying to ride that tricycle hadn't been ridiculous to her though; it had been oddly inspirational. Kayn smiled as she taunted, "Thanks Grey. You can be nice when you want to."

He chuckled and ribbed, "I should put that in the fine print at the bottom of my friendship contract." He took her hand and helped her up off the floor.

"That cement was damn cold," Kayn remarked as she felt her icy behind.

Grey placed both of his hands sort of innocently on either one of her scantily clad butt cheeks and confirmed, "It was cold, wasn't it?"

She started to laugh and stepped away from his warm hands. "I hope I don't get hemorrhoids."

The blonde endearingly scruffy haired immortal knit his brow and laughed, "You can't get hemorrhoids from my hands."

She shook her head and clarified, "No silly, from the cold cement floor."

Grey grinned as he probed, "I'm glad you're back to your goofy self again but who in the hell told you that?"

Winnie's voice piped in, "I did and I'm not even going to bother asking you two what you're doing." Winnie and Kevin were at the top of the stairs.

Grey grinned as he bounded up the stairs past Kevin and apologized, "Sorry about the touching her butt thing. She got stuck on a tricycle and her bum was cold."

Kevin shook his head and teased, "You naughty little sinner. I was just to coming check on you to see if you were okay?"

Granny winked and said, "I'm glad to see you in better spirits, however it came about."

"I got my ass trapped in a damn tricycle. It was totally innocent," Kayn huffed as she stomped up the stairs.

As she walked towards Grey in the kitchen he baited, "You totally just let me touch your butt."

She flirtatiously whispered in passing, "You saved me from being caught in an embarrassing moment, so yes, I totally did."

Kevin commented from behind her, "I'm standing right here."

Kayn gave him an enormous hug and whispered in his ear, "It was all in good fun. I sat on the tricycle and my butt was freezing."

Kevin laid both hands on her butt, squeezed it and flirted, "I would have warmed that up for you. All you had to do was ask."

Grey walked up to the couple, he feigned shock and teased, "But Kayn, I thought we just had a moment?" He giggled and added, "Kevin, next time I have a girlfriend, you're allowed to touch her bum but only once and then we're even." Grey grinned as he strolled away.

Kevin shouted after Grey, "I'm holding you to that."

Winnie cleared her throat. Kevin released Kayn's behind and stepped away from her.

She slowly shook her head as she remarked, "You two are going to have to give me at least five minutes to get used to seeing you together romantically before you start groping each other in my presence."

Kayn winked at Winnie and asked, "I bet you always knew this was going to happen?"

With an all-knowing smile, Winnie replied, "I had a hunch."

Kevin casually remarked, "Hey, does Lily count as Grey's girlfriend?"

Kayn playfully socked his side and shook her head. _Funny._ For a moment, she allowed herself to feel peaceful and normal by imagining they were back in the land of the living hanging out at Granny Winnie's house. The wall around the sink shimmered for a split second, she could see through the mirage her soul created. _This was the calm before the storm. She was already past the end of her mortal life. It wasn't five or ten years down the road. It was already over. It had been over for a whole year even though her heart had been in denial._ She struggled to process everything she'd seen and heard on this day but it was as though her mind just refused to accept one more horrible thing. It was all too much for her to take so, she chose to laugh in the face of disaster. Her old life was the mirage and the reality of her situation was far too sad. Jenkins and her brother were going to die. When she arrived home, there would be a battle, not over her life, but for her soul. She stared at the symbol of Ankh. _What would happen if she was taken by another Clan? What if Abaddon took her?_ She glanced at Kevin. He looked back at her and smiled. _What if they took him?_ _She couldn't lose him._ _She couldn't even imagine a day without him. What if she had to spend an eternity without him?_

Kevin leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "You're making me dizzy. Stop overthinking everything. You're going to make yourself sick. I have all of granny's memories and I've seen a few versions of my future. In every version, I still love you. You can't lose me Kayn. It's impossible to lose me. You need to learn how to stifle that inner dialogue. There's a stone and an elixir that can help you. I'll get them for you once we're safely away from the other Clans and Abaddon."

Granny looked at her grandson, smiled and said, "You really have them all, don't you? My memories? I bet you know things about my life that I can't even remember. Do you have any idea how powerful you'll become, knowing how to react based on others' experiences?"

Lily glanced at Winnie and offered, "I've always been a warrior. He could make good use of my skills. We're obviously not going to have enough time to train him properly before he's chucked into a battle far beyond his experience level."

_It was time to forget the things that they could not change and concentrate on the things that they could._

Grey had been sitting in silence at the old orange and brown linoleum table, "Kevin, you can have mine too. Try to concentrate on my fighting skills. I would hate to have another guy using all of my moves with the ladies."

Kevin glanced at his youthful grandmother for guidance and she raised her eyebrows and warned, "Just be careful. Only do it when you're sure you have recovered from reading me. Pace yourself, nobody knows your limits better that you do."

Lily smiled as she scooted her chair closer to Kevin's. She took his hands, placed them against each temple and prodded, "Go ahead, read the story of my life."

Kayn watched as Kevin's eyes rolled backwards revealing only creepy slivers of white. After a minute or two he slumped in his chair and rolled onto the ground. They gathered around him.

He opened his eyes, shook his head and remarked, "You naughty girl."

Grey choked on his own burst of laughter. Lily shot Kevin the dirtiest look as she thought, _I will light your ass on fire if you tell a soul._

"I was just messing with you. Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me," Kevin promised.

"Kayn, can we have a moment alone?" Winnie requested, summoning her over.

She followed Winnie out the door. As she stepped outside, she gasped, awestruck by the flame like crimson and tangerine colours splashed across the horizon. It was the most glorious sunset she'd ever seen. "Time is so confusing in this place," Kayn whispered while taking in the glorious splendor of the skyline.

As they strolled away from the house together, Winnie answered, "Time is always something we feel we need more of. Here in this place you have all of the time in the world."

They stood side by side captivated by wonder, lost in the visual splendor of the heavenly dusk. Winnie took her hand and Kayn smiled at the youthful version of the grandmother she'd loved as her own. A light breeze tousled Winnie's locks and the colour of her hair blended with the backdrop of the sky.

Kevin's grandmother proclaimed, "There's a problem with the ability my grandson inherited. Along with the good memories, he will also keep the bad. His brain will store all of that trauma prompting his emotions to turn off. I think that's what happened to his grandfather. The ability to store the knowledge and wisdom of many people can be an incredibly seductive gift and sometimes, these abilities can be like addictions. I was in love with his grandfather. In the beginning it was wonderful but with overuse of his ability he disappeared. I saw glimpses of the man I loved but he never stuck around. I know what this gift did to his grandfather. Kevin is in urgent need of information and the ability to fight so he's bound to go overboard."

"I'll take care of him," Kayn vowed.

The young spirited crimson-haired version of Granny Winnie smiled and remarked, "Love is so beautiful when it hasn't been jaded by experience."

The multicoloured horizon wove a pattern through clouds. It was as though someone had painted a picture from her dreams and placed it in the sky for her pleasure.

Winnie elbowed her as she exclaimed, "The grass is actually greener on the other side."

Kayn giggled as the scenery altered and the clouds disappeared. _Were the surroundings controlled by her mood?_ Even the air was the perfect temperature with a light tingly breeze every once in awhile just as she liked it.

Kevin's grandmother smiled and said, "I keep forgetting this is only your second trip to the in-between. It's truly miraculous those first ten times. After that, it's like going home."

"I can't imagine a time when this isn't going to be amazing," Kayn replied. Ripples of pleasure from what her eyes were seeing had given her goose bumps. "This is all so totally unbelievable."

Granny agreed, "It is absolutely breathtaking but let's get back to the situation at hand. After all, you're not staying here. Soon you'll be going back to the land of the living. You must stay with Ankh. No matter what happens. You must remain with Clan Ankh. I don't need to have this conversation with Kevin because he knows everything I've seen for your future. There is a purpose behind everything and the bad often leads towards the good."

_Well, that was a rather ominous statement._ "I have no plans to change Clans." Kayn responded as she stared at Kevin's youthful grandmother with questions in her eyes that she knew Winnie would never answer.

Granny gave her an enormous hug and said, "I needed to say those words to you. I hope you remember them when the time comes."

The group left Granny Winnie's house with a promise to return before they left the in-between. _It had been a strangely healing, yet confusing visit._

Winnie the sweetest of girls had belonged to the darkest Clan of immortals. It proved her strength but it also proved she had the ability to be morally flexible. In a strange moment of clarity, the moral of Winnie's story became clear. _Kevin's grandmother had done whatever she'd had to do to survive. They would have to do the same_.

# Chapter Twenty-Eight

### It Was Always Goodbye

Sprawled beneath a ceiling of sparkling stars in luxurious grass with perspiration from their glorious union still glistening on his skin, Frost teased, "You sure don't waste time, do you?" They'd made love with a level of intimacy he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a long time. He turned to look at his stunningly gorgeous counterpart. _This was going to hurt._

She coyly rolled onto her stomach with her love tousled curls cascading down her shoulders, obscuring his view of her chest as she remarked, "We don't have any to waste."

_It felt like she was gazing directly into his soul. She was breathtakingly beautiful._ "You're absolutely right," he agreed, thoroughly amazed by how easily he'd given his heart away. _After eight hundred years of playing the field, leaving himself emotionally vulnerable was one of the only things that scared the shit out of him. Here he was falling for another girl he could never be with._ She rolled onto her back. It wasn't like him to leave his heart exposed like this, but Lily told him to give her whatever she needed to feel whole. He'd done exactly that and in turn, this miraculous girl had somehow managed to make him feel complete. _He wanted to remember her just like this...A vision of exquisite beauty underneath magical stars staring longingly into their light, looking like a magical fairy with the moon's rays creating a glowing halo around her._

As she lay beneath the heavenly backdrop, Chloe disclosed, "I want to vow too never forget you, but I don't even know where I'm going to end up. I've always dreamt of a night like this, and you would have been the perfect person for me. Well, if I were still alive."

"It's all good. I'm not really a person," he teased, grinning widely.

"Oh, shut up," Chloe scolded, playfully batting his arm. "You know what I meant."

_If he was honest with himself, he'd felt the same way about her since he sat on her in Kevin's car._

She gazed into his eyes as she disclosed, "Feeling like this is what I wanted most of all...I know I'm already dead and we may never see each other again." Choked up with tears glistening in her eyes, she continued, "If I had more time, I'd wait for years but I don't want to disappear forever with anything left unsaid. So, I'm just going to say it...I'm so in love with you. Do you love me back? Even just a little?"

_To say the words aloud would be like begging for a broken heart, but yes, he'd fallen in love with her and if he didn't tell her right now, he might never get the chance._ Frost gazed into her eyes as he whispered his answer, "Of course I do."

"Do what?" Chloe probed innocently.

"Love you...I love you Chloe," Frost admitted, hugging her against his chest. He friskily towed her on top of him, stroked her face tenderly and kissed her lips. _He hadn't said those words to anyone in a long time._ _It was what she needed to hear. He couldn't deny it. There was no time for games._

"I know that was probably hard for you to say to some girl that's going to be gone forever, thank you," Chloe whispered,

Frost assured, "You can't know that."

Chloe rested her head on his chest while clearing her mind by confessing, "A part of me always knew we were two parts of a whole. I'm the dark half. I always felt like if I could just keep Kayn at arm's length, I wouldn't pull her into the darkness. I pulled them all into the darkness with me, didn't I? I took my whole family with me into hell. If I was the one that survived, I would have never met you. It would have ended up with Triad or Abaddon. Ankh would never have come for me. I'm not good like she is. I'm the dark and twisty road that leads somewhere horrible and she's the angel on the top of the Christmas tree."

Frost responded, "You really have an inferiority complex, don't you? Give yourself a bloody break. I'm not exactly all rainbows and kittens either. The dirty work needs to be done for both sides." He trailed his finger seductively down her arm. "You're a little flexible with your morals. So am I. Who cares? Your family's expiry date was set in motion a long time ago. It isn't your fault. The gift we have isn't easy to control. Impossible, if nobody taught you how to manage it. You were always meant to join with your sister. You become whole together. Your mother is Ankh and we would have come to claim Freja's child. I was always destined to be with you. You were meant to be here in my arms. I was supposed to love you and you were fated to love me. I will never regret loving you, not even for a second. No matter how much it's going to hurt when I lose you. You really love me. Believe it or not, that's something I rarely get to hear. I never get to know if it's real either. You've given me a gift to carry with me. I'll always know you loved me back."

Chloe giggled and baited, "Wow, you are way mushier than I thought you'd be."

He pinned her down, tickling her in the grass as she laughed. _This was going to hurt like hell._ They spent hours in each other's arms, loving each other with every breath until Frost had a feeling the others were coming. They put their clothes on and tried to look like they were innocently sitting in the grass.

Chloe took his hand and said, "Promise me something."

"Anything," he pledged, caressing her hand with his.

"Take care of my sister," Chloe requested as she rested her head on his shoulder.

He continued playing with her hand while assuring, "I intend to. You'll be a part of her and even if you never love me like this again, I will always look for you in her. I'll never stop trying to find you."

"I'm counting on it. I'm not afraid anymore," she assured.

_Kevin waited a full day before taking on Grey's memories. After he did, it was like they were old roommates. Once someone knew your darkest secrets from the furthest recesses of your mind there was no point in being stand-offish._ They began their training, thinking it would be catch-up time for Kevin but every experience he'd soaked up became data in his subconscious. Grey provoked and attacked at every turn but Kevin was ready for the immortal, knowing his every move. Kevin couldn't be done in by flying boulders or surprise attacks. He was a forward moving brilliantly skilled fighting machine. _It was wondrous to witness._ The memories he'd absorbed gave him a seasoned response for every action even though the only person he'd ever thrown a punch at was his brother. Granny Winnie's words about the addictive nature of Kevin's ability surged forth in Kayn's mind. _His pained expression made it obvious he was suffering._

Touching his shoulder gently, Lily reassured, "If you physically use up the excess energy it'll be easier to control."

She'd been troubled by his connection to Triad ever since it was revealed. _The conversation with Granny Winnie hadn't helped. What if she lost him?_ Kevin came towards her. She snapped out of her fear ridden thoughts and praised, "Way to go Smith. That's quite the cool ability you've got."

"Isn't it though?" He chuckled and added, "We get to have a break while they hunt down Frost and your sister."

"Whatever do you want to do?" She coyly baited as he took her in his arms, kissed her lips and gave her a playful shove into the grass. She sprawled out, laughing, "You're a crazy person. We don't have time for this."

He got down on his knees and crawled towards her teasing, "It might take them a while to find us."

She giggled nervously but didn't move away as she attempted to be the voice of reason by gently reminding, "We're not alone."

"What do you mean? Look around. We're completely alone," he flirtatiously countered.

She felt the change before she saw it and looked around in awe. They were alone. They weren't even out in the open anymore. __ They were lying on a bed inside a small rustic cottage. She grinned and stated, "I feel like I know this place."

Kevin rolled off the bed, took her hand and tugged her to her feet. He led her over to the large picture window and said, "Do you remember where we are now?"

As she took in the beauty of her surroundings and answered, "This is your family's cabin at the lake."

He grinned as he announced, "Obviously plans have changed because we'll be gone long before graduation but I'd planned to bring you here so we could be alone."

While staring out the picture window at the wide-open span of the lake, she remarked, "You were plotting to sneak me out past the chastity wardens and have your way with me. I'm impressed, Smith. How were we escaping?"

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered in her ear, "We would have snuck out your bedroom window and left your brother a _Dear Matt_ note. I was fully prepared to take my lumps when I brought you back home."

A bird swooped down and skimmed the water's surface while trying to catch a fish. It missed its intended target and did another fly by before skimming the surface of the lake once again. The bird soared away with its bounty. "Don't you find it hard to wrap your mind around the idea of leaving everyone we love behind?" She asked as he nuzzled her neck.

Kevin held her tighter as he replied, "I've had to accept some pretty insane things in the last year of my life. Leaving town to protect my family is the one thing that actually makes sense."

They both chose to omit the other option. _What if they are already dead? What if it was always goodbye?_ She looked into his eyes and recognized that either her friend was in complete and total denial, or he was so highly evolved it was crazy. She left his side, strolled over and sat down on the bed. Kayn smiled as she patted the mattress beside her and tempted, "Tell me more about these naughty plans of yours."

Kevin sauntered over, stopped in front of the rustic cedar framed bed, rolled his eyes and groaned, "I thought we could use a moment of calm before the storm but I don't think I have it in me to start something we can't finish. This gift I've inherited has me feeling pharmaceutically enhanced aggressive. Lily did mention a natural cure for my condition involving physical activity."

She giggled and baited, "If you're about to say you're in pain and doing it will make you feel better, I may not be able to keep a straight face."

Kevin inched closer to the bed and sparred, "When you put it like that, it sounds like a cheesy line in a video from family planning class."

_The cabin was exactly like she'd always envisioned it in her fantasies. The me hulk, me need sex speech wasn't, but she knew how he felt about her._ She opted to acknowledge the sweet sentiment versus the declaration of future intent as she asked, "You knew I fantasized about this place...didn't you?"

"I may have tried the astral projection thing a few more times," he disclosed. "It's not exactly an even playing field, if you know all my naughty fantasies and I know none of yours. I was happy to find out you don't ingest a gallon of cream cheese and a box of crackers every night before bed. I knew you were thinking about being with me this way, as much as I was thinking about being with you."

She studied the familiar curve of his smile and thought about how his lips could kiss her in a way that made her heart overflow. She seductively replied, "Touché...You have me there." _They were wasting time._ She playfully tugged him to her and their lips met in a delectable dance of breathless need. They began tugging at each other's sparse material and no dice. _Come on! She'd accidentally flashed everyone but now she was sealed into this short dress like she was wearing chastity protecting underwear._ They ended up laughing and tickling each other, for the more they attempted to rid themselves of the pesky material, the more difficult it became. _It was like trying to create an origami swan with tissue paper while absolutely hammered._ There were a few loud thumps on the cabin door. That was all the warning they were given before Frost barged in.

He saw their disheveled state and sputtered, "Whoops, sorry you two. Carry on. We'll just wait outside." He closed the door.

They sprawled flat on their backs giggling. Kayn rolled over and provoked, "I say we jump up and down on the bed for ten minutes before we go out there."

Kevin laughed, "We'll wait five minutes and then walk out together. You look absolutely mortified and I'll look confused. Now, that would be realistic."

She reached over, grabbed a pillow and smoked him in the face with it.

He grabbed the other one, whipped it at her and sparred, "Oh, is that how you want it?"

They got wrapped up in their pillow fight for a few minutes before either one remembered they were waiting outside. Kayn thought of the sound effects they made during their pillow fight. She looked at Kevin with wide eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking and they were laughing hysterically again. They strolled out holding hands. The group waiting for them appeared genuinely concerned for their mental well-being. Kevin smiled sheepishly as he told her not to move while he reached over and plucked a feather from her hair.

Frost announced, "Are you ready to learn something cool?"

Kevin piped in, "Had you given me five more minutes, maybe I would have."

Instead of responding to Kevin's smart assed commentary Frost leaned over and whispered in Kayn's ear, "It obviously wasn't supposed to happen." He handed her a sword.

"Swords...You can't be serious?" Kayn questioned hesitantly as she accepted one from him. _It was too heavy._ She tipped right over and the tip sunk into the ground. Kayn tried to pull the sword out of the ground but it wouldn't budge an inch. _What in the hell? Why would they give her this?_

Frost watched her making a spectacle of herself trying to tug it out of the sand and teased, "That means, you just get to watch." He turned to Grey, tossed him a sword and remarked, "Let's show them how it's done."

Grey caught the sword in mid-air like it was as light as a feather. He grinned and provoked, "Bring it on buttercup. You haven't beaten me once in forty years."

They fluidly clinked swords just as she'd seen in the movies. Their sword play was so perfect it looked choreographed. Kayn watched, her lips slightly parted with unhidden admiration. _Now, this was awesome_. Every once in awhile, when she was sure nobody was watching she struggled to dislodge her sword from the sand. _They make it look so easy._ Their swords clashed and clicked together with the expertise of countless years of training.

Kevin watched intently for a while before walking over to Kayn. He yanked her sword from the ground like he was taking a marshmallow off a stick, gave her a funny look and enquired, "Having trouble with your sword?"

Kayn glared while attempting to hold her sword upright. _It was as though her sword weighed a hundred pounds_ _but only for her. Maybe Kevin was strong now?_

"My turn," Kevin declared as he raised his sword.

"Bring it on little man," Frost jested, grinning as he raised his.

Kayn scowled at Frost's pleased grin. _He always knew just what to say to piss someone off_. Their swords clashed with momentum altering from casual play to furious competition. She noticed her sister was standing right beside her. Chloe extended her hand and smiled. Kayn wrapped her identical fingers around her sister's, feeling shivers of warmth as their mutual adoration filled her with a sense of inner peace. Kayn lovingly squeezed her sister's hand, as she glanced at Chloe once more. They both smiled. She looked away from her sister and back at the testosterone fuelled sword fight happening right before her. _Kevin might actually beat Frost._ _He'd copied Lily and Grey's memories._ _He had the information inside of his brain from every battle they'd fought._ _His gift was truly amazing._ Frost's confusion as to how he was having his ass kicked by someone who'd never used a sword was priceless. Everyone's attention was drawn to their comical sword fight because a seventeen-year-old was handing the immortal his ass on a platter. Chloe tightened her grip on her hand, taking Kayn's attention away from the fight. Kayn grinned at her twin and looked away.

Lily made eye contact with Chloe as she soundlessly mouthed the word, "Goodbye."

Without a peep, Lily mouthed, "Goodbye." She smiled as Chloe vanished.

They'd been expecting fireworks or magical glowing light; something showing Kayn and Chloe had become one, but when it happened Kayn didn't even notice. They'd turned a simple sword fight into a pissing contest and it was seriously entertaining.

They were getting a little carried away, so the raven-haired seductress stepped between their swords and gushed, "Amazing."

"How in the hell did you guys teach him to do that?" Frost stammered.

Lily grinned and replied, "You were otherwise occupied and missed out on the conversation with Grandma Winnie." She began to explain the revelations he'd missed during his little break from training with Chloe. When Lily was done explaining Kevin's genetic line, Frost stood there in shock.

"Well, at least now it makes sense," Frost remarked.

Kevin wandered over and draped his arm around her. Kayn snuggled against him and whispered, "That was hot."

"Really, hot?" Kevin knit his brow and questioned. "Since when do you use the word hot?"

Kayn flirtatiously tempted, "I guess I usually don't say that word aloud, do I? Am I not allowed to think you're hot?" He shifted her golden locks out of the way not so stealthily surveying the birthmark on the back of her ear as he planted a kiss there. _That was weird?_ _He was trying to be all sneaky, but he was obviously double checking her identity. She was a little offended. Her sense of humour being what it was, she decided to go with it._ She bit her lip pensively, turned to meet his curious gaze and seductively kissed him in front of the trio of immortals. They became so wrapped up in each other they forgot there were witnesses.

Grey's sexy accent taunted, "Oh, for the love of everything that is holy you people. Do not make me think up a bucket of water so I can chuck it at you."

They stepped away from each other as they both turned an impressive shade of crimson. _She wasn't sure what had happened there. Super public make out sessions weren't usually her thing._ Her senses were humming as she endeavoured to calm her raging hormones by taking a deep breath. _In all honesty, she'd never had the opportunity to find that out what her things were. For some reason, she felt like doing something seriously reckless right now._

Frost's voice announced, "Alright, naughty vixen. It's your turn to learn a few new things from me."

