 
## Flame Moon

A Flame Moon Novel, Volume 1

K.J. Jackson

Copyright © K.J. Jackson, 2012

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any forms, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

Third Edition: April 2013

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 978-1-940149-00-4

http://www.kjjackson.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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# Dedication

# – _For my favorite Ks_

# { Prologue }

His thumb pressed hard on the pin, puncturing the picture, marrying it to the wall behind. A neat hole in the exact top center of the photo, right above the haggard old man triumphantly holding aloft a chunk of the wall. A chunk of broken cement that, effectively, told the world the cold war was over.

He was done. Done with more than a hundred years of war. Of killing. Of hunting. Of not knowing where he was sleeping, or where he was waking up. Of constantly questioning what side of right he was balanced on. Of time moving so fast. A new century was racing at him, and he had only just gotten used to the current one.

Always moving, always needed somewhere. But it was time to quit. Charlotte needed him here. And he needed it. Needed to stop, if only for a while. Who he had been for the last hundred years, was not who he wanted to be for the next hundred.

Aiden stepped back from the wall, eyes scanning the captured moments. Rows and columns of photos, encapsulating the sins of the past, stared at him. The pictures taken, some by him, some by Triaten at his ongoing request, and some gathered from various magazines and newspapers. He realized now he was going to have to figure out a way to live with the reality of what he had done, no matter the reasons for doing. The vacant dead eyes, half-rolled into sockets. Limbless bodies. The mutilation a single swipe of his blade could cause.

There was nothing to do but face them now, the photos. He wasn't going to forget. The one thing he knew was that he was not going to give himself a pass on the past. On all that he had wrought.

The elders had not taken the news of their best warrior going into retirement well. Aiden hadn't given them much notice, but they would make do. There were others who could take his place. No matter if it took several working together to fill his spot. The elders, of course, had screamed and raged and threatened, but it didn't make a difference. He was done, at least for now.

They had to be satisfied that at least he hadn't closed the door. If he was truly needed, he'd be available. But he had made it clear, that he would be the one deciding what "need" was. No one would be deciding for him.

Aiden's finger trailed the edge of the picture of the ragged man on top of the Berlin Wall. It was a lifeline for his conscious. And there were others — similar photos scattered throughout the montage on his wall of death and destruction, though he rarely focused on them. They were there, also courtesy of Triaten. Photos of a family reunited. A young couple engulfed in carefree laughter. The quiet contemplation of an elderly woman feeding birds. A soldier holding his newborn baby.

Photos of a world not destroyed. Photos his death and destruction had made possible. The good that was abundant in a world not engulfed in mayhem and destruction. The good that mankind was capable of.

He let his hand slip to his side and stepped back, still facing the wall. Instinct pulled his eyes to the shots of horror in front of him. It was time to learn to live with his sins.

# { Chapter One }

Twenty-Plus Years Later

The shard through her skull was her welcome to consciousness. She wasn't sure if there was an actual knife wedged into her, not that it mattered, her head was exploding with or without the carving of brain matter.

Her eyes cringed closed as she willed it away, instinctively fighting to return to the oblivion in her mind, the painless darkness she just left. But she was no match. Layer upon layer of excruciating stabs sliced through her muddled confusion, bringing awareness with each burst.

The pain — how could she not be dead? And hell, was that a rock on her chest?

Stomach curdling, her knees pulled up to her gut, and in that instant, all her senses flooded in — cold, wet, over her entire body. Sand and swallowed bile on her tongue. Distinctive smell of pine needles. Hard rocks jutting into her back.

Her eyes crept open.

She saw the trees overhead first, green pines and budding aspens, with a cold grey sky above. Birds cawing mixed in with the angry rush of water over rocks. A river? She had no idea where she was or why.

This was not good.

Her head rolled to the side. A man sitting on a rock, staring at her, somehow wasn't a surprise. She blinked to clear her wet lashes. A wetsuit was rolled halfway down his tightly carved body — hell, that was a whole lot of muscle. His dark hair was wet, face unshaven. She wasn't sure what was in his stare. Apprehensive curiosity? Anger? Whatever it was, there was no hint of smile, no look of concern about the pain her body was in. And no indication he was even going to say anything to her.

A long minute passed.

He stood up, eyes not moving from her. He stepped closer.

"Who are you?" His voice was low, and the three words very measured.

Good — he could talk, she thought. Too bad that came with his massive figure looming — threatening, over her. Excruciating as it was, she sat up, managing to prop her deadened arms under her for support.

"Me?" she conjured bravado through the haze in her mind. "How about who are you, and what the hell am I doing here?"

A cocked eyebrow was her only reply.

"Really, guy? I wake up here in the woods, wet, freezing," she looked down and noticed her own body. "I'm wearing a wetsuit, I have no idea how I got here, why my chest feels like it was ripped apart and why my head..." Her hand touched the back of her head, and the blood that spread across her fingers gave her pause. Her eyes focused on the red staining her fingertips. "Why is my head split open?"

She looked up at him.

No answer. He just stood there, arms crossed.

"Nothing? You've got to be kidding me," she muttered. Words weren't getting her anywhere, and the confusion she thought was gone was now only getting worse. Dizziness stopped her, and she leaned forward, resting her arms on her bent knees as she gasped, head down, trying to get air into her crushed lungs. She made sure to keep his rubber-clad feet in view. But he made no movement as she sucked air.

Finally, her head popped back up, and her exhale was audible as she took in her surroundings. Trees, trees and more trees. A mountain river in front of her. The rocky clearing they were in looked to have no path in, or out. Again, what the hell was she doing here? She looked up at him.

"Can you stand? Walk?" his voice had a rasp in it. Low and impatient. "We need to move before sundown."

"Sundown...move?" The thick fog of confusion turned into cream soup. She shook her head slowly. "No, no, no. Wait. I am not going anywhere until you tell me who you are and what I'm doing here."

Annoyance was clear on his face. "You don't remember?"

"No."

"Okay, here's the short." He came down to her level, balancing on his heels in front of her. He didn't hide that he was studying her face closely. "You came into my shop a few hours ago, wanted to kayak this river. I asked if you'd ever kayaked before, and you said yes. Once we were on the river, it was obvious you'd never been on the water in your life, and with the river in spring run-off," his thumb pointed over his shoulder back to the swirling water behind him, "you were out of control before we even began."

He stood up and looked back upriver. "And around the last bend, you flipped and didn't right. I went in after you, and now we're here."

"No, impossible," her voice was a whisper, shaking her head. "I hate water — I would never get in pool, much less a raging river."

He shrugged. It was clear now that he was pissed he was in this situation. Pissed at her.

"Wait a second." She looked up at him, surprised alarm on her face. "Why don't I like water?"

"What do you mean?"

Her voice pitched higher as the base of the confusion began to take shape. "I hate water, I mean, I really, really know I hate water...but I don't know why." She gasped for air as her stomach tightened with an invisible gut punch. Her fingers tightened into balls. Staring at the ground, her choked words were barely audible. "Who the hell am I?"

Silence.

She looked up at him, imploring. "Who am I?"

His head tilted to the side and he suddenly looked just as confused as she was. And less pissed off.

He knelt down in front of her again. "You're telling me you don't know who you are?"

She shook her head no.

"You don't have any memory of coming to the shop, getting on the river?"

"No."

"Anything before that? Anything at all?"

She paused, closed her eyes, and tried to conjure up some memory to grasp onto. Anything. A silent minute passed. Her eyes stayed closed as she spoke. "No, I don't — I don't think anything is there — vague faces, odd pieces of conversation...random places...and a train?" Her face registered bewilderment as the image of being close to a moving train appeared. For a moment, she felt she could grasp onto the memory in her mind, but then it slipped and was gone. "It's a mess — things, people, are in there, but I...I don't know who they are or what any of it means."

Her eyes opened, horrified. "This is deep shit I'm in, isn't it?"

A sympathetic half-smile cocked his chiseled face. "Yep, I'm afraid it is." At some point when her eyes were closed, the man's eyes had shifted from perturbed wariness, into cautious compassion. She liked the compassion a whole lot better.

He stood up. "I hate to rush you, but before we can tackle your mind, we need to tackle getting out of here. The kayaks are long gone downriver, so we're going to have to hike out of here before you freeze." He offered his hand down to her.

She took a quick look again at the thick woods surrounding them. Choices were none.

So she reached up and grasped his hand, and was struck at how warm it was. She didn't quite trust this man — she didn't even know who he was — but the strong hand enveloping hers managed to be a warm comfort. A shiver shot through her, convulsing her body, and she suddenly realized how cold — freezing — she was in comparison to his hand.

"I'm sorry I don't have anything to help you warm up — everything went with the kayaks." He pulled her up. "The best I can offer is a strenuous hike up the mountainside, through thick woods, with water boots on, to help warm you up."

She wasn't sure if he was joking, his words were serious. She was just happy his demeanor had softened toward her, from how it had been when she first woke up.

"I need to check out your head, first." He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. Again, she marveled, the warmest hands, even through her wetsuit.

He separated the thick chestnut hair on the back of her head, plunging through the half-unraveled braid with his fingers, trying to find where the cut was. He found it and poked and prodded until she yanked away with an ouch.

"Sorry — it doesn't look too deep. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a horribly sharp rock you banged into underwater. You probably have a mild concussion, but you should be able to move fine. How's your balance? Dizzy?"

Not sure, she took a couple steps. "Fine, I think."

"Okay, well if you feel dizzy, or things go out of focus, let me know." He turned and looked up the mountainside. "The hardest will be this portion," he pointed to the thick swath of evergreens in front of them. "We'll have to cut through these woods about a half mile — it's going to be steep — and then we'll run into a trail that will take us about another mile to a friend's ranch."

He turned to look at her. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. It was clear he was taking a moment to assess her face. Looking for answers, she guessed. But what the questions were, she didn't know. The only thing she did know was that she didn't have any answers handy for him.

"Ready?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, but managed a small smile. "Yes, but just one question first."

"Shoot."

"I'm sorry I don't remember, but what's your name?"

He didn't answer right away, and she could tell he was taken aback by the question. She followed up. "And why so surprised by my asking?"

A low chuckle escaped him. "Well, truthfully, you couldn't have cared less about my name earlier, so I never told you."

It was her turn to be surprised. "Really? That seems so rude."

"It was."

"Well at least I didn't forget it," she smiled.

He couldn't help but return a wry smile, head cocked to the side. "I'll give you that. My name is Aiden."

"Aiden." She let it roll off her tongue. "Hmmm, old world, and a strong name."

She looked at him, really for the first time past the initial cursory glance. Dark hair curled onto his forehead and partly down his neck. The short dark grizzle of facial hair made it obvious that this man was used to living in the outdoors, but would still make it to shaving occasionally. The stubble did not hide the strong chin or facial features.

But it was his eyes that made her pause. A blue so dark and rich, they looked molded straight from the deepest swathes of the sea. A smooth blue that was only interrupted by random flecks of silver. It was those glints of silver that held her gaze. Held it for too long.

A bird cawed, jarring her, and she blinked and looked away, embarrassed at the extended time she had been studying him. He thankfully said nothing. Didn't even crook an eyebrow. She gave him a quick smile. "The name suits you. I like it," she covered quickly with the only handy words she had, even though she knew he could care less about what she thought of his name.

"Thanks. Ready?"

He held out his hand to her. She took it, way too quickly she knew, but she didn't care. The warmth and security that came through his grasp was irresistible in her current beaten state.

He started walking toward the tree line, and she followed, her feet stumbling over the rocky shoreline. The water boots she had on only offered a thin layer of rubber between her feet and the craggy ground. Sharp rocks dug into her soles. This wasn't going to be fun. Her feet stopped right before they stepped into the forest. Aiden looked over his shoulder back down at her.

"Aiden, I..." her question trailed off. She was afraid to ask it.

He didn't even let a second pass. "Your name is Skye." And he squeezed her hand.

# { Chapter 2 }

Man he moved fast, Skye thought in between her heaving breaths as she studied the dark hair that curled onto the back of his neck. And she suspected that for her sake, he was moving at a way slower pace than he was used to.

There had been no words since they left the riverside. There was no time for talk as they picked their way back and forth through the thick trees up the mountainside. Rocks were slick from the spring runoff, making the steep angle of the hill even more slippery under their wetsuit boots, which were definitely not made for hiking.

They had been on the trail portion now for a half hour, she guessed, although Aiden's version of a "trail" was a bit different than what she had imagined. Granted, it wasn't the steep forest that they had just come through, but nor was it anything more than a skinny path that appeared and disappeared as nature dictated.

Darkness was beginning to fall, and she wondered how much further they would have to go. Wooziness was beginning to seep into her mind, and she was having a hard time concentrating on making her feet go correctly in front of each other. It was no small favor that Aiden was still gripping her hand tightly, for she had surrendered a long way back to not only letting his hand be her guide, but her forward force as well.

The trees soon broke, and the two stepped into a meadow of vibrant spring green grasses. Aiden stopped, and she accidentally bumped into the back of him.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

He looked back down at her, but the worry on his face didn't register with Skye.

"Holding in there?" he asked.

She nodded yes.

"Good," he pointed over the hill at the far side of the meadow. "We only have a bit farther to go. We're on the main part of the ranch now, but still have a couple of pastures to cross to get to the main house."

Skye put her head down, and continued to will her feet to work in a straight line. She knew she lost time, because the next thing she knew, she saw a sprawling mountain home, and just to the left of it, a woman on a horse thundering toward them. Aiden didn't stop walking, just kept forward until they intersected the woman. For the speed with which she had approached, the horse came to a graceful stop at her command just a few yards away. The woman dismounted.

"Goodness, Aiden, what sort of mess is this, now?" Her voice all at once crackled and scolded like that of a tough-as-nails grandmother. The woman grabbed the horse's reins and closed the rest of the distance to them. "I'm out for a ride, and then I see you trudging across the meadow with this poor thing in tow. Explanation?"

Skye was thrown off at the juxtaposition of the woman. She was unusually spry with a springy step and the gait of a young woman on a slight frame, but as she got closer, her short, silver cropped hair and her pretty, but weathered face gave her age as much older.

"Let's get to the house first, Mary, before you start in." He tilted his head back to Skye in reference. "We need to get warm before we can talk."

Skye thought Aiden's comment curious, for the cold had stopped long ago for her. She could feel the scrutiny from the young-old woman, but didn't have the energy to care.

"Of course," Mary said. She patted the horse's neck. "Let me get Dagger into the stable and I'll be right in."

The pull of Aiden's hand set her feet moving once again, and within a few minutes, they were stepping up onto the wide porch that lined the entirety of the large log house. The glow of lights from the interior beckoned them in as the last streams of daylight faded.

They stepped into the house, and before they had even taken three steps into the foyer, Mary showed up in a hallway from the back of the house. Her riding boots clacked quickly across the wide-plank floors.

"Aiden, first, you need to introduce me."

It was clear that Aiden was used to being bossed around by this woman, and that he took it with good will. "Mary, this is Skye."

Mary held out her hand, and Skye looked at her awkwardly, knowing something was expected of her, but not sure as to what. It wasn't until Aiden started to peel her fingers off his hand, that she snapped too and realized she was still gripping him, and wasn't shaking hands with Mary.

"I'm so sorry." Skye gained control of her hand and grasped Mary's hand, embarrassed, as her voice trailed off. She had no more words at the moment. What was she to say? Thanks for taking them in, and oh, by the way, I don't know who I am? She decided to stick with her silence.

"Not to worry," Mary's smile seemed genuine. "It's good to meet you Skye." Her gaze switched to Aiden. "That's done, so now, it's quite obvious this girl needs to get into a hot bath, and you," she scolded as she poked his still-naked chest, "can get changed and tell me how in the world you ended up at my door, in a wetsuit, tagging along a frozen stiff girl."

She turned back to Skye and put her arm around her. "Upstairs we go with you."

Mary started to usher Skye up the stairs off the foyer, but not even two steps up, Aiden interrupted them. "Mary."

"Yes?" She turned back to him.

"No questions."

Startled, Mary measured up Aiden's face. Something clearly passed between the two of them and Mary nodded, then continued to move Skye up to the second story.

The enormous white marble bathroom that Mary deposited her in was not what Skye expected out of a mountain ranch house. She sat on a comfy settee next to the running water Mary had started in the tub. Skye watched the steam come off the water, dying to get in, but decided to wait until Mary came back with towels and some spare clothes.

"Sorry, it took me a moment to rummage up the towels — I don't have the guest quarters stocked for the season just yet," Mary said as she came back into the bathroom. "The clothes I could find should fit you — you're taller than me, but skinny, so you should be fine. May not be your style, but nothing is better than flannel for coziness." Skye was grateful for the idle chatter, and to Aiden for making her own silence okay.

Mary put the stack of towels and clothes next to Skye on the settee. "I'll have some hot tea ready for you when you get out. I do plan on getting some answers out of Aiden down there, and if I know that boy, I imagine this is all of his doing."

Skye could only shrug. "Thank you."

Mary left, and exhausted, Skye got lost staring at the steaming water splattering into the copper tub. Whether or not she hated water, nothing had ever looked as good as that hot water. Minutes passed, and at the point the tub was almost too full, Skye gathered up the energy to stand up and turn the water off. It was at that point she realized she was shivering violently, and that every muscle in her body was painfully contracted.

Shaking, she reached behind her back, grasping at the pull leash attached to the zipper on her wetsuit. It slipped out of her fingers again and again. The shake in her arm got worse as she tried repeatedly to reach the cord. Every time she managed to grasp it, it didn't budge. Skye wasn't sure if the zipper was stuck or she just had no strength in her arm. She needed help. Downstairs she went.

She had no trouble making her way through the hall and back down the stairs in the large house, but at the base of the steps, she looked around, not sure where Aiden and Mary had disappeared to. Lights were on everywhere, so that was no indication. Guessing, she walked past the stairs down the back hall where she had seen Mary come from earlier. She soon tuned into the whistle of boiling water and talking, which she followed. The voices became clearer as she approached the open door — something about her not remembering anything — and what she heard next made her freeze at the wall just outside the door, light spilling into the hallway in front of her feet.

"That's just it, Mary," she heard Aiden say. "When I was underwater, there was the flash of light."

Something clanked to the counter. "What?" Mary's voice was a whisper. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I didn't blink, and I was down there a long time. It was the light. There was no mistaking it — you know how long it lasts. It couldn't have been anything else."

"No...no, how could that happen?" Mary's voice trailed off. There was a long pause.

Even though her curiosity was riled as to this "light" thing, Skye was feeling guilty about listening in on the conversation, and was about to say something as she moved to enter the room, but then Aiden spoke.

"We'll need to keep her here, until we know what's going on. You need to check out the back of her head — she got cut, don't know how deep it is. I'm guessing that's what knocked her out. But I'd rather not chance bringing her into town until we figure this out."

Skye could hear the teapot stop whistling and the clatter of pouring.

"And you're sure she doesn't remember anything?"

"As much as I can be. She seemed genuinely scared and lost at the river, and she was knocked out for a long time. But who knows. I've never heard of the river and the light happening this late in life. And I thought the elders had a lock-down on lineage. So if they don't know about it — and you haven't heard from any of them today?"

"No, I haven't heard anything, and you know they trust me for nothing, so this is one of the first places they would be. But I was out most of the day with Dagger on the trails."

"Okay, well, I'll go down to the shop and get her things. That should at least tell us who she is and — shoot — the dog."

"Dog?" Mary asked.

"Yep, she had a dog with her — big thing too. He was well under her control, though. It didn't like us getting on the river, but once she told it to stay, it laid right down — whimpered — but did it."

"How odd. But bring it back with you, maybe that'll trigger something for her."

The shivering that had been racking Skye's body had evolved into a violent shake — so it wasn't that she wanted herself to be known at that point, she just couldn't stand another second freezing as she was. She coughed in way of announcing herself before she walked around the corner into the kitchen.

They were both standing on either side of a big farmhouse table. Aiden, mug in hand, had already changed into jeans and a snug black t-shirt. She had startled them, and both were looking at her with suspicion.

She tried to muster her own face of suspicion, but it was impossible with the uncontrollable chatter of her teeth. Useless — just get on with getting some help, she thought.

"Sorry to interrupt whatever this is," she gave a flip of her hand. "I'm stuck and can't seem to get unzipped." She turned around to show the wetsuit pull leash.

Aiden was closest, and took a step toward her.

Mary was quick to speak. "We were just talking about Aiden getting down to the adventure shop to get your belongings. He told me you were having trouble remembering things?"

Skye nodded, but was concentrating more on Aiden behind her. After a quick pull of the leash and it not budging, his hands, hotter than ever, brushed on her neck as he moved her hair out of the way to fiddle with the top of the zipper. It was loose in a moment, and he slowly pulled the zipper down, his fingers protecting her skin underneath. The heat from his hand trailed down her spine, spreading across her back. Heat that managed to halt her shaking, at least for a moment.

Mary's arm suddenly dove between the two of them, wedging them apart. She propelled Skye back out into the hall. "And I also need to take a look at that cut on your head. But we first need to get you thawed out in that tub."

Aiden followed them out into the hall. At the stairs, he parted ways with them and told them he'd be back soon.

# { Chapter 3 }

The hot, wet breath on her neck eased Skye out of sleep. It took a while, as the depths of her shuttered mind cleared, thin peel by thin peel. Still half asleep, she opened her eyes and saw enormous brown eyes staring at her.

"Hey Rafe," she reached out her hand and softly dug her fingers into the fur behind an ear. The dog lifted his chin off the bed and nuzzled his nose into her neck. The abrupt cold wet of the nose snatched the last remnants of sleep from her mind.

"Rafe?" She sat up. The name had just come out, she hadn't thought about it at all. She looked down at the dog. The strip of white fur from his nose expanded out as it traveled over the top of his head, circled around the base of his ears, and stopped at the end of his neck. His ears were solid black, and the rest of him, a peppered mix of black and white.

He was a big dog, tall, but very solid, and Skye wondered if he weighed more than her. He was definitely a mutt. Gazing up at her, Skye saw clear patience in his black eyes. She knew this dog. He was hers. And with even more certainty, she loved this dog.

Her mind raced as the events of the last day flooded her thinking. She looked down at him, still absent-mindedly scratching behind his ear. "Okay, so if I know you're Rafe, then I also must know who I am, right?"

The dog just looked at her.

Skye closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. "All right, I remember yesterday, and Aiden told me my name was Skye." She tried to manifest a vision of someone talking to her, calling her Skye, but there was nothing, aside from Aiden and Mary talking to her, that showed up in her mind.

"Well that's no help." Her face scrunched. There had to be something to trigger some memory. She stared at Rafe, thinking. "So what do I look like? Maybe that will help?"

She crawled out from under the white down comforter and went over to the mirror atop the bureau at the side of the room to look at her reflection. She was surprised she was pretty, for she hadn't considered her looks at all. She wasn't a dramatic beauty, but from what was looking back at her in the mirror, she knew she could hold her own in a room full of women.

Yesterday, she hadn't bothered to care, or even had a sense about what she looked like. Her auburn-chestnut hair, which gave way to an occasional streak of blond, fell in thick soft waves past her shoulders. Her eyes were interesting — a mix of swirled blue-green, framed with long dark lashes. Beyond that, she thought, things were normal and in the right place. But there wasn't even a twinge of recognition for her in her reflection.

Skye turned back to Rafe, disappointed and arms crossed. She was in the plaid flannel shirt and grey sweat pants Mary had produced for her last night. "Well that was no help." Rafe watched her, unflinching, eyes taking in her every motion.

She couldn't help a small laugh at herself. "And I must be always talking to you, dog, as I'm having no problem doing so now. And you are very good at hanging on my every word."

She sat back down on the bed next to him, her hand on his head. "So your turn. What now, Rafe?"

The dog stood up, nudged her knee and went to the door. His head went back and forth between looking at her and the door.

Skye smiled. "Yep, I get it." Downstairs it would be. She stood up. "Just let me go check if there's a toothbrush in this bathroom first."

At the bottom of the stairs, Rafe rushed ahead of her, heading toward the back of the house to the kitchen. He had already turned the corner when a sense of uneasiness hit Skye as she approached the opening to the kitchen. The conversation she had overheard between Aiden and Mary replayed in her mind. Even though it had made little sense to her, she knew that they weren't being completely honest with her. Nor did they trust her.

She turned the corner into the kitchen and was surprised to find a pretty, slim blond perched at the end of one of the two long benches spanning the sides of the big wooden table. The blond was vigorously scratching Rafe's back while feeding him what looked to be sausage from the plate in front of her.

The woman looked up at Skye in the doorway and smiled. Immediately, Skye revised her first assessment of the woman, she wasn't just pretty, she was gorgeous, and her smile only amplified it. And she had Skye's dog feeding out of the palm of her hand. Was she wrong about Rafe belonging to her? Wary, Skye gave a half-smile.

"Skye, I'm so glad you're up. I could only pick at Mary's," she looked over her shoulder at a back door to make sure no one was there, "homemade sausage for so long. I love her like a mother and I haven't had the heart to tell her I became a vegetarian years ago. But you should come and eat some. If I remember correctly, it is tasty stuff."

Skye took another step into the room, slightly more confused than she already was at the whole situation. "I'm sorry, have we met? Do I know you? I don't know if Mary told you, but I..." she trailed off, not sure how to finish, because she still didn't really fully understand what happened yesterday. It didn't help that there were holes in yesterday's memories too.

The woman stood up and moved to Skye, concern on her face. "You don't remember meeting me last night?" She grabbed Skye's arm and guided her to the table. "Here, sit. I want to look at your head."

"My head?" Skye's hand went to the back of her head as she sat. Underneath her hair, she found a throbbing spot that had what felt like stitches in it.

"Yes, I had to put stitches to the cut last night." She bent down behind Skye. Her delicate hands went into Skye's hair, gently separating out the space around the cut. She studied the area. "Forgive my manners then, if you're not remembering. My name is Charlotte and I'm one of the few physicians on the mountain. You were pretty out of it last night when I arrived. Mary had you propped up in the tub sleeping when I got here. Which was good, since you most likely had hypothermia yesterday."

"Where is Mary?"

"She's in the stables, I think. She made breakfast, then had to tend to the horses." Charlotte promptly removed her hands from Skye's head and sat down next to her, studying her face closely. "The wound looks like it'll heal up nicely. It was only eight stitches, but I imagine you'll be a quick healer." She gave an odd smile, then rushed on. "I gave you a sedative, which is why your memory is probably foggy about last night. Have you remembered anything in particular from before yesterday, yet?"

"No, not really." Rafe moved close to her leg and nudged her thigh. Skye looked down at him. "I did call the dog Rafe, without thinking about it, and I'm pretty sure that is his name and that he's mine." Her statement was half question.

Charlotte gave a reassuring smile. "Well if he's not, he's a mastermind of a stray dog. Aiden picked him up and brought him back here last night. He was pitifully anxious until he saw you. I don't imagine he left your side all night."

Skye wasn't sure if she hid her relief or not, she was just happy she had something to grasp onto. Rafe was hers. Her hand went down unconsciously to the dog's head.

"That's a great sign that you remembered Rafe. Head injuries with memory loss are hard things to predict. Can I get you some tea?" Charlotte stood up and began to ready some tea without an answer. "Our brains are amazing and so intricate, and even with all the research we really don't know a tenth of what is actually happening in there. It's possible you may get all your memories back in one big wave, and soon. Or they may come back in bits and pieces like old home movies. Or, of course, it is possible you may never fully recover everything."

"Is there anything I can do to help it along?"

Charlotte turned back to face Skye, leaning on the counter. "I think the best you can do is keep trying, and hopefully something familiar, like Rafe, will trigger other memories. It would help if we knew more about you — then we could get you in front of familiar things." She turned back to steep the tea. "Aiden is working on figuring out where you came from before you were at his shop yesterday."

On cue, the back door to the outside opened and Aiden walked in, his large form shrinking the large kitchen. The chilly morning air rushed in around him. Behind him strolled in another man, who looked to be about the same age as Aiden, almost as tall, but slighter, with the same dark hair as Aiden. Skye wondered if they were brothers.

Charlotte's eyes lit up at the two. "Hi guys, you bring us news, I hope?" She grabbed the tea cup and set it in front of Skye as she sat down next to her.

"Maybe." Aiden put a bag on the counter and then sat across from Skye and Charlotte at the table. He looked at Skye. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, my head still hurts, but my mind is a lot clearer. Thanks for asking."

"Remember anything yet?"

She shook her head. "Not really, but I do think my dog's name is Rafe. Where was he? Is that his name?"

"He was still waiting at the shop when I got there last night," Aiden answered, "and yes, you did call him Rafe when you showed up yesterday before we went on the river."

Skye looked over at the man that sat down next to Aiden. "Hi, I'm sorry, did I meet you last night too?" She was overly-conscious of how rude she had been to Aiden, and was determined not to repeat.

The man gave her a comforting smile. "No love, I'm new to you, although Aiden filled me in on the situation. I've been helping him try to track down where you materialized from yesterday." He held his hand out. "I'm Triaten."

Skye shook it. "Thanks," she looked around the table, "I'm sorry I'm upending everyone's time."

"No worries," Triaten said, "I'm always ready for some excitement. And your mystery is intriguing."

"Intriguing?" Skye asked.

Aiden unfolded a piece of paper he took from his pocket and set it in front of Skye. "This is the disclaimer you signed yesterday at the shop, before I took you out on the water."

Skye looked down at it. Skye Walters, Cloquet, Ohio. No phone number. No address. She looked up at Aiden.

"It gave us a last name, at least. But when we checked into Cloquet, there is no Skye Walters listed, at least in public records." The guys looked at each other. Aiden's eyes shifted back to Skye. His voice held no note of comfort like Triaten's had. "Here's the thing. We checked all the hotels in town — all three of them — and there's no record of you, nor of anyone gone missing. It's spring, so there are not a lot of outsiders in town right now, and the ones in town all seem to be accounted for."

Triaten continued. "And I checked with our sheriff, there aren't any rogue cars about town."

"And I don't live here?"

Aiden shook his head.

"And where is here?"

"Brigton, Colorado. And that brings us to how you got here. We're not sure." Aiden was looking closely at her face, waiting for some reaction. "You walked up to the shop yesterday, no car in sight. We have a bus that comes through every other week this time of year, but it's been more than a week since it's been here. We rarely have trucks coming through this far up the mountain. And the tracks that go through town only carry freight trains, and don't stop."

He leaned toward Skye over the table. "Is any of that ringing a bell? Do you remember anything at all about how you got here? How you showed up at my shop?"

Skye's eyes closed and her hand went to her forehead, rubbing it. "I wish I could tell you something, I just don't have anything." She looked at Charlotte. "What else can I do to remember?"

Charlotte patted her knee. "I'm afraid it's just going to take time, and hopefully something can trigger memories."

Aiden got up and grabbed the duffel bag that was on the counter. "I brought your stuff back from the shop with the dog last night." He put it on the table.

Skye pulled out jeans, a tank, a well-worn black bomber jacket, and a beaten-up pair of brown riding boots, their laces broken and re-tied in several spots. She rifled through the pockets of the jacket.

Aiden interrupted her. "I checked already," he unzipped an outer pocket on the duffel bag, "the pockets were all empty, but this was in your shoe." He pulled out several neatly folded twenty-dollar bills, a hair binder, and a folded up piece of paper with a handwritten copy of some sort of schedule on it — a list of times with acronyms next to them. The letters and times didn't mean anything to Skye.

"This was all I had with me?" She looked up at Aiden with more disbelief than belief. "Some random times and 120 bucks? There must have been something else. Driver's license? Credit card?"

Aiden and Triaten looked at each other again. Skye couldn't read the silent question between the two, but didn't like the hard set of Aiden's jaw. He nodded at Triaten.

Both turned their gazes back to Skye. She could feel all three of them analyzing her. Triaten broke the silence. "No love, that was all that you had. Which is why we think you should stay here until we can find out where you belong. We talked to Mary, and she would love to have the company. Charlotte's not going to let you go anywhere for a few days anyway."

"True," Charlotte chimed in, "I need you to rest for at least the next few days to make sure there are no complications with your head injury."

Triaten continued. "And if you need to stay longer, Mary will put you to work before you even know what happened." He smiled at her. "I help on the ranch too, mostly with the horses, and I lead trail rides and hikes, so I'm around almost every day. Aiden is in and out depending on what needs to be done, and at this time of year, that's a lot, so you'll have plenty of company here."

Triaten's face expressed genuine generosity. Skye looked at Charlotte. She too, looked like she just wanted to help. Skye didn't want to look across the table at Aiden. Although there had been moments of kindness from him in the last day, she knew she wasn't misreading the coldness he was treating her with.

And why should he be anything but cold, Skye contemplated. She had clearly just busted into his life and was gum on the bottom of his shoe. Whereas the other two were taking her presence with good will, it was obvious Aiden was unhappy with the situation, but for some reason was not entirely willing her to leave.

That's what prickled her neck with apprehension. He clearly didn't want her here, but he didn't want her to leave. Couple that with the strange conversation she heard last night, and fear that she couldn't place was creeping into her thoughts.

She forced herself to look at Aiden. And the look in his eyes told her that her fear wasn't misplaced. Abruptly, she stood up.

She directed her words to Charlotte and Triaten. "I'm sorry...I just..." her eyes closed as she tried to take a calming breath, but the fear and the desperate void in her mind catapulted on top of each other. Skye couldn't control the panic in her chest, or the feeling that the kitchen walls were closing in on her.

Rafe stood up from where he was laying by the table. He whimpered. Aiden reached over and grabbed the nape of his neck. Skye backed away to the outside door, gasping for air and stammering as her feet shuffled backward, "I'm just...this is too much...I don't...Alone. I need to be alone." She stumbled out the door.

She fought as hard as she could to stop from running the moment she stepped outside. Gulping for breath, not noticing the cold air or that she was shoeless, her brisk walk turned into a run across the large expanse of grass in front of the house. She stopped at the weathered pony fence that met the main dirt road leading into the ranch.

Her hands gripped the split wood at the top of the fence. She was still gulping for air, and trying desperately to ease the pain clamping around her chest. She looked around her, searching for something — anything — to ground her, but beyond the pines that swallowed up the road down the way, she only caught peaks of snow-tipped mountains. Skye spun in a three-sixty. White-capped mountaintops were all around her. She really was in the middle of nowhere. How the hell had she gotten here? And who the hell was she?

She rubbed her temples, angry that she couldn't conjure up any memories. Turning back to the fence, she crossed her arms on top of the wood rail and set her forehead on her arms. She leaned that way for a good stretch of time, just trying to remember something. Nothing came. And the current situation couldn't help but take over her concentration.

Every instinct in her body told her to start walking down that road, and keep walking. But reality refused to disappear. No money. No place to go.

A rock cut into her toe. No shoes.

Skye heard someone approach behind her, but she didn't bother to stand upright and turn around. She didn't even care at the moment. A small, light hand on her back told her it was Charlotte.

"Are you okay, Skye?"

Skye still didn't look up. She just shook her head. "I'm just so...lost," she muttered into her arm.

Charlotte gently stroked her back. "That's completely understandable. If it helps, I think your memory will come back soon. Knowing Rafe is a good indicator of that. It may just take a little time. In the meantime, Mary will take good care of you — we all will, you just have to let us help."

Skye lifted her head and looked at her. "But why? You don't know me."

Charlotte smiled at the question. "Easy answer. It's the right thing to do. And Aiden asked us to."

Skye's forehead creased, perplexed. "Aiden asked? But why? I was getting a clear vibe he wished I didn't exist."

"But you do exist." Charlotte scoffed Skye's concern away. "It is what it is, and what happened, happened." Charlotte moved alongside Skye, leaning against the fence next to her. "Listen, here is what you need to know about Aiden. I've known him for...well, let's just say for a long time. And we've been engaged for a long time."

"You and Aiden are engaged?" the news startled Skye. Charlotte wore no ring, and if anything, she would have guessed Triaten and Charlotte were a couple.

Charlotte's hand waved dismissively. "Yes, but it's a side note of not much concern."

Skye wasn't sure what to make of that comment, although it reeked of rudeness toward Aiden, and the innate fairness in Skye's gut rankled. She couldn't stop her initial high opinion of Charlotte from skipping down a notch.

Charlotte continued, "Now about Aiden, it may sound corny in this day and age, but he is someone who holds honor and responsibility in the highest regard. Quite simply, you became his responsibility the moment he took you on the river. He sees you as his to take care of now, whether or not you want or need it. And whether or not he wants to do it."

Skye sighed. "I'll keep that in mind." She was quiet for a moment, and then forced a smile. "And thank you for stitching my head."

"No problem. You'll stay, then?"

Skye shrugged her shoulders. "I honestly don't have an answer, yet."

"Well, as your circumstance-appointed physician, I do want you to stay for at least a week, just to make sure the wound doesn't re-open or get infected. I left antibiotics in the house. But if you decide you can't stay, please at least stop by my office in town before you go. Promise?"

Skye nodded. "I will."

Charlotte straightened up. "Triaten's taking me back into town, I have some appointments waiting for me. But I'll be back later this evening to check in on you." She smirked. "Plus, I'm going to bring some of my clothes back for you. We can do way better than flannel and sweats."

Charlotte left Skye and walked back to the house. A few minutes later, Triaten and Charlotte waved as they passed by in a black jeep. They disappeared down the road, dust kicking up behind them. Skye watched the grey dirt swirl and settle, a slight breeze making it dance in the late morning sunlight.

"I got a talking to." Aiden's voice made her jump. She hadn't heard him walk up. "Apparently, I wasn't as welcoming as I could have been."

Skye turned around to find Aiden carrying her coat and boots. Even with his words, she wasn't sure if he was giving the items to her as a message to leave, or if he was being thoughtful.

"Thanks," she said as she took her boots and bent over to dust off her feet and pull them on. She didn't bother to tighten the laces.

He handed her coat over. "Charlotte said you weren't sure if you'd stay."

Skye avoided eye contact, instead choosing to look over Aiden's shoulder at the ranch house behind him. She didn't want to answer his question. "Where's Rafe?" She tried changing the subject.

"He's in the house. Are you going to stay?" He wasn't going to let her stall.

Shit, she thought, she was going to have to ask; there really wasn't a choice. But if she was going to stay, she had to know. She took a deep breath to steel herself, and leveled her gaze at him. "Aiden, I'm going to be honest, because as much as I've worked it around in my mind, I'm stuck. And I don't think I have a lot of choices at the moment. So I have to ask. What were you and Mary talking about in the kitchen last night? Why do you have to keep me here?"

"You heard that, then?" He didn't flinch at her question, or look away.

"Yes."

"Is that all you heard?"

"Something about the river and a light, whatever that meant. Do you know me? Why do you have to keep me here?" She repeated.

"It's complicated."

"No, not really. You and your friends put on a nice pitch this morning for why I need to stay. And in my situation, I know I should just be taking anyone's generosity with a smile and a 'thank you.' But it's clear you don't want me here, so I don't know why you would care if I stayed or left. I may have no memory, but I'm not stupid. It has to be something more. So you need to uncomplicate it for me, and I can stay if you tell me what's going on. Or I can leave."

"And where will you go?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I imagine I would walk down that road into a town and find a way out of these mountains. I'll figure something out."

He looked at her hard, and Skye could see him deciding what to do next. She didn't break his gaze. Decision made, he spoke, voice resigned. "I don't believe this is going to uncomplicate anything for you, but I'll tell you."

He reached into his pocket and continued on. "Inside, when you asked if there was anything else with your clothes."

Skye nodded.

"There was something that I didn't want to show you in front of Charlotte and Triaten." His eyes bore into Skye, scrutinizing her, and her breath caught in fear at what was coming next.

"I also found this." He pulled out something wrapped in a white paper towel. It was skinny and not too long. He set it on the top rail of the fence in front of Skye. She stared down at it, not moving a muscle. She knew instinctively she didn't want to touch whatever was in the towel.

After a minute of stillness, Aiden's voice was hard. "Open it."

She looked up at him. Fear coursed through her.

"Open it."

Skye picked it up. It was hard. She couldn't control the tremble in her hand as she unwrapped the object.

She had been right to worry. Her hand recognized the handle of the switchblade before her eyes saw it. She knew what it was immediately, and the flash that came with it blacked her out and flattened her.

When her eyes came back into focus, the blade was open on the ground, and she was propped against Aiden. He was, in fact, completely holding her up, as she had no feeling in her legs. "No, no..." She pushed away from him, and stumbled.

He caught her before she could fall as she tried to move away. "Skye, sit." He set her down, leaning her back against the bottom rail of the fence.

She pulled her legs up close to her body, hugging them as she stared at the knife on the ground. The dried blood on the knife was obvious in the sunlight. Dark rust to black, bits of the particles on the blade shone true red in the glare of the sun.

He sat down next to her. She was silent.

Aiden let minutes pass before he spoke. "What did you remember?"

Skye buried her head in her knees. "Oh god, Aiden...I'm..." She looked up at him. "I'm a bad person."

"What did you remember?"

"It's the feeling in my gut, oh god, in my chest — it's horrible, bitter — but the memory," she paused, searching for the memory and the words. "It's so foggy."

"Try. What happened?"

"It doesn't make any sense," Skye shook her head, flummoxed at what she was seeing flash in her mind. "I was on a train, but not on a train in a passenger car or a subway, it was a rail car, I guess, sitting in a big empty box like a hobo — but it's so unclear — it was dirty, smelly — why would I be there, who hops trains anymore?"

Aiden shrugged, "People still do it, and it would explain how you even came to be in the area, if not by car or bus. So you're on a train, then what?"

Skye rubbed her temples, her eyes closed. "I'm sleeping, and barking — it's a frenzy — wakes me up — Rafe is going nuts. I'm having a hard time seeing in the dark. I finally see Rafe just as he gets pushed out the big opening of the car. And then I hear him yelp, I guess as he hits ground. I can't tell how fast the train is going."

Skye stopped. The flashes in her mind began to make sense. Aiden waited for a minute, watching her face turn horrified as the memories took shape behind closed eyes. He prodded her on. "What do you see?"

Her voice was quiet and slow. "I stand up, and this guy...he's big...is coming at me. I'm looking around, but we're the only two in the car." She gasped. "Oh god, he's opening his pants and he's laughing. The laugh — it's wicked — wicked and disgusting."

Skye shuddered, her closed eyes squeezing even tighter. "He's getting closer and closer. I get up and run, try to dive around him to the opening, but he catches my arm and throws me onto the ground. He's on top of me now, and I'm not even screaming. I can't. His breath. It's on me, on my face, foul and sticky. I'm hitting and shoving and kicking. And I still can't scream. But he's so heavy...and my breath is gone...and he's grabbing me...I remember my knife. It's in my back pocket. He's ripping at my jeans. My hand gets back there and I have the handle."

Skye was silent. Aiden didn't let her hesitate. He pushed her on. "And?"

Her voice shook. "The knife went into his gut, and the sound, oh my god, the sound. And I did it again and again." Skye started convulsing as her stomach upended. Her eyes flew open as she stood up and managed to take a couple steps before dropping to her knees, vomiting.

She collapsed back onto ground, her face buried in her knees. The silence of the mountain surrounded them. It stretched on and on. The only sound, aside from the occasional bird, was Skye's labored breathing.

"I'm a monster."

The softly said words hung in the air for a moment before they sank into Skye's own mind. She pushed herself up to her feet. "You can't have me here. I have to leave."

Aiden was quick to grab her wrist. "Skye, sit. You're not leaving. You did what you needed to do to protect yourself, and, frankly, the bastard had it coming. That doesn't make you a bad person."

He pulled her down. She slipped back to the ground, not having the energy to fight him. Her eyes met his. "No, you don't understand. I'm not explaining it well."

"Tell me."

She pulled her wrist from his hand and took a deep breath, afraid to go on. She exhaled with words tumbling out. "I know what you're saying is true, logically, and I accept that. But it was something else. When I stabbed him, it was the feeling. Deep inside." Her body shuttered as her eyes closed, trying to shake the feeling loose. "It was — I don't know — it wasn't just anger — it was a rage that took me over and I couldn't control it. It was in every ounce of my body. Every pore. I was going to stab and stab and stab him. And I knew I was going to do it. And he was begging me to stop. But it was so much hate...deep, deep in me — in my core. It was like I was in a trance, but I wasn't. And I don't know why. And I didn't have any pity."

She paused, eyes shut tight as the memory flashed again behind her lids. "And then I heard a train whistle. It jarred me and I stopped, and then turned and jumped."

"Was he alive when you jumped?"

Skye slowly shook her head. "I...I don't know. It was dark. And I didn't even look back at him. I just had to jump to get away from this, this...hell...that took me over." She looked up at Aiden with sudden hope. "Maybe it was it a dream? Do I just not remember?"

Aiden's finger pointed at the blade on the ground. "I doubt it." He wasn't going to encourage false hope. "The blood is a pretty clear indicator that something happened. And I doubt a dream would have produced this detailed and emotional reaction from you."

Skye nodded, solemn. She knew it was true. "I do need to leave. You don't want me here and I can't explain this Mary. You and your friends have been so kind, and I can't drag you into whatever I've created."

"Which is why you need to stay," Aiden's voice was calm and completely rational. "You don't know who you are, what you've created, what you do for money, why you were on a train in the mountains, why you were traveling with a dog, where you were going. The list is endless. Not knowing any of those things, being closest to the place where you lost your memory is the best chance you have — right here is the only connection you have to your memories."

Skye knew what he was saying had solid reasoning, but she couldn't squash the thought that she should bolt. Why should she trust him? Trust these people? Trust herself?

And that's really what it was. The realization struck her so suddenly she couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "I'm scared of who I am — I don't even want to be with me."

The awkward words hung in the air. Skye wished she could take them back, or cover by saying something more, but she had nothing.

It was silent as Aiden considered what she said. Then he said simply, "No matter the past, you are whomever you choose to be."

Skye's eyebrows rose, she wasn't expecting philosophical thoughts from this man. "It's that easy, is it?"

Aiden shrugged. "No, but it should be." He gave her a half smile. "You'll stay?"

Skye found herself nodding yes, not anticipating the sharp flood of relief that ran through her with the decision. She gave Aiden a cautious smile. "I just hope you don't regret keeping me here."

His smile broadened, at once, protective and reassuring. "I'll worry about that."

She believed him.

# { Chapter 4 }

It was three days of nothing before Skye convinced Charlotte that she should be given the go ahead for physical activity and to get out of the house. The ranch was expansive and exquisite in its decor, while still managing homey comfort, but part of that mountain retreat charm hinged on the fact that it was cut off — no televisions, no internet, not even cell phone coverage.

Mary had tomes and tomes lining her library, most of it historical or philosophical, which did not take kindly with Skye's ongoing aching head. The place was built on solitude. And even while Rafe faithfully padded about the empty house with Skye, the solitude was amplified by the fact that, Mary, Aiden, and Triaten were mostly absent from the main house, getting the ranch ready for the upcoming tourist season. Apparently there were trails to clear, land to clean up after the snow melt, fences to fix, and new horses to break in.

It had only been in the evenings, when Charlotte brought food up from town and gathered up Aiden, Mary, and Triaten for late dinners, that Skye had any company aside from Rafe.

Skye did manage to learn a bit about the town and life here in the mountains, as both Charlotte and Triaten were born talkers, and loved to tell stories of their life growing up in the town, Brigton. It was a gambling town, born in the Colorado gold rush days, and while sleepy in the wintertime — there were no major ski resorts in close proximity — the summer tourism season brought a healthy economy to the mountain town.

After dinner, on day three, Charlotte checked Skye's stitches, and with no dizziness or faintness to report, okayed Skye to get out of the house.

Skye was grateful, for all the hard work going on around her as she rested in the house was creating a suffocating guilt. Mary had taken her in, given her food and shelter, and Skye was jumping out of her skin wanting to, at the very least, do whatever she could to help around the ranch.

The next morning, Rafe nuzzled her awake at the break of dawn. By the time she had brushed her teeth, braided her hair, thrown on a tank and jeans courtesy of Charlotte, and made her way down to the kitchen, Aiden and Triaten were almost done with the food on their plates, and Mary was putting her plate in the sink.

"Morning, love." Triaten was the first to spot her paused at the door. He motioned toward the skillet on the stove. "Grab some eggs."

"Good morning." Skye went to the back door and let Rafe out, then grabbed some food. "What can I do to help today?" she asked awkwardly, not to anyone in particular, as she sat down. Mary had given her a warm smile when she walked in, but Aiden had barely looked up from his food.

Mary set some coffee in front of Skye. "Really dear, are you sure you're ready? It would keep me out of worry if you rested a few more days."

"No, I feel fine." She took a bite of the cheese, ham, and egg scramble. "There is no reason I can't help out now. My brain may not be working right, but my arms and legs are fine. And I'm guessing I can take direction pretty well. Whatever you need, I'm up for it."

"Do you think you can ride a horse?" Triaten paused. "Not that you would remember..." his voice trailed off.

Skye shrugged. "Maybe, it doesn't seem too hard, but I'm not sure if that means that I have any experience, or not."

"Triaten, I don't think we should have her on a horse right away." Aiden leaned back from his food and spoke his first words of the morning with a glare at Triaten. "Charlotte would probably prefer —"

"You know just as well as I that Charlotte would recommend getting the body moving again as soon as possible," Triaten wasted no time in cutting Aiden off. "And she gave her the all-clear last night. Plus, sending her out with you would give me a chance to help Mary with the fencing out on the east boundary, which needs attention sooner rather than later."

"Oh yes, that would be good," Mary chimed in.

Aiden's ongoing glare was his reply.

Triaten turned toward Skye. "Do you think you're up to try riding up some trails? We're working our way through the trails, clearing rock slides and whatever trees may have come down over the winter. Shouldn't be too rough on you, Aiden will take care of the heavy loads."

Skye bolstered a smile. "I'm willing to do whatever. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough if I've been on a horse, and hopefully this will go much better than the last time I did something I had no business doing."

The reference to the misguided kayaking expedition coaxed a half-smirk from Aiden.

Triaten nodded, "Finish your eggs and let's get you out there, then."