_Was he talking to her?_ She spun around to face him.

The deviously good-looking immortal pointed to the ground and instructed, "First you have to pick up that sword and make sure you have a good grip on it. This will be a great way to get rid of some of that excess energy."

_What an ass._ Kayn lifted the incredibly heavy sword out in front of her. Frost swung his and knocked it out of her hands. It dropped, creating a cloud of dust. _Yes, she sucked at this._

He smirked while strutting around like a damn peacock as he scolded, "I said, get a good grip on it."

_It's frigging heavy you douche bag._ Kayn bent down and picked it up. _It was even heavier._ She struggled to hold it upright and asked, "Is this a joke?"

Frost knocked the sword out of her hand again and baited, "All right love, this is getting a bit ridiculous."

_Oh, she wanted to kick him_. Kayn struggled to pick up her sword once again.

Frost turned his attention to Kevin and disclosed, "I've had the joy of being tortured by Tiberius on various occasions. I've experienced his frustration when things don't go as planned. The last time I had the thrill of spending some alone time with my brother, it was a lovely afternoon of slow, excruciatingly painful disembowelment. For the record, that's an extremely unpleasant way to die."

Kevin's eyes widened as he clarified, "Your brother?"

"Yes kid, we're related," Frost replied. He raised his arms and announced, "Take a good look at the glorious genes you've inherited. Your grandfather Tiberius is the leader of Triad. Thorne, our older brother is the leader of Trinity."

Kevin enquired, "Are you the leader of Ankh?"

Frost smirked and explained, "I started out as the leader but for personal reasons, I opted out."

Taking advantage of Frost's attention elsewhere, Kayn picked up her sword and ran at Frost attempting to surprise him. She swung the blade at the cocky immortal with a vengeance, he gently tapped it out of her grasp. She lost her balance and landed on her knees.

He directed the next spar at Kevin, "Do me a favour, spend some one on one time with your girlfriend and teach her how to handle a sword."

She caught the multiple meanings of that barb. _What a jerk._

Lily towed Frost away from the two newest Ankh and hissed, "That's just about enough, you're being a complete ass. I get it, you're panicking about what Tiberius is going to do when he finds out about Kevin. Yes, this situation has the potential to be one hell of a shit show, but at this point we have no choice, so let's own it."

Frost replied, "Who's panicking? I'm definitely not."

In a hushed voice, Lily scolded, "Go and make nice. You are supposed to be training her, not teasing and browbeating her."

Kevin ignored him, he knelt in front of Kayn and whispered, "Ignore that idiot. Are you feeling alright?"

She looked up and whispered, "I think something's wrong with me." She tried to lift her own weight with her arms and couldn't. _What in the hell?_ She looked up at a clearly frustrated Frost. She repeated, "Something's wrong..." Her vision wavered and she crumpled into a ball. Kevin was at her side in an instant, trying to revive her.

Frost rolled his eyes and stammered, "Oh, for heaven's sake, what now?"

Lily gave him a shove and ordered, "Let her rest. While you two were fighting, I saw Chloe disappear. I think we just have to wait and see if it takes."

Frost had been too busy with their testosterone filled games to notice. Visibly stunned, he took a step back, shook his head in denial and whispered, "Are you sure?"

Grey gave his shoulder a brotherly squeeze and confirmed, "I saw it happen. I didn't want to say anything and jinx it."

Frost stormed away from the group.

Grey attempted to follow but Lily stopped him and asserted, "Give him a few minutes alone. He knew this was coming."

"I think he actually cared for her?" Grey whispered as they watched Frost walk away and disintegrate into the air.

As he disappeared into the in-between, Lily nodded and whispered, "Chloe missed her chance at anything real by losing herself in her siren ability during her mortal life. Frost knew she needed somebody to love her because they chose to. He allowed his heart to go for a jog. He'll get over it. He always does."

# Chapter Twenty-Nine

### The End of the Fantasy

They had been sitting in the grass for nearly an hour waiting for Kayn to come too when Frost solidified out of thin air. He sat with the group of concerned immortals and enquired, "Has she opened her eyes?"

Giving him a warm smile, Lily responded, "Not yet."

Frost looked past Lily at Kevin and said, "I guess this is a golden opportunity to get to know my nephew. Tell me, what can you do?"

Kevin had been waiting in uneasy silence for quite a while when Frost blurted out a random question. He snapped out of his stupor, "Huh?"

"Not speech writing then obviously," Frost ribbed, peering down at Kayn's lifeless body.

Kevin continued gently stroking Kayn's hair, hoping wherever she was, she felt his presence. He replied, "I'm really not in the mood for games Frost."

His blood relation, prodded, "Trust me, Kayn's fine. Lexy's got this. I'd like to run you through a couple of scenarios and see what you're capable of."

With no intention of leaving her side, Kevin responded, "I see dead people. I noticed a yellow aura around Kayn. When our symbols started flashing that night, an inner voice warned me not to go and I knew she had to get into the circle. It was basic Psychic stuff until my grandmother died. She willed me her powers and while I was with her here, we triggered the ability to see other people's memories."

Impressed, Frost urged, "Stick to absorbing memories without erasing. Never erase anyone's memories if you can help it. Our memories are all we have. Losing them is a fate worse than death." Frost glanced at Lily.

She looked at him and said, "Huh...Why are you looking at me? What did I do?"

"My point exactly," Frost grinned and taunted, "Remind me to get you guys a dictionary so you can learn to start your sentences with something other than, huh."

In a land all their own, Kayn and Chloe wandered hand in hand through a breathtaking field of buttercups in search of bumblebees. With joyous hearts the duo twirled, giggled and frolicked in the glorious magical meadow of intoxicating scents and visual splendor. There was not one fuzzy bee collecting pollen on the millions of delicate sunshine coloured flowers. Neither spoke a word while attempting to hear the familiar humming. Chloe sat in the sea of yellow and tugged Kayn down with her into the plush, vibrant foliage. They each picked a single flower from the ground. Chloe plucked the petals off almost immediately but Kayn didn't want to damage hers. She felt guilty for removing it from the earth. They understood these things about each other. Kayn aspired to heal and Chloe's first impulse had always been to destroy.

It was Chloe that spoke first, "Promise me one thing. Promise you'll keep living your life in the light. Never allow me to draw you into the dark."

Kayn peered up from the dainty yellow flower and said, "We can find the middle ground together."

Both children turned towards the echo of voices coming from beyond the horizon.

Kayn took her sister's hand as Chloe whispered, "I think it's almost time for us to go."

"I don't want to lose you again," Kayn whispered.

Chloe quietly vowed, "You could never lose me."

And with those final words Chloe's essence was absorbed into Kayn's hands in a burst of glorious blinding light. She felt the warmth of her sister's half of their soul as it travelled up her arms and came to rest in her heart. She felt whole and unusually alert as the voices of her friends grew louder. Everything went black. _She'd always been uncomfortable in the dark but something calmed her this time and she found it intriguing._ _There could be anything or anyone standing right beside her and she would have no way of knowing._ Instead of feeling fear, she felt strength in the unknown. She attempted to open her eyes but they wouldn't budge so she decided to see with her other senses.

As she inhaled the invigorating scent of the ocean, Kayn was able to open her eyes and found herself standing alone, thigh deep in liquid heaven. There was nothing but water for as far as the eye could see in every direction. Vibrant coloured shells and starfish adorned the ocean floor of shimmering white sand. She needed to choose a direction and start walking. _How could she? Which way would lead her to the shore?_ She stood stubbornly in place. Flashes of white light whirled past her feet in the water. She leapt out of the way, laughing as she lost her balance and tumbled backwards into the shallows. White gleaming orbs encircled her, and even though her heart began to race, she knew there was nothing to fear. The spheres of iridescent light were just out of reach. _What were they doing?_ _She wanted to touch one._ The glare reflecting off the surface of the water made her squint as she slowly moved her hand towards the circular beings. She felt a warm euphoria as they circled her fingertips and joyously laughed as they scattered in every direction across the surface of the water in a burst of blinding light, leaving her sitting in the center of what appeared to be a giant star. She smiled as she shielded her eyes with dripping salty fingers and started to laugh. As she uncovered her eyes, her breath caught in her chest. A stunning golden stallion was making its way through the shimmering water towards her. _She didn't know much about horses but didn't want to be beneath it's hooves._ Kayn slowly rose. The stallion stopped advancing five feet from her. As she came towards the regal being, Kayn assured, "I'm not going to hurt you." A light breeze made his majestic mane ripple as though it were a cape trailing. She'd never laid eyes on anything so wondrously free. She ached to touch it. She needed to, if only for a second, so she slowly inched closer to the exotic creature, whispering, "Who are you? What are you doing out here with me?" Kayn was almost able to touch him when beneath her feet thousands of little white lights sped past her travelling in the same direction. Then the stallion reared up, whinnied and galloped away following the lights. Kayn spun around to see what they were all running from and coming at her was a wall of water as large as a mountain. All she had time to say was, "Oh shit!"

She abruptly awoke gasping for breath able to recall her last moment of consciousness, the wall of blinding pain. She received the lesson loud and clear. _Always look behind you._ _Especially if there is something unusual distracting you_. _She felt like an idiot._ She opened her eyes and focused in on Kevin and Frost. Her heart warmed to both and she had an inkling of how complicated her new life joined with Chloe could become if she allowed her heart to lead the way. _She had to hold on to the person she'd always been._ _Kevin was her future. He'd given up his life, without a hint of hesitation to be with her, before they'd known it had never been a choice. Don't look at Frost. Look at Kevin_.

Kayn moaned and mumbled, "That was unpleasant." She sat up, shook her head and explained, "I just got hit by a tidal wave the size of a mountain because I was busy watching a horse in the water."

Frost sarcastically baited, "You seriously didn't see that one coming? I bet it didn't seem strange at all that a horse was just randomly there to entertain you in the water?"

She muttered under her breath, "You are such an asshole."

The gorgeous immortal provoked, "I know. Thank you for noticing. I do try hard at it."

She felt the strength of the pull towards Frost and had to look away. _Yes, her sister's feelings were going to be a problem._

Grey comically pointed out, "You will find Frost much less of an asshole when there are no stupid people around."

Frost patted Grey on the shoulder and said, "Thank you, I'm touched buddy."

"Trust me, pretend you didn't hear it," Lily quietly advised. Rolling her eyes, she added, "You'll inadvertently start asshole love fest. Frost thinks being called an asshole is a compliment."

"Thanks for the heads up," Kayn whispered, wishing she hadn't said a word to him. Frost kept looking at her like a dog with a savoury bone.

Kevin hugged her and whispered in her ear, "Is it still you?"

She squeezed him extra tightly, replying, "It's still me." As she inhaled his familiar scent her heart surged with adoration. Her chin was resting on Kevin's shoulder. Frost's heartbreakingly defeated eyes met hers. _He'd heard their conversation._ She kissed his cheek and let Kevin go feeling horrible. _It wasn't necessary to rub it in._

Frost quickly snapped out of it and began schooling Kevin on Tiberius's capabilities, "Now your grandfather can procure information from people and turn off the ability to feel pain. Now, being the sadistic sociopath, we all know and openly despise, he usually opts out of using it, even to help his own Clan. He's one of those take it like a champ kind of leaders." Frost used Dr. Evil esque finger air quotes.

She pursed her lips so she wouldn't giggle.

"Turning off pain sounds useful," Kevin acknowledged. He turned and winked at her.

Even though she was trying to keep her eyes focused on Kevin they kept drifting to Frost.

Frost caught her staring but didn't call her out, he stayed on task, "You have your grandmother's memories. She was a feisty old broad. She was paying attention to how Tiberius did things. A Healer's gifts are usually compassion based. Your grandfather's are rage based. You don't look like a guy with rage issues. You come across as gentle and meek little guy. Will you be able to summon up enough rage to fight for the people you love when it counts?"

_Frost was trying to provoke him. He'd used the word little. It was on._

Kevin fired back, "Are you serious? You think I can't summon up enough rage? From what I understand our only option seems to be running to lead the other Clans and demons away from our families so they won't all be brutally murdered. If the other Clans have already figured out my part in this, we're shit out of luck. Everyone we love dies and my brother Clay gets to become a skin coat for my grandpa. My mom is a sitting duck. My dad is dead the second he walks through the door. What's left of Kayn's family is going to die and then there's Kayn...The thought of someone hurting her makes my blood boil. We've been enlisted into a Clan where we get the privilege of being supernatural chew toys. My grandpa has the personality of Satan, my grandmother was just ripped into pieces. Have I missed anything?"

"Nope, I think you got the gist of it kid," Frost quietly replied as his asshole juju gradually sunk into the emotional quicksand of empathy. He opted for a courteous tone, "I think we should try to test for pain removal abilities. Why don't you sit here and sift through your grandmother's memories for a while? Maybe Tiberius showed her how it worked or used it to help her?" Kevin shook his head, closed his eyes and it was obvious he was already trying to locate what Frost asked him to find.

Kayn was sitting there hugging her knees against her chest, actively resisting the urge to sooth herself by rocking back and forth with Kevin's speech about how they were all going to die repeating in her head. _She'd absorbed her twin's soul. Kevin was busy sifting through his dead grandmother's memories. This was insanity_. Her inner voice mocked, _Are you crazy? That's not even possible. You are stretching me too far._ _With each new insane revelation, she was asked to accept, her heart had become heavier until it felt like dead weight within her chest._ A voice in her mind began whispering, ' _Shut them off. We have to shut off your emotions if you're going to have a chance.'_ Kayn started rocking back and forth even though she didn't intend to. _This whole ordeal would be a lot easier if she succumbed to the insanity. She needed to permit herself to go a little crazy._ _Not skin coat wearing, dancing around wearing someone's scalp as a hat certifiable but just mad enough to have someone ask her to do something nuts and she'd be able to say, hey let's do it, without requiring a rational reason._ A hand squeezed her shoulder. She peered down at the delicate fingers and knew it was Lily.

The gorgeous immortal with glistening midnight hair whispered, "Right now it feels impossible but someday all of this crazy stuff will be normal. There are no accidents in our lives just horrible lessons and excruciatingly painful moments. Every event has its own special purpose in the development of your soul. I was told something years ago and it's gotten me through everything I've faced so far. I whisper it to myself whenever it doesn't feel like there's a way through something. Do you want to hear it?"

Kayn had ceased to rock. Her eyes were pressed shut and her arms were coiled around her knees as she nodded.

Lily replied, "Just breathe in, breathe out and put one foot in front of the other, until it gets easier."

She began focusing on just breathing. After roughly a minute, she loosened her grasp on her knees, opened her eyes and turned to look at Lily. _She was smiling at her, not a fake one but a genuine one._

The stunning immortal remarked, "It works, doesn't it? From now on just concentrate on the basics. Try to follow orders without taking it on as your own. It's all white noise in the grand scheme of things. Everything that happens was always going to occur, with or without your involvement. If we weren't here, it would be a random accident. Death is only an opportunity to rise again. It's not the conclusion to someone's story. There is no end. Once you comprehend that one thing, everything becomes clear. We are all immortal. The only difference between us and them is we get to keep the boxes we came in."

Kayn felt better. She clasped Lily's hand in hers and said, "Thank you."

She answered, "No problem, that's what friends are for."

_She'd never expected Lily to become her friend._ Kayn looked for Kevin. He was still sitting there with his eyes closed but for different reasons. She wanted to shake him out of it and tell him what Lily just told her. She had a new perspective. Her best friend needed to hear this but they'd have time to talk later, he was still rifling through Granny Winnie's memories. Kayn stood up, took a deep breath and everything seemed brighter. She walked towards the others with a smile on her face as her mind whispered, _breathe in, breathe out, left foot and then your right foot. You are doing great._

Grey was speaking, "Maybe we shouldn't keep training without knowing if Lexy is outside of her tomb and able to heal us?"

Frost stood there grinning as a giant boulder materialized in his hands.

"Bloody hell." Grey stammered as he sprinted away from the clearing towards the woods.

He didn't move a muscle for a minute, then Frost grinned, wound up and pitched the boulder. In the distance, Grey went down in a splash of blood and meat. He looked at Kayn and declared, "Don't say I've never done anything sweet for you."

_It was a little funny. Frost thought murdering Grey in the same way he'd killed her during training was sweet._

Kevin strolled up, encircled her with his arms from behind, kissed her neck and chuckled, "You're going to ask me to slay someone to prove my love to you now, aren't you?"

She smiled and teased, "Nope. I think I'm all good with a flower in my shoe or a zombie pen holder."

They far too casually strolled over to Grey's mashed carcass. _She'd never been on the other end of this moment. She'd always been the victim._ She watched in wonder as his broken bones shifted back to their original placement and his flesh healed.

Frost quipped, "Question answered. Lexy's still running the tombs. It's all good."

Face down in the soil, Grey moaned, "Don't you think it would have been a good idea to try out Kevin's pain dulling ability, before giving me a backwoods lobotomy you jackass?" He thrust himself up with his sun kissed muscular arms and glared at Frost.

"Sorry, jumped the gun. We'll just have to do this again. Kevin, try to get rid of Grey's ability to feel pain first this time, we'll even let Kayn throw it," Frost instructed.

Grey glared at Frost and vehemently hissed, "No, we will not kill me again. We will kill you. You run away and Kayn will throw a boulder at you."

Frost laughed aloud and agreed, "Sounds like a plan, let's do it. We don't even need to test Kevin's ability first. Our Kayn can't even manage to swing a sword."

_He was such an ass_. Kayn looked at Grey and declared, "Fine. Let's do this." She stared at her hands and as she thought of holding a giant boulder, one appeared. _It wasn't as heavy as she'd thought it would be._

Frost started walking in the opposite direction, bouncing from side to side while laughing. He sang, "Tell me when I should start running froggy."

Kayn scowled at his ignorant little nickname. _Oh, he was going to get it._ She yelled, "I'd start running!"

He mocked her by jogging away in slow motion. Kayn shook her head. Lily smiled and signalled for Kayn to pass the boulder to her. Kayn grinned and did just that, with no qualms whatsoever about fair play. _Frost didn't seem to value the idea of fair play while dealing with other people when he was the one holding the weapon. If anyone deserved a good attitude adjustment it was him._ Lily wound up and hurled it, flawlessly recreating Grey's demise by boulder. They were all laughing as they made their way to Frost's body.

Grey snickered, "Wouldn't we feel like a bunch of douches, if he didn't heal and Lexy showed up." They circled him waiting for the process to begin, it took a little longer than expected and just as they were all becoming a bit nervous, it began.

Lily whispered, "Let him think Kayn did it. He was in dire need of a little life lesson."

They smiled at each other as Frost pushed himself up onto his knees, turned to Kayn and declared, "I didn't even see that one coming. Good job." Frost got up and as he made his way towards her, he playfully toyed, "Glad I could help you release some of that pent-up aggression. You're welcome. Now that you have some of your strength back, let's see how you handle a sword."

She felt like groaning from the overabundance of innuendo as she sighed, "You never give it a rest, do you?"

He sparred, "No rest for the wicked." A sword appeared in his grasp. He dragged it in the soil as he casually sauntered towards her. Dust rose from the line in the dirt.

Kayn thought of a sword and one appeared in her hand. _Her sword wasn't heavy like it had been before._ She provoked, "You haven't said a word about my sister. Are you so old that you've forgotten her already?"

Frost smirked and said, "Miss Brighton, was that trash talk? I'm honored. Get your halo dirty. It must be difficult for you wearing that nun habit all of the time. Tell me...Does it get hot under there?"

Her pulse raced in reaction to his naughty commentary. She elevated her sword with no issue at all this time and taunted, "Oh please, the lame innuendo is actually becoming painful and as a matter of fact, I adore black. You've had almost no reaction to losing her. It's just an observation. There's no need to get all touchy about it."

His eyes glinted with humour as he replied, "Sweetheart in a real battle nobody is going to put down their weapon until you get your emotions in check." He swung his sword at her and Kayn blocked the blade with her own.

For a split second, Kayn thought she'd done something right, until he looped his arm around hers and tugged her against him. She exhaled while attempting to have no reaction to the length of his lean body pressed against hers.

He spoke softly into her ear, "Chloe's right here, she hasn't gone anywhere. She's inside of you. I won't lose you to another Clan. Do me a favour, stop pissing around and learn something."

His breath tickled the tendrils of hair framing her face. She swallowed a lump of emotion and baited, "Fine, then quit messing around and instruct me." She elbowed him away. He laughed as he stumbled backwards. She swung her sword once again. This time she struck his arm. It looked like, even give and take as they fought but Kayn was fully aware that he was taking it easy on her. She lost her footing and landed with an ungraceful thud in the grass. Frost bent over and held his hand out to her as a peace offering. Kayn hesitated for a second. She could tell by the expression that flashed across his face, he was up to something. Against her better judgment she took it and as her hand slid perfectly into his masculine grip. He pulled her up and into his arms again. It might have looked like an accident but she knew he was playing with her.

His husky voice was filled with innuendo, "Let me tell you a little secret darling. Emotions can be tricky little things. They can either make you strong as a lion or weak as a kitten. If you know what buttons to push you can take anyone down."

Kayn was finding it difficult to play it cool because her body seemed to have a mind of its own. Her response to his touch was instinctual. Her sister had been intimate with him. He didn't miss her confused reaction as she melted against him. His eyes light up with the knowledge that his Chloe was with her in some capacity. Frost smiled, bit his lip pensively and let her go. Kayn avoided his eyes as she made an inward effort to regain her control. _She would have to do a far better job of hiding her sister's feelings in the future._ _She was in charge and Kevin was the person she loved._ Kayn stepped away from Frost's magnetic pull.

Kevin added to the strange sexual tension by saying, "Are you almost done flirting with my girlfriend or do you need a few more minutes Frost?"

Grey came to Frost's defence, "Don't get your panties in a twist. He's just trying to get to his point...creatively."

"Right...creatively," Kevin repeated, rolling his eyes. He raised his brows at Kayn, making it clear that he saw her reaction to Frost's embrace. Kayn smiled. _It was the first time he'd called her his girlfriend._ She felt her heart close off to Frost and she shoved the unwanted feelings deep down where they belonged. She'd explain things to Kevin later. _He would understand if she blamed it on Frost's voodoo powers._

Frost continued to give his speech from a respectable distance, "Sadness is the emotion that makes you feel weak. Deal with your grief when we're done fighting. Now bravery, duty and anger make you feel powerful. There's a fight ahead of us if you want to remain with Ankh. Concentrate on how angry you are. Channel that rage into strength. You can't afford to waste time anguishing over things."

_He was trying to prepare her for the inevitable. Everyone might already be dead._

Lily's eyes softened as she added, "I know that all of this seems silly but jumping off a cliff teaches you guys to trust us. There are only twelve active Ankh on this continent, if we don't trust each other in a fight we have no chance. If you find yourself deathly afraid of someone then just use it to your advantage. Fear can either make you more powerful or it can be crippling. What makes you stronger one day can incapacitate you the next. That's why you must always force yourself to do the things that terrify you. Once you've empowered yourself it can be as powerful an emotion as anger. Twenty years from now, pain will be the only thing you fear. We get to feel all of the pain, every second of it."

"I know what pain feels like," Kayn answered coldly.