Mary and Triaten set off right away on four-wheelers from the barn after loading up materials. It took about a half-hour for Aiden and Skye to get the horses saddled, and loaded with their gear, a chainsaw, ropes, crowbars, and shovels. They would be going further up the mountain in the opposite direction of Triaten and Mary.

Once underway, it was clear in short order that, no, Skye had never been near a horse, much less on one. But Aiden had taken no chances this time, and had put her on the most docile horse at the ranch, one that excelled at following and nothing more.

An hour of gentle swaying on her horse up the trail, Skye finally felt comfortable enough to loosen her white-knuckle grip on the reins. She hadn't minded the silence of nature as they traveled up the rocky path, flanked tight with aspen and pines. Rafe was thriving, speeding ahead of the horses, and then bounding back to the pair, tongue hanging out.

The pink eventually returned to her hands, and though Skye's concentration on staying atop her horse was still consuming, she managed to tear her eyes away from the sandy-brown mane of her horse and take in her surroundings. Mostly, the towering figure on the horse in front of her.

Aiden's choice of horse seemed to fit him, or at least what Skye had discerned about him so far. Tall, with an imposing muscular build. Controlled calm concealing an energy Skye couldn't quite figure out. He hadn't given her much to go on since he had convinced her to stay. Not hardly five words to her in the last few days. It still wasn't clear if he was just mildly annoyed by her presence or truly didn't like her.

Skye watched his wide shoulders move with ease as he guided his horse, a hand resting on his thigh. He didn't sway with the horse, as she could feel herself doing. He was solid, commanding the dark steed effortlessly. She didn't think he had looked back at her even once, and that told her conversation was not going to be a part of this day.

It wasn't long before they came to their first stop, a downed tree that had taken some of the rocky terrain with it across the pass. Aiden made quick work of the trunk of the tree with the chainsaw, while Skye cleared the path of rogue branches. It felt good to use muscles that had sat idle for days.

Three more downed tree clumps were cleared with a crisp total of twenty-three words from Aiden, all of them task-orientated. Around noon, the pair arrived at an impassable rock slide. Skye was starving, having now realized she hadn't eaten enough at breakfast to sustain her through all the physical activity.

Aiden dismounted in front of her. "We'll have to be more strategic with a rock slide like this," he said, pointing at the tall pile of rock and debris in front of them. "We should be able to clear it, but it'll be important to do so carefully. We don't want to cause a secondary slide."

He tied his horse loosely to a nearby tree, then grabbed the reins of Skye's horse and extended a hand up behind her as she dismounted. When her feet hit the ground, her legs buckled slightly. Aiden's hand at the small of her back steadied her.

Concern crinkled his brow. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, fine." Skye took a step away from him to prove it.

Aiden's jaw shifted in concentration as he scrutinized her, diagnosing. Skye shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. A decision made in his mind, he brought Skye's horse to a nearby tree and secured it. "Let's get some water and eat first, before we tackle the pile," he said, unstrapping the food bag from Skye's horse.

They sat on several boulders jutting out from the high side of the trail. The silence they ate in was nothing new, and Skye didn't mind, as the nature that surrounded them seemed to demand the quiet. Voices in these woods cut through the air awkwardly.

So it startled Skye when Aiden spoke.

"You need to stop that."

Skye didn't have a clue. She looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"With Rafe," he pointed at the dog hugged up tight next to Skye. "I've watched you for three days, eat half your food, then stop and feed him the rest. I don't think you even know you do it."

"No, I don't do..." Skye looked down at the wax paper the sandwiches had been wrapped in. Her eyes turned sheepish as she realized that she had started off with two halves of a turkey cranberry sandwich. She remembered eating the first half, but the second half was gone.

She looked down at Rafe. He was sniffing at the crumbs on her lap. Her gaze shifted to Aiden. "I do, really?" she asked.

He chuckled at her blushed cheeks. "Yep, you do. It's no wonder you almost fainted when you got off your mare. You're already skin and bones, and sharing the food that would put some muscle on you, and at the very least, keep you upright, does you no good."

Her hand slid into the scruff of Rafe's neck. She sighed. "I can't apologize for it. He's mine. I guess I don't have any other explanation."

Aiden put the uneaten half of his own sandwich on Skye's lap. "For you, not the dog." He punctuated his words with a stern look at Rafe. Rafe stared back at Aiden, then gave a disgruntled whimper and laid down.

"No, I can't take your lunch." Skye tried to hand it back to Aiden.

"You can. And I can easily stand to go without a couple meals. You on the other hand, will be no good to me the rest of the day if you don't eat something else."

Skye knew she wasn't going to win, so took a bite of the sandwich as reply. It was enough assurance for Aiden, and he got up and went over to the horses. As she made her way through the rest of the sandwich, she watched Aiden unload the gear. She was startled that he had noted something about herself that she hadn't even realized she was doing. It was disconcerting, and only amplified the loss she was feeling at having no memory.

She knew nothing of her own habits, her own likes, dislikes. What she knew or didn't. What she was good or bad at. It was constant discombobulation of her mind and body. It's why she didn't mind the fact that Aiden seemed to only speak orders to her, instead of conversation. She wasn't even sure what kind of conversations she could hold.

Rafe was quick to his feet as Skye stood up. Aiden was a machine, she knew that much of him from watching him this morning. He was efficient and didn't dawdle. And strong. Some of the tree brush she had struggled with because of weight, contrasted with piles five-fold larger than her own, that Aiden had easily lifted and hurled.

He was already moving some of the smaller rubble that had spilled away from the main rock slide, a mix of trees, roots, boulders and craggy rocks. Skye pulled her work gloves on and started moving rock.

It was the first sweat Skye had seen on Aiden, and it had taken three long hours of moving rocks and debris to produce it. It looked good on him. He was a man that thrived on athleticism. Picking up rocks and heaving them.

And as exhausted as Skye was, she kept moving. She didn't want to break his stride, nor did she want to disappoint, now that she was being allowed to help and return some of the kindness for taking her in. But it was hard work, and her muscles were already punishing her with pain. She couldn't have been more grateful when Aiden finally announced he was satisfied with the clearing of the path, and that the rest of the slide coming from the sharp hillside was stabilized.

He shoved a water bottle into Skye's hand, as he had done every half hour at the rock pile. "Drink up. I can't have you dehydrated and falling off your horse."

Skye straightened up, hand on her hip, and arched her back, cracking her spine back into place. She gulped down half the bottle. Wiping the sweat beads off her brow, she looked up the trail. It veered to the left out of view as it hugged the curve of the mountain. She pointed with the pinkie of the hand holding the bottle. "Are we continuing up the trail?" She tried, but didn't manage to hide the pure fatigue in her voice.

He looked up the way, then glanced back at Skye, taking her in. "No," he took a sip of his water, "we made good progress today."

Skye knew he was giving her a pass. "I don't want to hold you back..." her voice petered out. She couldn't bring herself to offer to continue up the trail.

"Quite alright. I still have some things to take care of at the shop today." He suddenly laughed at Skye's face. "Don't look so relieved. We'll be heading back up here tomorrow."

She smiled. It was hard not to, given the infectious sound of Aiden's laugh, but mostly, she was grateful. "Deal."

Gear packed, they had just gotten on their horses and were headed back down the trail when an elk and her calf passed in front of them. The animals picked their way up the side of the mountain, nibbling at new spring growth by their feet. They followed what looked like a newly carved animal trail that went up and around, Skye guessed, the rock slide they had just cleared. Skye was fascinated as they slowly lumbered by, not intimidated at all by the horses and her and Aiden.

Rafe, on the other hand, went nuts. He was just coming out of the woods, and as soon as he caught sight of them, he tore up the slope with teeth gnashing and ferocious barking. Still a good distance away, the elk sprung off their strong hind legs, easily scampering up the hillside past the rock slide area. They quickly disappeared out of view, but Rafe didn't halt, instead, barreling in the most direct route after them — right over the rock slide.

He bounded over the boulders that had come down with the rock slide, and in an instant, one loose rock was kicked, and that was the start of a rocky avalanche. In a horrifying wave of dirt, rock and dust, the hillside came down. Rafe was in the middle of it.

Skye was off her horse and at the pile before the dust cleared and the rocks stopped smashing into their new positions.

Then there was silence. The dust hung in the air, not moving.

Her eyes burning from the dirt, Skye dove onto the pile. Frantic, she heaved rocks, searching desperately, praying for her hands to touch some tuft of fur. An ear. A tail. Anything.

No vision through the dusty haze, Skye could nonetheless feel Aiden right next to her, hurling rocks the same as her, outpacing her ten-fold. She could vaguely hear his voice, but couldn't make out any words — her ears only held vacant muffles after the deafening clashing of rock, and she was so consumed with finding Rafe, nothing was penetrating her mind. Terrifying desperation gripped her as the dust began to clear, and she saw in reality the monstrous pile she was in the thick of. Aiden would not let her get more than an arm's length away from him. She moved desperately from spot to spot, Aiden always right next to her.

Finally, she felt what she prayed was a paw. She clawed at the rocks around it. It was Rafe's leg. She screamed for Aiden to help. He was by her in an instant. Rafe was buried.

In a frenzy, Skye ripped rocks away from Rafe. Aiden shoved off an enormous boulder wedged over the dog. Rafe was clear of the debris, but a rumble had started with the last boulder, and the ground beneath Skye and Aiden began to shift.

In a split-second, before Skye could even comprehended what was happening, Aiden grabbed her in one arm and Rafe in the other and dove the three of them off the rock pile. They landed in a rolling, thudding mess of limbs and fur. Just clear, the rock slide gained fury, and continued to roll down the mountain side, ripping up trees on its way.

Rocks were still crashing as Skye untangled herself from Aiden, grabbing Rafe from his grip as she sat up. Rafe's body was limp. Her legs tucked under her, she pulled Rafe's head onto her lap. She leaned down and buried her face in the fur by his ear, whispering desperately to him, searching for signs of life. There was no motion. Blood, fur, and dirt mashed over every piece of his body. She reached down to his chest, hoping against hope that she could find some beating through his fur. His legs lay crooked and broken in the dirt.

No sign of life.

Skye looked up at Aiden, raw, painful pleading in her eyes. Tears stained paths through the layer of dirt on her face. "Help him."

Aiden could only look at Skye.

She ignored the hopeless look in his face. She wasn't going to give up. "Help him."

Aiden bent over, running his hands over Rafe. It was clear he was dead. He looked up at Skye, shaking his head.

His voice was hoarse. "Skye, there's nothing I can do."

She shoved Aiden away.

"No, no, no," she screamed, her hands gripped tight into Rafe's fur. She wasn't going to let him go. "No, I have to get him back. I have to get him back." Her head buried into his neck and her whole body heaved with sobs.

"Rafe just come back, just come back," she begged. "Just come back." Her whole body shook in agony. "I just need time to go back. I just need time to go back. I just need time to go —"

In a blink, Skye was atop her horse watching the elk amble up the hill. And the barking started as Rafe scrambled by her. Instantly, Skye shot out a piercing whistle. Rafe screeched to a halt halfway up the hill. The dog turned and looked down at her curiously, then, elk forgotten, bounded back down the hill happily, tongue flopping out the side of his mouth.

"Oh, shit." she heard Aiden whisper next to her.

It was then that she realized what had just happened. She looked back up the trail. The rocks were exactly as they had cleared them. The elk were gone. Rafe was by her side. The last twenty minutes had just disappeared.

She looked over at Aiden. Her voice shook. "What the hell just happened?"

His face was more serious than she had ever seen it. "There are some things I need to tell you."

# { Chapter 5 }

Aiden nudged his horse down the trail.

"Aiden, stop," Skye yelled at his back. She was freaked out. "What the hell was that and what the hell do you need to tell me?"

He looked back at her over his shoulder. "I'm not going to tell you on horseback. Your horse is going to follow mine, so take a moment to relax, and we'll be there in five minutes."

Skye was beyond annoyed when her horse, on cue, started to plod along behind his. "Get to where?"

He didn't look back.

"Aiden, this is ridiculous, I am freaking out here!"

Nothing from him.

"I swear I'm going to jump off this horse if you don't stop and talk to me."

Not even a glance back.

Skye twisted her reins in frustration. He knew she couldn't control her horse and that she wasn't going to jump — there was no room on this portion of trail. So she directed all her attention to Rafe trotting along between her and Aiden's horses. Her heart was still raw and broken by what had happened, no matter that he was actually alive and happy in front of her right now.

True to his word, five minutes passed, and Aiden had veered off the main trail. The horses went down several switchbacks on the slope, coming out of the woods into a clearing by the river. Fear tightened Skye's chest when she saw the rapid water. She still had a hard time believing she had ever gotten near to it.

Aiden helped her down from her horse in silence. Skye stepped from him and the horses, walking across the clearing to hug the treeline. She wasn't going to be any closer to the water than necessary.

Arms crossed, she glared at Aiden as he walked over to her. Her emotions were so frayed at this point, she had little patience for his lack of urgency about what had just happened.

"What the hell was that?"

"Honestly Skye, I know — but I don't know. I've never seen what just happened, before. I've only heard the lore of it."

"The lore? Who says that? You have some Brothers Grimm tales for me?" She waved her hand, dismissing the tangent. "Never-mind. I don't think you quite understand that I am barely holding on here."

"Rafe is dead one moment, the next, alive. What was that?" Her voice barely concealed escalating panic. "I can tell by your face I didn't imagine it. Which really is the only explanation that is possible. A dual hallucination. Something in the water. Something in the sandwich. Something in the air."

"Skye, sit."

"No."

Her eyes bore into him. He was standing in front of her. Lording over her. And silent. She was not going to let him stall. Her words were punctuated with testy crispness. "Tell, me, now."

Aiden relented. He avoided her look as his eyes shifted to the water. "I didn't want to do this alone. Triaten and Charlotte are much better with words. With explanations. We weren't even sure we were going to have to tell you anything."

"You still haven't told me a damn thing."

He looked back at her. His blue eyes searched her face, the silver flecks in them seeming to vibrate. It was clear he was choosing his next words carefully. "Do you know anything about mythology?"

Skye looked at him oddly. "Zeus, Hera, Hercules, Clash of the Titans." She shrugged. "That sums it up I think, but clearly I'm not remembering a lot right now. Why in the world would you ask — what does it have to do with what happened back there?"

Aiden took a deep breath. "The gods still exist."

Skye couldn't hold the blurting laugh in. "Gods? That's your explanation? Really Aiden, stop stalling. I am this," she held up her thumb and forefinger together as her voice intensified, "close to cracking here. I don't have any memories, I had a concussion, no one knows who I am or how I got here, my dog dies, and then a moment later he's alive. You know something, but aren't telling me. Am I conscious? Am I slipping in and out of reality? What is really happening here?"

Aiden grabbed Skye's shoulders. "Skye, you need to sit down."

She pushed his hands off her and stepped backward. "Don't tell me to sit." She was angry, demanding, now. Words barely made it through her gritted teeth. "Tell me what is going on."

His eyes didn't leave her face. And he reflected none of the angst that Skye was throwing his way. Calmness framed his face. "The gods exist. I'm one of them. Triaten is one. Charlotte is one." He stepped in close to her, his voice low. "And you are one."

Skye's head slowly shook back and forth. She staggered away from Aiden. "Oh shit, you're crazy. I'm stuck here with a crazy man." She ran over to her horse, muttering to herself. "I am so screwed. I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here." Rafe was right by her side. She untied the reins from the tree and got her foot in the stirrup.

Aiden grabbed her arm just as she had pulled herself half up. He yanked her down. Rafe was between the two instantly, facing Aiden with teeth bared and the low, deadly growl of a dog about to attack. Before the dog could jump and strike, Aiden silently put his hand up, palm right in Rafe's face. The growl stopped, and the teeth disappeared as the dog stared at Aiden. Aiden didn't move his hand until Rafe whimpered and scurried off to the other side of the horse, training a wary eye on the pair.

Skye's eyes flew furiously to the trail behind her, then to the raging river in front of her. Aiden wasn't going to let her leave. And she knew she didn't have a chance of outrunning him. All of her anger turned to fear. Her hand went up between them. "Aiden, just..." She didn't even know what to say, what to ask of this crazy man.

He stepped back from her, giving her a small sliver of space. He rubbed the stubble on his jaw. "Dammit, Skye, this is going badly. I know it's a lot to take in."

"That it turns out you're crazy? You're right, it is a lot to take in." Her arms crossed against her chest, her stance wide. Half protecting, half posturing.

Aiden scruffed the back of his neck, and looked around like he was searching for a new tactic. He managed to soften up his face as he looked back at Skye. "Okay, here's the deal. I'm not letting you leave here until you listen to me. For real, listen to me, without jumping to crazy conclusions. We both know I won't have any trouble physically keeping you here, so Skye, please, just make it easy on yourself. Come and sit." He extended his hand out to her.

Skye felt momentarily helpless, then full-out pissed as she looked up at Aiden. She was infuriated. He was bigger, stronger. And he was abusing his physical superiority over her. What was he going to do next? What was he capable of? She ignored his hand and stalked past him, going back to the tree line. She sat on a big smooth rock. Rafe followed closely at her heels, leaning into her calf when he laid down next to her. Her hand sweeping dramatically, she didn't bother to cover the derision in her voice. "Have at it, then."

He came up to her slowly, then crouched in front of her. "You're just going to have to listen to the story, will you give me that?"

Skye didn't want to have to, but nodded yes.

"The gods, Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, the whole lot of them, did exist — not necessarily with those names — those came later — but they did exist. And they — we — are not gods — that's a label man put on us long ago, when they decided worshipping was better than accepting the differences. Mankind likes to be on top of the pecking order, and we don't fit neatly into that scenario. Calling us gods was the only way they could justify our existence. Amongst our own, we're actually called Panthenites."

Aiden was so serious, Skye didn't dare interrupt his story.

"And the original Panthenites had offspring. Throughout ancient times, throughout the past millennium, through today, their offspring still exist. Some are pure-blood, some are human half-breeds. Several centuries ago, the core group of elders decided the ancient lands didn't suit their needs, nor their need for anonymity. Even though the Panthenites had long since fallen out of favor as worshiping material, there were always crazy zealots around. And the human populations were exploding in Europe.

"So they came across the ocean and found this mountain, reminding them of their ancient birthplace. They moved, for lack of a better description, all core operations to this mountain. The Panthenites that exist today, live all over the world, but all of them come from this mountain." He pointed back at the stream. "They enchanted these waters, and we are all baptized in this river. Our powers are born of it, awakened by being plunged into it."

Skye was incredulous by the time he paused. "It's an intriguing story, Aiden, but it's just that, a story. You do realize you're asking me to believe in a fairy tale."

"Fairy tales are completely different matter." He leaned back on his heels and turned, sitting down next to her. "Listen, Skye, what I'm asking is that you open your mind to the possibility that the world isn't necessarily what you think it is. That's all."

Aiden was quiet, not looking at Skye, not pressuring her. They sat in silence, listening to the rushing water, the bristle of the trees against each other, squirrels chattering.

Finally Skye broke. "Alright, tell me the rest of the story."

Aiden hid a smile, she wasn't there yet, but it was a start. "With the move to the new mountain, the elders also came with a purpose to regain control over the offspring — over lineage. The Panthenites had been running rampant, inherited powers were becoming unpredictable, weakened in a lot of cases. There were numerous human-Panthenite babies, we call them half-breeds, which brought its own set of issues — how do you explain and train powers when you add the human element into the mix? And then what do those half-breeds do with those powers, when their alliance is suspect? It was a crucial crossroad. The Panthenites were, effectively, facing extinction if they were to do nothing."

"They would become extinct because they bred with humans?" Skye asked.

Aiden smiled. He had her now. "Not just. That part only weakened the species. The true threat Panthenites were under came from the Malefics. Evil counterparts, if you will. During that same period of time the elders had come to the new land, the Malefics had harnessed their powers and expanded their force, and were poised to destroy what was left of the Panthenites."

Skye was completely engaged in the story now. "So what did they do?"

Aiden shrugged. "They fought, evaded, and they bought enough time to undertake a concentrated effort to regain control of powers, to pull the pure Panthenites back into the fold, and to create new generations of offspring born with stronger and superior powers."

"Which brings us to today, I suppose," Skye said. "So if you're a Panthenite, what power do you have?"

Sounding almost embarrassed, Aiden looked down at Skye, seriousness carving his face. "I'm really strong."

"Hercules strong?" Skye couldn't help but smirk a tease.

"About five times as strong. He was only a half-breed — Zeus and a human woman — if you remember anything about mythology. And I can control weather, kind of. Only for short periods of time and not always consistently, but it's a minor power I have."

"So the rocks you've been moving today, like grains of sand for you?"

"A little bit."

"So I was holding you back today?"

Aiden flashed a benevolent smile. "Maybe a touch. But I wasn't planning on having this conversation with you today, so I wasn't about to scare you off with my awesome strength."

Skye laughed. "Okay, prove it."

His eyebrow cocked.

She wasn't going to let it go without some proof. She looked at him seriously. "Aiden, you're asking me to take a lot in, here. I don't think it's ridiculous to ask for a little shred of proof in this instance."

With a sigh, he got up and walked silently over to a boulder half sticking out of the ground by the river. The rock was as wide as his fingertip-to-fingertip arm span, and the part sticking out of the ground was about half the height of him. Without a lot of effort, he bent down and grabbed the boulder at the base, rocked it back and forth, ripped it from the ground, lifted it, and tossed it to the middle of the river.

The water rushed around the jutting stone, now climbing higher on the banks of the river outside of it. It didn't take a moment for Skye to realize Aiden had effectively, altered the course of the river, and without even a grunt.

When he turned around to Skye, her mouth was agape. She had no words for what she just saw. Her eyes were trained on Aiden as he walked back over to her, casually sitting back down on a rock next to her, stretching out his legs in front of him. He casually dusted some of the dirt from the boulder off his black shirt, then looked at her.

Wordlessly, he leaned over and his forefinger went under her chin, gently closing her gaping mouth. Redness flushed Skye's cheeks. She knew she looked like an idiot.

Her eyes shifted quickly away from him, flustered. She stared at the boulder in the water, her head mindlessly bobbing. "Wow. That was simple and effective."

She looked back over at him. "Okay, that was some good proof, I guess."

Aiden looked down at her, his brow slightly perplexed, "You're not frightened?"

"Do I need to be?"

"No."

"What about Charlotte and Triaten?" Skye asked.

Aiden smiled. It was clear that this shift in realities hadn't really fazed Skye. She wasn't scared, she wasn't disbelieving, she was just curious.

"Triaten is strong — not as strong as me, to his continued disappointment — but that's more a minor power with him anyways. He is a mind reader, that's his primary skill."

Skye looked a little shocked. The rock was suddenly uncomfortable beneath her. She shifted. "He can read minds?"

Aiden laughed. "Yes, and I know what you're thinking, and I'm not even a mind reader." His hand squeezed her knee reassuringly. "He could read you for the first couple days, but then he lost you."

"He lost me?"

"Triaten can read strangers flawlessly, but if he knows you too closely — any sort of emotional attachment good or bad — he loses the ability with that person."

"And?" Apprehension was in her voice.

"And no worries — there were no reports of unsavory wanderings of the mind. He knows about the train and the stabbing — said you were repeating it over and over in your mind, but he's of the same opinion as me on that one. Other than that, he only saw a whole lot of questions without answers."

"So he isn't able to read me — or you?"

Aiden couldn't hide a good-natured smirk. "Luckily, no."

"Mary, you didn't mention her. Is she a Panthenite?"

"Mary's a half-breed. She's lived somewhat of a shunned life because of it. Not allowed to have children, hence her unbounded mothering of Charlotte, Triaten and myself. She can speak to most animals, though. Which is useful on the ranch."

"So what about Charlotte, what can she do?"

Aiden looked out at the water, his eyes softened. "Charlotte is a healer."

"Yes, she's a doctor, but what is her power — oh," Skye interrupted herself, "you mean she can do more than the average set-a-bone, here's some aspirin?"

He nodded. "Check the back of your head."

Skye's fingers dove into the thick of her hair underneath her ponytail. Her fingertips searched and searched. She couldn't find the cut where the stitches were. Perplexed, she looked up at Aiden, question on her face.

"Granted, you should be a quick healer now regardless, but Charlotte did speed things up a bit."

"Why did she bother to become a doctor if she has this power?"

"She relied on her power for years, but she eventually came to the conclusion she would be more effective if she could discern between when her power was actually needed, and what would heal naturally on its own." He paused and Skye saw Aiden's eyes go cloudy, preoccupied, as he talked about Charlotte. "She is now more of the persuasion to leave mankind to its own limitations, whether that be physically or in mind."

Skye wasn't sure if Aiden agreed with Charlotte's assertion of mankind, but she could tell there was something more about Charlotte that Aiden wasn't telling her. His pensive face was proof of that. But Skye was exhausted, and decided she could find out whatever Aiden was holding back at another time. Plus, she was starving.

She stood up. "Okay, you've got me. I believe you. But I'm also famished, so I would love to get back to the ranch and eat something. Then you can tell me more."

Startled, Aiden moved to his feet next to her. "Really? You want to go?"

She looked up at him, unsure. "Yes," she drew the word out slowly, not sure it was the right answer for whatever Aiden was hinting at.

He began to stroll over to the horses. "No more questions?" he asked casually as the pair and Rafe walked.

"Noooo...." Skye answered, again the word drawn out in question. And then it hit her. "Buggers — me!" She thwacked his arm. "You ass — what about me?" She couldn't believe she had utterly forgotten how this all started.

He laughed. "I was wondering when we would get to that. But you're right, I'm hungry too, so we should get going." He grabbed her horse's reins.

"Oh, no you don't." She grabbed the reins from his hands. "You need to tell me what's going on with me."

They stood by the horses. Aiden's words weren't coming at their usual crisp, no-nonsense pace. He was hedging.

"And?" Skye prodded.

"You, well," he searched for words. "Frankly, I don't know how to classify it. Do you remember when you overhead me telling Mary about the flash of light under the water as I was pulling you out of the river?"

Skye nodded.

"That's what happens when the Panthenites are baptized in the river. But I've only seen it with the babies — known entities. It's never happened to an adult that I know of."

"So what does that mean?"

He hedged again.

Skye read his face. "You don't know, do you?"

Aiden shrugged. "Until you remember who you are, where you came from...well...we won't know who you were born from, where you've been all this time and why, and the reasons you weren't given your powers long ago."

Skye dropped the reins and rubbed her temples. "Not to put more pressure on me."

"Sorry, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions, and right now there is a lot we need to do."

She looked up at him suspiciously. "Like what?"

"For one, we need to really figure out what you can do. Clearly it starts with time manipulation."

"You honestly think I can control time?"

Aiden's eyes brightened as he nodded. "I know you don't realize it, you have no context for it, but Skye, it's amazing. You're amazing — you have a power I've only heard about — no one I know has ever seen it in a Panthenite or a Malefic." Excitement was in his voice. It was the most animated Skye had ever seen him.

"There have been tales of it," he continued, "but it has been so many years, so many centuries since it last existed, and history sometimes changes through the ages. We really don't even know if it truly ever existed. And most Panthenites I know don't tend to believe it ever really was a power."

He stopped himself and grasped both of her arms, his face serious again as he looked down at her. "Skye, you have the power to change time. You might not know how you did it. But you have the power. I saw it. You saw it."

His face was close to hers. "Tell me you believe it."

Skye squirmed. This was so much to wrap her head around. But what else was she supposed to do? She met his look, her honesty blatant. "Aiden, I don't know what happened. But I don't have any other explanation. So until a different one shows up, I'm going to have to believe what you're saying as true."

He stared hard at her, silent, reading her face, her eyes. Satisfied with what he saw, his hands loosened on her arms and he gave her a crisp nod. He turned to her horse and picked up the reins again.

"Still hungry?" he asked. His voice was light.

Skye nodded, but her face was ashen. Her stomach suddenly felt like a rock had been planted in it. It was clear that Aiden's seriousness a moment before meant something more than she understood, or that he was telling.

When she paused and considered it, she had no trouble naming that rock in her stomach. It was the building of terror. She wasn't scared of Aiden. Not in the least. But she was terrified about what he was going to expect of her.

And from what she just saw in his eyes, it looked like she was right to be terrified.

# { Chapter 6 }

The steel on her neck was cold, unmoving. Flat on her back, the tip of the blade held her motionless, except for the heaving of her chest. Skye looked up the length of the sword at Aiden, legs straddling her. Disappointment was on his face. She was pissed.

"Skye, you weren't concentrating and you fell for the spin again."

Sweat from her brow rolled past her eyebrow into the corner of her eye, stinging it. Skye's knuckles tightened around the hilt of the sword in her left hand. Her back was in agony, she had been slammed so many times onto it in the last four days, she was seriously considering knocking herself unconscious just to get away from Aiden.

"Get up. We're doing it again." He swung his leg over her, letting her up. His hand extended down to help her to her feet.

Disgusted with him, and herself, she ignored it, rolling off and inching herself upright on her hands and knees from the hard ground. Skye glared up at Aiden. She wasn't convinced this training was worth it, or necessary.

Aiden had barely let her sleep since they had gotten back to the ranch days ago after she moved time. What had been given to Aiden and the other Panthenites from their earliest steps — training in fighting and warfare — was a glaring deficiency in Skye. And Aiden was determined Skye catch up — stuffing a lifetime of knowledge and skill into her as quickly as he possibly could.

It was killing Skye.

She looked down at the sword in her hand. White tape wrapped around her hand, covering up the calluses on her palm that had grown bloody yesterday. The blade glinted in the late afternoon sun. Taunting her. Apparently, this was the only thing that could kill her as a Panthenite. Sure, she could be injured or maimed by traditional means. But killed? Only steel mined and forged from the original mountain birthplace of the Panthenites could accomplish that. And there were plenty of Malefics, Triaten had warned her, who would be coming after her once it was known that she could shift time. So she needed to learn how to fight — fast.

Triaten, Charlotte, and Mary had all been waiting for Skye and Aiden when they got back from the trail four days ago. While time had seemed unchanged for humans, the clock re-run Skye had created was completely visible to the Panthenites. But only Triaten, Charlotte, and Mary knew where it had most likely come from. The rest of the Panthenites around the world, including the elders, were in a tizzy trying to figure out what had happened with the time shift.

But it wasn't only the Panthenites trying to figure out the time shift. Triaten had heard rumors Malefics were converging. They too, could apparently see and remember the erased timeline.

But all that meant nothing to Skye. She wasn't born into this world, and she still only half-believed it. What she did know, was that she had just been shoved down a path, a path that meant every muscle in her body, including ones that shouldn't even exist, throbbed in pain. She was so exhausted, her vision kept going in and out of fuzziness. And Aiden didn't stop. He was Hercules, after all. Scratch that. Hercules times ten.

"Let's go." Aiden's voice was hard. He raised his sword, widening his stance. For four days, they had spent every waking moment with each other. And this was her usual viewpoint.

The cool air surrounding Skye didn't move. And the evergreens circling them in this clearing were silent, absent of the usual chirps. They weren't too far from the main house on the ranch, but it was far enough into the woods to be private.

Having made it to her feet, Skye filled her lungs, and pain shot through her ribs. She leaned on her sword. Now she couldn't even breathe. She looked at him, disgusted. Aiden and his damn sword, teaching her how to fight with a blade. The rest could hurt her, he assured, but it couldn't kill her.

Well she was hurting.

She looked over at Rafe basking in the sunlight by their water bottles. Traitor, she thought. When they had started the training, there would be anxious whimpers from him every time she hit the ground. But he never interfered or tried to get between her and Aiden. Several days into this, and Rafe didn't even lift his head now when she crashed into the ground.

Skye braced herself and looked back at Aiden. Both hands on the hilt of her blade, she forced her arms up.

He didn't even give her a moment before he advanced. Steel clashed as he came down on her, hard. Skye's block held, and she spun around Aiden's imposing form. As quick as Skye was, Aiden had turned and started an attack before she had her feet planted. She staggered backward, barely blocking each swipe of Aiden's blade. The ball of her foot found ground, and she managed to shift direction, diving under his next slash.

She crouched instead of popping up, easily blocking his next blow. Pushing back blade on blade. She jumped back, sword up at the ready. Aiden circled her slowly. She spun with him, her guard at the ready, one eye on his face, one eye on his lowered sword. He was looking for a crack in her posture. Skye wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Arms burning, circle after circle, she didn't let her arms down.

A rabbit crunched through the underbrush behind her, and in the short blink Skye took at the sound, Aiden advanced, blow after blow crashing into Skye's sword. She held on admirably, till the last blow ripped the sword out of her hands. At least she was on her feet this time. But the silver poking into her stomach took away that little bit of satisfaction. She knew what Aiden was pointing out. In his world, she was dead again.

"Dammit Skye, you never drop your sword, and if you do, the very next move you make better be to retrieve it. Retrieve it before it hits the ground." Aiden's sword was still at her belly. "Dive, fall, spin, bury your hand in your attacker's blade — anything to get back to your own sword and protect your head and heart. That's what's going to kill you — limbs will heal."

His words were clipped, scolding. "You're letting your anger take over, and that makes you ineffective at protecting your core. You're too busy looking for an opportunity to strike me."

"And why shouldn't I strike back?" Skye spat out. "You're not teaching me anything that would really help me."

Aiden's jaw flexed. "I'm teaching you to stay alive."

"Really Aiden?" She pointed in disgust at her sword lying in the scrub grass. "I block and block and block. Clearly I can only block for so long. You need to teach me — god — just teach me something other than how to get my ass kicked."

Aiden's jaw cracked to an almost imperceptible smile at her words. But his sword didn't move from her stomach. "Skye, I get what you're saying, and we'll get to that in time. But right now it's not your responsibility to kill anyone. That's my job."

"Your job?" Her arm flew up in annoyance. "And what if you're not around?"

"Not going to happen," his voice was calm. "And if I'm not there, I need you to be able to stay alive, no matter what, until I am there."

"And if you're not there, I'm dead?" Skye stared up at the white clouds dotting the blue sky, trying to hold back tears of frustration.

"Skye, look at me."

It took a long, stubborn moment for Skye's eyes to shift to Aiden. His blue eyes stormed with intensity.

"I will be there."

The words were spoken with an intent and conviction that made Skye's breath catch in her throat. There would be no more questions on this point. The words were secondary to the absoluteness in Aiden's voice, in his eyes.

Skye could only nod.

"Good." He gave her a crisp tilt of his head. "Now pick it up." The tip of his blade finally left her stomach to point at her sword still on the ground.

Skye's attention didn't shift from Aiden. She had been unprepared for what she just heard. Unprepared for the sudden mind shift in who this man — Panthenite, she corrected herself — was.

She had been going under the assumption she was unwanted baggage for him. An unfortunate burden plopped into his life that he was being forced to attend to. Charlotte had said Aiden took his responsibilities seriously, but there was something more, something deeper than mere responsibility going on with how he just looked at her.

But Skye wasn't given a second more to ponder the crack in his usual hard facade.

"Pick it up." Aiden commanded. His face was stone again.

Skye swallowed the pulsating lump in her throat. With slow deliberation, she moved her thick braid back over her shoulder and wiped her left hand on her jeans. She took a quick breath and dove, sliding across the ground at her sword. Hand in hilt, she was jerked motionless — Aiden had a foot firmly on the blade. Skye grunted as the muscles in her arm strained when she yanked it back. Freeing the blade, she got to her feet in a crouch. Aiden gave the smallest smile, and advanced on her.

Her eyes darted around for the best defensive spot. She ran to the middle of the clearing, spinning and blocking Aiden's swing just as he caught up to her. He went low on her, knowing it was her weakest defense point. Skye jumped back, Aiden pounced. He drove her around the circle of the clearing, and she was quick, managing to completely avoid several of his blows by darting randomly. Her boots kicked up weeds and dirt. Five rapid blows came down on her steel, pushing her to the limit, but she managed a last-ditch spin back to the center of the clearing.

Aiden gave her a quick nod of approval. Skye clung to that tiniest encouragement. He came at her faster than ever, sword high over his shoulder. Skye braced her legs, right foot back, and with hand in hilt and the other on the end of her blade, she blocked his vicious blow right above her head.

Aiden didn't pull back, their swords were locked in an x — his pushing down hard on hers. Sword struggled against sword. Aiden pressed down, his might powering the tangled blades toward Skye. Every muscle strained in Skye as she pushed back against Aiden's sword.

The cross of the swords got closer and closer to Skye's forehead. Aiden's face was inches from hers, forehead not even creased in the little effort it took to overpower Skye. Their eyes were locked. His breath was hot, intermingling with hers. They were frozen in fierce struggle, Aiden with overwhelming power, Skye with unrelenting stubbornness.

But he was too casual in comparison to every ounce of Skye straining to defend. It infuriated her. With the last shred of strength, she shoved back up on her sword. Immediately, her feet flew out from under her, as Aiden used her momentum to trip her. Crashing brutally on her arm, her sword bounced out of hand again.

She held in the painful grunt, but couldn't move, and couldn't look at Aiden. Humiliated at her weakness, she locked her jaw closed, hard — she was afraid of what would come out of her mouth if she started to say anything. Clearly the compassion she had thought she had seen in him before this last bout was nothing but a figment.

Skye could feel the ground move as he walked around her. Stalking her. Waiting to unleash his disappointment. His blade was trained at her head.

She lifted herself to her elbows. Pain flashed through her arms. Skye couldn't take another scalding from Aiden. And she knew she couldn't hold in any longer the furious tirade that had built in her gut. It didn't matter how many times they did this, with Aiden, she was always going to end up crashing to the ground. And she was done licking the dirt.

Avoiding his eyes, she pushed his blade away with purpose as she got to her feet, stalked over to the water bottles, picked one up in stride, and stomped into the woods. Her jaw was set so hard it hurt. Rafe caught up to her, and was at her heels within a few hundred feet down the trail she didn't even realize she was on. She looked back at him, annoyed. She didn't want the dog's company either — she was irate at him for lying lazily by as she got her ass handed to her again and again by Aiden. She was pretty convinced Rafe's loyalty was suspect.

Skye pulled up short as the river suddenly appeared right in front of her. Damn, were they never more than five minutes from this blasted thing? The furious blood pumping in her head had drowned out all sound, and she hadn't heard the rushing water coming.

"Seems about right." She muttered into the air. The familiar tightness of terror squeezed her chest as she looked at the water. But the angry frustration built up from the past few days held her feet in place. She wasn't going to let the water beat her too. Not at this moment.

Skye moved alongside the bank of the river. Stalking over rocks, feet squishing into cold and wet sandy pockets, she pounded up the shore until a massive wall of sheer rock blocked her path.

She kicked the slick wall of rock — not noticing or caring about the reverberating pain through her boot. Her frustration still hadn't subsided. Rafe nosed his head under her clenched fist. She glanced down at him, only to be melted by his worried eyes. Huge black globes that somehow reassured her that all would be okay, all would be well if only she gave him a little pet, a little scruff behind his ears.

Skye bent over Rafe, hand unclenching as she stroked the white stripe over his head, then scratched the plush fur right behind his ears. The dog knew what she needed. She moved away from the rock wall and leaned against a large boulder, facing the water, a hand firmly attached to Rafe's neck. Flipping open the top of the water bottle, she took huge gulps of water.

In front of her, a stepped waterfall fell and flowed along the sheer wall of jutting stone. It sliced the wall in two, with red-black striped rock continuing the same off the other side of the river. Water pounded through every level, white foam churning out from the turbulence. The sound flooded the ravine. It was hypnotic. Skye's eyes glazed over as she stared at the water. Her breathing close to normal again, she leaned her head back on the rock, letting herself close her eyes.

Without warning, images bulleted into her mind.

Skye was in the back of a car — an old wagon with a slippery vinyl bench seat. The car wasn't straight, at an angle with the tail high in the air. Skye was gripping, barely holding onto the seat, her feet wedged under the seat in front of her. The wagon rocked back and forth, and Skye could feel cold water rushing at her feet. She was in a sinking car. Screams next to her — a little girl. The water was at their waists. Skye grabbed at the door. Pulling and pulling and pushing. She couldn't open it. The water was at their necks. She tore at the door. They were underwater. Skye pushed again. The door floated open. She grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled.

"Skye!" The scream and stinging slap on her face burst her eyelids open. Blinking, confused, her eyes couldn't focus. Sunlight was blinding them. Aiden's dark face slid in front of the sun. His mouth was moving, but it was a moment before the sound of his voice saying her name over and over matched with his lips. She was on her back again. But her mind was consumed with the suffocating water she was flailing to escape. Desperate, she wasn't sure what world she was in.

She shot up, shoving past Aiden, gulping for air.

Aiden grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, forcing her to face him. "Skye, look at me."

Her eyes searched wildly until she found his face.

"Breathe, breathe, breathe, Skye." Aiden shouted, trying to cut through her disorientation.

Gasping and gulping, Skye's fingers sunk into Aiden's thigh, gripping frantically at an anchor to save her. Something hard and real to pull her out of where she was.

Her gasps slowed as she focused on Aiden and the plentiful air around her.

Aiden waited until Skye's petrified face had a glimmer of calm. He reached up and gently tucked a rogue wisp of chestnut hair behind her ear. "Skye, what the hell happened here?"

Skye's eyes were still glazed. She slowly shook her head, dazed. "Why am I on the ground?" She looked up at him. "How did you find me?"

Aiden's right eyebrow rose slightly in guarded worry. "Rafe started barking, and I saw you fall. It only took me a moment to get up to you.

"Only a moment?' Her mind was thick. Bewildered. She couldn't shake it. Her grip on his leg got tighter. "Oh, god, Aiden. I was in the car and I was so small. And it went down and the water came so fast." Disheveled words tumbled out. "There was a girl screaming, she was tiny — and, oh god, she's my sister — and I grabbed her wrist, and we got out, and —"

A single guttural sob interrupted her words. Horror etched her face as tears silently flooded her cheeks. Skye's head hung, sob-less tears pouring down. Aiden was wordless, still for minutes, until the tears slowed.

Eventually, he reached out. His fingers cradled her chin, softly tilting her head upward as his thumb brushed the tears from a cheek, silently urging her onward.

"Their bodies—" Skye swallowed a halting sob, "my mom, my dad — floating in there — like they were in space — and it was so quiet all around me — so quiet — it was dark and sun rays sliced down...and I was reaching for it, for them...and they just disappeared with it...they just went into the dark." Skye buried her head on her knees, her arms clasped around her head. Her body shook.

Aiden put his hand on her shoulder. Solid but light. "Where were you?" His voice was soft.

Skye shook her head. "I don't know. I opened my eyes and you were there and I was here. I don't know how I got out, or what happened next, or my sister..." her words trailed off.

She looked up at Aiden, her wet eyes begging him to take the memory away. To tell her it wasn't true. But her gut knew he wouldn't do it.

Instead, he shifted and sat next to her. His arm went over her shoulders, tenderly drawing her into his enveloping hardness. Skye fought it for a split second, then gratefully fell into Aiden. For as long as he was willing, she just needed him to hold her up. She couldn't do it for herself at the moment.

She closed her eyes and let her head sink into him. Tears were gone, and all strength in body and mind had deserted her, stranding her on Aiden's chest. She could only let the steady beat of his heart guide her, regulate her breathing. She felt Rafe settle in next to her curled legs.

Skye didn't realize when it shifted, but all of a sudden, her mind was quiet, and a strange peace floated around her. Strange because she hadn't felt peace or a quiet mind since she landed at the bank of this river. Sleep hadn't even afforded her peace; her body was so tense throughout the night. And for the past few days, in early morning she would lie there, dreading the sound of Aiden's motorcycle coming up the drive before day break.

An hour, maybe two passed. Skye wasn't sure and didn't care. Cool air from the shadows of the forest eventually began to flow out and pool around them. The sun, already below the tips of the trees, would soon be leaving the sky.

Aiden was mindlessly stroking the hair by her temple. "Where are you at now?" His voice was husky, loud enough to hear, but soft enough to not break the silence.

Skye took a moment to consider her answer. "Peace, of all things." She leaned back from him, tightened muscles creaking. She didn't want to move from this moment, in body or mind, but she needed him to see her face with her next words. "Thank you. I don't know what would have happened, or what I would have done if you hadn't been here."

Aiden rubbed his stiff neck. "You might have remembered more. Maybe even everything if I hadn't woke you up."

She looked down, flicking sand off her jeans. "I don't know. Maybe." She glanced back up at him. "But if there's more like that in here," she pointed at her head, "I'm not sure I want to remember."

He nodded, understanding. "Unfortunately, we still need to find out who you are, where you came from. Until we know who you are and why you have powers, nothing in the worlds of Panthenites and Malefics will be settled. Everyone is still scrambling to find out where the time shift from the other day originated."

"Is that why Triaten and Charlotte have been gone?" Skye asked. The pair had been gone for several days.

Aiden looked away from her, staring at the water. "Sort of."

Skye knew enough of Aiden by now to recognize when he wasn't going to say anything more about a topic. Two-word answers were usually her first clue. It was maddening that he had a wall of silence that could erect instantaneously, halting any questions.

"Aiden, you need to start telling me more — something other than barking orders at me on the training field."

He raised an eyebrow at her with a sideways glance. "What do you need to know?" His emphasis was on the "need."

She got the message. She ran through the list of questions in her mind, prioritizing. "Okay, you haven't let me try shifting time again, claiming it's dangerous. Dangerous how, and who is going to come after me?"

"If Malefics find out about your ability to control time, they will be after you en masse — they can't afford for our side to have time-shifting ability. And if the elders learn it was you, a Panthenite having been born outside of their control, well...I frankly don't know what they would do."

Aiden stood up and shook out his legs. He offered his hand down to Skye.

She grabbed it and he pulled her up. "But aren't we on the same side in this crazy world of yours? What would the elders do?" Skye asked.

Aiden paused, and for a second Skye froze, thinking they had hit the dreaded question wall. Instead, in the next moment, Skye could see Aiden was pondering what to say next. Whatever it was, he was going to say it carefully.

"The elders are sometimes guided too exclusively by what they consider the 'greater good.' Often, what they choose to do to achieve their ideals, is suspect. Sometimes evil."

Skye was taken aback. "Evil?"

"Yes," his hand ran through his dark hair, "in my opinion, yes. Which is why we're not going to chance it, and why we haven't explored your power any further." He picked up her water bottle and motioned down the bank of the river as he spoke. Skye started down along the river shore in front of him, Rafe ran ahead.

He continued on. "Any time you time shift, Malefics and Panthenites know it, and all of them will eventually begin to zero in on your location. And we're not ready for that yet."

Skye stopped and turned back to Aiden. "Until you know what the elders will want with me?"

Aiden nodded yes to the question. "And until I know you're safe."

# { Chapter 7 }

"What?"

Skye smiled. The morning of training had flown by, and she had been sitting on a question she'd been dying to ask for days. She took a bite of a ham and cheese sandwich. After the last few hours of hard training, but steeled by a new acceptance of what Aiden was trying to accomplish, she had been taking with good-nature all the ground she was rolling in. She glanced down at her clothes. The layer of dirt on the blue tank and grey yoga pants was ridiculous. She hoped Charlotte wouldn't mind almost all of the clothes she brought up getting wrecked.

Aiden curiously smiled back at her, and asked again. "What is it?"

Just ask, Skye prodded herself. "Can you fly?"

Aiden laughed, hearty and warm. "I'm not superman."

"Is there a superman?"

"Nope."

"Hmmm," she took another bite of her sandwich, thinking. "A wonder woman?"

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Nope."

"Batman? Green Lantern?"

"Nope and nope." Aiden bit into his big red apple. He held his hand up, stopping her next question before it came out of her half-open mouth. His hand remained up as he crunched the apple, eyes alight. He swallowed. "Let's just take all comic book heroes off the board."

"Really? I was kind of hoping..." Skye trailed off, deflated.

Aiden smirked. "Of course, that doesn't mean super heroes aren't inspired by some of my friends. Or me."

Skye laughed, it was the closest she had ever seen Aiden to being boastful about his powers. "You probably secretly write comic book stories, don't you?" She teased. She couldn't even imagine Aiden doing something so creative. He was a very concrete person.

"You never know. It might be a good profession." He took another bite of apple.

He passed her both a banana and an apple as she took the last bite of her sandwich. If he wasn't busy knocking her to the ground on the training field, he was busy shoving food at her. Not that Skye minded, the constant training had her famished. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

Aiden broke the quiet. "Charlotte and Triaten are back, and I was going to go see them tonight —"

"Oh, of course," Skye interrupted him, "you don't have to worry about hanging out with me, I'll be fine here with Rafe and Mary, assuming she's not going into town, too — I already feel bad enough being a burden on your time."

"Burden?"

Skye's cheeks flushed. She picked at her banana peel, not looking at him. "You know, your responsibility. You've spent so much time with me and I really don't want to be a burden on you, Aiden." She looked up at him, face apologetic. "I know I came out of nowhere and now you're kind of stuck with me."

"Skye, let me interrupt." Aiden gave her a reassuring half smile. "I have had a lot of responsibility thrust upon me over the years — responsibility that included some admirable acts, but also some atrocities. Repulsive, vile, things asked of me."

Skye was shocked at his casual mention of unsavoriness — she couldn't imagine Aiden choosing to do anything that didn't land on the side of good. But then, she had only known him for a short time. She remained silent.

"But you, well..." He considered her, searching for honest words. "When you're mad at me and acting stubborn, you have been a bit of a burden."

Skye thwapped his arm at the comment. Aiden chuckled and continued. "But actually, the time with you, has been, well, different."

"Different? Different than what? From running around the world saving mankind?"

He shook his head. "Different than the path I was on." His answer was short, and wasn't inviting elaboration. The question wall was erect again, and Aiden swiftly switched subjects. "And what I was going to say earlier, was to ask if you wanted to come into town with me to see Charlotte and Triaten? You've been holed up with me for a while, so I'm guessing hanging out with them for an evening might be a nice reprieve from training."

Skye practically glowed with excitement at the possibility of going into this town of theirs, but Aiden's single-minded drive over the last several days made her cautious. "Is it safe to go into town with the elders — and whatever else may be around?"