Frost took Kayn's hand, breaking the invisible barrier between them as he said, "I know you've already felt pain but I'm not sure you can understand what being tortured for information feels like until it's happened. When you've been captured by Triad or Abaddon, you'll understand. I'll do everything within my power to make sure that never happens to you but contrary to popular belief, we aren't superheroes. We're just people with no expiration date, required to take one for the team in the grand scheme of things. Yes, you've stared evil in the eye and spent an hour or two with it but try to imagine someone doing that to you for weeks. That's how we destroy each other. We cripple each other's souls and minds with torture. I should rephrase that... We don't tend to do it but Triad and Abaddon are experts. We can't die because we cannot pass through the hall of souls to be reborn. If we've gone crazy because we've been tortured for too long, sometimes the only way out of that is to have our memories wiped and for us that's the same as dying. I've only lived this long without being wiped because I have learned to turn my emotions off when it counts."

Grey piped in, "My advice for the both of you is to rage out. Allow yourself to feel the fury for all you have lost and all you may lose. Embrace every ounce of it as soon as you step out of that tomb. If you are afraid then use it, channel it into energy. If you fight through any fear you feel, it will give you strength."

Kevin stated the obvious, "What are we fighting for if there's no hope to save the people that we love?"

Lily stared at Kevin and Kayn. She maintained, "We have to fight to keep both of you in Ankh. They are without doubt here because their Psychics have told them the same information that ours told us: Kayn's Conduit ability is an important commodity for our Clan to acquire. If they find out about you Kevin, you will be taken and you've seen what happens to the Psychics that belong to Triad."

Kayn looked at the other four and said, "If the Psychics know about my ability that doesn't even exist yet, then wouldn't it stand to reason that Triad might know about Kevin's connection to their leader by now as well?"

Lily's eyes softened as she responded, "It's only been like an hour back in the land of the living. We've learned all this stuff while being in the in-between. It is possible that Triad saw the pictures of your brother at Winnie's house. We just have to manage to keep Kevin with us until he's eighteen and he'll belong to us."

"Long story short, we're competing against the other Clans and the Legion of Abaddon for your souls," Frost conquered, ending the speech.

# Chapter Thirty

### How to Tame a Dragon

Lexy materialized out of thin air, "Well my people, the game has officially changed." She embraced Grey, then grinned at the others and stated, "We are so far up shit creek, not even a motor could save us now my friends. I counted at least ten Triad outside but then when a bunch of Trinity showed up, I came here before they breached the house as ordered and left them to duke it out amongst themselves." She glared at Lily, scowled and added, "See, I behaved myself and didn't get involved."

_How were they going to fight their way through that many people?_ She looked at Kevin and knew he was thinking the same thing.

The crimson-haired Healer of Ankh explained, "You never send more than six Clan members anywhere at once time, it's kind of an unspoken rule. This event is clearly stacked in Triad's favour. Why would they send this many Triad for a girl that hasn't even been Enlightened yet? It doesn't make sense?"

Kayn felt the weight settle on her heart. She sat down in the grass and blankly said, "They might not be here for me."

Visibly confused, Lexy sat next to her and questioned, "Why would they send ten Triad for a Psychic?"

Frost remained standing as he decreed, "Tiberius knows about Kevin."

Lexy knit her brow and exclaimed, "Quit talking in code. What's going on here?"

Grey sat down with the two in the lush greenery, slipped his arm around his pal Lexy's shoulder and explained, "They may send ten Triad for Tiberius's grandson and a possible Conduit though."

Lexy looked up at Kevin and exclaimed, "This is why I hate being the only Healer on site. I always miss out on all of the good stuff." She gawked at the teen for a few seconds before saying, "You poor thing."

Kayn peered up at Frost and questioned, "How do we get back if Lexy's here with us again?"

Lexy took it upon herself to reply, "We don't...We're stuck here until the rest of Ankh shows up and fights their way into that house. They'll bring us back. On the bright side, I get to play a part in training you for a while and that's going to be fun." She shimmied closer to Kayn and whispered, "Unwinnable battles have been won throughout history for love Miss Brighton. You have two Ankh in love with you, so it's possible."

Kayn shook her head at the flame haired badass sitting beside her and whispered, "Frost's in love with Chloe, not me. We've joined and she's gone."

Lexy smiled as she yanked a dandelion from the ground and squashed it in the palm of her hand, leaving behind only a stain as she casually remarked, "Good, you're going to need all of the mojo you can get, there's quite the gong show going on back at the house."

She felt his eyes on her. _Do not look at him._ Her heart raced. _Do not react._ Kayn couldn't help it, she turned and he was right there, grinning. _Damn it._

Frost sat in the grass behind her and teased, "You just keep telling yourself that frog sticker girl." He ran a long curly strand of her hair between his fingertips.

She looked at Kevin. _Why was he allowing Frost to mess with her?_ _He knew she got the shivers if anyone touched her hair._ _It felt like they were both testing her._ Kevin staked his claim by sitting and placing an arm around her. He glared at Frost, shaking his head. She'd seen that look in Kevin's eyes before; Frost was dancing on his last nerve. _She couldn't blame Frost for testing her. He wanted to know if any part of Chloe remained._ Kayn took Kevin's hand, laced her fingers through his and raised their joined hands to her lips, kissing his. She needed him to know he'd always be her choice.

Kevin reciprocated by gently pressing hers to his lips. He leaned over, kissed her temple softly and whispered, "You're sure your feelings for me haven't changed?"

She glanced back at Frost as she responded, "One hundred percent sure."

Frost winked and flirtatiously baited, "Really? One hundred percent?"

"You heard her," Kevin bluntly stated, squeezing her hand.

The love of her sister's life chuckled and provoked, "Did I?"

_She wasn't impressed by the territorial game they were playing and honestly, the bounty of unrestrained testosterone in the air was concerning. They were acting like dogs repeatedly peeing to mark their territory and she was the tree._

Lexy stood up, shook her head at the boys and sighed, "Miss Brighton, you have the strangest inner dialogue I've ever heard. Lily disappeared a few minutes ago. I'm going to find her. Boys, please refrain from marking your territory."

Kayn awkwardly stared at the grass in front of her. _They'd all heard everything she was thinking about._ _This is awesome. She was the supreme master of all dorkdom._ She meekly lifted her head to peek at their reaction to Lexy's slam and they all started to howl. _It was time for a subject change_. She looked at Grey and enquired, "Is Lexy your girlfriend?"

Grey grinned at her avoidance tactic and replied, "No, she's my best friend and sort of my job. We aren't allowed to sleep together. It's against the rules. It's hard to have a relationship without the best part."

_That caught her attention_. She repeated, "Your job?"

Frost prompted, "Tell her about Lexy. She should understand who she's dealing with before she gets her ass handed to her on a platter for saying the wrong thing."

Grey chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll tell you our story. If she shows up before I'm done. You'll have to remind me to finish it later. This was over forty years ago now. I'd only been with Ankh for a little while, the Clans were chasing this Dragon named Lexy. First, let me explain the term, Dragon. Dragon is Clan slang, used to describe a dark warrior, not a green scaly one. A Dragon is a warrior with the ability to completely shut off their emotions. Lexy was the infamous Dragon that all the Clans told horror stories about. She survived over a dozen attacks from Abaddon and the other Clans, fighting off everyone that came for her. She was unstoppable. So, I was sent into the woods alone to find her because an Oracle told the Ankh that I was the only one that would be able to bring her in. To be honest, I was scared shitless. I walked for a whole day into the wilderness before I made a boneheaded move and got myself caught in one of her traps. I was stuck there but knew she was going to come along to check them eventually. I was just hoping a bear or some other random wildlife didn't show up to eat me first. When she finally came to check the traps, it was obvious that she'd been alone in the woods for a long time. She barely spoke. Her hair was all matted and it was obvious she hadn't bathed in months. She was starving and I'm pretty sure she was planning to eat me."

Kevin started to laugh. He thought Grey was joking.

Frost shrugged and confirmed, "No, she was probably actually going to eat him."

Kevin shut up and glanced at Kayn. She widened her eyes and smiled.

Grey continued his tale about catching Dragons, "When I started talking to her, I can't explain it but I felt this immediate connection. I needed to help her. She let me out of the trap and took off, leaving me in the trail with a badly injured leg. I followed her back to this cabin. I stood on the porch, contemplating the stupidity of following her inside. When I opened the door, she seemed okay with my presence. I started talking to her and I felt it. I knew she didn't want to hurt me. She healed my broken leg and made me eat a squirrel. Then, I got her drunk. It's a long story. I told her the other Clans were coming and she wouldn't be able to stay in the cabin by herself anymore. I asked her to come with me and she agreed. I can't explain it but I knew the Oracle was right, she would never hurt me. I explained the Clans and told her we had to leave. I wasn't eighteen and I was scared shitless of ending up in Triad. Well of course, that's when Triad showed up. We fought them together, but in the end, Triad captured me and she got away. Lexy tracked Triad through the forest and saved me. I only heard the stories about what happened while I was unconscious. I guess she tied up Tiberius, hung him in a tree and slit his throat. She kept all but one of his men alive so they could witness her killing their leader. After that incident Tiberius became obsessed with her."

He paused for a second and then continued, "She dragged me through the forest, healed me in a cave and came with me to Ankh. I found out later that she'd been living with a pack of wild dogs in that cabin for two years with no human contact. Well, a year and a half. About six months earlier the dogs had disappeared. She'd been completely alone for six months.

The rest of our story is forty years long. I'm trying to give you the gist of it before she gets back with Lily. We saved each other. I went into Testing with Lexy and Arrianna. We helped Lexy regain her humanity and in turn, she brought us out of the Testing in record time. Once we made it out, I was told a Dragon must have a Handler. It's called different things and it varies from Clan to Clan. Long story short, I'm Lexy's Handler. She's one of the most gifted Healers the Clans have ever seen. She can die and hop back up in a matter of minutes. If her sanity takes a stroll too far off the deep end, it's my duty to bring her back. I, on the other hand started out as a fire starter but starting fires was never really my calling. My calling is to be the one that puts out our Dragon's flames. She's so much more than just our Clan's Dragon. She's the best friend anyone could ever have and deserves way more than life has given her." Lexy appeared with Lily. Grey hopped up and jogged over to talk to them.

Frost chuckled and whispered, "And the moral of this story is... Don't piss Lexy off. She's a Dragon. You'll get a chance to see her in action. When Lexy Abrelle is amped up, she is like a slightly psychotic superhero"

Kayn read between the lines. It was in Grey's eyes even though he'd denied it. He wasn't allowed to be with her but he loved her. He was her age when he'd been sent alone into the wilderness to find a Dragon by the name of Lexy Abrelle. He'd tamed her with his appealing accent and kind smile and brought her back with him to Ankh. Grey became Lexy's Handler and best friend. He was the ying to her yang. For forty years, it had been his job to tame the Dragon within her. For four decades, he'd been putting her first. _It sounded like a marriage._

Frost leaned over and whispered, "If a Dragon sleeps with their Handler, as soon as the Handler falls asleep, they are spelled to forget."

_If those two ever fell in love. He'd never be able to remember his feelings for her or what happened between them the night before. The moment he fell asleep everything would be erased._ Kayn remarked, "That sounds like a messed-up storyline for a fairytale."

Frost stared into her eyes and admitted, "This is not a fairytale. This is a nightmare. I've been living it for a thousand years."

He got up, walked away and left her sitting there wondering what he meant by that.

Lexy wandered over to Kevin and Kayn and joined them on the ground as Kayn actively tried to shut off her inner dialogue.

The crimson-haired Dragon started laughing, "You're thinking about not thinking about me. Grey told you the story about how we met, didn't he?"

Her Handler Grey squatted beside Lexy and teased, "But it's the most interesting story I know."

Lexy rolled her eyes and probed, "Any questions?"

Randomly curious, Kayn asked, "What's the least painful way to die?"

"Definitely drowning," Lexy disclosed with a grin.

Lily plunked herself in the grass and declared, "I actually agree with that one."

Grey plucked a flower out of the ground, tucked it behind Lexy's ear and added, "Falling is quick. There's one massive super-fast explosion of pain. It's only bad if you've fallen multiple times too close together. The healing after repetitively falling hurts like a son of a bitch."

Kevin grinned and questioned, "The healing?"

Grey chuckled as he explained, "The first time, you bounce back fairly quickly but there's this training exercise for your brain where you fall and go splat, repeatedly. You keep doing that until your brain refuses to allow you to get back up. That one really sucks."

Lily sat there peacefully weaving dandelions together while they casually talked about death. Kayn picked some flowers, tried to do the same and ended up just braiding them together. She asked without looking up or directing her question to anyone in particular, "And the worst way?"

Lily and Lexy echoed Grey's voice as he spoke, mocking him like smart assed siblings as he blurted out, "Being eaten really sucks." He chucked a handful of grass at them and added, "Lava also sucks."

Lexy tossed a fistful of grass back and sparred, "No, starvation is the worst. It's a slow drawn out excruciatingly painful process"

Grey changed his answer, "Scratch being eaten and even starvation. Hell, I'd find being slowly dipped in lava preferable to Tiberius torture week. Now, that epically sucked. It was a full week of slow extremely creative torture. He never actually kills you at the end of each day. He keeps healing you, just enough to keep you alive so you can feel every second. Day one was stabbing, cutting and being skinned alive. That was lovely. On day two, he removed my intestines, played morbid sick games and kept me completely alert so I could watch. On the same day, Tiberius removed my fingernails and toenails. That was a good time. Every night he left me almost dead in a room with a half dozen buzzards. I couldn't sleep because they kept trying to pick at my flesh. Day three was fire and acid. Day four was bloody snakes, spiders and rodents. Day five, I never want to discuss. Day six was all of the above and he went all, 'Godfather' on me with power tools. Day seven was the day Lexy showed up with Markus and the others to bust us out. Frost had it worse than I did. Princess Lily however had a glorious time. He probably spent the whole week feeding her grapes."

Lily laughed as she revealed, "It was rough, I allowed him to watch me take a bath in rose petals then he wanted to rub my feet for hours. It was rather odd but I was the one who snuck away and contacted the rest of the Clan. What was I supposed to say? Hey Tiberius, wait a minute. I don't think you're being fair, where's my torture? I want to go next. It's my turn."

"You definitely weren't in any rush to call for help," Grey countered.

Lily tossed a handful of grass his way and argued, "You never believed me. I called as soon as I could get out of the room. I had no idea you were being tortured. He had me locked in a room with an Ankh symbol block. I thought he'd only taken me. As soon as I escaped from the room, I cut my hand. That's how they found us. You guys were blocked too. I'm not the only one with a symbol on my damn hand Grey."

She had to ask. Kayn looked at Lexy and enquired, "What did you do to Tiberius for hurting Grey?"

Lexy grinned as though a happy memory had crossed her mind as she far too casually responded, "I tied him up, gagged him and creatively fixed him. I may have also released rodents, spiders, snakes and buzzards before closing the door."

Kevin raised his eyebrows and queried, "Fixed him?"

Grey grinned as he replied, "Let it sink in."

_She'd creatively neutered Tiberius._

Her mortified boyfriend plucked a fistful of grass, tossed it over his shoulder just as he had in the land of the living and whispered, "Remind me to never get on her bad side."

While Kayn was laughing on the inside, a ladybug cruised over one of her bare feet. _Where did that come from?_

Lily tossed a woven flowered crown at Grey and sang, "Here you go Princess."

Grey scowled and sarcastically replied, "That's hilarious, you're a funny girl." He placed the crown on his head and said, "Feel free to call me the King, Master or whatever floats your boat."

The intoxicatingly beautiful raven haired Lilarah teased, "Feel free to wear that crown while you hold your breath and wait."

Kayn smiled at Kevin. _These two obviously had a prior relationship._ Their constant sparring reminded her of a little boy and a girl on the playground kicking sand at each other. Kayn turned to look at Kevin again. He cupped her chin and kissed her softly on the lips. Her heart warmed and for a second, she imagined that she was just a girl and he was just a boy, sitting in a field on a sunny afternoon.

"Heartbreak is far worse than any version of death I've experienced," Lily quietly admitted.

Grey rolled his eyes and remarked, "You've probably never been tortured Lily. I've had my ego wounded, plenty of times."

Lily gave him a dirty look and sighed, "That's not heartbreak you whiny little man child. Don't start that crap again. It's not my fault you can't comprehend the whole friends with benefits thing."

Lexy defended Grey, "Arrianna broke Grey's heart."

Grey smiled at his friend and explained, "I appreciate the gesture but I cheated on Arrianna and she dumped me. It doesn't count as a broken heart if you do it to yourself."

_Oh, what a tangled web they were weaving._ _And these were the days of our afterlives._ Kayn grinned and stared down at the grass again.

Frost reappeared and strolled towards the group sitting on the grass in the middle of the heavenly meadow. _She felt guilty when she saw him and knew why...A touch of her twin's feelings were still alive within her._ She remembered her issue with her inner dialogue being overheard and looked up, relieved to see Kevin and Grey walking away together. She felt someone watching her. It was Lexy.

Lexy didn't say anything as she scrambled to her feet, held her hand out and Kayn took it. She yanked her up and declared, "Kevin seems like a great guy."

Kayn smiled and replied, "He is."

Lexy winked at her and said, "Let's go." They ran to catch up with the others.

Without need for sleep or nourishment, they began training. Lexy became their instructor. Kayn was more than a little excited about the prospect of being trained by the Clan's Dragon. If anyone could give them the upper hand, it would be Lexy.

Lexy began to speak, "Triad is at the house and they're brutal sick bastards. A fight with them is like a bar room brawl, anything goes. The Trinity are extremely sneaky. They usually try to take you out with poisoned arrows from a distance. Once you've been hit, you'll be drugged. A mortal that is even nicked will die within an hour. There is only one rule during a conflict between the Clans. The battle has a time limit. There is a shield up disguising the energy in the area. Around this shield every mortal within a five-mile radius will lose time. They won't remember a thing. The mortals on the inside of the shield have to be Corrected because there's no way to guarantee their memories have been wiped."

Frost turned to look at them as he added, "If only two Clans are present no shield is needed. Once Abaddon arrives at a two or three Clan conflict there is always a shield. The shield only stays up for three hours. When the battle is over, you'll know. They'll incapacitate us with a noise. That's the one hour clean up warning. We pick up the bodies and are given an hour to clear the area of evidence and get away. We have twenty-four hours to get as far away from each other as we can. We're not allowed to pursue each other during that time. The Third Tiers have Oracles monitoring us for a good week after each conflict. The mission is to keep Kayn from being taken by another Clan. This is a battle for souls and most of us will be dead by the end of it. Once again, we do not stay dead. The other half of our Clan will collect our bodies and Arrianna will be there to revive us when the fight times out. We just must get Kayn from the house with the tombs, through the trails and into to her spiritually protected room. She stays in that room until the battle times out. It sounds simple but I promise you it won't be. They don't have to enter that room to get you to come out."

_He didn't mention Kevin._ Kayn asked, "What about Kevin?"

Frost's eyes softened as he replied, "That's a tricky one. We don't know how much the other Clans know about him. Kayn can be in that room with mortals. That's fine. The room is setup to protect one Second Tier. If two of you are inside, it could weaken the barrier enough to allow Abaddon in. It's more than that. You both have unfinished mortal business. If Kevin doesn't get a chance to deal with his unfinished business it could damage his soul. There are emotional hoops you must jump through on your way to Enlightenment. If you haven't dealt with these things properly, you'll never make it out of the Testing."

_They were offering them closure. This was the true purpose of their return to the small island town._ For six days or roughly fifty minutes in real time, they ran from arrows and practiced without allowing themselves to think of the battle going on outside the house containing their tombs. They ignored their fears and endeavoured to learn all they could from their immortal teachers. _They wouldn't have the time to figure out how much the other Clans knew about Kevin. That was the unknown factor._ Kevin was holding his own against the other immortals, so she wasn't as panicked by the time they reached the end of their rushed training. They went to visit Winnie as promised, hoping she'd shed some light on whether the other Clans and Abaddon knew about Kevin but she wasn't there. Kevin struggled to see if they'd altered future events but his Psychic gift had been stifled by the ability to absorb memories.

On the last day they gave them some time alone. One would expect two teenagers in love to take off to their cabin as they had before but instead, they were both thinking of something just as magical and were transported back to the moment they met.

Her life had many defining moments but one stood out. Chloe and Kayn lay in the grass with their tiny chins propped up by dainty hands, watching the furry bodies of bees as they moved in humming song from buttercup to buttercup. A four-year-old version of Kayn with grass stains on her white dress and a streak of mud across her cheek tried to blow her curls out of her eyes with a puff of air. Kayn sighed and glanced at her sister.

A tiny perfectly coiffed Chloe scolded, "Be quiet or they won't come close enough for us to touch one."

Kayn rolled her eyes because her sister had just said way more words aloud than she had. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a little boy with a mass of dark wavy hair walking over. He got down in the grass with them and quietly observed. He asked what they were doing and Chloe explained. He told her his name and seemed to think it was weird that they were playing with bees but he seemed satisfied with her explanation. The little boy named Kevin quietly continued to watch them touching bees. Chloe randomly stood up and flounced away, leaving Kayn alone with him. She kept watching the bumblebees, unsure of what to say, she didn't usually talk to other kids. Feeling uncomfortable she got up and attempted to walk away.

Kevin stopped her and said, "Wait...This is for you." He passed her a little purple clover.

Kayn furrowed her brow, gave him a giant toothless grin and replied, "Thanks," She began walking away staring at the flower and smiling.

Miniature Kevin trotted up beside her and asked, "Do you know what you are supposed to do with that flower?"

Kayn paused, turned to look at him and replied, "No, I don't?"

He held out his hand and she gave it back. He pulled out one of the tiny straight purple petals and announced, "Taste it."

When she hesitated to do it, he took one and did it first. She tried it. Her cheeks cracked a wide smile as she announced in her squeaky voice, "It tastes sweet." They were sitting on a park bench beside their moms becoming fast friends when Kayn plucked out the last petal and popped it in her mouth.

Kayn's mom reprimanded, "Sweetie no, dogs pee on those."

Chloe returned from the playground and grimaced at the phrase, dogs pee. She smiled at the boy who was holding Kayn's hand. He held his other hand out to Chloe. He was smart, even as a little boy. Chloe thought about it for a second before taking it but she did. This was how Kevin became friends with both Brighton twins. By the time their mothers started packing up to leave they were already making plans to meet up the following day. The twin's brother Matt came bounding up with Kevin's brother Clay. They were both a mess of freckled mischief and they already knew each other from school. Kevin snuck over and secretly tucked a clover in Kayn's shoe when Chloe wasn't watching because Kayn didn't have a pocket and they smiled at each other.

Brilliant light flashed and when they opened their eyes, they were all grown up, lying in that same school yard together amidst a sea of buttercups and bees.

Kevin plucked one lone purple clover from the ground and questioned, "Do you know what this did?"

Kayn leaned in, kissed him gently on the lips and replied, "It got you a best friend."

His eyes flashed as he flirtatiously asked, "What would it get me now?"

"One of these," Kayn teased as she socked him in the side. He groaned and tossed a handful of grass in her face. Kayn plucked two fistfuls of grass and buttercups out of the ground, pinned him down by straddling his chest and face-washed him with it, leaving his skin comically stained yellow and green. He was laughing as he fought back and did the same to her. They were giggling and rolling around in the grass just as they would have before the madness stole their mortality.

With epically perfect comic timing Lexy's voice said, "I won. I guessed you'd be doing something weird and here you are, painting each other's faces yellow and green. That is pretty damn weird."

They froze with Kayn straddling Kevin, mid buttercup grass face mash. She emptied her hands. He spat the grass out of his mouth.

"Way too vague Lex. It doesn't count," Frost chuckled.

Grey shrugged and declared, "It does look like fun though." He turned to Lily.

Lily's ebony mane of hair lifted in the slight breeze as she hissed, "Do not even think about it. I'll kill you."