"It's been considered. Things have settled down a bit since there hasn't been another time blip. The elders don't have answers, and that makes them uneasy, but they aren't still up in arms about it. And they really don't know anything about you, nor have any questions been asked. Mary has workers, guests, and tourists all the time at the ranch. So it's not really out of the ordinary."

Skye couldn't contain the smile that stretched from ear to ear. "Then I would love to go into town!"

Aiden laughed at her enthusiasm. "Is the time with me really all that bad?"

Skye looked down at her bare arms. "Hmmm, well, there's this bruise," she said, pointing at the back of her right triceps, "and then there's this one," her finger went to the back of her bare right shoulder. She pulled up the left leg of her yoga pants. "And these three beauties," pointing at the wide blue-black clusters on her shin. Her pant leg went higher, "And then there are these two lovelies — matching, one on each side of my thigh. And that's not even the bad leg." She began to roll up her other pant leg. Aiden's hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Yes, enough, I get the point. I would feel bad, except I know how fast you heal — those will be gone in the morning."

"Today is what counts." She gave him a wicked smile. "So do we get to leave now, or must the show of injuries go on?"

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Good try." He assessed her. "Three more hours instead of four."

"Two?" Skye couldn't help but push.

Aiden stood up. "Fine, but you better be exhausted by the end of them."

She joined him, picking up her blade. "I have no doubt you'll make it happen."

~~~

Hair wrapped high in a towel and another one draped around her wet body, Skye stared at the open closet. Charlotte had been generous with the clothes she had brought over, and they all clearly reflected what Skye guessed was a very well-appointed wardrobe owned by Charlotte.

But what was appropriate for a mountain town bar? Skye's fingers shifted through the hangers. She'd been in tanks and jeans or yoga pants for days now, and as comfortable as they were, they were beginning to represent a lot of sweat, dirt, and bone crushing work to Skye.

Her fingers crossed over a casual v-neck sundress, deep maroon, thin straps with a cinched high waist that billowed down. A bit early in the season for such a warm-weather item, Skye thought. A few hangers past, Skye reversed course back to the dress. She fingered the silky fabric, wondering if she was a dress-type gal. She certainly hadn't shown up in this town in a dress, and was curious what she used to like to wear aside from jeans and a tank.

She laid the dress on the bed, quickly dried her hair, letting the rich chestnut waves softly hang past her shoulders. Her scalp had been begging for a break from the thick back braid she usually wore.

Skye slipped the dress over her head. She walked over to the free-standing mirror in the corner. The dress hit just above her knees, and looked better than she expected, although she wasn't fully sure she was comfortable in it. She rubbed her bare arms and turned sideways to look at her shoulder. The bruises were already fading. She paused. This was the first time she had had a moment in days to look in a mirror, and the sudden muscle definition in her arms surprised her. A small bonus for all the grunting she was doing.

She walked back to the closet, flipping the hangers, pondering what else would do for tonight. Something that didn't look like the middle of summer.

The familiar rumble of Aiden's bike floated in with the breeze through the cracked window. Man, he was quick. He had dropped her off and went back to his place to shower and change. She had thought she'd have a little more time.

Skye gave the closet one last glance, and decided it wasn't worth wasting another moment on her outfit. Not when she could be getting out of here for a few hours. She shoved her feet into her boots and grabbed her jacket. Not exactly classing up the dress, she thought as she caught a last glimpse of herself in the mirror. She shrugged and ran out the door and down the steps.

Aiden was already in the kitchen talking to Mary. He leaned sideways against the counter by the stove, popping the almonds she was cooking with into his mouth. Skye hesitated at the doorway, taking Aiden in. Cleaned up, he had changed into a black t-shirt, the sleeves ending at the exact spot that accentuated what a specimen of muscles his biceps were. The shirt was tight enough to hint at the layers of muscles in his chest down to his torso, but not tight enough to be obnoxious.

Those muscles had only been aggravating to her over the past days as they overpowered her at every turn. But at the moment, Skye admitted to herself they looked damn good. The shower he had just taken was evident in the ends of his dark hair damply clinging to his neck, curling toward the usual dark stubble along his jaw.

Aiden and Mary were talking about one of the outer fences Triaten had begun work on before he left town. It reminded Skye of all the work that wasn't getting done around the ranch because of her. Guilt shot through her. Even though she asked Mary about it repeatedly, Mary had dismissed her concerns again and again, telling her everything would get done in due time — they still had months before tourist season really ramped up. It only partially eased Skye's mind.

Aiden turned toward her, an unusually easy smile on his face. His eyes trailed her up and down.

"Ready?" he asked. If he thought anything unusual about her dress, half-laced riding boots folded over at her calves, and black bomber jacket combo, he made no perceptible show of it.

Skye looked from Aiden to Mary. "Are you sure you don't have something you need me to do around here, Mary?"

Mary turned from the stove, and with a wave of her hand, dismissed Skye's thought. "The only thing I need for you to do is to go have some fun. You need it, dear."

"Are you okay with Rafe staying?"

Mary glanced down at the dog hanging out by her feet, waiting for a spilled morsel of food. "Of course, dear, we're nothing if not old friends after all the food he's licked off the floor. We're extremely symbiotic. Go, go!" She shooed them with her hands.

Skye gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks." She turned her attention back to Aiden, and was suddenly struck with a nervous twinge. Silly, she thought, and squashed it down. She forced a grin. "Let's go."

Both said goodbye to Mary and walked out to Aiden's bike parked just outside the kitchen door.

"We can always take one of Mary's trucks if you'd rather not go on the bike?" Aiden offered.

Skye shrugged. "I don't know if I like motorcycles or not, so I may as well find out. Just tell me what I need to know."

A pleased look flashed on Aiden's face. He handed her a helmet from the back of the bike. "It's not going to kill us if we wiped out, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't be messed up and in a world of pain. And the last thing you need is another knock to the head."

Skye held up the small silver helmet. "Charlotte's?" she asked.

Aiden paused, giving Skye an odd look. "Yes, I got it for her, she rarely rides, though."

With an easy leg swing, Aiden was on the bike. He turned back to Skye, "Foot pegs are here," he pointed to small silver bars jutting out at the back of the bike, "and this is the exhaust — don't touch it, it'll burn." He patted the seat behind him, motioning her to get on. Helmet in hand, she threw a leg over the bike, quickly scooting back and tucking her dress under and around her thighs.

She shifted her feet to the pegs and put the helmet on. With as much time as Aiden had spent with her over the last days, Skye had begun to forget that he had a full life before she showed up, including an engagement. Wearing Charlotte's helmet was a swift reminder.

Aiden put his helmet on, flicked up the kickstand, and kick started the bike. He looked over his shoulder at her and yelled over the idle of the bike. "Other than that, it's just a matter of leaning with me."

Skye nodded. Then waited. Aiden's hands were on the handles, but his feet stayed on the ground. They didn't move. Skye waited.

He looked back over at her again. "And holding on."

Skye's cheeks burned. She was grateful for the helmet covering her face. Her legs tightened to the sides of Aiden's thighs, and she leaned forward slightly, not quite sure where to put her hands. Awkwardly, they landed loosely right above his hips. They were there for only a moment before Aiden grabbed her hands and pulled them fully around him. Her torso now leaned solidly on his hard back. Finally, he seemed satisfied, and started off.

Twenty minutes later, they were down in the town of Brigton. Skye was surprised that Charlotte and Triaten had not exaggerated when they said it was a one street town.

Nestled in a small valley of bright spring greenery, the town truly did have one road. There had been plenty of drives off the main road on the way down to the town, most of them dirt and winding out of view to, Skye guessed, the residences of most of the townspeople. It was about halfway to town when the dirt road turned into what, at one time, could have been considered a paved road. Ruts, potholes, and a variety of cracks had taken their toll over the years. It didn't take long on the rough road for Skye to realize why — and be grateful that — Aiden had pulled her arms so tight around him.

Here in town proper, buildings were nestled close to the pitched pavement, most parking set adjacent to the buildings. The river ran close behind the buildings on one side of the town. It was the quintessential mountain gold-rush town turned tourist trap. Several hotels, a couple gambling halls, grocery, what Skye guessed was Charlotte's doctor's office, and at least four bars. Some buildings were old, some were new, but built with a sense of time-worn prestige.

Aiden drove down the length of the town, and at the end of the strip of businesses, pulled up to what was clearly the oldest building along the strip. Gray-weathered clapboard held up the walls, a tin roof, spotted with ancient green paint, sloped haphazardly atop. It was sizable. A small hand-painted sign above the door said, "Joe's." That was it. Just "Joe's." With the period.

Aiden pulled in and around to the back of the long building. He parked between Joe's and the rocky slope that slipped down into the river.

He turned off the bike and flipped the kickstand. Skye felt his hands over hers, peeling her fingers apart and off his stomach with the utmost politeness. The second she realized what he was doing, she snatched her arms back, embarrassed. Her arms ached from the intensity of the hold, and she was now aware she had been clutching Aiden in a death grip. She wondered how long. Good thing he was herculean — no harm done. She got off the bike as delicately as her dress would allow and took her helmet off.

"Did we pass your house on the way? And do Triaten and Charlotte live off the road up there too?" Skye asked. Her hands ran through her soft curls, loosening them after the helmet crush.

"My house was the first drive we passed from Mary's. You wouldn't have been able to see it from the road. It's set pretty far back in the woods." Aiden secured the helmets to the back of the bike. "Triaten's house is a few drives past mine. And Charlotte lives on the other side of town," he pointed with his head down the road, "not too far though, she likes to be close to the clinic."

"Oh, and your shop — I forgot about that — the whole damn reason I'm in this mess. Did I see that on the way?"

They walked to the front of Joe's. Aiden pointed up the street. "The shop is riverside, a quarter mile up from town."

For the second time in the past hour, guilt flooded Skye. "Shoot, Aiden, I'm so sorry — I'm taking you away from your work." Her face showed genuine worry. "I can't believe how self-absorbed I'm being, I don't blame you for thinking I'm awful."

He stopped at the one pane door at the front of Joe's and looked down at her, brow wondering at her apology. "Skye, none of us has to worry about money, did we not tell you that?"

Skye was incredulous. "What? Really? Why on earth not?"

"There was — is — a lot of gold on this mountain, and all the Panthenites have a stake. The adventure shop is just something I enjoy — kayaking, mountain climbing — just like working on the ranch. I have a couple seasonal people that man it once they're done with skiing season a few ranges over. A guy named Pete manages it for me, and I just show up when it fits with life. It was pure...is luck the right word? That I was there the day you showed up. The shop is usually closed this time of year."

"I don't know if luck is the right word — maybe for me, but not for you. I'm sorry I never asked." Skye shook her head in shame at herself. "Me, me, me," she added sarcastically, disgusted with herself.

"Skye, look at me." She did. Aiden was watching her, half-amused. "Seriously, believe me when I say no worries on this one. We're good?"

She nodded reluctantly. "Yes."

"Excellent, now stop flogging yourself and relax — this may be the last time you get out of training in a long time, so best to enjoy it." He opened the door for her.

Joe's was the perfect dive bar. Pounding out from a corner jukebox, George Thorogood eased into classic Seger, filling their ears as they stepped in. Clearly set up as gathering ground for locals, all eyes in the place turned and looked at who was coming through the door.

Skye's eyes took several blinks to adjust to the low light after the late evening sun they stepped in from. Low wooden tables and chairs — vintage — scattered around the main space. Across from the long bar, booths lined one wall, the worn red vinyl that must have been in high production in the seventies wrapped the lumpy benches. Duct tape held some of the lumps together. Back through the din, Skye spotted Charlotte laughing, saying something to Triaten as he tipped back his beer. Both balanced cue sticks in their hands, with Triaten casually leaning against one of the four pool tables, the only one in use with balls scattered across the green cloth.

Aiden's hand went to the small of Skye's back as he steered her through the rickety tables to the back of the bar. Skye was keenly aware of the eyes in all directions trained on them as they moved along. She was also aware that most of the eyes were assessing the man right behind her.

Aiden was the type, whether you knew he was a Panthenite or not, that was going to draw attention no matter what room he walked in. His stature caused men to instinctively measure themselves against him, contemplating how hard they would get their asses kicked if they ever met in an alley. Women were bound to enjoy his easy good looks, dark hair and stubble, and strong presence, and then in the next instance, assess the woman he was with and wonder how easily she would be able to swap into her place.

Skye was keenly conscious of all that focus on the two of them. She slowed as they walked, leaning back to Aiden's ear. He bent down to hear her. "How many in here are Panthenites?"

Aiden's eyes casually scanned the room, nodding acknowledgment at a few patrons. "About half."

Skye's chest tightened. Part fear, part stupidity. She was beginning to realize she hadn't asked enough — hardly any — questions, and as she looked around at the faces in the room, she knew she had a lot to learn about the world of Panthenites.

Charlotte spied them, and an authentic warmness exuded as she smiled and waved. Not putting down the cue stick, she walked over and gave Aiden a hug and kiss on his cheek, then turned to Skye, giving her the same.

"Thank goodness you guys finally showed up — Triaten's on an obnoxious tear at the table." Her thumb pointed over her shoulder at the pool table. "Even though he's cheating, per usual."

"Hi doll," Triaten sidled up next to Skye, throwing an arm around her shoulders and squeezing. "Don't listen to a word Charlotte says, jealousy turns her into this unfortunate shade of ugly." He pointed at Aiden with the beer in his hand. "How's our boy treating you?"

Skye looked up Aiden, not sure how to answer. Brutal honesty seemed best. She looked back at Triaten. "I've been pulling a lot of grass from my teeth."

Triaten laughed and steered her to the high table next to their game of pool. "Not taking it easy on you, then?" He glanced back at Aiden over his shoulder. "Bastard." His attention was quickly back on Skye. "We wondered about leaving you with him. But if you're hitting the ground and still here walking, that's a good sign. You must be learning something."

Skye took her coat off, hanging it from the back of one of the tall chairs. "Mostly learning how quickly I can heal a bruise. You must know what it's like fighting him."

"Unfortunately."

"It's a whole lot of humility, if nothing else." She stepped up to sit on the chair. "But it's been fine — grueling, but fine — and bonus, I've got these ripped arms, now." She held out her arm, flexing her bicep.

Triaten laughed. "They look delectable." He put down the beer in his hand. "What are you drinking? There's a full bar and they have a big range of micro-brews."

Skye glanced at the bar. "I really don't have a clue what I like." She looked up at Triaten. "A beer, I guess? Whatever you guys are drinking is fine by me."

"And food?" Triaten asked.

Skye groaned in excitement. "Yes, oh yes. Please — whatever and lots of it — I'm starving."

"Excellent. That's a clear indication you're doing what you need to be doing." Triaten raised his voice so Aiden would hear. "Even if Aiden is being an overbearing ass."

Aiden moved in, standing next to Skye. "Let's not forget you're a better warrior because of it, my friend."

Triaten gave an affable shrug. "Fair enough. Usual for you?" He asked Aiden. With Aiden's nod, he moved off to the bar.

Skye noticed Charlotte was at the pool table, racking the balls. The balls clacked as they snugged together. A familiar twinge echoed deep in the recesses of Skye's mind. She stood up. Her eyes were trained on the flat green cloth. "Hmmm, pool — I think I know this game."

Aiden's eyebrows rose. "Are you remembering something?"

"No, not really. It just seems like I might know this game well, for some reason."

Charlotte looked up, hopeful. "It'd be nice if you did. Triaten's been killing us for years at these tables." Balls racked, she stepped back from the table. "Which causes his usual charm to become impossible. He's way better humble."

"Don't be poisoning her mind against me." Triaten was back with three beers and a drink, clear with a twinge of green on the rocks, for Charlotte. He handed them out. "Skye deserves to have the fun of my mystery unfold before her slowly."

Charlotte and Aiden both spouted gagging coughs. Charlotte's eyes rolled, then leveled competitively on Triaten. "Let's go then — guys against the girls, straight pool — fifty point."

Triaten looked suspiciously at Charlotte. "You'll take the new girl? What don't I know?" He glanced between the three of them.

Charlotte gave a non-committal shrug, and handed Triaten his cue stick. "You break, big man. Skye can go last, so she can pick up the game."

Nine balls were pocketed by the three — Triaten four, Charlotte two, Aiden three — before Skye's turn came up. She picked up a cue and slowly walked around the table, studying it. The three pairs of eyes watching her considered it more of a stalking she was doing. Skye finally stopped, calling out the first shot. "Four, left corner."

She bent over and without any preamble, sunk it. "Seven, far middle." Sunk. She moved swiftly through the rest of the table, eyes never moving from the green cloth.

Skye finally looked up as the last ball smoothly dropped out of sight. "And then we re-rack now?" she asked. It took her a moment before she noticed three silent, gaping mouths in a row. Aiden was the first to recover, and stepped forward, mutely pulling balls from the pockets, eyeing her with curious wonder.

Glee burst out of Charlotte. "Sweet! You will forever be my partner." She turned and poked Triaten in the stomach. "Suck it, big man."

Triaten wasn't giving up his throne so easily. "We're not at fifty yet. She still needs to prove it."

One full table and twelve of the next fifteen balls in pockets, Triaten was clearly defeated, and all three of them stared, silent, jaws agape once more. Skye didn't even have a clue, so focused was she on the crack of the balls.

"Skye, what happened to you, girl? And where's that dog of yours?" A voice she didn't recognize called at her from behind. Skye jerked up and spun around, cue stick banging into the side of the table.

A man, maybe early-thirties, was holding four baskets of greasy appetizers. He had a black apron tied around his waist. He put them down at their table and turned back to her, pointing at her accusingly, but smiling. "You're not taking down my three friends here now, are you?"

Clueless, she stared at the man. She glanced back at Aiden, alarmed. Aiden immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the man. "Hey Joe, how's it going?"

Joe glanced through the group, confused. "Good." The word was drawn out in question. "Just got back from Denver."

Aiden didn't pander about. "You know Skye?"

Joe's eyes went from Aiden to Skye's face, which was lurking out from behind Aiden. He looked back up at Aiden. "Yea, she was in here a week or two ago."

"Got a moment?" Aiden asked.

Joe wiped his hands off on his apron. "Sure, what you need?"

All four of them moved toward Joe, Skye flanked by Aiden on one side, Charlotte on the other, and Triaten right behind her. They closed in on Joe.

Joe took a nervous step back. Charlotte started. "Skye had an accident, probably the same day she was here. She was knocked out, and has had amnesia since. So anything you could tell us about her would be a huge help. Was she in here more than once?"

"Oh that's all," Joe chuckled with jittery energy, "I thought you guys were going to jump me." He leaned against the table, foot on the low rung, and elbow on top. He motioned to them. "Sit, sit. You're still making me nervous. Eat some food."

Skye moved to the chair next to him. Triaten and Charlotte grabbed chairs across the table. Aiden stood next to Skye, still slightly in front of her, noticeably between her and Joe. He took a drink from his beer as he stared at Joe.

Joe's eyes darted around the table. He was a bit squirrelly, and if not nervous, visibly curious. "I don't know that I have a lot to tell you. When was it, maybe two weeks ago, give or take? I showed up at the bar, maybe ten-ish in the morning. It was cold, I think we had frost that morning, so I was surprised to see you," he nodded his head toward Skye, "sitting on the side of the building with that big dog of yours — he a wolf mix?"

Skye shrugged. She hadn't really thought about it.

Joe started to gather the empty bottles in front of him. "Anyways, you was charming. Came on in, just wanted coffee. Sat at the bar. Didn't say too much. Just kept you filled with coffee. The place filled up, and I finally figured out why you were here."

The group collectively leaned forward.

"You was at a pool table, dinking around. One of the best hustlers I've seen."

A disbelieving laugh spurted from Skye. "A hustler? You've got to be kidding."

Joe was amused, getting into his own story. "Yea, getting 'em over there with your good looks, and taking 'em down. This wasn't anything new for you. Didn't even look like it was a challenge, just a boring day at work."

He directed his next comment right at Aiden. "I just noted and kept an eye on her, in case she needed help — you know some of the assholes that come through here. But she handled herself fine — like I said, charming."

"Did I have anything with me other than Rafe — sorry — the dog?" Skye asked.

Joe paused to think. He shook his head. "I don't think so, hmmm," his fingers tapped the table, "nope, I don't think I saw anything at the bar and there weren't nothing outside with the dog." He wrapped his hands around the collection of empty bottles and leaned away from the table.

Skye leaned forward and touched his forearm. "Wait, when did I leave?"

Joe shrugged. "Don't really know. You was at the pool tables one minute, and the next gone. It was maybe mid-afternoon by then. I just figured you made enough or pissed someone off enough to get out of town. I went outside to check, but both you and the dog was gone. Figured if the dog was gone too, then leaving was by your choice. Didn't see you again that day, and then I had to go in to Denver for the week to work with some vendors."

"Thanks, Joe." Aiden dismissed him.

Joe nodded and walked off with the empty bottles back to the bar. The group jointly relaxed. It was silent.

Skye broke the quiet hanging at their table with a smile. "Wow. A pool shark. Well that explains that." She pointed at the pool table. She looked back up at the bar. "Who — what — is Joe?"

Aiden got her question right away. "Joe's a good guy — human — doesn't ask questions. Which is unfortunately why he can't tell us more about you. Like how you got into town."

"At least it fills in one blank," Triaten said, digging into the basket of fries. "I checked in here when you first showed up, but Joe was gone, and none of the other workers had remembered you. But now we know you didn't just show up at the shop out of the blue that day. Which makes me wonder what happened to make you leave here." He stared at her, thoughtfully chewing a sour cream-dipped fry.

All of them took Triaten's lead and dove into the food Joe had brought over. Fries, chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, mini-corn dogs — pretty much anything that could be fried was devoured in wordless minutes by the group.

Charlotte shifted back from the table, wiping her mouth and fingers on a napkin. She even managed to make eating grease look elegant. "Okay, so a little bit of knowledge with more mystery doesn't get us anywhere." She smiled conspiratorially at Skye as she stood up. "So I'm thinking the best thing to do here is to finish the spanking the Skye-Charlotte team was handing to you guys, and just let this latest piece of the puzzle settle in. Maybe more time at the pool table will spark another memory for Skye."

Triaten was all sarcasm. "So nice of you to think of Skye in this instance, team Skye-Charlotte."

"Hurts, doesn't it, Tri?" Charlotte patted his cheek. "Such a long, painful fall for you." She turned her laughing eyes to Skye. "Back at it, partner?"

Charlotte's enthusiasm was catchy. Skye got up, grabbing her cue. The first shot she called, she missed, badly.

Triaten whooped. "Finally!"

Skye looked at Charlotte. "Sorry. Hope I didn't just lose any talent I had."

Charlotte shook her head, unwavering belief evident. "Nonsense. You'll get it back. And we don't need to worry about him — the most Triaten's sunk in a row is eight." She smirked as she bore down on Triaten. "And I am so in your head right now. I give you five, tops."

Triaten rolled his eyes and went to the pool table. He made six. Small victory. Charlotte and Aiden's turns came and went quickly. Given a moment to re-collect herself, Skye hit the table hard again. She quickly sunk the last of the fifty they needed to win.

Before Charlotte could start in with gleeful gloating, Triaten cut her off. "Good game," he smiled with genuine respect at Skye. He turned back to Charlotte. "And to your hanger-on, here."

"Hey!" Charlotte mocked offense at his words.

Triaten spun his finger around the group, "Time for a break. Next round? Skye, beer?"

Skye looked at Charlotte's glass, curious. "I'll take whatever Charlotte's having."

Triaten nodded. Aiden joined him on the walk to the bar.

Charlotte slipped her hand into Skye's elbow, guiding her back to the table. "Nice choice — we can get beer anywhere — Joe keeps some nice top-shelf vodka stocked just for me, and I drive him nuts making me fru-fru drinks, but he still does it — and it is all yours." Charlotte scooted her high stool around the table next to Skye.

"What did I just order?"

"An April Rain, at least for tonight." Charlotte settled herself back onto her chair. "Aiden said you remembered more while we were gone? How did that go?"

Unprepared for the question, there was no stopping the image of her lifeless parents floating in the water from flashing into her mind. Her head slowly swung back and forth, pain evident. Her eyes shifted down to the pitted dark wood of the table as she tried to shove the image back to the dark place it came from. She forced words to come out, not looking up. "Crushing...crushing. And now I know why I hate water."

She took a shaky breath, then looked up at Charlotte. "Did Aiden tell you what I remembered?"

Charlotte nodded her head, embracing sympathy wrinkling her forehead. She put her hand softly on Skye's arm. "He did. It must have been devastating."

Charlotte's gentle comfort couldn't stop the sadness from overwhelming Skye. "The worst part is that I don't know how it happened, or what happened after."

She wiped a tear from her cheek, eyes glazed as she looked around the bar. She caught sight of Aiden at the bar, and paused. "But Aiden was great. I was a wreck. I don't want to think about what would have happened if he wasn't there, I was that out of it. Hopeless. He held me up and brought me back to today, and—" Skye looked back at Charlotte and stopped herself, abruptly remembering their engagement.

She almost fell over herself trying to add quickly, "But you need to know nothing happened between us — Aiden was just forced into holding me. The poor guy just keeps tripping over me and getting dragged into my drama. But it wasn't anything that you need to worry about."

Charlotte leaned into Skye, all sympathy gone and her face very serious. Skye's gut dropped. The last thing she wanted to do was get Aiden in trouble or gain Charlotte's hate. They were two of the only four people she knew, and she couldn't afford to lose either of them. Plus, she liked both of them immensely.

"I've been watching you tonight. Watching Aiden. There's something you need to know." Charlotte's voice was low, so low Skye had to strain to hear it. "Aiden and I broke off our engagement days ago, before Triaten and I left town."

Shocked, Skye's head tilted in, her own voice low. "You did? But why?"

"It was time," Charlotte leaned back in her chair, absently swirling the skinny straw around the ice in her empty glass. She didn't look particularly sad. "We've been engaged for years — and both of us knew it wasn't going to ever happen. Really, the engagement was just a convenient excuse for both of us to get the elders off our backs and to live our lives as we wanted."

"The elders?" Skye asked.

"Yes, they paired us up long ago — they were sure our offspring would be a nice capstone in their newest generation of Panthenites. We fought their plan for a long time, and then they...they interfered in our — my life." She trailed off, and Skye saw a flash of heartbreaking sadness cross Charlotte's face. It just as quickly disappeared.

"Then eventually, we just announced an engagement to keep their noses out of our affairs. Beyond that, there were other reasons we held off for as long as we did."

She was clearly alluding to something. Skye was about to ask, but then Charlotte continued on.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Aiden completely, just like I love Triaten completely." She looked over at the bar at the two of them, chatting with Joe. Adoration blanketed her face. "I would easily die for either one. But they're the brothers my parents never had. They are my chosen family, not my mates."

Skye didn't want to ask the question, and had already decided she wasn't going to, when she heard words she couldn't control come out of her mouth. "So after all this time, why break it off now?"

Charlotte gave her a warm smile and patted her hand. "I think you already know. And if you don't, you will shortly. There's a reason Aiden is always 'tripping' into your drama."

Charlotte stood up. The guys were making their way back from the bar. "And not that it should matter, but if you're worried about it, you should know that you have my blessing."

A lump formed in Skye's throat just as Aiden and Triaten appeared next to them, good-naturedly discussing the pros and cons of being a professional pool shark. She couldn't come up with the courage to look at Aiden directly, not even when he handed her a drink. She quickly busied herself with sipping it. April Rain was tasty, but it wasn't helping her swallow the rock in her throat. A weak smile at the group's playful banter was the best she could muster.

Triaten saw her face, and immediately called Charlotte on it. "Char, what have you been telling Skye? She looks twitchy and near ready to dive into a rabbit hole."

Skye's ears burned. Charlotte gave Triaten a look to fry him in place — she wasn't going to let Skye suffer. "It's of no bother — some things are just too hard for you to grasp, my dear," she patted Triaten's cheek, "including how tonight has just set me up for a lifetime of endless taunting about the embarrassing spanking you got from two little girls at the table tonight." With a jeering smile, Charlotte picked up a cue, and strode over to the pool table.

Skye was eternally grateful to Charlotte for effortlessly changing the topic.

"Redemption." Triaten thundered, fist in the air. He grabbed a stick and followed Charlotte. "Again then? You realize I was watching and learning tonight, so I say bring it on, sprites."

Aiden looked down at Skye. "You game? I don't know if Triaten's ego can take another shellacking, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun watching his world collapse."

Still uncomfortable, Skye forced a tight laugh, "Anything I can do to repay some of the kindness. But do I need to remind you, you were sitting on the losing team?" she teased.

"Worth it — Triaten's needed a humbling for a while now."

"That I can do," Skye pasted on a smile. "You two should just be grateful I'm not banking any of this — some of your golden nuggets or the like."

Aiden gave an easy chuckle.

"Just give me a moment," Skye continued. "Where's the ladies room?"

Aiden pointed her past the bar to the front of the building.

Skye couldn't get in there fast enough.

# { Chapter 8 }

In the bathroom, Skye leaned over the sink, water running. Her hands cupped under the faucet, collecting cool water that she splashed on her face. She pulled out a paper towel and looked up into the cracked mirror, dotting her cheeks with the woefully un-absorbent brown paper.

Charlotte's words echoed in Skye's ears. She knew exactly what Charlotte was suggesting, but it was a completely new thought to her. No, she corrected herself, it honestly wasn't a new thought, but she had put up such a wall in her mind about Aiden being Charlotte's, that she had never let her mind go there.

Not that it hadn't wanted to. They had spent too much time together, and Aiden was too good-looking, and capable of such kindness, that it was hard to avoid such thoughts. She was willing to admit that.

Her hands crumpled the towel and threw it in the garbage. She leaned over the sink again, staring at the running water. She was trying to grasp what to do with this new possibility. To place it within all that had happened to her in the past weeks. She still didn't know who she was. A train-hopping pool hustler? Who did that make her?

And beyond whoever she used to be, now she was a Panthenite. Something she still had not wrapped her mind around, nor fully believed. Even if she had somehow shifted time, and her wounds could now heal overnight.

She looked into the mirror again, willing her green eyes to conjure memories. If only she had some answers about where she came from, then maybe she could reconcile the present. And the future.

The door to the bathroom opened, startling Skye. A woman walked past her. Skye shut off the water and left. On her way back to their table, she caught Joe's eye behind the bar.

She stopped and leaned over at him, throwing her voice over the general bar din. "Joe, I don't think I thanked you for watching out for me that day. I don't remember it, but I can't imagine I would be stupid enough to hustle without someone having my back. So thank you."

Pleased at the gratitude, Joe knocked the bar with his knuckles. "No problem — it was a kick to watch you take down some of the more ornery a-holes that come in here. And however it happened, it looks like you made friends with some of the best people in town." He nodded at Aiden, Triaten, and Charlotte across the bar, standing around the pool table. "Those three are tight, and I've never known them to let anyone into their little group. You must have made some impression."

Skye shrugged, a little embarrassed. Joe got called to the end of the bar and he left her. Just as she leaned back from the bar to walk on, a hand grabbed her wrist, jerking her to a stop. She glanced down to find a wrinkled hand with spindly fingers harshly gripping her wrist. Her eyes shifted up the arm to the man on a stool next to her. He was fifty, maybe; silver hair, distinguished, but with deep wrinkles beginning to show age. He was still, but his eyes looked her up and down, almost manic.

Skye pulled at her wrist, trying to free it.

"Don't trust them — they're not your kind." His head jerked toward Aiden and crew. His voice shook. "They're not your kind, girl."

Skye jerked her wrist, freeing it. Confused, she stared at the man. He stared back at her. Drunk, she surmised. Slightly disgusted, she quickly stepped around and away from him.

Aiden was already halfway across the bar to her. "What was that?"

Skye noticed immediately Aiden's right hand was curled in a fist. "Nothing," she waved it away with her hand, "just some old drunk." She grabbed his arm, gently turning him and steering him back to their table.

"What did he say?"

Skye looked up at him. "Really, Aiden, it was nothing. A drunk is a drunk — holy shit —" Skye froze and whipped around, eyes frantic to find the man at the bar.

Nothing. He was gone. She ran over to the bar in a frenzy. Her hands gripped the edge of the bar. "Joe — what happened to that man that was just here by me?"

Joe looked around, scanning the bar, confused. "Didn't see — was he talking to you?"

She didn't answer, just spun around, running into Aiden, who was only a half-step behind her. She pushed past him, eyes searching in the dim light. She moved quickly through the bar, eyes scanning every corner.

"Aiden did you see him? What happened to him?"

Aiden grabbed her forearm, stopping her. "Skye, what the hell is going on?"

Looking back up at Aiden, her eyes were on fire. "He was the one that told me to go to the water." She pulled on her arm.

Aiden wasn't letting go.

"What?"

Her feet started to move — damn Aiden's hold, she'd drag him with, then. "It was him. That day. He was here. He told me to go to the water. He told me to go up the road and find a shop — someone to take me on the water."

Aiden released her arm, and ran back to Triaten and Charlotte. Skye barely noticed. She was running for the door, frantically searching the place.

Breaking into the night air, she screeched to a stop in the middle of the street. Taillights on the road were disappearing in both directions. She ran to one side of the building — yellow light lit up an empty alley. She raced back around to the parking side of the bar. No one. Her eyes scanned the cars. No movement. She tore to the back of the building. Empty.

She stood by Aiden's bike, her heaving breath the only sound in the dead night air. Skye looked around, desperate. The sound of a rock tumbling and splashing into water drew her attention to the river bank beyond the trees at the back of the parking lot. She ran to the edge of the parking lot and scrambled over and through a line of trees, and, at the last second, her hand scraped bark, yanking herself to a stop before she tumbled down the steep river bank.

Strips of moonlight reflected off the rushing water. Eyes still not adjusted to the darkness, she searched back on forth on the banks, ears straining to hear anything. Nothing.

She wasn't going to give up. She picked her way down the rocky slope, boots slipping on loose rocks, dress snagging and tearing at tree roots.

At the sandy bank, silence, except for the rushing water, surrounded her. Last ditch, she started walking upstream, even though she realized her search was futile. There was nothing down here. And anything that was, was gone now. She stopped.

Frustration overwhelmed. She grunted furiously and kicked the nearest rock as hard as she could. Sand and rock plunked into the water. Her fists dug into her thighs as she fought the tears she was refusing to cry. She tilted her head back, her eyes focused on the top of the pines up the bank, framing the moon. The angle helped to drown down the tears from where they were bubbling.

It was in this pose Aiden found her. Head back, hair cascading in soft curls down her back, the outline of her body glowing in the moonlight through her thin, torn dress. Her chest rose and fell in waves, soft puffs rising from her mouth into the cool night air.

A lesser man would have stopped at the breathtaking sight. Not Aiden.

"Dammit Skye, there you are." He was pissed and to her in several angry strides. "You can't run off like that."

She didn't shift her eyes from the tree tops. "I just needed to find him." Her voice was muffled, broken.

Aiden's voice lowered to barely controlled anger. "And what would you have done had you found him? You can't be stupid and running half-cocked after something you don't know anything about. You don't know what he was — hell — he could have been a Malefic."

Her eyes didn't waver from the darkness above. "He told me not to trust you." Her words were barely audible.

"What?"

"He told me not to trust you. That you weren't my kind."

"And do you believe him?"

Silence.

Aiden turned away from Skye, taking a few steps and kicking his own rock in frustration. His rock cleared the river and smashed into the bank opposite them.

Skye didn't move.

He stayed steps away from her. His voice was stormy. "Do you believe him?"

Skye was quiet. Eyes trained on the sky. Minutes passed.

Aiden moved back to Skye, planting himself in front of her, inches away. She fought looking at him.

A hand on each side of her face, he slipped his fingers under hair, softly cradling her jaw as he forced her head down to look at him. Her eyes glowed in the moonlight, overflowing with wetness. Single drops escaped and crept down each cheek. Her eyes locked into his. Painstakingly slow, Aiden thumbed one tear away, then the other. His hands didn't move from her face.

Her eyes finally his, a hoarse whisper came from him. "Do you believe him?"

Not breathing, not looking away, Skye gave the slightest shake of her head. "No."

Aiden's mouth came down on hers before she finished the word. His lips softly played against hers, nudging deeper and deeper. Unguarded in the ambush of it, Skye reveled in the pure primal pleasure of his breath, hot on her face. His tongue plunging, teasing. His fingers creating fire at the back of her head, controlling her every movement.

Her hands went up to his biceps, hanging onto the hardness so her legs wouldn't give out. A low, guttural groan rumbled from him, sinking into her ears, grabbing her senses. Her chest constricted. The smell, the taste of him filled every pore.

Noise, far off, then louder and louder, abruptly broke through the fog that had enveloped them. It was Charlotte, calling their names.

Aiden jerked back, dropping his hands from Skye's face. He looked momentarily stunned, then called out to Charlotte.

"Down here. All is fine."

Skye turned around. The sound of crackling branches was above them, and then Charlotte appeared at the tree line above the bank. "Good, you had us worried." Her hands went around her mouth and she yelled back toward the direction of the bar. "Triaten, we're all good."

She looked back down at the pair by the river. "Skye, you scared us half-to-death. You had a memory?"

The words barely passed by the lump in Skye's throat. "Yes, I remembered talking to that man, there in the bar, the day I went into the river."

"Hmmm. How odd. But nothing more?"

"No."

Charlotte nodded. "Well, whoever he was, he's long gone. Chalk another one onto your mystery." She looked back toward the bar and then back down at the two of them. "We'll close out the tab. You guys are good? We'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sounds good." Aiden replied.

Charlotte started to turn back to go through the trees, but then paused, looking like she was about to say something else, then decided against it. Instead, she looked down hard at the pair, then gave a satisfied nod. She disappeared back into the trees.

Skye stayed with her back to Aiden. "You and Charlotte, you just broke off the engagement?"

"She told you?"

"Yes, tonight." Her hands went to cover her bare arms. The cold air had finally worn down the adrenalized heat coursing through her.

"Skye, you do know the engagement was never a real thing — for either of us? We did it to satisfy expectations that were put on us."

Skye nodded, still not turning around. "She told me." She didn't know where to place any of this in her mind. Aiden had jumped away from her like she was fire when he heard Charlotte's voice. He so clearly didn't want to get caught with her.

Nothing to do but walk away. She started to move down along the bank back toward the spot she had crawled down from.

She was steps away when Aiden interrupted her.

"Skye, stop."

She turned back to him. His feet were still planted in the same spot, water rushing behind him. The moonlight gleamed off his dark hair. His eyes looked hungry.

"I want you, Skye."

Her heart sped, but she couldn't — wouldn't give him anything more than a placating look. "You're drunk. You just got caught up in that moment...I did too."

"It takes more than five beers to get me drunk." He took several steps to her, slowly, stalking. The heat in his half-smile quickened her pulse. "I want you."

"Aiden, you don't know me — I don't know me."

He moved closer. His words were slow, distinct. "I want you."

Skye took a step back. "Really, Aiden, how could you? We still don't know who I was — who I am. It's a stupid little piece here, and a little piece there — you know I could be murderer."

"I want you."

"Aiden—"

He moved in on her, whispering in her ear. "It doesn't matter who you were. It's of no consequence. You are who you are now."

Her hand went up between them as her feet shuffled backward. "But what am I now? We don't know where I came from, why I'm like this."

He took a step back from her, leveling his gaze onto her cloudy green eyes. A gaze that dug into her soul.

"I'll tell you who you are now. Your hand buries itself in Rafe's neck every time you're scared or nervous. You work hard, so hard it does you harm. You're gracious in accepting help, even more gracious in trying to pay back that help. You eat whatever is in front of you, except beans. You like to laugh, even though we have given you little to laugh about. You've taken your memory loss in stride and moved on, day after day, without wallowing in despair. You don't know the meaning of self-pity. We've shifted your whole understanding of the world, and you haven't run, haven't resisted."

Skye's chest tightened with sudden pressure. She tried to turn away. Aiden grabbed her wrist, pulling her back toward him. "You're beautiful without the slightest self-awareness that you are. You could care less about clothes, except those boots you wear. The depth at which you feel — you tore my heart out when Rafe died. And then through sheer force of will, you brought him back." His hand cupped her chin, tilting her eyes upward. He looked at her hard. "You have depths and strength in you that you haven't yet tapped."

Skye was overwhelmed. This was not the Aiden she was used too. "How can you know that?"

"I just do. Everything I ever need to know about you, I see in your green eyes." His arm slowly pulled her toward him. "And I know I have wanted you since you were wet and unconscious that first day on the bank of the river."

She looked up at him, taken aback. "But you wanted nothing to do with me after you pulled me out of the water."

His face was inches from hers. "I wasn't exactly accepting the fact that I wanted you."

"And then you pushed me so hard in training."

His warm breath was at the side of her face. "I have to keep you safe, and to do that, you have to be able to keep yourself safe."

"Oh." It hit her. Clarity. What she thought had been Aiden's harshness, a resentment, was actually protectiveness. A protectiveness that was primal.

His lips, his breath, were at her ear. "I want you."

It was all she could do to nod her head.

"Say it."

She took a deep breath. Aiden's hand went to the back of her neck, not forceful, but with a raw power that surged into her blood like lightning.

"Say it." His voice was gravelly.

Skye pushed past the choke in her throat. Her words were soft, herself not even having control over them. "I want you. Oh god, do I want you."

Electricity ripped through her body as she released those words, awakening every nerve, even as her breath nearly ceased. She knew down to her core that she not only wanted, she needed to surrender to this. To Aiden's mouth on her neck. His hand buried in her hair, slowly trailing down her back. His arm about her waist, pulling her, melding her into his body.

All she had to do was give herself permission.

Skye grabbed his face in her hands, bringing his lips to hers. He was all strength. Hard, but soft on her. His raw energy enveloped her, dissolving the last shreds of hesitation. Her eyes closed as her mouth melted into his, and her fingers curled into the hair at his neck.

All power dissipated. This was beyond anything she could control. Beyond anything Aiden could control. A transcendent force surrounded them with a fire neither had any defenses against. It wasn't about her. It wasn't about him. It was about their bodies, their souls, merging.

Aiden ripped his head back from her for a moment. His voice was hoarse. "Are you sure?"

Her eyes searched his in the dim light. "Absolutely. You?"

Aiden's answer was a growl, as his lips came upon hers fiercely. He pulled back again, straining against himself. "Not here."

Skye shook. Her hand went the side of his grizzled face, fingertips wrapping into the hair above his ears, eyes locked into his. "I don't care."

He buried his head in her neck, devouring her. His voice was a low murmur. "I do. I need to watch you. Explore you." His hand trailed along her bare arm up and around her neck. "We need to go now."

He grabbed her hand, bringing it down from his neck, then stepped away and pulled her in a half-run along the river bank.

Within minutes, they were on Aiden's bike, moonlight flickering on them through the treetops as they sped up the road. Skye was nuzzled tight against Aiden's back, her arms gripped fully around his body, hands spanning his hard chest. Her whole body throbbed as they drove.

Not soon enough, Aiden pulled into the drive up to his house. Skye barely noticed the wide, flat building he screeched to a halt in front of. Only seconds passed before they were off the bike.

The fire had not dampened at all during the minutes it took to get to Aiden's house. Instead, it had exploded, consuming both, and all the air around them. They stood next to the bike, paused, space between them, staring at each other, arms at sides.

Aiden didn't want to say anything. His words were forced. "Still sure?"

Skye took a step toward him, eyes blazing. "I want you."

Aiden reached out, grabbing Skye behind the neck, drawing her into him with scarcely contained force. His lips crushed into her. She met him, power returned with every gasp, every groan. Her right leg slipped up his back, and his hand came down behind her, sliding her dress up and curving his palm under her, easily lifting her up.

Both legs about his waist, her arms wrapped around him, hands searching, exploring the smooth tension of the muscles along his shoulders, down his back, and up along the crook in his neck where his hair became thick.

Carrying her, he strode up the wide flat step, banged through the door, and pounded his way to the back of the house. She rode, feeling his hardness underneath her. Her core silently begged for the clothes left between them to disappear.

Aiden dropped onto the bed with her, his hand underneath her dress, searching her skin, pulling down her underwear. His lips trailed down her neck to the v above her chest. Skye gave a desperate moan. She pushed Aiden's hips away, tearing at his jeans. He pulled up, helping her, and was naked in an instant.

She gasped at his naked form. Every curve, every cut, hard on him. Hard and perfect.

She arched back on the bed, mouth suddenly parched as she stared at him hovering over her. She needed his mouth back on hers. But he smiled as he slowed above her, his hand trailing her dress up her body. Gentle up her thigh, past her hip, curving in at her waist, and then moving smoothly to cup her breast. His fingers continued their agonizing assault, lingering at Skye's shoulder bone, tracing it to the thin dress strap. So consumed by Aiden's touch, she was naked before she even realized.

Looking down at her, his fingers pushed back a curl of hair from her face. Skye's hands moved up his back. Aiden's chest expanded, and his eyes were ravenous as he locked into Skye's gaze. Her nails dug in as she pulled down on him. Willing him.

He filled her flawlessly. Deeply, devouring a chasm in her she didn't even know existed. She instinctively curved, arching back, eyes closed, opening fully to Aiden.

Aiden exhaled a hoarse groan, overtaking his barely audible words, "Damn perfect."

His hand went behind her back, supporting her, pulling her into him again and again. Skye couldn't quench the throaty screams that escaped in tormented pleasure every time Aiden descended.

Aiden's voice, strained but with raw force, cut into the thunder. "Skye right here." He forced her to lock eyes. Skye gripped him with the last shred of strength she had. In a raw thrust, his warmth flooded her, blinding her, enveloping every nerve in her body with exploding pleasure.

He collapsed on her, both their bodies still pulsating with the aftershock. Both gasping for breath.

In wonderment, Skye suddenly opened her eyes.

Aiden's shocked face was above her. "Skye, you didn't."

His hardness was full inside of her again. Eyes wide with surprise, Skye bit her lip. "I think I just did. "

She had just shifted time — back to throes from minutes past.

He pulled out from her, turning away and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Damn Skye, you can't — we can't."

All Skye could think of was the emptiness Aiden had just left her with. She crawled over to him, pressing her naked body onto his back, her hands slipping over his shoulders. She whispered in his ear. "I already did it."

"They'll find out. They'll find you."

Skye didn't pause. "I don't care." She truly didn't.

Aiden didn't move, every muscle on his body taut. His voice growled, warring lust and frustration. "You need to care."

Her words were low, carnal. "It's done. I can't undo." She moved around, slipping on top of him, legs astride his waist. Her hands spread on his neck, her mouth right at his. "You're going to let it go. We're doing this."

She slid down onto his thickness. Powerless, a heavy moan rumbled from deep within Aiden. His thumbs dug into the soft crook just inside her hip bones, his fingers splayed out on her hips. He grasped her, pulling her even deeper onto him.

Full with him once more, she pushed him back onto the bed.

# { Chapter 9 }

Skye opened her eyes. For the first time, she knew where she was the instant she awoke. Aiden's bed. On her back, with her left arm curled up around her head, her cheek resting on her bicep. Her right arm stretched out wide on the other side. Under the sheet that rumpled at her hips, her legs were spread wide, left one entwined over and in-between Aiden's thighs.

She usually woke up curled in a tight ball — this was as open, and comfortable, as she had ever felt. Relaxed. Aiden was on his stomach, his arm laid heavy across her belly.

She hadn't stirred, just opened her eyes in the pre-dawn light, but it was enough to make Aiden tighten his grip on her waist, softly pulling, sliding her closer to him on the bed. Other than that, he didn't move. Skye liked that idea. She was going to abuse this moment as long as she could.

An hour later, Aiden rustled again. Skye didn't open her eyes. She hadn't fallen back to sleep, just laid in the comfort surrounding her. She was enjoying the sound of Aiden's even breathing, mingled in with the patter of the quiet rain that had started plunking on the rooftop.

Aiden was right, it didn't matter who she used to be, if this is the person she could be.

He propped himself up on an elbow. "I can tell by your breathing you're not asleep."

Skye mock groaned, eyes opening to see his smirk. "This can't go on forever?"

"Nope, and don't get any ideas about shifting time." His tease was layered with a clear scold.

Skye traced her finger over his bare chest. "You didn't mind last night."

"I didn't have a choice." He grabbed her hand, bringing it to his mouth, kissing the palm. "There'll be plenty of time for that. It's raining, so we don't have anywhere to be. Hungry?"

In truth, Skye was ravenous, but that didn't mean she wanted to leave this bed. "If I say yes, do I have to get out of bed?"

Aiden laughed. "Not at all." He rolled away from her, standing next to the bed. "I'll go make us some breakfast." The fire from last night, only asleep for hours, woke up and expanded in Skye as she watched Aiden walk naked around the room. She sat up in the bed to watch his nude buttocks stride out the bedroom door into the hallway. She contemplated for a moment attacking him from behind. But then her stomach growled. She was hungry.

Aiden gone, Skye took a moment to assess her surroundings. She was instantly flabbergasted. How could she not have seen this last night? Floor to ceiling windows surrounded her on three sides. The room was huge, maybe thirty feet wide, with a dark wide-planked floor, and empty, save for this enormous bed and one chair positioned at the middle of the far window. It was odd — and beautiful — in its lack of clutter. Lack of anything, really, except for vistas in every direction.

The rain continued to softly pitter-patter on the windows, attaching and clinging to the glass in a fight against gravity. Even with the grey sky above, spotty morning sunlight was breaking through the clouds in the windows to Skye's left. By the angle, she realized the sunrise coming in those windows would, in about twelve hours, give way perfectly to a sunset coming in the opposite windows. From the bed, Skye could see they were perched over a valley, craggy mountain peaks jutting up at every vantage.

Entranced by the walls of windows, she scooted to the edge of the bed, gathering the sheet and wrapping herself with it. She walked to the longest window, south-facing, in front of her. It wasn't until she was toes to the window, looking down, that she realized this entire room jutted out, hanging from a cliff. Freaked, she stumbled backward.

Wits back about her, she shuffled forward, fingers gently touching the window. She had to make sure it was solid. It was. She tilted her head down, looking at the expanse below her. The neon green of early spring buds decorated the valley floor, even under the darkened sky. Aspens and pines intermixed up from the bottom of the valley, giving way to sheer expanses of rock. Mountaintops layered in front of mountaintops towered above her, the peaks still tipped with white.

Her breath froze. She was awestruck at the majesty around her. In her gut, the instinctive knowledge that she was standing in the middle of something that was far greater, far more important, far more ancient than any man would ever be, overtook her. Her world shrunk. It was profound how quickly the largeness around her made her problems dissipate into nothing.

The perspective was obvious, and Skye could tell that the room was built for just that goal. Just that reminder. How better to create genuine humility in man — or Panthenite.

The smell of bacon wafted into the room. Her stomach growled. She bunched the dark blue sheet up, pulling it away from the front of her feet. It trailed behind her as she padded out to the hall Aiden had disappeared into.

She passed a bathroom, which she ducked into, finding some toothpaste and scrubbing it around her mouth. Back in the short hallway, an open room the width of the house expanded in front of Skye. A couch and a few chairs on one side opened fully to the opposite space, housing a table and kitchen. Sparse, but tasteful. Aiden, back to her, now had boxers on and was frying bacon and eggs on the stove. Not moving forth into the big room, Skye paused in the hallway as her attention was caught by the doorway opposite the bathroom. She peered into what looked like an office.

She shuffled in. Just like at Mary's, heavy tomes lined one of the walls. They didn't look dusty. She guessed they weren't for show. Her fingers trailed the thick books. Histories of ancient societies into the current day, the art of war, ancient philosophy, war tactics, man-to-man combat techniques — it was a pretty clear picture of what she guessed Aiden was dealing with. Her heart crushed a little bit for him.

Guilt struck Skye again. Aiden had never talked about any of this, never hinted, never complained about what his life was. What he was expected to do.

She turned to look at the rest of the room. A wide desk was pushed against the opposite wall. The flat expanse above it was filled with photos pinned to the wall, all perfectly aligned in rows and columns. Most were black and white photos.

As Skye moved closer, she started to really notice what was in the pictures. What she immediately recognized as atrocities of war — bodiless limbs lying in streets, children screaming in terror, heads blowing up, blindfolded man dead in the dirt — were scattered amongst the pictures.

Bile rose in Skye's throat, but she couldn't look away. She leaned over the desk. Intermixed with the nauseating images were heartwarming photographs — uniformed men grasping their children in clear homecoming, mothers peacefully feeding babies, a man, standing with arms at his back, staring in wonderment at a waterfall. The juxtaposition of the vile and the beauty was more than unsettling.

"Skye."

Skye jumped, almost tripping over the trail of the sheet. Her heart went to her chest. "Aiden," she stammered, "how long have you been there?"

His face was a stone. "Long enough." He had in his hand a full plate of eggs and bacon, fork balanced atop. He wasn't moving into the room.

"What is this?" Her voice was bewildered, but not scared. She shifted the sheet around her, re-gripping the hold on it just above her right breast.

He stood in the doorway, staring at her. Skye began to wonder if he was going to come in, or even say a word.

"Aiden, you're scaring me by not talking. Tell me what this is."

He came into the room, his body, face, still steely. He set the plate down in front of her on the desk. His eyes didn't shift to the wall. They were trained on Skye.

"Do you remember when I mentioned committing atrocities?"

Skye's heart skipped to her throat, her eyes glancing back at the wall. Aiden couldn't be responsible for these repulsive acts. He couldn't.

He wasn't going to sugar-coat it. "Over time, there has been certain savagery that I've had to commit — losses that were deemed acceptable for the gain...a greater good. I've done things for this 'greater good' that I regret, things that I have had to come to terms with. But I don't plan on forgetting any of it. Every act I've committed warrants its due respect."

"All of these," she choked as her hand swept across the wall, her eyes frantically searching the hundreds of pictures, "are you?"

"Yes."

She looked at him, desperate. Her eyes went back to the wall. "What about these?" Her finger pointed at the photograph of a mother smiling down at a baby.

"It's how I live with it."

Skye scanned the wall wildly. After initially concentrating so hard on the revolting images, she started to see that the photos were distributed equally on the wall. Half good, half evil.

She leaned over the desk, eyes riveted, going from photo to photo. Aiden was silent. Halfway down the wall, she leaned back and turned to him.

Her voice was soft, pained. "You have to live with this?"

He made no motion, no reply. He just watched her.

She pulled out the chair from the desk and sat. She leaned back, transfixed by the wall.

"Were any mistakes?"

Aiden moved alongside her, his back to the wall, and leaned back on the desk. "Yes."

Skye nodded, not looking at him. Thoughts were firing in her brain. The wall was telling her a story that could never be spoken. Every major war, every global crisis of the twentieth century was represented in the stills in front of her. Horrors and humanity entwined.

"How do you decide when to intervene? Who determines what the greater good is?" She didn't look at him.

"For the most part, we let man do to himself what he will. But there are times that things become so unjust, if we don't intervene, there would be disastrous implications."

He looked over his shoulder at the wall. His eyes paused on a particular set of pictures from the 1940's.

"Then there have been the times that the Malefics have surged in power, and threatened not only man, but the Panthenite-Malefic balance. World War II was a time period in which they peaked in power. The Panthenites, as a whole, were still weakened in numbers, and the Malefics powers had grown, just by the sheer number of entities. Man was lucky. We were lucky." His eyes shifted back to Skye, studying her face. "Unusual strings of natural disasters — tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes — usually Malefic induced. While our general take is to live and let live, Malefics would rather see the demise of mankind. So we are called into duty. A duty to the natural order."

A thought struck Skye. Her eyes finally shifted from the wall to Aiden. "How old are you?"

"I was born soon after the civil war. As were Triaten and Charlotte."

"Do Panthenites grow up at a normal pace?"

He nodded. "They do. Time slows once we reach maturity."

Her gaze went back to the photos. Minutes past. Aiden just watched her.

Skye leaned forward in the chair. "The photos, they seem to end late in the century?"

"It's when I came back here for good. Stopped letting others dictate what I was and wasn't going to do."

She laid her hand gently on Aiden's thigh. "The elders?"

"Yes."

She looked up at him, her eyes decided. "I think it went something like this." She stood up in front of him, wedging herself between his legs. A hand went to his chest as her eyes locked into his. "It doesn't matter who you were. It's of no consequence. You are who you are now."

Relief cracked Aiden's stone facade. He grabbed her, pulling her fiercely into him, burying his face into her neck. Skye's hands were at his chest. She could feel his heart beating wildly under her palms. She moved her arms up, hugging his neck, smothering her chest into his.

She held him, her eyes facing the wall. One hand buried itself in the back of Aiden's neck. Over his shoulder, she forced herself to seek out only the photographs of good in the display.

Suddenly, she stiffened. She pushed back from Aiden. "What the hell is that?" Skye stepped back, gripping the top of the loosened sheet tightly to her.

Aiden looked up at her, thoroughly confused.

She pushed him aside, off the desk, and pointed at the wall. Her finger shook. The photograph seemed out of place on the wall, but it was there. It was of her. Leaning over on Mary's front fence, head bowed, shoeless and in flannel and sweats on the first day she was at the ranch. She didn't have her jacket with her, so it had to have been taken even before she had decided to stay.

Aiden turned to her, but Skye was already backing herself out of the room, hand clasped over her mouth, yanking the long sheet with her. Betrayal, hurt, shone in her eyes.

"Skye, you don't understand." His hands were up, attempting calm.

She was out the door.

"Skye!" Aiden followed her into the hall. His foot went down on the trailing sheet.

That jerked her to a stop. She whipped around. "What — that I'm just here to correct some wrong you did? I'm a feel-good project you can pin on your wall? Who'd you kill? What sin am I supposed to rectify? I don't know how I could be mistaking that." She yanked at the sheet.

Aiden's fists clenched. He didn't move his foot. "Skye, dammit, listen to me."

She pulled at the immobile sheet, her head slowly shaking. Her eyes went to the heavens. "Oh god, I thought...I thought...you had me believe..." Her voice choked off. A palm went to her cheeks, quickly wiping away tears that escaped.

She looked at Aiden. He wasn't going to let her move. Her fist dropped the sheet. She turned and stomped into the bedroom, naked.

Aiden picked up the sheet, bunching it as he followed her. She already had her dress thrown on. He threw the sheet on the bed.

"Skye, stop."

Skye didn't stop movement, picking up her boots. Her words were venom. "No — I have been stopping for you for weeks now. Stopping whatever life I had. And I sure as hell don't want to stop and hear this."

Boots in hand, she circled a wide path around him. Near-run, she made it down the hall, through the main room, and out the front door. It was still raining.

Stumbling, she jerked her boots on mid-stride. Rain mixed in with tears, clouding her vision. She kept going. Trees towered around her down the overgrown rocky drive, and her brisk walk soon morphed into a run.

At the point her lungs were going to explode, she pulled up, heaving. She collapsed against the nearest tree, her head buried in the crook of her arm.

Her dress was a clinging wet mess, her boots squishy. She heaved, swallowing sob after sob, refusing to allow them the breath they needed.

"Do you remember when I told you that being with you was different?"

Dammit, Aiden had snuck up on her. She didn't look up. Didn't turn around to face him. She thought she was going to puke.

"It was different because being with you, training you, it wasn't all for you. It wasn't for a greater purpose." There was an ache in his low voice. "For once, maybe for the first time since I was a kid, I was doing something I wanted to do, something I believed in, something that was...for me."

She could feel Aiden move closer to her back. He pressed something into her hanging hand. Without looking, Skye knew it was the photograph from the wall.

"This — this is only how Triaten convinced me to spend time with you. He knew what I was refusing to acknowledge. And putting you up on that wall was the only way he could get me to cooperate. He may not be able to read me, but he knew what I needed."

Exhaustion hit her. She sank down, sitting on her heels, her hands gripping the bark in front of her for balance. The picture in her hand smothered into the wood. Her head was buried in her outstretched arms. The words of the old man at the bar echoed in her mind. Trust. Had she trusted Aiden too soon? Too much?

"I don't know." The words meekly escaped. It was all she could give him.

Aiden knelt down behind her, his chest a warm blanket on her wet back. She could feel he was wearing jeans, but no shirt. His hands went on her shoulders, then gently moved up, lightly pulling her wet hair back off her neck.

He leaned in, lips next to her ear. "Then let me know for the both of us. I know what I see in you. It's the light in your eyes that only shows up when you look at me. You don't guard it. You don't hide it from me. It's a fire that I know is mine."

His hand went to her forehead, tilting her head upwards. Skye didn't fight it. His lips brushed on her neck, gentle. Her eyes closed, soft rain falling on her upturned face.

His voice was a whisper.

"It's the taste of you. I know it's mine."

His hands followed the curves down the sides of her body, heat spreading from his touch right through her wet dress.

"It's the way your body leans into me, whether you want it to or not. I know it's mine."

His hands traced the outside of her legs to her knees, circling back, sliding her skirt up as his thumbs traveled along her inner thighs.

"It's your heat. The imperceptible quiver when I touch you. Mine."

Skye dropped to her knees, her body arching back at Aiden. Her arms went behind her, gripping his butt, pulling him hard into her back. His hands took advantage, cupping her breasts as he continued his assault on her neck, leaving no part of her skin untouched.

She reveled in his hands, under his lips, his tongue, until she could take no more. She spun toward him.

Her hands went to his jeans, unbuckling. "I need this now," she rasped. "Now."

He wasn't slow. He shoved her skirt and picked her up in one motion, slamming them into the tree as entered her. Her nails dug into him, holding on, not recognizing anything other than the throbbing between her legs. He gripped her hips, holding her back to the tree as drove into her. Her ragged screams met in unison with Aiden's tortured groans. Again and again.

Her body grasped him, bringing him deeper and deeper into her. Skye pitched in pleasure, and Aiden joined her, collapsing against her and the tree.

He stayed in her for minutes, crushed against the tree. Their heaving chests warred each other. Mutual shock. What they had just experienced was so primal, neither could speak.

Finally, Aiden pulled his face from her, but didn't let her down. "Did I hurt you?"

She didn't think she had the strength to talk. But her mouth opened, and words managed to come out. "I didn't notice." She quickly assessed her body. "But you may be picking bark from my back."

He stood straight, easing her down to the ground. "Sorry." His hands went around her, gently brushing the debris from her back. He looked at the tree. It looked like a rutting elk had taken to it.

Skye shrugged with a smile. "No harm — apparently I heal fast."

Aiden pulled his pants on, and then put his arm around Skye's shoulders, steering her in the direction of the house. She paused to pick up the picture of her that had fallen to the ground. It was a soaked, crumpled mess.

Aiden didn't let it go unnoticed. "I am sorry, I should have taken it off the wall a while ago. Are we okay? Honestly?"

She looked up at him, truth in her eyes. "We are."

They moved forth. "I'm going to have to re-cook your breakfast."

Skye had forgotten how hungry she was.

They were walking across the clearing in front of the house, Aiden's arm still about her shoulders, when a black jeep pulled up the drive behind them. Triaten. He drove aside them and parked.

Jumping out, he stood for a moment in the drizzling rain, taking the pair in. He wisely decided not to mention the dirty, ripped dress of Skye's, nor the naked torso of Aiden's. But he didn't manage to fully hide his smirk before he mutely turned in front of them, and went into the house.

Kicking his wet shoes off at the door, Triaten eyed the couple. He had a clear twinkle in his eye. "I haven't seen your rain in a long time, my friend."

Skye's eyes went wide. She looked up at Aiden, motioning out to the rain. "This is you?"

Clearly caught, Aiden shrugged in mirth. "Maybe. Didn't think anyone," he said the word pointedly at Triaten, "would notice, or mind. Much less, show up."

Skye eyed Aiden suspiciously as she pulled off her sopping boots. She suddenly realized the quandary her soaked dress presented. She had no clothes. Dry underwear, as she didn't stop to put them on earlier, but she was otherwise screwed.

"Yes, I know, but I have business." Triaten said.

A flicker of curiosity showed on Aiden's face, then he nodded. "Just give us a minute to get out of these wet clothes. Make yourself useful in the meantime — heat up that breakfast."

Not embarrassed, Skye was nonetheless grateful for Triaten's silence on what he pulled up to — them trudging half-naked, in the rain from the woods, an uneaten breakfast, sex permeating from them.

Soon under one of Aiden's big, front-zipped sweatshirts, Skye folded up and flipped over the waistband of the shorts he gave her so they wouldn't fall down. The shorts went well past her knees.

She came out of the bathroom, just trailing Aiden having changed in the bedroom. Both walked into the kitchen, Aiden pulled out plates, and they each filled them. They settled next to each other on a bench seat that lined the table. Triaten sat down across from them.

Aiden crunched a strip of bacon. "What business?"

"It's the elders, they want to talk to you," Triaten said.

There was no reaction as Aiden shoved in a forkful of eggs. "Did they say why?"

Triaten shrugged. "Could be the engagement ending — that's known about town now. Could be they're wondering why it's raining. Could be the time blip last night."

Skye froze. Her fork was mid-air. She wondered if she also had the power to become invisible. Triaten's eyes on her told her it was not to be.

Triaten looked back and forth between the pair. Aiden just kept eating. Skye stiffly stared at the table in front her.

"What was that about, by the way?" Triaten asked.

Silence. Aiden kept his mouth full of food. Skye realized Aiden wasn't going to save her on this one.

"Fine —" she blurted, "there was a moment last night that I had to go back and relive. And I don't regret it, I wanted it too much. And I'm guessing you can imagine exactly what it was."

Aiden choked, coughing lodged eggs. Skye rolled her eyes as she thwacked his back. Serves him right for not stepping up.

Triaten laughed, his hand quickly up to stop Skye from saying anything more. "Gotcha — I'll ask no more." He got up to get Aiden a glass of water.

He handed it to Aiden, who took a couple gulps.

Aiden's throat finally clear, Triaten continued. "Anyways, I didn't get much out of them about what they wanted — it was pretty vague, other than they wanted you sooner rather than later. I would guess better to take care of it right away, less to look like we're hiding something."

Aiden nodded. "I'll go into town. Can you take Skye back to the ranch? I should be back by afternoon, and we can hit the training field. Is Charlotte still coming up?"

"Unless she has an emergency at the clinic."

"Good." Aiden stood up, his plate empty. He went to the bedroom, coming back out with dry shoes on. He was throwing a grey softshell jacket over his black t-shirt. "Don't leave until she eats it all. She needs it."

Skye's plate was still three-quarters full. She rolled her eyes at Triaten in mock chagrin.

Aiden was to the door before he abruptly stopped, and strode back over to Skye, grabbing the back of her head and coming down hard on her lips. There was no mistaking what he was announcing. She was his.

Moments later, her mouth full, Skye heard Aiden's motorcycle rev up, the growl quickly fading. Triaten was cleaning up the fry pan in the kitchen behind her, letting her eat with her own thoughts.

And then he interrupted. "You found the photo wall, then?"

Skye turned around to him. He was holding the picture of Skye. She had left it on the counter when getting her wet boots off.

Triaten joined her at the table, legs straddling the bench right next to Skye. He set the picture down in front of her.

Skye nodded, watching him as she chewed crispy bacon. "I don't know if I should thank you or throttle you. I was ready to leave over it."

"Sorry about that. I've known Aiden for well over a century, and he doesn't always do what's best for himself without a push." Triaten absent-mindedly pushed his short thumbnail into the worn wood of the table, tracing a gouge. "He was going to pass up the opportunity — you, and I didn't have a better plan to get him to participate long enough for, well, for this to happen."

Skye tapped the fork on her front teeth, considering Triaten. "Even if you can't read someone, you have a gift of intuitiveness, don't you?"

Triaten shrugged. "It'd be ridiculous for me to not be intuitive about him after all these years."

"But me, how did you know I would cooperate?" She took a bite of egg.

"To be honest?"

"Please."

"I didn't know. But I had a hunch. First off, you don't have much baggage, not having a memory and all."

"So any old woman with amnesia would have worked for Aiden?"

Triaten gave a wry smile. "Hardly, but take away memories, and people are who they are at their core. They don't have the past shaping them. So for the few days I could read you before I got to know you, it was easy to see what you're about."

Skye's eyes widened as the memory flashed. "But Aiden said you saw what I did on the train. How...how could you not see that rage?"

"You mean the asshole in the train car?"

Skye nodded, her breath held.

"Yea, the rage, I saw it," his fingers tapped the table, "but it was a memory, foggy at that, so not nearly as potent as it would have been in real time. But frankly, the rage was nothing compared to the desperate guilt you mounded on yourself about it. It was sad to see, cause in my book, you were way too easy on the bastard. Justice is usually served out harsher in our world."

Skye's eyes shifted back to her plate, concentrating on not letting the memory fully resurface. She didn't want to relive it, and she had worked hard to hide it away in her mind these past few weeks.

Triaten continued. "Beyond that, when I could still read you, mostly what convinced me you were the right one was how you reacted to Aiden. Admiring, but cautious. You weren't scared of him, even though most are. You rarely thought twice about disagreeing with him, you'd go toe to toe in an instant — sweetly, of course. How do I explain it...your thought patterns match his, even if you're in disagreement. Plus, you looked at him like he was water in a desert."

Skye was stuck on an early comment Triaten had made in his assessment. "People are scared of him?" she asked, incredulous.

Triaten laughed. "You didn't notice at the bar? All the time. Most of the time. It's part of the charm of herculean strength. You don't even need to prove your might. People just do what you want."

Skye nodded, taking the odd thought in. Then she gave an embarrassed smile to Triaten. "Water in a desert, huh?"

His easy laugh surfaced. "Afraid so." His face turned serious as he tapped the picture in front of her. "I'm guessing you saw the rest of the wall too?"

Her mouth full, Skye nodded, somber.

"But for how I found you two, I'm assuming all is well in that regard?"

Skye could see a corner of the office down the hall from her vantage at the table. Her eyes glossed over as she stared at it. "It breaks my heart to see what he has had to live with. I'm guessing you've tried to convince him to take it down?" She took the last bite from her plate.

"Charlotte has, me not so much. Aiden does what he needs to do. Not my place to try and change that."

"Another insight from your abilities?"

Triaten's hand rubbed through his dark hair. "A bit. People do what they need to do, to survive in body and spirit. And they're not likely to change whatever they've set up around them physically, or in their minds, in order for that survival to happen."

Skye contemplated him as she took a sip of water. "It must be a bitch to know so much about what goes on in people's minds, huh?"

"Can be, love." He nodded, and an out-of-characteristic sad smile flashed. "Can be."

Skye got up and washed her plate. Triaten stood and moved toward the door waiting for her.

Putting the plate back where she had seen Aiden grab it from, she walked back by the door, put one wet boot on, then thought the better of it, taking it off. "Barefoot it is," she said to Triaten, and they walked out the door.

Boots in hand, she walked gingerly over the rocky scrub grass to Triaten's jeep. It had stopped raining. "Why did Aiden finally decide to stop and come back to the mountain?"

"Charlotte needed him."

"How come?"

They got into the vehicle.

Triaten grabbed her jacket from the back seat. "Here, we grabbed it from the bar last night."

Skye paused, eyeing Triaten. She'd seen this non-answering trick from Aiden plenty. "How come Charlotte needed him?"

Triaten shrugged. He started the engine. "Not my place to tell you. That's for Charlotte to explain, if you can get her too." He pulled down the long drive. "That's when they got engaged."

"Wow, she wasn't kidding when she said they were engaged for years."

Triaten smiled. "Yea — twenty or so. I think the elders were the only ones still holding out hope."

They rode in an easy silence up the main road. The clouds had mostly dissipated, and the sun poked through the thick pines lining the road, still dropping wet droplets. Skye caught glimpses of a few blue forget-me-nots dotting the side of the road.

"What has Aiden done since he's been back?"

"Helps out at the ranch, runs the adventure shop. He only goes out on missions when he thinks he can make the right sort of difference. It's taken the elders a long time to get used to not having their best weapon at their disposal."

They pulled up to the ranch. Mary was out front, walking with Dagger. She waved. Triaten pulled over to her.

From the driver's side, she looked past Triaten, ignoring him. "Skye, my dear, how are you? The crew take good care of you last night?"

Skye smiled. "Lots of fun."

Mary waited for more. Skye kept her mouth closed. If everybody else could give short answers, she could too.

Triaten picked it up. "We're training this afternoon once Aiden gets here — what can we do in the meantime, love?"

Mary glanced back over her shoulder. "I have a load of hay that needs to be moved in the stables."

"Good," Triaten replied, "Skye needs to change clothes and we'll be down."