The flame haired wild hearted Lexy apologised, "I'm sorry, it's time to go. I guess you'll have to go green."

Her Handler chuckled, "That was adorable. On the bright side, maybe it'll look like you have something funky and the demons won't want to eat you. Nobody likes an upset tummy."

Lexy placed her arm around Grey as she praised, "You my friend are adorable."

Grey ducked out from under her arm, grabbed a handful of grass, passed it to Lexy and provoked, "Do me...You never know."

"I think that might be the most romantic thing you've ever said," Lexy teased shaking her head.

"Fine, I'll do it to myself," Grey said as he grabbed another handful of grass.

Lexy smeared her handful of grass on Grey's face and whispered, "Stop speaking, you're only making it worse hun."

Frost scowled at Kevin and Kayn and ordered, "Get up, you two. Your weird behaviour is contagious." Grey smeared grass on Lexy's face and laughed. He tried to do the same to Frost who asserted, "No buddy, I think I'm okay with looking moderately sane today." They strolled away barefoot in the grass together, most with green and yellow streaks on their faces and arms.

Grey leaned over and whispered, "Pay no attention to those two party-poopers. This will be our tribal war paint as we own the insanity of this day." He raised one hand triumphantly above his head and bellowed, "We shall not go quietly into our padded rooms! We must bounce off those walls finger painting everything green, yellow and red!"

Kayn glanced at her goofy Clan member and asked, "Red? Why red?"

"There's always a crazy amount of blood," he sparred.

Kevin scowled and countered, "That was almost a great motivational speech...Until it got creepy."

The six Ankh were united in silence while each emotionally prepared for the battle ahead in their own way. Kayn's thoughts were too scattered to concentrate so she opted out of thinking about anything but the glorious feeling of her bare feet in the silky warm sand. She wriggled her toes in the velvety grains and smiled at Kevin as they shared a quick flash of a memory from their childhood. The sand was once again glittering in the sun with diamonds. The others kept their mouths shut allowing them a last moment of joy. For they all knew exactly what that meant and so did the two newest members of Ankh. _There was no need to say the words aloud...Was this the secret of the afterlife? Learning to ignore an impending painful end by embracing the simple moments?_

With that thought they were abruptly thrust as a group upwards so harshly their backs arched and curved to the point of blinding excruciating pain. _This was not the manner to which she had left the in-between in the past._ Their stomachs began to churn and twist in a vomit-inducing dance as they found themselves falling in the tombs. _This time no music played. There was no excitement, just panic and apprehension. She wasn't strong like the others. Kevin had acquired strength and the catlike reflexes born from his ability to retain their memories. Kayn had acquired Chloe but not her ability. Hell, she had almost no abilities at all._ They plummeted and spiralled downwards blinded by the strobing light, coming to an abrupt halt. The flashing light ceased and she kept her eyes closed for a moment. Her chest felt like it was on fire. She gasped for breath inside of the tomb and opened her eyes.

# Chapter Thirty-One

### Brains Before Brawn

Kayn felt the tombs being shifted apart and as they opened, her heart palpitated nervously. _Only her own Clan could open the Ankh tombs._ With that thought her demeanor was instantly restored. As her tomb opened, she laid eyes upon four new Ankh faces.

Lily gasped, "Daddy, you shouldn't be here." She seized her father's hand as he assisted her out of the tomb. All six climbed out as Markus introduced himself to Kayn and Kevin. The others in the room were Arrianna, Flora and Orin. Arrianna looked like she was in her late teens, early twenties. The others appeared to be in their thirties.

"Let's just say skipping this one wasn't one of my options," Markus replied, lovingly hugging his daughter. Arrianna, Lexy and Grey embraced. _She remembered the story; the three of them had gone into Testing together._ _Their special bond was obvious._ She felt Kevin beside her and reached for his hand without looking. _She didn't need to._ _She'd been able to sense him there._

"What's going on outside?" Frost directed his question at Markus.

Markus grinned as he answered, "Not much, honestly." In silent solidarity, they scaled the stairs trusting Markus's words.

Lexy cautiously peered through the blinds and whispered, "Where in the hell did they go?"

Arrianna shrugged and replied, "There was nobody blocking our entrance to the house when we got here."

"I had a feeling we were being watched. How many of them were outside when you left?" Markus asked a perplexed Lexy.

"There were at least ten Triad fighting a bunch of Trinity. When Abaddon showed up, I went downstairs and waited as long as I could. When I heard someone walking around upstairs, I knew you wanted me to behave so I got into a tomb," Lexy explained.

The pretty blonde with long straight hair named Arrianna exclaimed, "Triad would have had to make a run for it when Abaddon arrived. They wouldn't be able to stand in a circle of salt and do the usual Abaddon disposal method. Trinity would have picked them off with their arrows from the tree line."

Lily took her father aside and asked, "Did you know about Kevin?"

Markus glanced at Lily and declared, "I've always had my suspicions regarding the Smith family tree. As soon as I begin reading a story, I always attempt to guess the plot twist. This one was foreshadowed on the first page. I knew the brothers of prophecy when they were children. I played a part in raising them when they were only little boys. The moment I saw young Clay, I knew this one was going to be a page turner."

Lily questioned, "Do you think Tiberius knows?"

Her father replied, "Judging by the hoard of Triad that came for these kids, I'm guessing he does. We don't have time for this conversation right now. The Clans may have been chased away from our tombs but they know where we're headed when we leave this house. They'll be waiting for us."

Lily leaned in as she whispered, "Do you think they've already killed what's left of Kayn's family?"

Smiling knowingly at his daughter, Markus quietly declared, "No, I wouldn't... I'd leave them alive as bait."

Kayn was pretending she couldn't hear their messed-up father daughter conversation. _Her family was going to be used as bait_. _Now that she was back in the land of the living, she couldn't shove her desperation aside._ _She needed to know if they were still alive._ She felt her pocket; it was heavy. Kayn felt like cheering as she discovered that she still had her cell phone on her. _Would it even work?_ It turned on. She sent her brother a text, "Matt are you okay?"

"I'm fine?" He instantly replied.

Kayn didn't bother to text now. She needed to hear Matt's voice. _She needed to know it was him._

She dialled her brother and he answered immediately, "Hey Candy Kayn, how's it going?"

_There was no time for small talk._ She questioned, "Are you at home?"

Matt answered casually, "I just pulled into the driveway."

Kayn raised her voice in desperation, willing her oblivious brother to understand the urgency of his situation, "Get the hell away from the house! You need to leave!"

Matt stammered, "What in the hell? Someone just pulled up and blocked me in the driveway. Who is this clown?"

In a panic, Kayn made eye contact with Lily, her eyes were raw with fear as she asserted, "Listen to me, Matt. Drive over the lawn! Do whatever you have to do! Just get the hell out of there!"

"What's going on? Who in the hell is this guy?" Matt spoke quietly into the phone.

Kayn heard a crashing sound and then another one. Matt yelled into the phone, "What the hell! He's frigging smiling while he's ramming me! Who is this asshole?"

Her eyes clouded with tears. She spoke to her brother as calmly as she could manage, "Listen to me carefully. I love you...You have to get into the house. When you're inside lock the door, run up to my room and put the rocks in the bag on the windowsill in front of the doorway. Then pour the bag of salt around the entire room and bring Jenkins up there with you if he's home. We'll be there in a minute."

Matt joked in an effort to dispel fear, "Rocks, salt...Seriously? And who is we?"

_Enough of this bullshit_ "Get the hell out of that car and run! They're going to kill you!" Kayn screamed at the top of her lungs into the phone.

She heard the slam of the car door and the rattle of gravel followed by the slamming echo of the front door. Her brother's voice shouted for Jenkins to get upstairs. There was the creaking of the stairs and thudding of his footsteps as he sprinted down the hall, then came the sound of Matt entering her bedroom and shuffling around.

He got back on the phone with her out of breath and asserted, "What in the hell is going on Kayn?"

_Where to start?_ She quickly explained, "There's no time. I'm part of a Clan of immortals, along with Kevin and Lily. Don't leave that bedroom until we get there."

"Sure you are...Is that it?" Matt asked, his voice a mix of sarcasm and disbelief.

_Not even close._ Kayn added, "Make sure you put salt in front of the door because demons are coming." Kayn looked at Kevin. He was on the phone pleading with his mother to leave the house. She must have hung up. He stood there staring at his cell for a second before dialling another number. _At least Matt played along._ She heard Kevin leaving a message for Clay. His voice cracked with desperation, "Don't go home. No matter what you do. Do not go home after work today."

_How long would they wait outside before they busted their way into her house?_ Kayn saw an open path to the door and bolted for it.

She was roughly obstructed by Frost, who reprimanded, "Don't be ridiculous you'll never make it past the Abaddon. You have a better chance in a group. If you run out there half-cocked, it'll be game over."

_That made sense but her sense of logic had quite effectively been clouded by the overwhelming desperation to keep her brother and Jenkins from suffering through the brutality she'd faced._

Lily touched her arm as she clarified, "The Abaddon can't come in here; the house is spiritually protected. This is an obvious trap. It's simple logic. The Abaddon permitted Markus and the others to come in to get us out of the tombs. Why have an appetizer if you can have a full meal?"

Lexy stood in front of the door and offered her an option, "Your only alternative is to go downstairs and get into a tomb. We'll close you in there and let you out when it's over."

_Kayn knew she couldn't save them, a small part of her wanted to take Lexy up on her offer of an easy way out but she couldn't, because she knew this wasn't only about her_.

"She understands things need to play out," Markus responded.

_He was obviously the one in charge, for even the bad ass Lexy didn't attempt to assert her opinion once Markus had spoken._

Markus continued speaking to the two newest Ankh, "There's only one feasible reason why this house hasn't been breached by the other Clans. We're surrounded by Abaddon. I know you've seen one before but can you imagine the blood bath from ten or twenty?"

_Blood bath. Awesome._ Kayn stated the obvious, "How could ten or twenty of those giant clawed monsters be roaming around without being seen?"

Their Clan's unassuming leader reprimanded, "It's been taken care of and that is all you need to know right now. Stop trying to skip chapter's young lady."

Frost leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I already told you about the shield."

Markus spoke in a fatherly authoritarian tone, "There is a clear path through everything and it usually involves using brains over your brawn. The second we try to leave this house they will show themselves. The mist feeds on our spiritual energy. It slows us down but it can't kill us. That's where those clawed beasts come in."

"Remember, being eaten really sucks," Grey added his two cents while leaning against the creepy plastic covered couch.

Markus smiled as he directed his next question at his daughter, "Lilarah how much salt is in the kitchen?"

Lily answered from the hall, "At least ten bags maybe more. Why?"

Markus grinned as he answered, "I have either a brilliant idea or a completely suicidal plan. It really depends on how you look at it."

_Oh... wonderful_. Kayn kept staring at the door fighting to use logic over emotion.

"Okay, I'm listening," Grey beamed as he replied. The Ankh's resident daredevil was always up for a mission that had no rational shot at success.

Markus let them in on the premise of his certifiable yet brilliant idea, "Lexy, Lily, Grey and Frost, you will go with Kevin and Kayn. But first, I'm going to need you to get in the shower fully clothed. Soak your clothes and cover yourselves in salt. We'll create the distraction, while the six of you run for the tree line. You're going to need to outrun Abaddon until you've taken down a few Trinity or Triad. Don't kill them because they're going to be the alternative snack. If this works the salt will make you the less appetizing option, my hope is that Abaddon will pass you by and clear you a path to the house. Frost, you're in charge. Get Kayn to what's left of her family. I want you to keep Kevin with you and stay inside of the house. Get Kayn up to that secured room and keep her there until it's over." Markus met Kevin's gaze with his own as he explained, "I'll be blunt kid. This whole area is spiritually blocked off. People can come in but once they're in, they can't get out. There's no way to get to your house until after this is over. If you stay inside of Kayn's house the others will fight to keep everyone away from it and outside. Once the fight has timed out, I promise we'll go check on your family." Kevin nodded without speaking.

Their leader continued sharing the details of his somewhat brilliant plan, "Grey and Lily, you take the front yard. Keep them out of that house for as long as you can. Lexy, you're going to guard the backdoor. Kill everything that moves." Markus placed his hand under Kayn's chin, gently tilting her face upwards so their eyes met and spoke solemnly, "Kayn, they probably won't attempt to get into the house until you're in there. Your brother and Jenkins are leverage. If you keep them in the bedroom with you, they'll have nothing to hold over you. Everything is going to happen very quickly. Use logic. Do not make rash decisions."

Kayn searched his eyes knowing there was a lot being left unsaid. She took a deep breath and gave him honesty, "I wish I could tell you that I understand but... I don't."

There was humor in her fatherly leader's eyes as Markus replied, "You will. Now, go upstairs with the others and cover yourself in salt or you won't even make it out of the yard."

_Got it. Get upstairs. Demons are going to be everywhere._ Kayn spun around. She quickly scaled the stairs and as she reached the top, she heard everyone's voices so it was easy to determine which room they were in. The others had already begun soaking their clothes and dousing themselves with salt. _It didn't seem fair that she had a chance to get to her family and he didn't._ Kevin was trying to call home again. She could hear Kevin begging his mother to listen. They all froze as the tone of the conversation changed.

With tears in his eyes Kevin pleaded, "Mom, please go. Get out of the house right now. I know I left Clay a crazy message." Kevin became quiet. "I'm not on steroids. I'm not doing drugs of any kind. I need you to get out of the damn house." There was a pause in the conversation. Kevin whispered, "I'm sorry mom I didn't mean to swear." He warned, "When Clay comes home, it might not be Clay." He dropped the phone while clutching either side of his head; he sunk to his knees, crying out in agony.

Kayn bolted towards him. Frost grabbed her by the wrist and calmed her down, "He's a Psychic, I know you remember what happened to you the last time you tried to interrupt."

Kevin opened his eyes and in the time it took to blink, he found himself standing in the foyer of the house he'd grown up in. He climbed the stairs to his bedroom. His mother was rifling through his drawers searching for drug memorabilia cursing under her breath, "Not doing drugs my ass!"

_She didn't believe him; he didn't blame her. His physical changes were a daily topic of conversation in their household._ _He was obviously having a vision._ _How was he going to get her to leave the house?_

While watching her frantically searching through his dresser, he said, "Mom you have to leave." _She couldn't hear him._ Kevin screamed, "You have to leave!"

She flinched, looked around and shook her head. It was possible her reaction was a well-timed random act but instinct told him otherwise. She just had to open-up and believe that what she was hearing was real. Frost said something about a door being left open. _How had he worded that?_ Kevin tried to remember Frost's speech on the day they were marked Ankh. _Maybe it was just left open on that night?_ He had to make her listen. She had the genetics. _Two biological parents with abilities had to make her capable of something?_ A flash of his grandmother's knowledge filtered through the surplus of immortal information he'd recently stored in his brain. _Chloe had been dead when she reached them from the other side. She hadn't called out from upstairs. She'd probably been standing right there with Kayn in her spirit form screaming for her twin to run. He might be able to get through to his mother_. _Maybe it was possible?_ He looked out his bedroom window just as a bunch of vehicles pulled up on the lawn. _Oh, his mother wasn't going to like that. What were the chances she was going to be quiet about it so she didn't make her situation worse?_

His mom walked right through him, opened the window and bellowed, "Clayton Harold Smith! Your father's going to have a shit fit when he gets home! What in the hell are you doing? Get those cars off the lawn!" She closed the window muttering to herself, "I'm not making food for all of those people."

She marched out of the room to give Clay shit. _There was no time to figure this out_. He began frantically trying to rifle objects at her but his hands just passed right through everything. _In this form he was helpless. Her time was up...There was nothing he could do._ As she started down the stairs, Kevin screamed with everything he had, hoping to reach her subconscious mind, "No! It's not Clay! That is not Clay! You have to run! Get out of here! Go, run away! Lock yourself in the bathroom!" _She couldn't hear him._ Feeling defeated, his eyes filled with tears as he quietly pleaded, "No mom, please. That's not Clay." She hesitated on the stairs and shook her head again. _He was getting through_. _Maybe she just didn't want to listen to the voice inside of her head?_ His mother was halfway down the stairs. Someone opened the door, came inside and closed it behind them.

She didn't move a muscle as she hollered, "Clay is that you?"

Kevin began quietly pleading, "Run mom. Get upstairs and climb out of one of those windows. That's not Clay. Go, before he sees you. That's not your son." She wasn't moving, it was as though she'd heard his warning on some subconscious level but couldn't allow herself to believe the voices in her head. Kevin continued trying to get through, "This is Kevin. You need to trust me. That's not Clay. You need to hide. Those men are there to hurt you." Clay appeared at the bottom of the stairs and she smiled. He smiled back and that's all it took for her to feel at ease. _She was going to ignore her intuition._ _Most people do._

She walked down the stairs, gave his older brother's look-alike an enormous hug, then pulled away and gave him a once over. She asserted, "Get those vehicles off the lawn. Your father is going to lose his marbles."

Kevin stood there, helplessly watching his mother's final moments play out. _Maybe she was used to ignoring the voices? She'd grown up with Granny Winnie. She'd probably never allowed herself to believe. Why would she start now?_

His brother's look-alike opened the front door, leaned out and yelled at his friends, "Hey guys! Do me a favour? Move those cars off the lawn." A grinning Clay double closed the door and spun around to face his mother.

While appearing to be concerned she said, "Kevin was just on the phone. You're right. He must be having a breakdown. I don't know what to do."

Clay cocked his head and questioned, "Where is Kevin right now?"

_Come on mom. His mannerisms are all off. You have to see this._

His mother, still trying to embrace who she thought was her son replied, "I think he's with Kayn."

The Clay look-alike suspiciously paced back and forth as he stated, "Well, that's convenient."

Kevin watched as the expression on his mother's face changed. She stepped back from Clay and visually inspected him, as she questioned, "What does that mean?"

Kevin smiled as hope leapt in his heart. _That's right Tiberius show her who you are. Clay would have never used the word convenient._

His mother enquired, "You hugged me all stiff like a robot. What's wrong with you?"

Clay started to chuckle. He paused, shook his head at Kevin's mother and exclaimed, "I've never had anyone complain about the quality of my hugs before." Clay was looking at the family pictures in the hall like it was the first time he'd ever seen them. He snatched the picture of Granny Winnie when she was younger off the wall, looked at it and blurted, "That bitch never even told me about you."

His mother scolded, "You know I don't like it when you use that kind of language Clayton. What's wrong with you?"

The duplicate of Clay grinned as he peered up from the photo and enquired, "I guess Winnie never told you anything about your father?"

His mother stepped away and probed, "What's gotten into you today?"

Clay's duplicate instructed, "Hand me your cell. Mother?"

_The word mother hit a nerve._ Kevin could see it in his mom's eyes, her instincts must be screaming at her. She passed her phone to Clay's look-alike. He took it, grinned as he re-dialled the last number that called and pressed speaker phone. It rang once and then went straight to messaging. He smirked as he announced, "He's not answering. I'll just leave a message. Hey Kevin, it's grandpa Tiberius, you should come join us, we're having a little family reunion. I changed my mind. Meet me at the Conduit's house. I'll bring mom and leave a nice little note for your brother Clay to meet us there."

Kevin's mom whispered, "You're not my son, are you?"

Tiberius continued to stare at a family picture on the wall as he replied, "Do try to follow along dear. I'm your father."

Visibly confused his mom responded, "That's impossible, you'd be old."

The shifty immortal exclaimed, "Wow... The older one could pass for my identical twin. He's a good-looking kid. Are you expecting your hubby home soon? Wait...I just realised I don't even know my own daughter's name. That was awfully rude of your mother."

"It's Lillian, my husband's not home yet," she whispered, inching away.

Tiberius shook his head slowly as he sweetly pointed out, "Had I been around when you were born, I would have named you something much better than Lillian. That bland name is probably why you turned out so homely."

Kevin's mother kept glancing at the kitchen with not a speck of game. She was planning to run for it but making her intentions painfully obvious.

Tiberius took a step closer and said, "I do have to say that I'm a little pissed at your mommy. Had I known this information earlier, I would have made Winnie's death a little more personal."

Stunned, she whispered, "What? You killed my mom?"

"Just save time sweetheart and call me daddy. I sure did kill her and it was fun. I didn't know who she was at the time in all fairness to me."

Kevin watched as his mother's eyes darkened. Her expression changed to one he'd only seen on rare occasions. Bubbling over with rage, she yelled, "You son of a bitch!" She began throwing pictures from the wall at the twisted stranger half her age claiming to be her father.

_The voices in her head might come in loud and clear now._ Kevin frantically waved his hands yelling, "Mom, you have to try to run! He's going to kill you! He'll kill Clay and dad! If you can hear this you have the gift! It's all real! I have it too...Run!"

Tiberius stood there giggling as she rifled random objects, redirecting each item with a swipe of his hand.

Lillian threatened, "I don't know what you are, or who you are but I'll tear you to pieces with my bare hands before I let you touch my children."

_Lillian Smith had heard his pleas._ _She knew this man was here to destroy her family._ For an instant Kevin was proud. _He didn't know his mom had that kind of fire inside of her._ In a swift movement, the immortal wrapped his fingers around his mother's neck and squeezed. She flailed and clawed at his hands, trying to scream as he choked the life out of her. When she'd calmed down a touch, he released her. Gasping for breath, she fell to her knees.

Tiberius laughed at Lillian Smith's strong will as he sparred, "Oh, I like you so much more now. You do have giant balls. You must get that from me. You probably think I shouldn't kill you because you're my daughter. You're not how I imagined you either but I can change that. The first thing we'll do is get you a younger prettier shell. I really can't have a homely daughter. What will all of the other immortal fathers say?"

"You're insane," his mother stammered. "I'm over fifty years old and you're a crazy person. You can't be my father. Do you think I fell off the damn turnip truck?"

"My goodness, you really are Winnie's daughter," Tiberius laughed. "You must have been absolutely ancient when you had children. You're super old," he ignorantly ridiculed.

Lillian Smith was getting a little tired of the immature insults. She bit back, "You're an asshole. Yes, I was a little older but I will have you know I ran a successful company. I was a powerful woman!" His mother picked up a ceramic owl from the hearth and pitched it at Tiberius's head. He didn't even attempt to duck and she smoked him a good one.

Tiberius rubbed his noggin and praised, "Good shot." He pointed at the wall and probed, "So, the scrawny kid with acne is the only one with powers then?"

His mother glanced in the direction of the kitchen again, inching away from Clay's duplicate. Fury rippled through Kevin's body as the immortal took a step towards his mother. With unbridled rage, unlike anything he'd ever felt, he blocked the immortal's path and hissed, "I will kill you if you lay a finger on my mother."

Tiberius grinned, waved his hands through the air and laughed, "Wow, you are a talented kid, aren't you? Oh yes and so scary. I'm looking forward to meeting you in the flesh. I'll be at the Conduit's house in say fifteen minutes. Are you planning to stick around for the show?"

_He was helpless in this state. All he could do was watch_.

The Clay look-alike strode towards his mother and exclaimed, "Listen sweetheart, daddy just needs to brand you so when I break your neck, you won't really die."

His mother spoke under her breath, "You are a stark raving lunatic if you think I'm going to allow you to brand me. What kind of sick bastard are you?"

"My name's Tiberius, if you're more comfortable calling me that, but I'm not feeling sick bastard as a pet name. Dad or father is another welcome alternative. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to brand you. There's no way around it. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I can let you have control over this part of our introduction." His mother grabbed a vase off the counter to use as a weapon and his grandfather chuckled, "Hard way it is." He punched her in the face, knocking her out cold, knelt beside her, branded her chest and unceremoniously broke her neck. There was a noise. Tiberius noticed his double standing there. Clay had just witnessed himself murder his mother. He was in shock and rightfully so. He watched as the colour faded from his brother's face. Kevin felt the rage drain from his body until he felt empty. _He couldn't do a thing to stop it._ _It sounded like Tiberius was planning to keep his mother. He was going to keep his brother too. That meant they still had a chance. He still had an opportunity to save them._

Traumatized, Clay looked at his immortal doppelganger and stammered, "Did you...is she...dead? What are you?"

Tiberius got up, looked at his duplicate and answered, "In the words of late Grandma Winnie, you're not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you son? It's okay, I understand, all my genes must have gone into creating those stunning good looks. It's really a remarkable likeness."

Stunned, Clay remained in place with his mouth agape as his double walked up, placed an arm around him and apologised, "I'm afraid I've used up my patience dealing with my daughter and the clock is ticking. I have other places to be and people to kidnap. So...Hi, I'm your grandpa." Tiberius socked his brother in the face and knocked him out cold. He branded Clay Triad and broke his neck.

_Kevin lost his connection, his vision wavered and everything exploded with light before it went black_

Tiberius bellowed, "Zachariah, put these in a tomb in the back of the truck!" The immortal watched young Zach struggling to drag the bodies of his deceased family members through the grass and out to the truck. _Perhaps,_ _he'd have better luck molding his grandson to his likeness._ _He liked this kid but_ _Zach was better suited for Trinity. Hell, even Ankh. He'd never been emotionally compatible with Triad._ He wasn't eighteen yet, maybe he'd do the kid a favour and leave him behind for one of the other Clans? He didn't have any viable abilities yet and the last thing he needed was a weak link. One weak link and the whole group wouldn't make it out of immortal Testing. Tiberius hollered, "Chuck them in the same tomb! We need to save space kid!" The leader of Triad casually strolled back into the house, sauntered to the kitchen, collected a bunch of household cleaners from under the sink and chucked a few metal ones into the microwave for shits and giggles. The couch had been occupied by two felines a moment earlier. He couldn't help but grin. _Zachariah had evacuated the cats, that softy_ He didn't start the microwave right away. _There was something he needed first._ Tiberius picked up the photo of young Winnie off the floor, cracked the frame and took the photo out. _Her hands would have touched this before it went into the frame._ _He'd cared about her as much as he was capable of caring and she'd hidden his child._ _He'd keep Lillian entombed for twenty years, just to make a point. After he revived her, he'd wipe her memory and give her the assumption that he'd always been her father. Maybe, if she adored him, he could even learn to care about her a little._ He took a lighter out of his pocket and lit the curtains in the kitchen on fire. He stood there, watching them go up in flames. _You'd think inflammable kitchen curtains would be a thing._ He set the microwave for three minutes and danced out of the house. He stood in front of the truck with its engine running, grinning as he kissed Winnie's picture on the lips and promised aloud, "I'm going to turn our Kevin as dark as I am. You can watch from wherever you ended up my love." He tucked the picture under his shirt and got into the truck. As they drove away there was a small explosion as the Smith house went up in flames.

Kayn had been practically holding her breath waiting for Kevin to awaken. He came to, wildly thrashing around the bathroom. In a show of testosterone, he got up and punched a hole in the wall. His knuckle was bleeding.

"Feel better?" Frost chuckled. He gripped him roughly by his arms and provoked, "That anger you're feeling. Embrace it."

"Embrace it...Really? My grandfather just branded my mother, snapped her neck and did the same thing to my brother."

Frost shoved Kevin into the shower stall. "That's good, they're still alive. He'll chuck them in a tomb. I bet he leaves them in there until after the next Testing. Get in the shower and salt yourself down so we can go kick his ass."

Kayn observed, sick to her stomach. _Her family was next. Nobody was going to keep her family alive though._ She watched as they soaked Kevin down and doused him in salt. Lexy reached for Kevin's hand to help him out of the shower and with only a touch his injury was healed. The fury in his eyes spoke volumes. As they solemnly descended the stairs. Kayn took his hand and whispered, "They're still alive." He squeezed her hand but didn't say a word.

The group made their way into the living room where they all placed their hands together. Kevin walked forward and placed his hand with the others without hesitation. _He'd come a long way in only a short period of time._ She joined in.

Markus saluted the group, "May you run so fast the wind feels you. Fight hard enough for your heart to heal. Be good but never blind."

They chanted Ankh three times like they were at a sports event. Their symbols glowed and she felt euphorically giddy. It was like riding on a wave of intense emotion. Everyone appeared to be both happy and angry at the same time. _The feeling of solidarity was unlike anything she'd experienced._ Everyone dropped their hands. Kevin reached for her hand. _He was thinking about something. How come she couldn't hear it?_ He raised her hand to his lips, turned it over, opened her fingers and kissed her palm. He gently closed her fingers around the kiss. _This was something from her favourite book as a child. It was so she could save the kiss for later._ A tear trickled down her cheek. _They'd help each other come back from this._

He kissed her face, stopping the tear in its tracks with his lips and whispered, "Remember...no crying, it will make you weak. Be angry. Be strong. I'm not letting anyone get up those stairs to take you, I promise."

_But what about him? They were acting like she was more important. She wasn't..._

Markus interrupted their moment by saying, "Kayn, if you get upstairs into the safe room and deal with your goodbyes, you'll be doing something equally important."

She pleaded, "Can't he come with me?"

Their wise leader replied, "He needs to face Tiberius. Surely you see that?"

Kayn spun around to look for Kevin. He was already standing by a window, determined and unafraid. Frost motioned for her to come stand with him at another window. _This was an experiment in ingenuity. Blind faith. The salt was going to work as a deterrent. It had to._

Markus addressed the group, "Orin and Arrianna, are staying here so they can heal us when the battle times out. We're not pre-opening the windows. You're all going to jump through the glass and make a break for the woods during the chaos."

"I certainly hope they're not double-paned," Kevin joked.

Comic hearted Grey chuckled, "It will be double the pain."

"That wasn't even funny," Lily complained.

They laughed harder at Lily's prissy attitude than the puns. Markus handed everyone knives.

Kayn whispered, "Why aren't we using swords?"

"Long distance running with swords is never a good idea," Frost whispered back.

_That did make sense_. Markus began to count. _Wait._ _What was he counting to? He didn't say what he was counting to?_

The front and back doors opened, mp3 players with speakers on full blast playing heavy metal were tossed out. Black mist descended as the speakers hit the grass. The demons revealed themselves. Markus and Flora raced out, luring the mist away from the house to the road. They tossed a circle of salt around where they stopped. Markus yelled, "Go now!"

The remaining six simultaneously crashed through windows with glass shards flying everywhere, rolled as they hit the grass, scrambled to their feet and booked it for the trails. The mist pursued as they sprinted across the lawn. They burst into the trails with the mist in pursuit swirling through the trees. _They had to slow down. They weren't supposed to outrun the mist. It needed to be right behind them._ _They didn't have the numbers to win this fight but they sure as hell had the brainpower._

At dusk the forest took on a strange life of its own. Mist floated hauntingly along the forest floor triggering fragments of that fated night. Fuelled with the fire of survival, Kayn ended up leading the group down the winding cleared path as they sprinted past her family's shrine, slivers of things best left buried invaded her mind. The vile man's shadow, the smell of his breath, the stickiness of his skin but she kept running while fighting the urge to vomit.

Sensing where Kayn's mind was, Lexy called out, "If that creep shows up! I'll personally rip him a new asshole!"

"Slow down! You're outrunning the mist!" Frost hollered. "That mist is going to save our asses in a second!"

_Insanity or_ _pure genius? The next five seconds would decide._ They raced around a curve in the trails, directly into four unsuspecting Triad.

Frost raised his hands and yelled, "Stop!" They all froze as the Triad cockily came at them.

"Those are cute little knives," one of the Triad mocked.

With rib-tickling timing, Grey offered, "Free pedicures for everyone?"

Lexy smiled, looked at the Triad and declared, "Honey, you know I don't need a knife."

"Holy crap it's her," the Triad panicked, backing up.

"I'm not even going to touch you," Lexy vowed, innocently batting her eyelashes as things went according to plan. The mist swirled around the Ankh to avoid the salt and went for the Triad.

"Shit!" they screamed as they tried to scatter but not a one made it five feet before being subdued by the mist.

Part one of the plan was complete. The mist would signal to the demons keeping guard over their friends that it was lunchtime.

As the large clawed demons moved away from the salt circles and writhed their way towards the forest, Markus and Flora quietly cheered. "I'm frigging brilliant," Markus whispered, watching his symbol. Nothing happened. He waved his hand over his head, showing the others it worked, without words. They wanted to jump up and down but didn't want to draw unwanted attention. The demons were going to be Ankh's backup.

Orin finished packing the house, ridding it of any evidence they'd been there. The rest of the crew walked back into the house, laughing hysterically. Orin remarked, "It was pure genius using the demons to help us, as outnumbered as we are. I'm almost excited to come back to work next year."

Markus put his arm around him and said, "We'll be glad to have you back. Thanks for coming to help today. To keep Lexy behind during this big a job would have been a crying shame. She scares the crap out of Triad."

Arianna walked into the room, "I changed the tombs back." She placed five small rose quartz stones in Markus's hand. He shoved them into his pocket.

Orin tossed a backpack on the plastic covered couch and declared, "On principal alone I need to remove the plastic and dump a pot of coffee on this guy's couch."

# Chapter Thirty-Two

### Loose Ends

Kayn felt guilty as they left the incapacitated Triad. One, opened his eyes and pleaded for mercy as Grey stepped over his body. He grimaced and apologized, "Sorry man, this is going to suck, so bad." He whistled for others to wait and put him out of his misery. He couldn't yank the blade out of his skull. It wasn't going to budge so he ended up just leaving it there.

Lexy tossed her Handler a new weapon and teased, "You're such a softie."

Grey defended his actions as they continued running through the bushes, "Maybe one day he'll do me the same favour. It's generally traumatizing to be eaten alive."

_It would be quite the emotionally scarring ordeal to be coherent as your limbs were being torn from your body while something scarier than the devil ingested you._ _The idea that this could ever become normal seemed just as far-fetched as everything else in her new life._ _Her brain was still struggling to rationalize everything she was seeing._ They emerged from the bushes. _There it was...Home._ The back route to the house was clear. Screams of anguish came from the Triad they'd left incapacitated. Kayn saw Jenkins in the kitchen window and began waving frantically for him to open the door as they sprinted across the backyard.

Grey closed the door and announced, "See, one less Triad is screaming because I was nice enough to stab him in the head."

Jenkins was standing there with a wet dishcloth in his hand. He hadn't missed the inhuman shrieks in the bushes. Panicking, he tried to shove his way past the immortals to help. Frost blocked the door. Jenkins asserted, "Someone's screaming!"

_What in the hell was he still doing downstairs?_ Kayn took Jenkins arm and instructed, "You have to get upstairs." She protectively ushered her mortal protector down the hall.

As they reached the landing, he whispered, "Did that kid just say he stabbed someone in the head?"

Grey comically hollered after Jenkins, "I stabbed a Triad in the head because he was going to be eaten by a scary demon with giant fangs and claws! Do try to follow along!"

Jenkins struggled free of Kayn's grasp, grabbed his gun from his holster and proceeded to run back to the kitchen.

Grey blocked him before he got there and said, "Dude, trust me, what's going on out there is way out of your jurisdiction. You need to get upstairs. Matt's already up there."

"I have a gun," Jenkins bravery declared.

Out of the woods crawled one of the enormous glistening tar coloured scaly demons with beastly penetrating yellow eyes. There was a squirming disemboweled man hanging from its fangs.

Jenkins froze and gasped, "What in the hell is that?"

As a show of respect Grey held up both hands and declared, "You are brave. I see that but the gun in your hand won't even slow that thing down. We're immortals, we've got this. You need to go upstairs and check on Matt. Kayn will be right behind you. She'll explain everything. It's your job to keep her safe. Make her stay in that room by whatever means necessary."

That was the magic phrase. Jenkins nodded at the immortal, turned and walked away from the kitchen. Kayn took his arm as she led him to the stairs, whispering, "You are going to have to blindly trust me for a few more minutes. I'll be right behind you. There's something I need to do first."

Jenkins scaled the stairs disappearing at the top. She made her way back down the hall to the kitchen. As Kayn approached the others, she saw people armed with bows from the window. _They must be Trinity._ They threw a ring of salt around themselves and stood in the backyard luring the demons close enough to dispose of it. Kevin noticed her there and she walked into his arms.

He whispered in her ear, "Get upstairs. I'll be alright."

Kayn held him tighter and implored, "Come get me as soon as you can." She kissed his cheek and as she went to leave, he pulled her back into his embrace.

With tears in his eyes, he lovingly kissed her on the lips once more and asserted, "No matter what happens. Stay in that room."

Her heart tightened and she hesitated. _She couldn't lose him._

Frost patiently urged, "Get upstairs. Don't worry about the kid. The others will be outside guarding the entrances to the house. They'll hold them off for as long as they can. With any luck, they'll keep everyone away until this fight times out."

She felt the surge of energy created by the Trinity. Her eyes darted to the kitchen window as two clawed demons caught fire and turned to ash.

The crimson-haired Dragon Lexy grinned and announced, "I'd better get out there and kill some people before Trinity just casually strolls in the door."

_She did feel better knowing Lexy was on her side_. Kayn chose that moment to go.

Frost called after her, "Don't you dare even think about coming out of that room Kayn!"

Grey and Lily were at the front door just about to walk out when Kayn grabbed Lily and said, "You stayed away from him for me but I know you need to say goodbye."

Rolling his eyes at Lily, Grey remarked, "You've got five minutes." He marched out with his weapon raised and sprinted at the immortals accumulating on the front lawn.

The two girls raced upstairs and down the hall past the pictures of the family that was no longer. _She couldn't think about any of that now._ As they burst into the room Jenkins spun around and grilled, "What in the hell is going on? What was that thing? Who are these people?"

For a second, she was speechless. She stood looking at her purple bedspread and posters on the walls. _Normal was long over_. Kayn preceded to tell them the story of her death, all the way to her joining the Clan, quickly explaining as much as she could. When she finished, they were both looking at her like she'd lost her damn mind. _She didn't care._ She continued, "I love you both so much; I need you to know that. If I was in your position, I wouldn't believe any of this either but shit is about to get so weird that you won't have any choice but to see the truth."

"About to get weird? I just saw a monster eat someone. I need a rational explanation," Jenkins muttered with his hand pressed against the window.

_There were none._ Kayn felt defeated. She picked up the brown raggedy stuffed dog off her bed and stared at her childhood plaything as she replied, "I wish I had one to give you." _She didn't have the time to walk them through the stages of acceptance._ _How could she when a large part of her was still in denial?_ Matt was sitting on her bed.

Jenkins glared at her brother and prompted, "Don't you have anything to say? Someone needs to be the voice of reason."

That made Kayn smile in the face of insanity. _He'd just turned to her brother as the voice of reason. These must be desperate times._

Matt solemnly peered up at Kayn and said, "You forgot to hang up the phone."

_Oh shit._ Kayn took her phone out of her pocket and sure enough she'd been on with Matt the entire time. _That wasn't good._

Her last living sibling got up and proclaimed, "Unless my sister managed to pull off a fifty-person prank involving strangers and monsters. I'd say we're screwed."

_They all were._ She looked out the window as Grey went flying. He was getting his ass handed to him by someone twice his size. His assailant was shot in the back by an arrow and they went down. _Was the shooter in the trees?_ Kayn looked at Lily and urged, "You'd better make it quick. Grey getting his ass kicked."

Lily peered out the window, shrugged and remarked, "Grey always looks like he's getting his ass kicked. He's fine. He's a durable guy."

Grey was laughing as he dodged each arrow that came at him. _It looked like he was having fun._

With love in her eyes, Lily approached Matt and disclosed, "You don't know me in this life but we've loved each other for hundreds of years and I need to do this at least once." Lily hugged him.

She witnessed her brother's heart leap as they embraced. It was as though Matthew Brighton felt their connection. It only felt like words in a story until she saw the magic between them. Lily belonged right where she was, with her head on her brother's heart.

Matt whispered in Lily's ear, "I'm not sure how any of this is possible but if what I overheard is the truth, I'm going to die and I'm not ready to go... I just found you."

With breathy angst Lily quietly replied, "I thought if I stayed away from you, you'd at least have a chance but I can promise you this...We'll meet again in your next life. True love always finds a way."

Matt pulled away, gazed into Lily's eyes and confessed, "I haven't been able to stop myself from fantasizing about you. I thought there was something wrong with me."

"The whole lot of you are certifiably insane," Jenkins declared as he began to pace, not wanting to entertain the idea that any of this was real.

Lily let go of Matt and explained, "Listen, I need to get out there, Grey needs me but this might be easier to swallow with proof." Lily tugged off her fingerless glove and revealed her symbol of Ankh.

Lily nodded at her. Kayn removed her glove and the two showed off their matching symbols.

"Wow, I'm guardian of the year. That's why you've been wearing that weird glove? You all got branded. Did Kevin get branded too?" Jenkins stammered, just mystified.

_He needed more proof._ Kayn placed her hand against Lily's and their symbols softly glimmered. Jenkins and Matt swallowed back the disbelief. As their hands parted, the glorious light vanished.

While attempting to wrap his mind around glowing symbols on hands, Jenkins questioned, "Are you aliens, because I'm way too far away from the kitchen to make a tin foil hat."

Raising an eyebrow, Kayn remarked, "Seriously? Aliens you can rationalize but not demons?"

With unfiltered shock, Jenkins confessed, "Honestly, you kids lost me at, 'I stabbed him in the head.' After that I saw the half-eaten corpse in the monster's mouth and my mind fried. I heard blah, blah, demons are coming to eat us. Blah, blah, we're all going to die!"

_Strangers were having an actual sword fight on their front lawn_. One of them yanked the cherry tree right out of the ground like it was nothing and smoked someone else with it, sending them soaring through the sky. They cleared the grass and landed at the end of the gravel driveway.

Matt backed away from the window. He sat down on Kayn's bed and quietly reminisced, "Somebody just hit someone else with our cherry tree."

Jenkins stopped his nervous pacing and looked outside. The man was still playing baseball with people, using the cherry tree as his bat. He blurted out, "Shit, we really are going to die, aren't we?"

The man she'd grown to think of as a father, sat down on her bed next to Matt. _How was she supposed to say goodbye? She understood the premise behind the in-between and she was secure in the fact that she would see them again but that didn't help her now, in these final moments when all her instincts wanted her to do was to protect and save the ones she loved. Logic was the only thing stopping her from telling them to run and hide. Leaving the room would be pointless, there was nowhere for any of them to go._ Kayn's vision blurred with tears as she said, "Maybe if I'd died that night things would be different?"

Her brother's eyes flooded as he whispered, "Don't you dare say that. Don't you even think it."

The siblings embraced. _He didn't understand...How could he?_ Kayn buried her face into her brother's shoulder and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"If it is my time to die _..._ So be it," Jenkins __ stated, "Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family." He hugged Kayn and then patted Matt on the shoulder. Matt pulled him in for a hug and it pushed him over the edge. He began to sob. The sad goodbyes went on for a few more seconds until something was hurled against the bedroom window. The glass cracked and it drew their attention back to the situation at hand. A second object was thrown, the glass shattered and sprayed across the room. They all reacted by cowering and covering their eyes.

Lily had been watching them say goodbye. In true immortal form, she addressed the group, "We get to choose how we live not when we die. Our objective is to keep Kayn with Ankh. The other Clans are here for her. Those demons that ate the guy in the backyard were also here for her. Keep her in this room until I get back. No matter what is going on outside this window or even if the fight ends up being inside of this house, Kayn stays protected if she remains in this room. We're trying to buy time. Picture an invisible clock on that wall, when it runs out all this craziness disappears. Kayn, do not get suckered into leaving this room. For anything, or anyone." With that the gorgeous raven-haired immortal walked up to Matt, kissed him passionately and walked away, leaving her stunned brother sitting there. She used Kayn's stuffed animal to brush away the jagged edges of the glass around the windows frame. "I love you. I will see you again in twenty years or so," Lily called out as she heroically leapt out Kayn's bedroom window. The fearless onyx haired heroine landed on the Triad swinging the tree, pinned him with her knees and stabbed him in the chest with her dagger.

They were watching the battle in awe from the bedroom window as Matthew Brighton confessed, "Is it wrong to be this turned on right now?"

"Officially the grossest moment of my life. Thanks for that," Kayn teased as they watched Lily going all ' _warrior princess'_ on the front lawn.

"Ditto," Jenkins added as he placed his arm around her. "That girl is the same age as your sister. That's just wrong."

"Actually, Lily's a couple hundred years old," Kayn clarified.

Jenkins gave her a strange look. She could hear his thoughts, ' _That's not better.'_

Lily's words hit home, Matt took action, "First things first, we should get away from the window. Let's block the door with some furniture."

_Blocking the door with furniture...that's cute._ Kayn laughed, "I have a feeling that's not going to work. You did see that guy swinging a cherry tree around like it was nothing, right?"

"Point taken," Matt replied.

Lily was swinging the tree now and it looked like she just got a home run as a girl went soaring into the bushes. _It wasn't about what she needed. It was about what they needed._ _This wasn't the end of her life, it was the end of theirs._ Kayn swallowed the mushy sentiments that threatened to spill from her lips. Instead, she chose to agree with her brother's idea, "Never mind, you're probably right. We should try and block the door, even if it only gives us a few more minutes. A wise person once told me even a few minutes can change the game." _Was it wrong to give them hope?_ Kayn made eye contact with one of the men on the lawn who grinned back at her and pointed at her showing his friends where she was. Kayn stepped away from the window but not fast enough, a half a dozen arrows came soaring in through the windows frame. She yelled, "Get down!" They all dove beside the bed. Kayn stammered, "Did anyone get hit?"

Her brother showed her at a scratch on his arm as he answered, "One grazed me but I think I'm alright."

Kayn didn't want to scare him. _She knew what that meant._ _Her brother now had less than an hour to live._ Her heart ached as she glanced at the clock on the wall and gave him a sliver of truth, "The arrows are drugged Matty. How do you feel?"

Her brother replied, "Meh, it stings a little bit but I'm okay. It barely touched me. It's just a tiny scratch."

Kayn kept a straight face as she suggested, "Let's block this window first you guys." _Don't cry, she couldn't cry._ _It's better if he doesn't know._ They crouched together and shoved her dresser across the floor until it was flush against the window, leaving only the top half unblocked.

More arrows came whirling with expert precision through the small opening. Matt yelled, "Get down!"

They all dove to the floor as Trinity's arrows struck the wall narrowly missing her. _That was too close._ Kayn closed her eyes for a second with her cheek against the carpet. _How were they supposed to feel like they'd saved her if she died first?_ They all scrambled to their feet yet stayed low as they congregated in the corner of the room.

Jenkins piped in, "Let's just stay away from the window. One of us will get hit for sure if we attempt to stack something on top of that dresser. "Another group of arrows whizzed through the opening from a different angle. One stuck into the wall inches from Jenkins' head and he gasped, "Shit...that was close."

_How in the hell was Trinity able to aim without being able to see them?_ _One of those arrows had just missed Jenkins' head_. _She had to block the rest of that window._ Kayn felt a strange amped up adrenaline release. She shivered as her pulse raced. Led entirely by instinct, she bolted across the room, flipped her desk and easily smashed it into manageable pieces with her fist.

Matt's jaw dropped as he stammered, "You're like a superhero or something."