~~~

Aiden stepped into the hotel. Vaulting staircase, the picture of past opulence, swept upwards in front of him. Ruby red carpet blanketed the stairs, running up to offset the five-hundred light crystal chandelier above. He took no notice of the expense around him as he walked around the base of the circular steps, cutting behind and underneath them to a door blended seamlessly with the surrounding dark trim.

Not knocking, he stepped through the almost invisible door.

Eight people randomly sat about the spacious salon, some reading, one at the bar, two staring at a chessboard. The three sitting in the middle of the room, two on a leather-tufted couch, one leaning back in a wing chair, were deep in conversation.

Ignoring the rest in the room, Aiden went to the three in the middle, sitting down opposite the two on the couch. He made no apology for interrupting their conversation.

"I'm here, what do you want?" His voice was casual.

The male in the wing chair clasped his fingers in front of his face, elbows crooked on the arm rests. Silver tufts of hair were sparse on his near bald head. His face, etched with canyons of wrinkles, was spotted with marks of time. He was silent.

The elderly female on the couch, elegant in a silver bob that cut below her cheeks, sat ramrod erect, hands clasped in her lap. She bestowed on Aiden the slightest smile. The male next to her leaned forward. Though his hair was still dark, grey peppered through, and time was beginning to win the war around his eyes and forehead. He was the first to speak.

"We understand the engagement between you and Charlotte is void?"

"It is, Horace."

"There will be no offspring?" Horace followed.

Aiden shook his head.

Horace glanced at his companion in the chair. His bald head inclined slightly toward Horace.

Horace continued, his voice grave. "Is this because of the woman you were with at Joe's last night?"

"No, she is just someone who happened upon the ranch." Aiden answered too quickly. He clamped his mouth shut, jaw rigid.

Three sets of eyes bored into him. He stared back at them, detached.

Horace leaned back on the couch. He crossed his legs and his arm casually went to the top line of the couch, fingers playing with the ornate carving at the corner. "You do remember Charlotte's friend...what was his name?"

Aiden's jaw flexed. "Thomas."

"Ah, yes, Thomas. It was unfortunate what had to happen to him."

Aiden leaned forward, his eyes steel. "Do I need to remind you, that you've been suffering from the consequences of his death, since?"

The gravelly voice, ancient, of the elder in the chair interrupted. "Half-breeds will not be tolerated, Aiden."

Aiden glared at him, posturing. "You needn't worry about that, Edmund." Aiden stood up. "We're done here."

Aiden took several steps around the group before Horace stopped him. "Oh, and Aiden, the time shifts, do you know anything about them?"

Aiden looked down at him. "No, why would I?"