"Or something," Kayn muttered under her breath as she tossed the jagged wood from the desk at the open top half of the window with insanely accurate precision.

Matt looked at her and asked, "What do we do now? After what you just did to your desk blocking the door does seem rather pointless."

_He was already slurring his words_. Kayn looked at Jenkins and they both knew that Matt was beginning to feel the effects of the arrow. _Knowing they were going to die any which way this played out didn't make accepting it any easier._ _She still felt like her only duty on this earth was to protect them and she'd already failed her brother._ "Matty, can I take look at your arm?" she enquired. _He'd only been grazed. It was just a tiny insignificant looking cut._ Kayn ran to the bathroom, grabbed a bottle of antiseptic and a cloth. She soaked it and pressed it on her brother's seemingly harmless flesh wound. _She wasn't sure what she was trying to do. Maybe tending to his wound would give her heart what it needed?_

Jenkins whispered, "What's on those bloody arrows, rhino tranquilizers?"

Kayn replied quietly, "If they're meant to take down an immortal, I'd imagine it's not the dosage you'd give a rodent."

Matt was waving his hand back and forth in front of his face. He giggled and sighed, "There are pretty rainbows on my fingers."

Jenkins looked at Kayn and whispered, "This is probably for the best. He's not upset about his impending death anymore."

_It was already happening._ Wanting to make him comfortable she crouched by her brother and lovingly suggested, "Hey Matty, let's go to the bathroom." She sat him on the closed toilet like it was a chair and handed him a magazine. He opened it and seemed amazed by its contents. She closed the door behind her obliviously happy brother and said, "He's all good." _She chose to leave the Matt will be dead soon part out._ It felt like her heart was already as shattered as the glass on the rose-coloured carpet crunching beneath the soles of her shoes. Kayn remembered the brains before brawn speech and gave it to Jenkins as they tried to find things in her room that could be used as weapons. _She needed to keep Jenkins busy. He needed to believe he could save her._ She listened to him spouting off brilliant ideas. When he brought up the metal towel rack in the bathroom, she abruptly vetoed that idea, knowing Chloe had used it as a weapon on the night she died. _It felt like bad luck...not that luck mattered anymore._

Jenkins was optimistic about their chances of survival even after what he'd been told and everything he'd seen. _Mortality was such a beautiful thing._ She wanted to hope for their survival but knew better. She was already dead. As a matter of fact, she'd died quite a few times and suspected she'd be dead again before this day was through. _They would all be dead..._

Downstairs, Kevin and Frost were preparing themselves to protect the interior of the Brighton house. It hadn't been breached because their fellow Ankh were doing a kickass job of keeping everyone away from the doors. Frost was in the living room, peering out the curtains watching the epic brawl.

Kevin had been sent to the kitchen by Frost. He was watching Lexy kicking ass and taking names in the backyard. She was seriously amazing. __ He'd never seen someone fight like this before. Each time she was hit by an arrow, she yanked it out, broke it in half and screamed with fury. _She needed some music. What had Jenkins been washing dishes to?_ Kevin turned on his middle-aged friend's iPod in the kitchen. He cranked the volume, thinking it might confuse the fighters outside and help Lexy out. 'Achy Breaky Heart' blared through the kitchen and carried out over the back-patio speakers. The entire fight paused. Everyone stared into the kitchen.

Lexy mouthed the words, "Do not make me die to Billy Ray."

Kevin smiled as he turned it up even louder. Lexy shook her head and grinned. Kevin couldn't even breathe; he was laughing so hard when the immortal came storming down the hall.

Frost glared at him and scolded, "So glad you are taking this all so seriously, you little shit!" Once he looked out the window, even he had a seriously difficult time containing his laughter. Lexy had been shot by two more arrows. She tore them out of her shoulder and leg like they were merely an annoyance and healed instantly.

Frost patted Kevin on the shoulder as he warned, "I happen to enjoy this song, as a matter of fact I once won a bet by listening to it on repeat for a damn week, but I think we can all agree it's not a kick ass motivational battle anthem. Well, not Lexy's version of one. I'd be fine with it but trust me, you do not want to piss Lexy off."

Kevin pressed the screen and changed the background music to 'Domino' by Kiss.

As the crimson-haired warrior Lexy tore another arrow out of her stomach, looked at Kevin and winked. _How many arrows could she take? She wasn't even trying to avoid them._

"Much better. She might not seriously wound you now," Frost teased.

The two watched the fight unfolding in the back for a minute before Frost motioned for Kevin to follow and they dashed back down the hallway to the living room. Frost pulled back the curtains, revealing Lily mid Triad toss.

Kevin whispered, "It feels like we should be helping?"

He chuckled and replied, "Our orders were to stay in the house. Don't worry, our time is coming. Lily's been successfully avoiding Trinity's arrows but she's exhausted. She'll go down soon. Lexy on the other hand will keep fighting until she has fifty arrows in her. As an immortal, there's time before the poison takes full effect. You're going down eventually either way once you've been hit by two. Lexy lasts a little longer than most. It could be her ability but I think it's sheer determination." Frost closed the curtain.

"You totally dodged my question," Kevin exclaimed.

"No, I didn't. I said, don't worry, our time is coming. All they're doing outside is buying us time. They're the first line of defence and we are the second. There is a blackout bubble over this entire area. No witnesses will remember a thing. Everyone in this damn town will have lost a few hours. When this fight times out, we'll all be incapacitated by a sound. That means game over. We grab our dead and run. All Kayn has to do is stay in that room without allowing humanity to cloud her judgement."

"What creates a blackout bubble? How long does it last?" Kevin asked.

Frost replied, "That is a story for another place and time."

Watching the battle in the front yard, Kevin turned around and announced, "Lily just went down." Both of their palms began to glow then went out, lit up and pulsed three times.

Frost exhaled and said, "Don't freak out. They're all dead but Healers never stay down for long. Lexy is going to hop back up in a few minutes. It's our turn now. We just have to keep them downstairs for as long as we can."

Meanwhile upstairs in the bathroom... Jenkins and Kayn were wrestling with Matt as he attempted to eat a tube of toothpaste. It took them a moment or two to realise it was ridiculous to fight with him. _If Matt wanted to spend the last moments of his life eating toothpaste, they should just say go to town and leave him in his happy place._ Kayn's heart started beating a little faster. Her skin prickled and blood raced through her veins. Her hand warmed and pulsed with white light. _She knew what that meant. The Ankh protecting the outside of the house were down for the count. The fight was about to come inside._ _Kevin was downstairs._ Kayn stared at her bedroom door. _She wanted to go to him but understood this wasn't about her, not completely. Her brother was dying but did Jenkins really have to die too? What if she found somewhere for him to hide?_ When they checked on Matt, he was off in his own little world, sitting in the empty bathtub singing a lovely little tune about diarrhea from when he was a child. He opened a bottle of shampoo and began squeezing it all over his head and clothing as he sang super off key. _The attic above her bedroom was the best hiding spot._

Matty was squinting, rubbing his eyes and complaining, "It's in my eyes, help! Help me!" Comically slipping around in the tub.

_There was no way he'd be capable of climbing up into the attic. Jenkins wouldn't go anywhere without them._ She glanced at the clock. _It had been almost an hour._ As she grabbed a towel from the rack, flashed back to Chloe's death and thought about the merits of ripping the bar off the wall and knocking her brother unconscious so they could haul him up to the attic. _There was no need to do that. The poison would kill him. It wouldn't matter where they were._ Kayn wiped the shampoo out of her brother's eyes and tenderly touched his sticky cheek. She turned away from him, needing to blink away her tears and plaster on a fresh smile. Jenkins had been standing behind her the whole time.

He touched Kayn's shoulder and asked, "What's the real deal here? Just give me the cold hard truth."

She gave it to him, "Matt's mortal, the countdown to his death started as soon as he was grazed by that arrow. I'm not ready to lose either of you, but we're all going to die here today. It's an inevitable fact."

Jenkins teared up. He looked away and whispered, "Not you though...Not if you stay in this room."

Downstairs, Kevin and Frost's part of the fight was only just beginning...

Kevin had mixed emotions _. His brother and mother had been taken by Triad._ _Someone would have to stand up for them and make sure they were treated properly_. _Why was he even considering something that could be the most epically stupid mistake of his life?_

Frost contemplated biting his tongue and allowing the idiots to fall where they may. In a show of conscience, he asserted, "Do not even think about going with Triad like a naive idiot, not even to save your family. Triad will wipe your memories. Every last one."

"Quit listening to my thoughts," Kevin complained, gazing longingly up the stairs.

Frost countered, "Quit having stupid ones and I won't feel compelled to speak out against the insanity." There was a loud crash. They both startled. Something large had been thrown against the front door. A brief eerie silence was followed by a casual rhythmic knock. Frost strolled to the entrance as he sarcastically sang, "We don't want any." He lifted his fingers up and began to simulate a countdown. The front door exploded into a million pieces; the fragments of wood flew around the room.

In the doorway stood his brother's look-alike. _How had his mother been fooled by this idiot?_ Kevin had always been sure in a parallel universe there was a guy as good looking as his brother that wore something other than t-shirts, jogging pants or torn jeans. _He would have been able to tell this wasn't Clay for a dozen reasons. First, there's no way Clay would make an entrance like that._ _His older brother's grand entrances usually involved a beer can crushing into his forehead or a well-timed burp. They were identical in looks but worlds apart in their mannerisms._

Frost coolly leaned against the railing and sparred, "Seriously? There's this thing called a doorknob, it wasn't even locked."

Tiberius opened his arms wide like he was going to attempt to hug Frost and taunted, "Just kidding, no cuddles for you." Tiberius surveyed his surroundings and reminisced, "I get all nostalgic and shit when I think of our last week together. That look on your face as I removed your intestines has proven to be rather inspirational for me." Triad's leader picked up a picture off the shelf and circled the twins with his finger intimidating Kevin without saying a word.

Frost grinned while provoking, "I'm glad I could brighten up your day. It's too bad you never got what you were looking for."

In a disturbingly sweet voice, Tiberius revealed, "Oh, I wasn't looking for anything. It was just an excuse to have a little one on one time with my bro. Well, maybe I wanted to try to bed your fiancée, wife...What was her final title? Sorry, I know that's a touchy subject."

"Her final title is, friend," Frost corrected. "Don't you have any new material? It's been the same pathetic you stole my girlfriend crap for a thousand years. There is this crazy thing called moving on. You should try it, I have."

Tiberius pointed at Kevin like he was just an object in the room and remarked, "Thanks for fixing up the kid. That's one less thing I have to do when I take him off your hands."

Kevin raised his weapon and heroically declared, "Let's go then old man."

Howling laughing, Tiberius teased, "With that little knife. Really? Should I get Uncle Frost to tie my hands behind my back to make it fair? I'm sure he has plenty of bondage experience."

Frost shook his head and remarked, "How were you allowed to breed?" The saucy immortal strolled over to the muscular ogre obediently standing in the doorway and harassed, "You get to pick any body you want. Why in the hell would you choose the missing link? You look like an example of Neanderthal man on an evolution chart."

"He is authentic Neanderthal, isn't he?" Tiberius proudly replied.

The brutish Triad growled. Frost dramatically jumped back. He enquired, "I'm curious, does having the intelligence of a can of spam aid in the mental recovery time after being eaten by a demon?"

Tiberius openly laughed before declaring, "Tell you what, I'll just take this kid and the Conduit. I'll trade you for three of my partially digested under eighteens. You can find out for yourself."

Frost sighed and countered, "Yeah, I'm sorry, that's not going to work for me, there's an intelligence clause in the fine print to join our Clan."

Tiberius held out his hand to Frost and declared, "It's always fun chatting with you brother but I have places to go and people to kill, so pleasantries over. Till next time, Zoolander."

Frost was looking at his brother's hand thinking, not a chance in hell on the handshake as he said, "What?" to the Zoolander reference as Tiberius sucker punched him and he went down.

_He was out cold_. _You have got to be kidding me._ Kevin laughed nervously as he nudged the immortal with his foot and sighed, "What in the hell Frost...Seriously?" _Where was the fight?_ One __ sneaky sucker punch and the great Frost was dead to the world.

With a forced smile, Tiberius declared, "Kid, I honestly don't give two shits about you at this point. I'd rather just kill you, chuck you in a coffin and chat later. It's been a long day. I heard you have some of my abilities, which makes me warm and fuzzy enough to say, just come willingly, it will be less traumatic for you."

"You really are a shithead, aren't you?" Kevin taunted as he grabbed the landline off the side table and rifled it at Tiberius's head.

"Really? You're the one throwing things at your grandfather, show some maturity," Tiberius chuckled as Kevin began pitching everything within arm's reach at him. "You have an enormous set of balls just like your mother," Tiberius provoked while fending off each flying memento with a wave of his hand.

"How do you like me now?" Kevin announced as he picked up the end table and swung it at his grandfather.

Tiberius held out his hands to block Kevin's mini attack and retorted, "Okay, I love a good battle of wits but you appear to be unarmed. No song lyrics or cheesy movie lines during a fight. It's just wrong for so many reasons." Kevin swung the table again. Tiberius took it away, snapped it in two and smiled as he crushed a piece into dust. He cockily blew it off his palm and patiently urged, "You're wasting my time kid. I already have your mother and brother. Your father's still alive but he won't be if he shows up here. The faster we do this the better his odds are."

With those words Kevin was defeated. _It was true. This was the first place his father would look._

Tiberius took advantage of Kevin's split second of indecision by pinning him against the wall and branding his chest Triad. He unceremoniously broke his neck. Kevin's body crumpled to the floor. Tiberius turned to instruct his Neanderthal but his backup was lying in a pool of blood on the floor with his throat slit. Frost was gone. Tiberius surveyed the area. Ready for a surprise attack, he hissed, "I knew you went down too easily you sneaky bastard!" Triads leader spun around just in time to take an arrow to the heart and another in his head courtesy of Trinity.

Frost strolled back into the house behind three lovely Trinity girls, booted his brother a few times and sweetly flirted, "Thanks ladies." Usually if it comes together too easily you've misread the instructions. You find one leftover piece and have an, Oh crap moment. Frost had been around the Clans in his thousand years and lost count of his dalliances. _He'd serviced the curly dark-haired one multiple times at Aries Group events. She was fun. He couldn't remember her name..._

Baffled, Glory lowered her bow, smirked and probed, "You think I'm here to save you? Would saving you make us even?"

"Totally even, beautiful," Frost nonchalantly replied, opting out of a name attempt. _She did not look happy to see him. It felt like he was missing something._ The last time they were together leapt to mind, _Oh, crap!_ Another girl from Trinity shot him with an arrow. Another arrow followed, penetrating his lower spine rendering him defenceless.

"You bitch!" Frost groaned from the ground.

The dark-haired immortal warrior sparred, "No honey, karma is a bitch."

_Her name was Glory. She hated his guts and rightfully so. He'd slept with her many times and yes, he'd shown her a good time but that wasn't why she despised him. They hooked up in the woods when they were supposed to be fighting. They'd just finished when the black mist came. He'd sort of accidentally tripped her while they were fleeing the scene and left her to be devoured by demons._

The Trinity girls grabbed his arms as Glory whispered, "Tell you what darling, I'm going to drag you and your frenemy outside and leave you boys for any leftover demons wandering around and you get what's coming to you, then we'll call it even." They dragged Frost's body out and left it on the lawn.

They tugged Tiberius out too and were just about to do the same to Kevin when a newbie Trinity named Melody whispered, "Awe, let's leave the kid inside." Melody shut his vacant eyes and tidied his hair.

One addressed the group, "We have two shooters hidden in the trees. They'll take out anyone who tries to come through the front door. We have the back. We can buy you maybe ten minutes. Get the girl to come out of that room, mark her, kill her and carry her out the back. We have the rest covered. Thorne and a couple of the others are almost here for clean-up." They raced down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile upstairs a seriously wacky drugged Matt wrestled his way past Kayn and Jenkins. He bolted out of the bedroom yelling, "I'm freeeee!"

Jenkins blocked Kayn's exit and tried reasoning with her, "Lily told you to stay in the room. If Frost and Kevin are downstairs, they'll look out for Matt. Listen, your brother is going to die and he's deliriously happy. Hell, I wish I'd been shot by an arrow too."

She understood this was the final act. _He dies here today. None of the mortals would be allowed to live._ Her heart clenched in her chest as Lily's words replayed in her mind. _We are all immortal._ Kayn convinced Jenkins to climb up into the attic but he wasn't going without her. He knew she'd go after Matt. She caught him staring at one of the stray arrows from earlier. Kayn yanked it out of the wall, wrapped it in a towel and brought it up into the attic with her. _She wasn't in her room anymore. She probably wasn't protected in the attic._ Kayn chucked the wrapped arrow in before she climbed up and helped Jenkins up.

He closed the slab of lumber, sat on top of the opening and said, "Please, just stay up here with me. They said I could protect you by keeping you in the room."

_Theoretically, they weren't in the room anymore._ She smiled.

At the top of the stairs Matt appeared, foaming at the mouth because he'd been eating toothpaste. He announced, "I know who you are! Is it Halloween? You are the girl from Flash Dance!"

Glory looked at Melody and baited, "I think he just insulted you."

"You totally look like the flash dance girl. I never noticed that before," Melody laughed.

The brunette named Glory with thick beautiful curls, took a step up the stairs towards Matt as she explained, "It's an eighties party. We're just waiting for your sister."

Higher than a kite Matt innocently replied, "Kayn can't go to a party today. People are fighting on the lawn. Hey, is the front door gone?"

Melody smiled warmly at Matthew Brighton as she enquired, "Hey honey, did somebody knick you with an arrow earlier?"

"Yes, one of those suckers scratched me," the boy complained, showing her his boo, boo.

Melody questioned, "And the white stuff on your face?"

Matt licked his lips and replied, "Tastes minty." Matt squinted, pointed at the lifeless body in the doorway and asked, "Is that Kevin?"

"What a lightweight. He passed out already. Go get your sister and tell her it's time to go," Melody instructed.

Two burly Triad raced through the missing door. They'd been hit by arrows but it didn't even slow them down. Glory frowned and remarked, "Sharpshooters my ass."

The Triad rushed at the two girls at the bottom of the stairs. One picked up Melody with both hands and launched her across the room into the closet door with inhuman strength. The wind was knocked out of her for a second. "Shit that hurt. What in the hell do they feed you guys?" Melody groaned. She was a Healer, it would take a lot more to subdue her. __ She leapt to her feet. Glory was being strangled against the wall. She started throwing things at the Triad. He didn't even flinch.

Even in Matt's higher than a kite state he still had the instinct to try to save Glory. He raced down the stairs and launched his mortal toothpaste covered self at the giant ogre of a man's back and hung on like he was riding a bull at a rodeo. Matt bit his shoulder. The man screamed, ripped him off and launched him against the wall with so much force Matt was killed instantly. Melody raced for the Triad in a triumphant state of testosterone fuelled bliss and slashed his jugular. A fine mist of blood sprayed everywhere. He staggered around and went down. She froze after the violent act for just a second but that's all it took for the other Triad to grab her by her shirt, yank her to him and stab her repeatedly in the stomach. Melody cried out in agony. Trinity came to her aid, shooting half a dozen arrows into her assailants back. He'd dropped but wasn't dead yet. She had to heal quickly. She placed her hands on the Triad's chest and screamed with rage as she absorbed what was left of his energy to heal herself.

Derek from Trinity remained in the doorway. He apologized, "Sorry Mel, we need to up the dosage. They aren't going down fast enough."

Melody gasped, trying to reign in the energy she'd just stolen and declared, "No Shit Sherlock. I'm the only Healer on site, if I go down the jobs over."

Derek grinned, winked and teased, "Don't die then."

Melody shook her head and sparred, "Shoot them with fifty frigging arrows if you have to, just keep those mutants away from the front door."

"That was the last of the Triad, they're all dead," he revealed.

Melody took a deep breath as Derek disappeared, that's when she saw Glory's body. _When had she been killed? This fight was a shit show._ She placed her hands-on Glory's chest and began healing her. She wouldn't have the strength to heal her completely but with Triad out of the picture she wouldn't need to.

Glory groggily opened her eyes and whispered, "You didn't come back to the room last night. Where did you go? Were you with who I think you were with?"

Melody smiled and cleverly bartered, "We should dispose of the bodies before chatting about my sex life. It's just a thought." _Her best friend had been dead and the first words out of her mouth were in search of gossip. She was hilarious._

Ruffling Matthew's hair, Glory exclaimed, "Toothpaste boy tried to save me." They dragged Matt to the closet and shoved him inside. Glory smiled and said, "Thanks toothpaste boy" as she closed the door.

Matthew Brighton's corpse lay in the closet that once held his mother's body, his eyes staring into the unknown. As further proof fate weaves a tangled web. Melody stared at the boy on the floor by the doorway. _Toothpaste boy had called him Kevin._ _It was a name powerful enough to alter her perception of the situation. Kevin was Melody's little brother's name._ _He was dead of course. All of their families were._ _Was he the Conduit's brother or boyfriend?_ She deduced it must be her boyfriend. _There was a picture of toothpaste boy on the wall._

Glory appeared at the top of the stairs and announced, "The room is spiritually protected. We have to get her to come out and we're running out of time. What did the guy in the closet say the kid on the floors name was?"

"His name is Kevin," Melody replied with an aching heart.

Glory grinned and declared, "Good, we have a name. Kevin was probably her boyfriend. This should be easy."

Melody wasn't even eighteen yet and in her heart the death of her family was still far too fresh to be flippant about the demise of someone else's. She couldn't stop staring at the boy with her brother's name. _She'd had a boy that loved her enough to give his life for her, once upon a time. She liked adding, once upon a time to stories of her mortal life so she could look back and pretend it was just a beautiful story. The immortal life that followed had become more of a nightmare._ She thought of Glory's words. _This should be easy._

She looked up as Glory started speaking, "Don't get all mushy and sentimental because he has the same name as your brother. That's going to happen a lot. Get a grip. Push those feelings down, Mel."

_The boy's lifeless eyes seemed to be looking directly at her... Accusing her._ "You were already dead when I got here," Mel whispered.

Glory piped in, "Please don't talk to the dead bodies, I find it unsettling."

# Chapter Thirty-Three

### Redemption and Sacrifice

"Kayn! We have Kevin! Come downstairs!" Glory yelled from the hall. There was no reply. They were pressed for time. Glory looked at her friend and instructed, "Do me a favour? Check that guy's pocket for his cell phone."

Melody tossed it to Glory. She caught it and sighed, "Kids now a days. There's always a cell phone." She opened his text messages, scrolled down to Kayn's name and as she texted, she spoke the words aloud, "This is Trinity. We have Kevin. We are going to burn the house down. Come downstairs, the clock is ticking."

"That is not how you make friends," Melody sighed, shaking her head.

In the attic Kayn's pocket vibrated. _Who would be texting her now?_ She took out her phone and read the text without registering her reaction. _She was going to lose him. Kevin was about to be taken by Trinity._ She had to stop her hands from shaking to reply. She texted, "Be right there." She took a deep breath in and out to calm her racing pulse. _This was what she'd been warned about. This was how they were going to lure her out and they were going to succeed. She had to go. She wasn't going to do this without him._ Kayn closed her eyes and took some more cleansing breaths before peering up at Jenkins. _He was deliberately blocking the exit. For someone without powers, he was pretty good at reading minds._

He secured his position and enquired, "I take it that wasn't a good message?"

There was no point in beating around the bush, she replied, "Trinity has Kevin. They are going to take him and burn the house down if I don't come down there."

"They could be bluffing. What if they don't even have him? You were warned about leaving the room for anything or anyone. That includes Kevin," Jenkins tried to reason with her.

_What if they weren't bluffing?_ _She was far too mentally exhausted for ration._ _It was all too much._ Tears of frustration surged forth. Her brother would be dead by now. She'd already broken the rules by leaving the safety of the bedroom to get Jenkins up into the attic and there had been no consequences _._ She'd half expected an immortal being to burst through the roof like the damn Kool-Aid man and yank her out, but here she was in the untouched attic full of treasured relics from her childhood. _Did she feel like being burned alive and allowing Jenkins to suffer the same excruciating fate? Not so much._ She looked into Jenkins' eyes as she explained, "I don't care if I'm with Trinity or Ankh. I only care about staying with Kevin."

His eyes clouded over with tears as he moved out of her way. As they embraced, Kayn whispered, "Thank you for everything. I love you."

Jenkins whispered in her ear, "Back atcha kid."

_They both knew this was goodbye. They wouldn't allow him to live. She_ _knew_ _the_ _rules._ _You_ _kill_ _the_ _mortals_ _that know_ _too_ _much_.

She was climbing down the bathroom shelves when Jenkins popped his head out and disclosed, "I'm not sure you're thinking straight. Heck, I know I'm not. Maybe you should listen to Lily and stay in the bedroom?"

_She probably should._ Kayn met his concern with certainty as she questioned, "Haven't you ever risked everything for love?"

Jenkins winked at her and grinned as he disclosed, "Yes, right now." He smiled at her one last time and closed the hatch to the attic.

Kayn left the bathroom and took the final stroll through her bedroom, wistfully touching Chloe's comforter as she passed by. _Her mind had lost the ability to reason with her heart._ Fully aware she was making a mistake, she opened her bedroom door. _She had to get to him_. _The coast was clear, there was not a soul between her and the top of the stairs._ Her heart ached as she passed the family photos in the hall. _All they were now was a gut-wrenching reminder of a life that was no longer._ A vivid memory flashed through her mind. All three Brighton kids with freckles and curls racing down the hallway squealing as their father chased them, pretending to be a monster. They would always run into their parents' room and hide under the covers for that was always the safest place to be. _There was no safe place for her now, was there?_ She paused in front of a toothless picture of her brother as a child. _Matt stayed strong for her when she had no strength left to give him in return. She_ covered her mouth with her hands to stifle the noise from a sob. _Her brother was probably dead, but with no mark of a Clan to keep him from his destination, he'd be reborn. Maybe he'd already passed through the hall of souls? He could be taking his first breath as a newborn. Imagining the beautiful music of his first crackling cries filled her broken heart with hope._ With a shuddering breath, she kissed the palm of her hand, willing it to follow him into his next life as a soft kiss upon his newborn skin. She placed her palm on his picture as she recalled the words that would always stay with her and bring her strength. _We are all immortal._

Her brain valiantly fought to reason with her heart. _Go back to the bedroom. You are making a mistake._ As Kayn took her last private steps down the hall, it felt like she was walking down the length of a plank not fully prepared to take that final leap into the unknown. _It was ironic that these plush carpeted stairs, a monumentally happy thing in her mortal life would be the endpoint of her journey._ _These stairs held so many glorious memories. She'd grown up running down them so she could jump into the arms of her father as he came home from work. She had slid down them with her siblings for fun._ _Strange things cross your mind when you are terrified and pretty sure you're doing the wrong thing. At this point, it was go big or go home_. She thought about what she'd been told about changing fear into fury and her brain attempted a rage inducing pep talk. _Her family was dead. All of them were dead and these assholes were planning to take the only person she had left._ _They would believe that she was strong because she would show them nothing but courage. 'Fake it till you make it,'_ her mother's voice echoed in her mind. Kayn stepped out at the top of the stairs, showing herself, with plans to be revered as a beacon of vengeance but her expression changed as she saw Kevin's body lying at the Trinity's feet. She was taken over by panicked desperation she couldn't disguise. It said, I'm really just a girl in love with a boy that's died. Too much humanity survived behind her exquisitely tortured eyes. She bled emotion so raw and powerful it rendered the Trinity speechless.

One spoke, "We didn't kill him, he was already like this when we got here."

Kayn stepped down a stair with tears in her eyes and declared, "If you've made him Trinity. I'll go with you willingly."

Confused, one of the Trinity girls knelt and checked Kevin's hand. The symbol of Ankh was no longer but as she exposed his chest, there was a fresh brand of Triad. There was still fighting going on outside. Someone staggered through the doorway and passed out with an arrow in his back.

One of the Trinity girls quipped, "Seriously?"

Glory looked at Melody and ordered, "There's no time and you're not strong enough to brand, kill, heal both. Leave the kid marked Triad. Thorne will lose it if you don't come back. You know what to do. I'm going to make sure they're still waiting," With that, the Trinity bolted out of the doorway.

Kayn stepped down to the second stair, "Did you just say he was marked Triad? Where are they? Did they just leave him?"

"I think they're all dead on the front lawn," Melody replied.

_She wasn't sure why, but she trusted this stranger from another Clan._ Kayn ran down the stairs past Melody and knelt beside Kevin. Seeing the mark of Triad scalded into his chest, she pulled him to her lap and cradled his lifeless body in her arms. She looked up with pleading eyes at the Trinity and said, "Just bring him back, you don't even have to worry about me. You can kill me later." _They hadn't had enough time. They were supposed to do this together._ _Ankh was written across Kayn's soul. Triad was written across Kevin's._

Melody shook her head and whispered, "There's no time. I was given a direct order. I'm a new Healer. If I bring him back to life and mark him Trinity, it's going to take more than the two minutes we have left."

An incapacitating noise dropped both girls to the floor. They covered their ears and screamed in unison until the excruciatingly painful sound abruptly stopped.

With genuine empathy in her eyes, Melody's spoke, "It's over, I'm sorry...There's nothing I can do. That was the line in the sand. I'm not allowed to alter anything now."

With eyes blinded by tears, she cradled Kevin's lifeless body in her arms. She stroked his hair and kissed his lips, tasting the salt of her own tears. She pleaded with Melody, "I can't lose him too."

Those were the magic words that reached in and seized the Trinity girl's heart. She latched on to what humanity she had left and whispered, "Screw the rules." She grasped both of Kayn's arms and disclosed, "You have no idea what I'm giving up doing this for you."

Kayn's lifeforce travelled a warm sedating path up her arms and luxurious warmth filled her heart. The love she felt exploded in the core of her being as the euphoric sensation travelled back down her arms and out of her body. She collapsed on the floor.

Melody had been trying to take as much lifeforce from Kayn as she could without killing her completely. She became nervous she'd gone to far as Kayn dropped but she was still learning. Overwhelmed by the intensity of the love she'd absorbed, Melody fell with her arms around Kevin and held on as the warmth of Kayn's lifeforce travelled from her body through her arms into him as though she were an extension cord for the transfer of Kayn's being to Kevin's empty shell. There was a white light around the three resembling the afterglow of a lightbulb. _She'd given them the chance to say goodbye._ Melody of Trinity crumpled to the floor beside Kayn. The two partially immortal girls drifted off to dream in the land of the almost in-between.

Only a moment or two went by before Kevin's eyes opened. He started gasping for air just as three Triad walked through the open doorway, they'd been sent to gather their Clan's bodies.

Still winded from the action, a rough-looking blonde girl addressed him by name, "Hey there Kevin. There's probably no point in wasting my breath with pleasantries. You won't remember any of this after Tiberius gets through with you."

"What in the hell happened here?" A curious dark featured burly Triad exclaimed.

It was then that Kevin noticed Kayn sprawled on the ground beside him. There was also a girl with shoulder length chestnut brown hair that he didn't recognize. They were still breathing, it looked like they were sound asleep.

"Nobody cares, grab the boy and chuck him in a tomb, he belongs to us," she commanded while pointing at Kevin.

One of Triad's henchmen swung Kevin over his shoulder. The angry looking girl walked over to Kevin's dangling head. She roughly tilted his face towards hers and questioned, "Which one of these girls is the Conduit?"

"They're both Trinity," Kevin incoherently mumbled while limply hanging upside down over his captor's shoulder. One of the Triad scowled as he booted the girl with the chestnut hair in the stomach and Kevin winced.

As he tried to speak, the blonde blurted, "Oh, shut up already, I'm not the one you need to impress." She snapped Kevin's neck, silencing him.

Kayn woke up and made a groggy attempt to stop them from taking him, "No, don't..." One of the Triad coldly stomped on Kayn's face, killing her instantly.

The Clans had all arrived for cleanup. This was a time when the lines had been drawn and the game had been played. There was usually a victor and a loser but today it was kind of a strange tie.

Markus, the leader of Ankh beamed as he strolled through the doorway of the Brighton house. The girl they'd lost to Trinity was lying next to Kayn. They'd been about to claim Melody when she was stolen by Trinity.

As fate would have it, Orin was standing beside Markus. His eyes lit up as he declared, "Trinity is already gone. We can take her."

Unsure, Markus glanced around the room and said, "They wouldn't just leave a Healer behind, that doesn't make any sense?"

Arrianna sauntered in and backed Orin up by saying, "Trinity's gone, if we don't take her, Triad will."

"Fine, if you're sure Trinity's gone, it shouldn't be an issue. Take the Conduit first, she's dead, just put her in a tomb," Markus ordered, pointing at the mashed face of an unrecognizable girl. He added, "Take your time waking her up. Triad has Kevin." Arrianna and Orin each grabbed an end of Kayn's body and carried her out the open doorway.

As they lugged Kayn's dead weight across the lawn, Arrianna whispered, "Tell me why I just lied to my boyfriend. I think Trinity is still cleaning up in the bushes over there."

Orin explained, "She's my daughter."

Arrianna helped Orin haul Kayn's body up the ramp into the back of the rig. She said nothing for a minute before looking into his eyes and replying, "Alright then, that sounds like a good enough reason to me. I never officially saw Trinity. As far as I'm concerned, they were already gone."

They placed Kayn inside a tomb. Orin placed his hand on the side and it ground shut. Arrianna and Orin walked down the ramp and back towards the open front door.

Arrianna looked at Orin and declared, "When you come back to work next year, we'll have three Healers."

Orin grinned as he corrected his fellow Ankh, "You mean four." Orin appeared to be nowhere near old enough to have sired a teenage daughter but he was one of the original seventeen Children of Ankh. They entered the house just in time to witness the moment Melody switched Clans.

Melody was starting to come to. Markus picked up her hand, examined her and explained, "Well Miss Melody, it appears Trinity's left you behind and you're not fully sealed. I'll leave the final decision to you. Ankh or Triad?"

The girl with the chestnut hair opened her eyes and whispered, "Ankh."

Ankh's leader smiled at her immediate response and apologised, "I'm sorry honey. You know the drill. This is going to sting." Markus took out his ring and rebranded the palm of her hand with the symbol of Ankh.

Melody cried out in agony, instantly wide awake because being branded does a little more than sting.

"Just in case you've forgotten, my name is Markus and you are now Ankh," he announced in a fatherly voice.

"Just do it," Melody winced as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly knowing what came next.

Ankh's leader swiftly snapped her neck. He'd always found that to be the most civilized way to commit murder. He nodded at Orin and Arrianna, signalling to them without words that they could take her. He excused himself and scaled the stairs. Upon entering the hall, he found the twin's bedroom, half expecting to find live members of her family just sitting there on the bed in the spiritually protected room. _He could sense it, there was a mortal in here somewhere._ Markus heard something move above him and smiled as he realised, she'd tried to hide someone in the attic. _Mortals._ It only took him a few moments to find the entrance. He pushed it open like it was nothing, even with Jenkins' full weight directly on top of it. The robust middle-aged mortal was flung across the room. Markus climbed through the opening and closed it behind him to make sure they had some privacy. He sat down on top of it and smiled in greeting.

"Are you here to kill me?" Jenkins asked, prepared for the worst.

"Let me be blunt with you, when we leave here, we're going to have to burn down this house. It's really the most efficient way to dispose of the evidence. If you attempt to flee and another Clan catches you, it's going to be quite brutal. I promise you it will be fast and I think she's waiting for you."

"Who?" Jenkins asked as he looked around the darkened attic.

Markus pointed to the corner of the room and disclosed, "There's a little girl sitting over there, she's soaking wet."

Jenkins' heart leapt, his eyes overflowed with tears as he whispered, "My little girl drowned, a long time ago."

The leader of Ankh's eyes softened as he spoke, "Often spirits will show themselves in their last mortal form. Sometimes, when it's time for a soul to pass on the people they love are in so much pain they can't bring themselves to leave and once they've missed their opportunity to move on, they forget how."

Jenkins shuddered as he sobbed, "She's really here with me?"

"If you go now, she may go with you. You can go home together," the leader answered with a peaceful smile. She was sitting in the corner of the attic, trembling, afraid for her father. The leader of Clan Ankh looked directly at the small blonde water nymph with an upturned nose and whispered, "Come here my child and you can fall asleep tonight in your father's arms."

The ghostly entity cautiously wandered towards her father, when she was close enough the child reached out and tenderly stroked her father's face. As her tiny hand moved through him, Jenkins sneezed. He could sense her presence now. He sneezed three more times as his heart filled to the point of rupturing with love. He whispered, "Come home with me sweetheart. I've got you."

Markus made eye contact with the tiny cherub-faced child as he promised, "Hug your daddy and you'll be together."

The child melted against her father. Jenkins felt his child in his arms and his heart surged with love as the immortal swiftly snapped his neck.

Markus took one last look at the middle-aged man who lay slumped in the corner. On his face, he wore a smile, for in his last moment he'd felt his little girl in his embrace. Markus crawled back to the opening of the attic, hopped down and began to set fire to the bedding in each room. He turned on the stove burners without lighting them and set the drapes in the living room ablaze. He opened the hall closet on his way out the door. The glazed over eyes of Kayn's brother Matt, stared back at him. The leader of Ankh assured, "Rest in peace Matthew. I'll take care of your sister as though she were my own. I promise." With that Markus walked out of the Brighton house.

They drove away in the trucks together with most of Ankh in the back healing in tombs. In the distance the gas from the burner ignited and the Brighton home exploded, lighting up the night sky with brilliant dancing flames, that some would regard as a symbol of their redemption and sacrifice. The town would believe the murderer that had attempted to kill the Brighton family had come back to finish the job. The Brighton family and almost all the Smith family were now gone. Only two bodies were found in the rubble and both were in the Brighton home. It had been a blessing that it burned to a pile of ash and debris. The people of the town could begin to forget about the horrors that occurred within its walls. Kevin's father would never learn of his family's mysterious disappearance. He'd never know the pain of their loss nor them the loss of him. There would be no need to correct him for he would die on his own in an act of fate. Mr. Smith would have an aneurism that day after work, passing on as he placed his key into the ignition. Nobody would discover him until the next day in his car still parked in his parking space, looking as though he had drifted off into a sweet sleep. ****_This signified the ending to a story or perhaps to the more spiritual they'd grasp that this was only the beginning of another._

# Chapter Thirty-Four

### Don't Wake Me. I Don't Want to Leave this Dream

Matthew Brighton vaguely recalled the moment of his death. There was a blur of movement, then nothing but silence and isolating darkness. _He'd grown accustomed to waking up in strange places. This had been the story of his life. So, why would it be any different after his death?_ There was no heavenly glow as one would expect and for a second, he feared his mortal shenanigans had caused him to end up in a bad place. Whatever he was wearing was constricting and kind of itchy. It felt like he was standing on a firm solid surface but there was no light. _Well, shit. This wasn't good._ There was a loud hollow click and a song began to play. He recognized it from his childhood, 'The Glory of Love' by Peter Cetera. His mother had played this song in the car when he was as a child. He'd always loved it. Matt's head started to pound. He felt dizzy as his memory whirled through a million experiences. The pain stopped. He squinted as lights momentarily blinded him. When he opened his eyes, he was at a dance with a truly amazing amount of cheesy gold and silver decorations. _Maybe, this was his hell?_ Matt strolled over to the punch bowl on the table, hoping it was spiked. _He needed a drink._ He grabbed the scoop, helped himself and cheered, "Yes, it's totally spiked!"

The lights began to whirl around. He recognized this place, it was an old roller-skating rink. _It felt like he should be skating around in a circle holding someone's hand. Lily's hand. He wanted to be holding her hand._ Memories shuffled in his head. He remembered dancing to this song with her. The song ended and began to play again. He doubled over as memories from each of his many lives flooded his brain with information. The pounding in his head aggravating and the strobe lights weren't doing him any favours. As the lights flashed and changed their timing, he had a vision of crossing the street to get ice-cream. He glanced back at the hotel where he'd left her and when he turned back, he saw the headlights from the oncoming big rig. It had been unpleasant but over in a second. Matt closed his eyes as he recalled loving her repeatedly to the point of desperation as they danced their way through time. He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her. He was walking home from town as this vision in white galloped past. She was riding a horse bareback with bare feet and midnight hair streaming behind her in a wave of shimmering silk. _It was a peculiar thing for a lady to do._ He was awestruck by her exotic beauty as she galloped across the span of the field over the hill. He walked in that direction instead of going home out of sheer curiosity. Eventually, he came across her black stallion wandering by the riverbank. She was swimming with her undergarments on the shore. Their eyes met. He couldn't bring himself to move. _A respectable woman would never swim naked in a river. They just did not do these things_. She didn't get mad at him for staring. Instead, she strolled out of the water and stood before him nude. Without the smallest attempt at modesty, she bent to retrieve her clothes. As she put on her undergarments, she asked for his name.

_He'd almost forgotten it._ He replied, "Samuel...Samuel Roberts."

Extending her hand, she reciprocated, "Hello Samuel, my name is Lilarah."

They sat on the riverbank and talked until dawn with their toes dangling beneath the surface of the water. He kissed her lips to the explosion of morning's first rays and fell in love with a kiss. In an instant, he belonged to her. They spent the summer making love under twinkling stars and made a pact to be with each other forever. There was only one problem with their plan. He was betrothed to somebody else. When he finally went to his family with his feelings, they agreed to meet her. She easily bewitched his father and four brothers, but his mother saw her as a threat to her social standing. She was too free-spirited for polite society. They refused to release him from his engagement, so they planned to run away together, but he was foolish enough to tell one of his brothers. He was supposed to meet her by the side of the river in the spot where they met but that night his family tied him up in the cellar and kept him there until he'd been gone long enough to make her believe he'd changed his mind. He escaped and made his way on foot back to where Lilarah and her father were staying but they were gone. He walked all the way home. When he arrived, every member of his family had been slain. His fiancé had sworn she'd seen Lilarah at the farm earlier that day. He wouldn't have believed it but on the counter was a note from her saying he would pay for breaking her heart. He would find out later that his fiancé wrote the note. On the day of his family's funeral, he saw her standing in the distance beneath a willow tree. Believing, she'd bewitched him and killed his family, he'd been drunk and overcome by grief, when he made the mistake of confessing his suspicions. Every able-bodied man in the town hunted Lilarah and her father down. They found them camping along the trail. He thought she'd caused the death of his family and in truth, she had, but hadn't meant to. The mortals that knew about the Clans had to die. His family had been Corrected. The town had him convinced she was a witch. He could still remember the all-encompassing devastation he'd experienced when they'd presented him with her body, and he discovered the girl he'd sentenced to death had been pregnant with his child. He recalled breaking down as he placed his hand on her rounded belly. _He'd been responsible for killing her the first time. Perhaps, that was the reason he always died, in every version of his life that followed._ _He deserved to die for what he'd done._ The agonizing emotions made him long for nothing but her. _This is how it happened._ _This was how they'd become stuck together in a never-ending circle of pain._ _He could love her for a thousand lifetimes and never be able to repay her for what he'd stolen. How had she found the strength to forgive him?_ The gift of the forgiveness she'd given him filled his heart with awestruck devotion. _He was so grateful for every second she'd given him._ Matthew Brighton remembered absolutely everything now, but still wasn't sure if he was in heaven or hell _._

The doors flew open and Lily walked into the dance. She was breathtaking even with a bad perm and a puffy shouldered blue satin dress on. Her eyes lit up as she saw Matt and they walked towards each other. _Heaven_ , he thought as the music restarted and grew louder almost on cue. _Matthew Brighton was definitely in heaven._

A few minutes earlier the Brighton household had been a gong show of epic hilarity.

Grey yanked an arrow out of his shoulder and proceeded to have a laughable drugged up testosterone fuelled hissy fit, "Come out of the trees and fight me!" He was hurling objects at the branches trying to knock Trinity's shooters out. Grey cheered as a Trinity nosedived from his safe spot in the tree and ran into the brush. Grey pursued him into the woods.

Lily had been narrowly missed by a few arrows but swiftly dodged each one as it whirled past. She wasn't Trinity's primary target. The majority of their shooters were most likely aiming at the Ankh guarding the back door. Lexy was not the chick you wanted to get up close and personal with in a fight. Lexy had a powerful healing ability but her true calling was to be a warrior. She had no fear and recovered so quickly it felt next too impossible to keep her down. __ Lily's hand light up and she knew either Grey or Lexy had gone down. She smiled as she envisioned her friend with fifty drugged arrows in her still heaving Clan away from the back door as she collapsed.

Raven-haired Lily brandished the tree again and shouted, "Fore!" as she smoked another large ogre looking Triad into the bushes. They kept coming back for more, faster than she could dispose of them. It had begun to feel like the Triad were a bunch of enormous children lining up for airplane rides in the grass. Lily pivoted and booted someone in the head. She felt the searing sting of an arrow as it went straight through her thigh. She snapped off the end, wincing with agony as she tugged it out, feeling woozy and lightheaded. _She hadn't tugged it out fast enough._ Her intuition had been formed by hundreds of years of these inter-Clan squabbles. Usually, she sensed the arrow's path as it came whistling through the air, far before it had a chance to land its mark. Lily thought she heard Tiberius's voice and was sidetracked for a split second. _That's all it took_. She gasped as a Triad knifed her in the back. She kicked her assailant in the shin and while he was doubled over, she snapped her attacker's neck. Lily had one card left to play before she went down. She let out a primal scream as she released a burst of pheromones into the air. A Trinity fell out of a tree on the outskirts of the yard. She smiled, knowing they'd at least be temporarily incapacitated. The pheromone discharge took every ounce of energy she had left. A few Trinity were approaching her with bows drawn ready to finish her off. They dropped into the grass but as fate would have it, an arrow was released as they went down, and it plunged directly into her heart. _She'd become accustomed to dying. The lights would go out and when they returned, they would be brighter than the sun._ _At least this time she would have something to look forward too._

The darkness went away and the in-between burst forth with brilliant blinding light. She was standing alone outside of a school gymnasium. As Lily looked down at her blue dress and felt her permed hair, she had to fight the urge to jump around squealing like a thirteen-year-old. _She was in one of her most treasured moments._ Lily stared at the blue double gymnasium doors, knowing with certainty that Matt would be waiting for her on the other side. She took a deep breath as she pushed open the doors. Their song was playing, perfectly timed to take her breath away. Lily's eyes began to tear up. _Matt didn't look confused or frightened. He appeared to be patiently waiting for her_. He strolled across the room towards her and she began to walk, joining him in the middle of the room. She had replayed this moment in her heart a thousand times. Often awakening from a dream in this exact moment, with her heart dangling precariously on the edge of the glorious memory.

A spotlight was on them as Matt stopped walking and questioned, "So, you're obviously dead too?"

She stared into his deep pools of blue while enquiring, "How much do you remember?" He responded by holding his hand out. She laced her fingers through his and they fit perfectly as always. Matt tugged her to him just as the song heightened and kissed her with such passion that it took all her strength not to throw him down and have her way with him right there in the floodlight on the dance floor.

When their lips finally parted, he spun her and drew her in close while whispering, "I remember everything." She swayed on the dance floor in his arms as he whispered against her hair, "Take care of my sister."

They stopped moving. She looked into his eyes as she smiled softly and replied, "It's sort of my job." Lily was glad he hadn't asked her to promise. _There was no possible way to guarantee Kayn's safety in life or death but knew Matt needed to hear those words to move on._ They laughed, beamed and danced with their hearts so full they might spontaneously combust until the song finished and began again. There was strange symbolism in the moment as the scenery altered and they found themselves in the motel room where they'd spent their final moments together before his death during his last life.

Matthew Brighton whispered, "I dreamt of this after we met. I thought it was just a fantasy." He skillfully unhooked the clasps on the back of her dress and slipped the material down revealing her exquisite shoulders, her chest, her waist and as material settled on her hips, Matt looked like someone knocked the wind out of him. He seductively kissed her neck.

Her heart swelled into a glorious orb of adoration as she questioned, "Are you okay?"

"I have never been this okay," Matt declared.

Lily began to glow. She dissolved into gleaming dust and vanished into the air.

Matthew Brighton flung himself on the bed and groaned into the pillow. _He'd never once been denied in life._ _Of course he'd be denied it in the afterlife as soon as he was about to have the experience for the first time with someone he loved._ Matt started to glow. He held out his hand and stared at his palm as it began to disintegrate into the atmosphere around him. Matthew Brighton was recycled into the hall of souls.

_Perhaps in twenty years the two of them would have a chance to finish the dance_.

Back in the land of the living Lily stirred within her tomb. The lid ground open to a grinning Frost. She seethed, "You jerk, I was five seconds from..." She left the rest to his imagination.

While grinning from ear to ear, Frost chuckled, "That sucks. Shitty deal my friend."

"Asshole," Lily complained as she held out her elegant hand to her immortal counterpart.

Frost declined and teased, "Sorry honey, I don't know where your hands have been."

Lily got out of her tomb herself and huffed, "My hands didn't have the time to be anywhere inappropriate. You make me want to bang my head on one of these tombs."

Frost whispered in Lily's ear, "You're obviously feeling a little...frustrated. It's not my fault. There's no need to take it out on me...unless you want to that is. You know I am always willing to take one for the team."

"You've taken one for literally everyone's team," Lily sparred.

Markus strolled around the side of the truck and groaned, "Listen you two, I really don't want to hear this kind of talk coming out of my daughter's mouth, it's disturbing."

"That ship sailed long ago dad," Lily teased as she hugged her father.

"That doesn't mean you're not always my little girl, no matter how old you are," Markus replied. He grinned and kissed Lily's forehead.

Lexy was extremely pissed off as they opened her tomb. This was not an unusual thing. She was still cursing out whoever killed her last. As on every other occasion, she hadn't remained dead for long. Markus put her in a tomb to give her a chance to calm down. A supernatural time out. Lexy defiantly remarked, "The next time I see that frigging Triad kid, I'm going to rip his arms and legs off with my bare hands."

Always amused by Lexy's lack of verbal filter, Frost announced, "In other disturbing events, we lost Kevin to Triad."

Even though she always pretended to be tough, Lexy was visibly upset as Frost helped her out of her tomb. He was of course, sort of a gentleman on occasion. "Does Kayn know?" Lexy enquired.

Frost gave her hand a squeeze as he replied, "We were told to give her extra time in the in-between." The two of them stood hand in hand in front of the next tomb. Frost casually enquired, "What's a Zoolander?"

Lexy started to laugh. She said, "I'll find it on YouTube for you later." Then she started giggling again because he totally had that over-posed underwear model look. They moved to open the next tomb. It opened to reveal a confused new girl and boy. Ankh's newest acquisitions said an awkward hello. Lexy cursed and stormed away at the sight of the boy.

Frost beamed as he greeted the two newest Ankh, "Welcome to Ankh. I'll obviously be your tour guide because one of you was stupid enough to piss off Lexy. I know pixie girl. You're one of the girls that shot me. Don't worry, I don't hold grudges."

The chestnut-haired innocent looking girl named Melody took Frost's hand as he helped her out. She replied, "You slept with my best friend and fed her to demons."

Frost shrugged and chuckled, "I guess you have me there."

Zach climbed out of the tomb by himself and said, "I ran that girl over with a truck. I didn't run over, the Lexy that Tiberius tells stories about...Did I?"

Frost began to chuckle. He declared, "Oh, you are in so much trouble."

Zach thrust his hands up in the air and blurted out, "Aren't you supposed to protect me?"

As Frost led them away from the tombs, he taunted, "I'd suggest flowers, but she'll probably just chew them up and spit at you."

Markus appeared at the bottom of the ramp, standing beside him was a furious Lexy. Ankh's leader grinned at the two newbie Ankh and suggested, "Come with me you two." He escorted them both away.

Lexy glared at Zach as he inched past her. She climbed back into the back of the rig with Frost.

He winked and ribbed, "If it makes you feel any better the new girl Melody killed me."

That made her grin. Lexy disclosed, "I'm all good now. Markus says I can do whatever I want to him after he's fully sealed to our Clan. I can be nice for a couple of months."

Frost probed, "Can you be nice for a few months?"

She smiled as she wandered up to Grey's tomb without even attempting to answer Frost's question. Grey opened his eyes as his tomb opened and stretched, grinning like he'd just done something seriously naughty.

"Dare I ask why you're smiling like a cat that just ate a canary?" Frost enquired, leaning against the wall.

Grey got up, climbed out of the tomb and grinned as he confessed, "I had the naughtiest dream."

Frost quickly filled Grey in about the two new members of their Clan and that they'd lost Kevin to Triad. Then decided to make Grey feel better by telling him about how he'd woken up Lily before she'd had an opportunity to consummate her relationship with the mortal. They both howled. Frost gave his friend a pat on the shoulder as he added, "That's what friends are for." They strolled down the ramp and as they went around the corner of the truck, Grey bumped into Melody and fell right on top of her. Their eyes met. There was an uncomfortable moment. It was easy to read between the lines.

Lexy placed her arm around Melody and sighed, "Let's go anywhere else." She shot a disapproving look at Grey as she led her away.

Frost shook his head at his friend, teasing, "Even a cat knows that you should never pee where you sleep."

# Chapter Thirty-Five

### Please Remember Me

_Kayn's body lay healing in a tomb, but only her body. Her soul was elsewhere_.

Kayn awoke in a field of buttercups, similar looking to the one she'd played in as a child. Fuzzy chubby bumblebees were darting from flower to flower, she was calmed by their gentle buzzing song. There were so many, yet they seemed to understand she meant them no harm and went about their business. She looked at her hand and saw she was a child. She giggled as she stood up. She began to dance and twirl around barefoot in the sea of bumblebees, never worrying for a moment that one might sting her. Then she remembered why she was here. _She'd lost Kevin. She needed to find him._

Blinding light exploded around her and when she opened her eyes the field had turned into a forest. The bees had disappeared, and their humming song had been silenced. She heard the pleasant tune of crickets and frogs in their place. Kayn looked at her hand again sensing something had changed. _She was no longer a child._ Kayn jumped as a garden snake slithered across the trail in front of her. _Kayn wasn't afraid of snakes but she was deathly afraid of spiders._ She was barefoot but as always, the roots, stones and pinecones caused her feet no pain. She stopped at a tree surrounded by flowers _. It was the memorial for her family._ _A picture of her still hung on the tree even though she'd survived._ She removed the picture and sat down to look at it. _It felt like a dream._ She saw a little dark-haired boy playing in the distance. His hair was scruffy and just a little bit too long. He disappeared into the trees. She ran to catch up with him, sure that it was Kevin but no matter how fast she ran, the little boy was always just out of reach. She'd come full circle and ended up back at her family's shrine in the forest. She picked up a note with a bumblebee sticker on it she hadn't noticed before. It was a journal entry from Kevin when he was in second grade. A child's version of a poem written in green crayon.

_I saw a bumblebee today_

_I love bees_

_Even more after they fly away._

Kayn's heart tightened. That journal entry would have meant nothing to most, but to Kevin, Chloe and Kayn it was a magical poem about their unspoken love for the simple things. Kayn recalled relating to its secret meaning when she was only in second grade. She was so touched he'd chosen this to place on her memorial, her eyes clouded with tears. For in a strange way, it had foretold the future...

She gazed up to the sky and spoke in a whisper, "Please, you've taken everything from me, can't you let me say goodbye?" She could hear Kevin's voice repeatedly shouting her name and it was as though the in-between had granted him the ability to hear her plea. She walked in the direction of his voice.

Kayn froze in place as giant transparent intricately interlaced webs blanketed in spiders the size of her hand appeared on either side and across the path above her head. Her heart was palpitating with sensory incapacitating panic uniquely reserved for the most terrifying moments in life. She couldn't swallow. She was so afraid she couldn't even will her legs to take a step. The spiders above her were descending rapidly from their lace works and soon they would be close enough to bind her whole body in silk. She had to walk through the tunnel of webbing to get to his voice. Kayn turned around. It was all webs and spiders behind her now. They were frantically building their webs. It was all legs and enormous furry bodies. Had she spun around without thought and bolted backwards in terror, she would have become caught in it. She had to move. Kayn took a careful step forward and then another. They were building at a furious pace behind her. She was so panicked her brain didn't want to cooperate. She felt something stroke her head and was hesitant to look up but had to, as a stretched-out spider's leg stroked her hair again as if to taunt her. She opened her lips in a soundless shriek and started to run. She dipped under the webs as the swarming depravities scurried around, in their endeavor to seal off the pathway in front of her. The webbing closed ahead. She squealed as she plunged through the freshly built web of sticky silk and mass of writhing furry bodies. Once free, she tore the left-over webbing from her body shrieking an ungodly pitch, launching spiders off her flesh and kept jumping, screaming and peeling hideous arachnids off for a good half minute. When she was done hysterically screeching, the spiders and webs vanished. They were gone but she was still bouncing around with full body heebie jeebies. She persuaded herself to breathe. _She was starting to understand._ _She wasn't supposed to be able to find him. He was Triad...She was Ankh. It was as though the in-between itself was working to prevent them from reuniting._ _Stay centered, you need to find him._

Kevin's call echoed in the horizon. She sprinted for his voice again and circled around to arrive back at her family's memorial. She didn't allow this to fluster her as she kept running in the direction of his call. _This wasn't working._ They told her this place could be whatever she imagined it to be, so she pictured his smile and the sensation of being wrapped in his warm loving arms. The scenery altered and she was now standing alone in an open meadow. She felt like cheering but kept it inside. _She'd changed the scenery._ _Maybe, it was the first step to finding him._ He was still calling her name. She took off in the direction of his voice as the landscape changed once again to become the place where they would lie and watch the clouds after class. _This was beginning to feel like a game._ As Kayn trudged through high grass, it came alive and wrapped around her ankles. She tumbled flat on her face with a soft thud as the grass tightened it's grasp on her legs. It felt like human arms as it began dragging her backwards. She stopped herself by clawing at the grass and digging her fingers into the soil but only for second before the greenery bound her hands. She struggled and fought to wriggle free, but it started stretching her body in either direction. Right when she thought it was going to tear her in two the grass slackened, and she surmised the in-between was only trying to frighten her to distract her from her mission. _She had to find him. Whatever the cost._ She tore her hands free, but the long seemingly alive greenery wrapped around her throat. She struggled as it squeezed so tightly it began slicing through flesh. She felt a warm stream of blood trickling down her throat. She clawed at the thick braids of grass constricting her airway and writhed around. _It wasn't killing her it was just wasting her time. Training. What had they taught her?_ _She'd only had to think about a giant rock, and it appeared in her arms. She needed a knife._ One appeared on the ground before her. She let go of the grass and allowed it to wrap tighter around her throat to grab for the blade. But before she could reach it, the grass wrapped around the blade and pulled it into the soil. _Are you trying to stop me from finding him? Is that what you are trying to do?_ _Enough!_ The grass loosened. _Vocal commands didn't work here._ Kayn tore the grass from her throat, half expecting it to continue to fight back but it didn't.

_That Healer had done something to connect the two of them and it was obviously against the rules._ _The Clans were not supposed to be able to meet up in the in-between._ _It was easy to read between the lines_. A voice in her mind kept whispering, _keep trying_. _You can find him Kayn_. She could still hear him calling out to her, so Kayn began calling back with everything that she had left inside of her. As she raced for the sound of his voice, the scenery flashed with brilliant blinding light and she skidded out onto on a frozen lake. _You are not supposed to find him_. Her breath rose in front of her eyes and her bare feet began to ache. She shivered as goosebumps formed on every inch of her bare skin. The temperature was dropping drastically. It felt like it was getting colder by the second. She was standing barefoot upon the giant sheet of ice, with her feet torturously painful, afraid if she moved, she'd fall through the ice into the freezing water. A flash of skin tone in the midst of green caught her eye. _There he was...Kevin was standing across the lake._ She called out to him but all that came out was air. _Her voice wasn't working._ He disappeared into the brush. Her feet were now so agonizingly painful, she had to move. She began walking as fast as she could across the icy surface of the lake towards the shore where she'd seen him last. She was about halfway across the frozen water when the ice began to crack in a thin line in front of her. _She should turn around and go back to dry land. Go back_ , the cracking ice whispered. Her heart screamed, _you have to go forward. You can find him. This is your last chance. Keep going_. __ It seemed utterly insane to keep walking in the direction of the rupture, but she followed the instinct to keep moving towards him. She'd almost made it to the other side when it crumbled around her. She fell through the ice into the agonizing sensation of being submerged in glacial water. Time slowed down to the ticking of a clock as her mind whispered _, it's all in your head. This is not real._ She floated in the frozen wasteland of the icy beneath. She watched as bubbles left her lips and travelled to the surface where they were blocked by the ceiling of ice. She didn't struggle, nor did she try to swim back up. Not even to escape the excruciating pain of being submerged in the frozen lake. Her heart said, _release the need for salvation. Fight past the pain. Do not allow it in. See where you want to go. Believe Kayn. Let go and believe that it is possible to find him._ She allowed her body to float as she saw herself safe and warm, in Kevin's loving arms. Light flashed around her and in an instant, she'd been granted salvation from the icy beneath.

Kayn was standing on the shore, completely dry and the temperature was back to normal. It was as though it never happened. She raked her fingertips through her wild mane of curls and touched her dress. Her barely there Clan attire was dry. She faintly heard a Rascal Flatts' song her mother had loved and began to run towards the music. As she ran the scenery in her peripheral vision flashed through various highlights from her mortal life. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as some of the most glorious moments from her childhood played. _The visions had begun to confuse her purpose with the allure of the moment because she saw him in every exquisitely beautiful memory._ She watched the heartwarmingly miraculous images from her past with wonder. Kayn snapped out of it as she heard Kevin call out her name. _That was sneaky._ _The in-between was supposed to take her where she wanted to go and her desired destination was Kevin. She had to focus on what she wanted without being tempted by distractions._ She dropped to her knees, closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling of his lips as they met hers. _Their first kiss had been wildly uncontrollable, it left her breathless in the aftermath of the passion but during the second kiss, he'd known for sure that it was her._ She allowed her heart to drift to the third. She was submerged in warmth as she whispered, "I love him. Just let me say goodbye." As the dull ache in her heart became unbearable, she stifled a sob as she was blinded by radiant light. The heavenly glare caused her to close her eyes and before they were opened, she felt the silkiness of sand beneath her fingertips. _She knew where she was. She was on her knees in the desert of diamonds._ Kayn smiled as she opened her eyes. The sun had begun the process of sinking beneath the sand in the horizon and the skyline swirled with brilliant hues of vibrant orange and crimson pastels. As she pried her eyes away from the splendor, she saw him. Kevin was standing before the backdrop of the setting sun. It felt as though someone just allowed her oxygen to breathe, her heart overflowed with a rush of joy. Across the wide-open span of silken sand, they raced towards each other as the music in the air grew louder. Like magnets, they drew closer and closer until Kayn leapt into her best friend's arms. They spun around barefoot in the warmth of the sand. He pulled her to him and their lips melted together in a breathtaking dance of lust, love and everything in between. They were bound together in the agonizing knowledge that these would be their final moments together. Kevin touched her hair as he tenderly feathered kisses on her closed eyes, her cheeks and then her forehead. As they embraced, she felt their hearts beating as one. She gazed up as she lovingly caressed either side of his face. Kevin squeezed his eyes shut as he shuddered and attempted to stop himself from crying. There was no time for tears. He tenderly kissed her lips again and gently wiped the salty tears from her eyes with his thumb. She gazed into his eyes once more as her vision clouded with tears.

Kevin touched Kayn's cheek gently as he whispered, "I'm so stupid. What have I done?"

Her eyes flooded with salty devastation as she whispered, "Don't forget me. We'll find a way to fix this." He ran his finger over her birthmark. He touched the freckles on her face and the one on her shoulder. She knew what he was attempting to do. _He was trying to make sure he'd remember her._ The agony of loss had verbally incapacitated them. _She had so much left to say but forming the words felt impossible._ _It was done._ _Their fate had been sealed. No words could fix this. A chain of events had been started and it would change everything between them._ _There was nothing they could do._ The symbol on Kevin's chest lit up. Kayn's hand began to glow. _No, she wasn't ready to leave him!_ _Please! Not yet!_ Their time together was coming to an end.

Kevin pulled out of the embrace and spoke quickly wanting nothing to be left unsaid, "I will remember you, I promise." She attempted to tell him she loved him but he silenced her as his lips met hers in a last desperate attempt to claim a final kiss. A kiss snatched away by destiny. Their separate Clans had come to claim them. They both began to glow so brightly they were compelled to back away from each other and cover their eyes with their hands. They closed their eyes and thought the same words of love as they dissolved into dust and blew away on the light gentle breeze that flowed through the desert of the in-between. _Kevin went back to Triad where he would have his memory erased and Kayn to Ankh where she would never be able to forget..._

Kayn awoke inside her tomb, shuddering as her eyes clouded with tears. She inhaled her first breath in the land of flesh and blood. _She'd never had to face a moment without knowing he'd be right by her side._ _The notion of a tomorrow without him was utterly terrifying._ _He was the needle on her inner compass, constantly influencing her in the right direction._ _They would find each other again._ She pledged her heart this one thing. The sound of the grinding of stone on stone made Kayn flinch as her tomb began to open. Rays of glorious sunlight blinded her momentarily, she was forced to shut her eyes once again and when she did, tears streamed down her cheeks. She wondered if she could just keep them closed forever and avoid all of this. She took a deep breath as she attempted to buy her heart one more second before having to face her new life. She willed her eyes to open and then to focus through the blurry film of tears. As she looked at the concerned faces of the Ankh surrounding her tomb, she understood she would never be alone. Kayn Brighton knew that her story was nowhere near its end. She had to focus on who she was and what she was meant to become. This was only the first chapter of her story. The next chapter had yet to be written...

# Behind the Series

Fantasy adventure, magical realism, non-stop action with laughter, tears and a coming of age paranormal romance that will capture every reader's heart. A story of a teenage girl who overcomes tragedy and evolves into something she never knew possible as her immortal destiny comes to light. This paranormal fantasy will leave you breathless as it takes you through the darkness and leads you out into the secret world of immortality triggered by choices in the afterlife. ****_The end of her life is only the beginning of her story._

Would you live your life differently if you knew you were going to be Corrected from this world after your sixteenth birthday? You and your twin sister were never meant to be born. There will be nowhere to run. No place to hide. You won't even know they're coming. Do you have what it takes to survive your Correction? Could you leave your humanity behind? If the answer is yes, then hold on tight, it's going to be one hell of a ride!

_The monster hadn't come for her during the night as she'd imagined a monster would when she was small. Those were the childhood rules. You only ever had to be afraid of monsters in the dark. Now that Kayn was grown up, she understood that anyone could be a monster on the inside._

Take a trip into the metaphysical spiritual world with these endearing paranormal anti-heroes and wickedly titillating warriors. This will be unlike anything you've ever read.

A comic romp through the afterlife with three Clans of naughty certifiably insane antiheroes who battle while collecting partially immortal teenagers as they survive the exterminations of their family lines on their sixteenth year. If they've impressed the Guardians of the in-between with their bravery, they shall be granted a second chance at life as sacrificial lambs for the greater good. They must join one of three Clans of immortals living on earth and can be stolen at random by any other Clan until their eighteenth birthday. Plot twist...To prove their partially mortal brains are capable of grasping immortality, they will be dropped into an Immortal Testing which is basically a simulation of their own personal hells. Like rats in a maze made of nightmares and other ghastly depraved thoughts best left locked behind those mortal happy place filters, they must come out mentally intact after being murdered in thousands of increasingly creative ways.

_She had never coveted the role of princess. She'd always wanted to be the hero._

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Children Of Ankh titles can be purchased by retailers at wholesale through Ingram distribution and online sources. Once you've finished Kayn's series, there's more Children Of Ankh Universe fun ready to go. At the front of this book you'll find the series order. Stop by the series website childrenofAnkh.com for giveaways, contests and information on series release dates. Feel free to say hi and review the series. Thank you for being awesome. XO

# A Personal Note From The Author

_I began writing this series shortly after my M.S diagnosis. I had many reasons to fight. I had incredible children, a wonderful family, and amazing friends but this series gave me a purpose. Whenever things become dark, I use my imagination to find the light within myself. No matter what life throws your way, you are stronger than you believe. My hope is that the character's strength becomes an inner voice for the readers that need it. Stand back up and if you can't stand..._ _Rise up within yourself. We are all beautiful just as we are. We are all immortal._

# About the Author

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Kim Cormack is the always comedic author of the darkly twisted epic paranormal romance series, "The Children of Ankh." She worked for 16 years as an Early Childhood educator in preschool, daycare, and as an aid. She has M.S and has lived most of her life on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. She currently lives in the gorgeous little town of Port Alberni. She's a single mom with two awesome kids. She has a son who just finished 8 and a daughter in University at VIU. If you see her back away slowly and toss packages of hot sauce at her until you escape.

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Stop by the series website childrenofankh.com

# Also by Kim Cormack

**The Children of Ankh Series Universe**

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_Kayn's Series_

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Sweet Sleep

Enlightenment

Let There Be Dragons

Handlers of Dragons

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_Lexy's Series_

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Wild Thing

Wicked Thing

Delporable Me

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**Owen's Middle-Grade Series**

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Bring Out Your Dead
Any time after Enlightenment, you can jump into this epic side series with Lexy **** as the main character. Find out how Dragon's are created. She's a certifiably insane feral hitwoman for a Clan of immortals. Her Handler has intimacy induced amnesia. What could go wrong? A dark paranormal fantasy thrill ride. __

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_No matter how far she ventured from this farm, she would always be the monster created within its walls of timber and shame. They would see what she really was. She was a murderer, a psychopath and a victim. She was all three of those things._

**__**

_What a silly boy Grey was with his intoxicating accent and unknowing words. She knew he was going to drag her out of the emotional void she was trapped in. He may save her life. She was depending on him to bring her with him to be a part of this family that he felt so much for._ _She could see what he would mean to her even through the darkness._ Lexy divulged, "Yes, I did."

Grey enquired, "Why?"

Lexy confessed, "You are my yellow door." _She knew it sounded all kinds of crazy._

Instead of questioning the meaning of her words he did something unexpected. He held out his hands in the darkness and vowed, "I'll be your yellow door. Whatever you need me to be. I will be that for you."

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_She slept a dreamless sleep free of Dragons for she had slain them once again._