Horace shrugged. "No reason." His head nodded to the lady next to him. "Helen just had visions of you both times they happened. Probably nothing."

Saying nothing more, Aiden removed himself from the salon.

# { Chapter 10 }

Aiden was on a rampage. It had been hours since he had shown up at the ranch. When he had arrived, he had yanked Skye and Triaten from the barn, only half the hay moved, and dragged them to the training field.

Seething, he had thrown down an overflowing bag, daggers, swords, lances — all manners of dark silver steel, clattering out. His voice had been scarcely contained rage. It was aimed at Skye. "Everything in here, you need to learn how to use, and how to defend against."

Aiden would attack, she would lose. He would have Triaten attack, and then circle the bout, shouting instruction, yelling at her for any moment of weakness. She would lose. And Aiden would attack again.

It went on for hours, and then Charlotte arrived. Aiden immediately set both Charlotte and Triaten onto attacking Skye at the same time. Again and again.

Both Charlotte and Triaten were experts, and Skye struggled. A sword and a dagger coming at her simultaneously was new, and she didn't know how to protect her back or sides like she should.

Off and on, Charlotte and Triaten would attack together, then Aiden would take a turn. A small favor, Skye would only end up crushed on the ground with the Aiden bouts, merely because Triaten and Charlotte wouldn't go there with her. Aiden had no such reservations.

Soaked in sweat, no water break in hours, Skye was on her side in the dirt, gasping for breath after being slammed in the stomach. Aiden's sword pressed into her upper arm. "Get up." His voice was a raging growl.

Her skin dimpled. The sword was close to drawing blood.

"Get the hell up, Skye."

A trickle of red bubbled around the tip of the sword. Skye tried to catch her breath.

"Hey, take it easy, A." Triaten yelled.

Aiden didn't take his eyes off Skye. "Not your call, Tri."

His blade pushed deeper into Skye. She gasped. "Get to your feet."

Triaten wedged himself between Aiden and Skye on the ground. Anger laced his words. "Aiden, you need to lay off."

The two scowled at each other. Aiden lorded his extra inches over his friend, but Triaten wasn't going to move.

Blade off of Skye, Aiden took a step back.

Triaten stood ground in front of her, legs apart, warrior stance.

Skye took a moment, finally caught her breath, and sat up. The blood on her arm trickled down. "Triaten, it's okay. I'm okay." She grabbed her sword, getting to her shaky legs. She glared at Aiden around Triaten's frame. "Let's go."

Triaten looked back over his shoulder at her. "You sure?"

Skye nodded. Triaten stepped to the side.

Aiden advanced on her hard, before she even had her sword up. She jumped to the side, but was slow, and he cut off her escape. She blocked his next blow, coming down at her head, and managed to move past him. He turned, attacking her low. Skye shuffled back, then tripped as Aiden knocked her sword out of hand. Her head and back thumped hard on the ground. Charlotte and Triaten winced.

Skye immediately rolled on the ground to get to her blade, but Aiden deftly kicked it away. She was on her back looking up at him.

The tip of his blade went to her chest.

"What do you do?" His words were harsh.

Eyes boiling, she grabbed his blade with her right hand. Her face strained over a grunt as her arm shook. Blood squeezed through her fingers as she pushed as hard as she could against the steel, moving the tip off her heart.

It wasn't enough for Aiden. He twisted the blade in her hand and the blood ran faster. She refused to let go. He refused to remove the blade. Blood streamed down her arm, and dripped onto her chest.

"Aiden, enough!" Charlotte yelled, running in and shoving him away from Skye. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She was furious and in his face, with Triaten right behind her, ready to throttle.

He peeled his eyes off Skye's limp body and looked down at Charlotte. His voice was harsh. "Thomas."

Charlotte gasped and staggered back. It was as if Aiden had punched her. Triaten grabbed her shoulders, steadying her.

Aiden dropped his sword and stalked away from the scene. He disappeared into the woods.

Skye rolled over on the ground, in agony as she pushed herself to a sitting position. She held her bleeding hand hard on her pants to stop the flow. She looked over at the two. Triaten had moved Charlotte to sit on a log. His hands were still steadying her shoulders.

"Who is Thomas?" Skye asked.

Silence.

Charlotte was deathly white. She was breathing deeply, attempting calm.

Skye got to her feet, her hand still pressed into her thigh. "Dammit, I am so sick of this silence. Someone needs to tell me who the hell Thomas is."

Charlotte looked up at Skye. Her voice was flat, detached. "He was a man that I loved. And he died." Her eyes went back down to the ground.

There was nothing more coming from her. Skye looked at Triaten. But he didn't even glance up at her. Worry was thick on his face as looked down at Charlotte. One hand was gently rubbing her back.

Frustrated, Skye looked for the path Aiden had taken out of the round field. She was on it before she realized it was the same trail she had been on days ago that led to the river.

She came upon Aiden at the end of the trail, standing at the river. His back was to her.

"What happened in town this morning?" Her words were calm, and only a little desperate for information.

Aiden didn't turn around. Under his tight black shirt, Skye saw his entire torso expanded in a sigh. She walked up behind him. Her left hand went gently to the top of his back, fingers curled over his right shoulder. She moved next to him and looked up at his profile. His jaw was tight, flexing and unflexing. Blue eyes fixated on the water in front of him.

"What happened?" It was a soft whisper.

Aiden turned and grabbed Skye, crushing her in his arms. He held her, enveloped her, his face buried in her hair. Moments passed.

He finally spoke, his voice rough next to her ear. "I just need you to get real good, real fast."

Skye knew that was all she was going to get from him. She whispered into his chest. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

~~~

The entire next week was torture. Whatever had transpired on the field that day, had taken root with Triaten and Charlotte too. Neither pulled a punch, or held back on creating pain if they thought Skye would learn something. Now instead of one voice yelling at her on the field, she had three. And all three were fierce warriors, having trained for more than a century to be so.

For days, from dusk till dawn, the three friends hounded Skye, pushing her past exhaustion, then a little farther.

After passing out and almost falling off his bike on the way home from a particularly excruciating day, Aiden had taken to driving them back and forth from the ranch in his own black jeep, the only difference from Triaten's being it was a two-door instead of four. It would have made more sense for Skye to just stay at the ranch, but Aiden wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't let her out of sight.

But he hadn't touched her, for real, in days — she was too exhausted from training. And on the rare occasion she did wake up in the middle of the night, Aiden was always there, one arm solidly over her. But she had no strength to move.

Day after day, he woke her before light, shoving food into her as he led her half-asleep into the jeep. By the time they would make it to the ranch, light would just be filtering through the trees, and Triaten and Charlotte would be waiting for them.

So it was a welcome sight one morning when Skye opened her eyes of her own free will, and saw rain pounding on the windows. She could hear far off thunder echoing through the valleys. Aiden was sitting in the lone leather club chair, facing the rain.

Agony hit as Skye wrenched her muscles into movement. She padded, naked, over to Aiden and plopped sideways onto his lap. Her legs hung over the side of the chair. She laid her head on his bare chest, her finger playing with the band of his silk boxers. "Tell me you've taken pity on me and this is all you," she said, pointing to the rain on the glass.

One hand on her thigh, the other idly ran through the auburn curls in her hair. "Afraid not. This rain is all natural. But I was thinking we could do some quick reflex training inside today. It's good for hand-to-hand combat in close quarters."

Skye groaned into his chest. She shifted on his lap. "No way I can get out of it for just a few hours?"

Aiden didn't answer, but what had been an innocent adjustment of her legs, was creating a growing hardness under her buttocks. She not so innocently wiggled more on Aiden's slippery boxers. Skye felt his chest tighten against her cheek. The hardness under her was straining. He was full out ready for her. Still, he made no movement other than to stroke her hair.

She tilted her head up on his chest, her hand slipping around his neck. "Just a few hours? Then training harder than ever?" Her lips went to his chest, leisurely trailing her way up to the line where the short grizzled beard started at his neck. Her teeth ran along the tendons to his shoulder. She pulled her legs off the armrest, slipping into a straddle over him. She tightened her thighs around his waist, pressing hard against his boxers.

Aiden growled and gently tugged her hair, pulling her head back. She arched, fully exposing her chest to him. He cupped one breast, attacking the other with his mouth. Skye writhed against him. Her hands went down, ripping apart the boxers, setting him free.

His hands trailed down her body, thumbs playing with the electrified skin. Aiden looked up at her as his hands easily wrapped around her hips, picking her up and setting her onto him with agonizing slowness.

His mouth went back to her breasts as he thrust, holding her hips solid as Skye arched against him, head back, throat choked with hot breath. Her moans came from deep in her chest, deep from beneath where Aiden's mouth continued its assault.

Skye could feel him straining taut under her. She begged for deep. For hard. Aiden obliged. Deeper and deeper he plunged until Skye thrashed in climax, and he finally released, exploding into her depths.

She collapsed onto him. Five minutes later, Skye was sound asleep. Aiden watched the rain, lightening breaking along the low clouds that hid the mountaintops. His fingers traced up and down her spine.

A half hour passed, and Aiden gently got up, arm under Skye's backside, cradling her against his chest. He laid her down on the bed, pulling the sheet over her. He went to the closet to get dressed. On his way out of the bedroom, he paused at the side of the bed to look down at Skye. He gingerly tucked an errant lock of chestnut curl behind her ear.

Skye roused, turning over to her side. Eyes closed she murmured, "No, sleep, sleep."

Aiden leaned down, kissing her temple. "Go back to sleep. I have some things to take care of in town. I'll get Triaten and Charlotte to stop by and pick you up, and I'll meet you at the ranch."

Skye murmured something incomprehensible. She was out.

Aiden waited for Triaten and Charlotte to show up before he left.

When Skye awoke again, it was still storming. She could hear Triaten's voice in the living room. She got dressed and walked down the hall.

Charlotte was sitting at the table, computer open in front of her, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was engrossed. Triaten was sprawled on the couch, a thick book lying open on his chest, staring at the ceiling.

"Hi," Skye said, stepping into the room. "Is Aiden here?"

Triaten sat up and put the book down on the leather ottoman in front of him. "He didn't tell you, love?"

Skye thought for a moment. "Oh, did he say he was going to town?"

Charlotte closed the laptop and stood up. "He did, and we're just waiting for you to head up to the ranch. We can get some food there, if you're hungry?"

Outside, the three ran to Triaten's jeep to not get soaked under the wet skies. Skye slid into the back seat, brushing droplets off her hair and jacket. Triaten and Charlotte got in the front seats. Skye was flicking the water debris she brought in with her off the worn leather seat when she noticed the white cardboard package. It was shoved into the corner of the backseat, an arm's length away from her.

It was a shipping box, with the mailing tape ripped open, evident by the ragged strips of the cardboard paper attached, then loosely reattached with whatever stickiness was left in the clear tape. The return address label caught Skye's eye. Shiv Walters, 426 South Pickten Drive, Cloquet, Ohio.

Walters...Cloquet, Ohio...that was what she had written on the release form Aiden made her sign before kayaking.

Skye's heart started to pound. She glanced up at the back of Charlotte and Triaten's heads. Neither had noticed what she was looking at. They were busy ridding themselves of the rain.

She reached over and grabbed the box, ripping off the tape and pulling the flaps open. There was a note on top. Short.

This was hers, she may want it. —Shiv

Skye put the note aside and pulled out a wooden box. It was inlaid with beautiful carvings of exotic animals, worn paint evident in the crevices of the scenes on all sides of the box.

Triaten turned around to see Skye grasping the wooden box. "Oh, shit." The words whispered out of his mouth.

Charlotte spun around. "Skye — damn."

Hands cradling the box, Skye wilted back against the car seat, staring at the carvings. Her breath started to speed up.

Suddenly, she burst sideways, shoving herself out the car door. She stumbled out to the wet ground just in time for the bile to escape. She heaved again and again, arm up against the jeep for support. And then the second she stood up, she went back down for another round of throwing up. By then, Charlotte was next to her, hand on her back, holding her hair from her face. Triaten was on the other side of her.

Charlotte looked at Triaten over her back. "We need to get her back in the house."

Both took an elbow and led Skye back into the house. All of them were soaked. They sat Skye on one of the benches at the table. She was clearly in shock.

Charlotte sat next to her, and Triaten appeared with towels and a glass of water. Charlotte held the water to Skye's lips and then began dotting the rain from Skye's hair with a towel. She glared up Triaten. She was pissed at him that Skye had found the box. She shook her head. "Aiden's going to kill us." Triaten stood, inept and sheepish next to them.

Skye's eyes began to unglaze. "I remember...I remember it all...everything...oh god...oh god..." her eyes flashed as memories hit her again and again, "oh god...oh god..."

She buckled over, head in her hands, rocking.

Charlotte's voice was soft, calm. "Just let them come. Just let them come." She stroked Skye's back. Minutes passed.

Skye's head jerked up. Confusion thick on her. "You knew?"

She looked back and forth between the two. Her voice pitched. "You knew?"

Neither answered her.

Anger seeped into her words. "You knew and you didn't tell me." She pushed away from Charlotte to the end of the bench. "You two knew who I was and you didn't tell me? How long?"

Skye stood up, eyes venomous. "How long?" she yelled. She bore down on Triaten. "How long have you know?"

Triaten's hands went up, trying to ward off her anger. "Skye, just let me explain. When we found her, she was horrified...not for you, for herself. She didn't want anything to do with you. Didn't want to see you. I read her and there was an intense amount of anger there."

Skye sank to the bench, hands at her temples. "She has every right. I was all she had and I abandoned her."

Sensing an opening, Triaten spoke. "We just thought that without your memory back, it would upset you for no reason, knowing she existed but wouldn't see you."

Skye looked up at Triaten. Her voice, meek. "You think too much for other people, Triaten. You could have at least told me I had a sister. It could have helped me remember."

Skye rubbed her head hard. She looked up at the two of them again, accusing. Newfound bitterness had overtaken. "Wait — you two were gone weeks ago...weeks...you knew for weeks, and nothing — nothing?"

Charlotte scooted closer to her on the bench. "Skye, we were going to, but then all of a sudden there was so much going on...we didn't want to add any unnecessary stress."

"Unnecessary?" Skye was incredulous. "My memories are unnecessary?"

Charlotte scrambled. "Skye, I didn't mean that, we just didn't think it was a good time to tell—"

"No," Skye cut her off, her words low in anger, "no one has told me shit since I've been here. I'm done."

Skye stood up and strode past the pair. She turned back to them at the door. "Did Aiden know?"

Both looked at her desperately. Desperate, but silent.

The invisible punch made her gasp. She turned and went out, slamming the door behind her.

# { Chapter 11 }

Skye made a bee-line through the rain straight to Triaten's jeep. She jumped into the driver's seat. Keys were still in it. She tore down the driveway, kicking up mud behind her.

At the main road, she stopped, knuckles white on the steering wheel. She started to turn left to get the hell off the mountain. It didn't matter if she had to steal the jeep to do it, she'd abandon it when she got the chance. But then she remembered Rafe. He was still at the ranch. She turned right and pushed the accelerator as hard as she could up the road, tires banging with brutal force into the wet potholes littering the rutted road.

The jeep slid to a stop in front of the ranch. Giving herself a breath, she turned and grabbed the wooden box from the back seat. It made her pause. The box didn't open, though she could tell it was hollow. She'd had it ever since she could remember. Her finger traced one of the tigers, gorging on a fallen antelope, just as it had done thousands of times as a child. Her fingers were the reason the paint had worn off so long ago.

That someone had thought a tiger kill was appropriate scenery for a toddler had never struck her until now. She turned the box over in her hands, studying each side of it, crocodiles with the hippos, lions and zebras, vultures picking on bones, and her favorite, the angry monkeys in battle with a snake. She was never sure who was going to eat who in that scene. No matter the grotesqueness, it was hers. Through her parents' deaths. Through the foster and group homes. Through it all, it was hers. At least it was until she was sent to juvie.

She put the box under her arm as she left the jeep, dashing through the rain into the ranch house.

"Rafe," she called out, "Rafe." Hopefully he wasn't in the barn. She just wanted to get out of here. Skye poked her head into the sitting room and library at the front of the house with no luck. She made her way back to the kitchen. It was empty too.

She ran up the stairs to the room she had been staying in. She stopped to take off her jacket and then quickly stripped out of the wet teal v-neck and jeans — Charlotte's — and dug through the dresser drawers for the jeans and tank she had come to this town in. She was going to leave with what she came.

Rushing back down the stairs, box and coat in arm, she heard the kitchen door close at the back of the house. Rafe's barking echoed into the hall before Skye heard the ungainly clickety-clack of his nails running across the wood floor.

She was at the base of the stairs by the time Rafe got to her, nearly bowling her over. His ecstatic tongue was on every inch of Skye's exposed skin.

"Skye is that you?" She heard Mary's voice coming from the kitchen and realized she'd have to at least say goodbye to Mary. Skye walked back down the hall, Rafe bounding alongside her.

"It had to be you for how determined Rafe was to get up here from the barn, dear." Slicker already hanging, Mary was sitting, pulling off her tall Wellington boots, thick with rain and muck. Her warm smile faded once she looked up and saw Skye. "Goodness, dear, why the grump? You look like you just lost your best friend."

Skye's face crumpled.

Mary was to her feet and over to Skye in an instant, grabbing her shoulders and steering her to the table. "Sit, sit, darling. I guess I need to be asking what Aiden did."

Skye took a deep breath and dropped her jacket onto the bench beside her. "I'm sorry, Mary, really I just came to say goodbye and to get Rafe."

Hand at her chest, Mary sank next to Skye. "Whatever it is, dear, it couldn't be all that bad. Aiden would never intentionally hurt you." Her hand went around Skye's shoulder. "I've known that boy a long time, and he's never been like this...besotted is what we used to call it. Don't know what you kids call it these days."

Skye ignored the comments about Aiden. "Did you know, too?"

"Know what, dear?"

"That they found my sister?"

Excitement crept onto Mary's face. "They did, dear? Well that's wonderful! I know Triaten was working that computer hard, trying to find a lead — he's the whiz with the technology. Have you talked to her yet?"

Skye could see Mary was telling the truth. She shook her head. "No, she doesn't want to see me. They found her weeks ago, and they just told me — actually, they didn't tell me, I found this box, and all my memories came back." Skye reached down by her coat to grab the box and put it on the table. "Mary, I could have had my memory back weeks ago," she finished with soft disgust.

Mary looked at the box, and jerked away from Skye. Something flickered across her face that Skye couldn't discern. "This box — this box is yours?"

Skye shrugged. "Yes, it was mine when I was little. My sister had it and sent it to Triaten."

The phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

Mary got up to answer it. Skye stared at the box. Unconsciously, she traced the three monkeys, forefinger slipping up and down their delicate tails. She paid little attention to the one-sided conversation Mary was having on the phone, until Mary's words caught her ear.

"Yes, she's here." Mary paused, listening.

Skye held her breath, she had to get out of here before Aiden found her. He wasn't going to let her go, she knew that, and she needed to leave. Needed time to think away from this bizarre world she had stumbled into.

Mary turned away from Skye, talking toward the cabinets. "Do you remember our Laura issue from years ago?" Pause. "Yes, well, I think I can finally rectify the situation." Mary paused, listening once more. She hung up without saying goodbye.

Mary turned back to Skye.

Skye spoke before Mary could say anything. "Really, Mary, I just came back here so that I could thank you for all of your kindness. Taking me in — it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. I owe you so much."

Mary smiled warmly, waving Skye off. "I'll not hear another word, nor will I stand in your way if you truly want to leave. Can you just wait one moment, though? I want to get you something that I'm going to insist you take with you, something to remember us by."

"No, Mary —"

"No arguing. Or I'll make it difficult for you to leave. You just sit there, and I'll be right back. It'll only take a moment."

Not waiting for Skye's reply, Mary bustled out of the kitchen into the house.

Skye closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. Rafe's head went to her lap. Her hand buried into the white fur on his head. At least now she knew for certain Rafe was hers — she remembered the exact moment he walked into her life.

She'd had him since she found him next to a train yard as a puppy. She was with a friend she had run into from juvie, one of the few she had made. Judith was her name, and Judith was vagabonding on the rails. It seemed like a good idea to join her — really, the only idea of what she could do with herself. After months of jumping trains, Skye had found herself in the woods with Judith, killing time and waiting for the next train to run out and catch.

The stream that ran next to their hiding spot was a sewage-filled mess, and what suddenly climbed out of the muck, but this little puppy, probably tossed in there. He walked right up to Skye, and licked her boot. He was hers from the moment she spotted him, pungent smell and all. Judith was disgusted. It was not too long past that, when she and Judith parted ways. But Rafe and Skye, they remained a pair.

The memory was broken when Skye heard Mary coming back down the hall, and she closed her eyes to steel herself. She would have to say goodbye.

Mary's voice startled her. She had quickly, and silently, moved in behind Skye. "I'm so sorry Skye, I have to kill you."

Not quite hearing Mary correctly, Skye turned around, confused half smile on her face. It was enough of a movement to shift the thrust of the dagger past her heart. The blade tore through her arm instead.

The world slowed, and pain ripped through Skye as she grasped the torn flesh on her arm. She had managed to avoid a direct hit in her chest, but shock held her in place on the bench. Face aghast, she stared — not comprehending, not moving — at Mary, dagger in hand, coiling her arm back for her next attack.

Just as Mary's next stab began, Rafe jumped at Mary's slight frame, teeth sinking into flesh. He knocked Mary back onto the ground, but in the roll, she managed to kick him off her.

In a flash, Mary was back on her feet. Rafe was already on the attack, but Mary was ready, side-stepping the gnashing teeth and throwing Rafe into a wall. Rafe hit the ground hard, body lying prone.

Skye watched the scene in horror, but was no longer frozen. "Mary — what the hell are you doing?" she screamed, getting to her feet and backing up, putting the table between her and Mary.

Mary's manic eyes shifted from Rafe to Skye. Her grip tightened on the blade as she stalked Skye. Both moved in a creeping circle around the table.

"It was you. It was you the whole time. I should have guessed. You were a mistake — a mistake — a half-breed of the worst kind that should never have seen the light of day." Her voice echoed crazy. "Your mother should have listened to me, she should have listened. I told her and I tried, but now I can fix it. Now I can fix it."

Skye's feet shuffled, looking for an escape route. Her hand was soaked in the blood draining down from her arm. The demented lunatic hunting her across the table was not Mary. Not the Mary she knew and loved. Skye's words came fast. She tried to keep her voice calm, but it pitched in panic. "Mary, I don't know what you're talking about. What happened? Who was on the phone? Whatever they said, I don't know what I've done, just tell me and we can fix it. I'm sure we can fix it."

With the shriek of a harpy, Mary lunged across the table. Skye was quick, and dove out of the way, hitting the floor, then rolling onto her feet. She ran down the hall in a breath. Halfway to the front of the house, a hand grabbed her ankle, yanking her to a stop. Skye slammed to the ground. Stunned, it took a second before she rolled to her back. Mary was already above her, blade cocked to come down at her heart.

Skye rolled just as the dagger came down. It stuck into the wood floor, a hair away from Skye's flesh. Mary yanked it, and it didn't move. Skye punched as hard as she could from the awkward angle she was stuck in under Mary. The blow gave her enough room to flip and scamper to her hands and knees.

She made it a few feet before Mary managed to grab her hair at the base of her neck. She brutally slammed Skye's forehead into the floor. Crumpled, prone on the floor, Skye struggled for consciousness. She looked over her shoulder and saw Mary was back at the dagger, wedging it out of floor.

Her legs lead, Skye wobbled to her feet, and ran as hard as she could at Mary, tackling her. She punched her twice in the head, slowing the fight in her. Skye spun off of Mary, and dove back at the blade still stuck in the floor. She yanked it free, and turned just in time to get it to Mary's throat above her. Mary froze.

Wrath reverberated in Skye's voice as she shoved the blade hard against Mary's neck. "Back off old lady." Skye pushed her up and got to her feet, blade forcing Mary backward into the library.

Mary's face contorted in craziness. "You're nothing but a sad little half-breed with a sad little life — they tried to convince you that you were one of them — but you're not. A pitiful little Malefic with no home, no family, no life, no nothing." Mary spit on her.

Rage choked Skye. She swept her foot under Mary's legs, sending her flat onto her back. Skye went down on top of her and wedged her knee on Mary's chest, the knife still firmly on her neck. "What the hell do you mean, old lady? What do you know of me?"

Mary laughed manically.

The rage overflowed. In a swift movement, Skye shifted her knee against Mary's neck, grabbed her wrist, held it to the floor, and slammed the blade down.

Mary's severed ring and pinky fingers twitched on the floor.

Mary's cackle turned to wail.

Skye put even more pressure on Mary's neck, silencing the cry, then bent over, her mouth inches from Mary's face. "So help me, witch, I will cut off all of your fingers, your feet, and then I'm going to start on your ears if you don't start talking. You are going to tell me what you know. What do you know of my mother?"

A flash of saneness crossed Mary's face. Skye loosened her knee on Mary's neck.

Mary's voice cracked through a crushed windpipe. "Your mother was not you, that's for sure. I loved Laura. And she ran off with that Malefic. I told her again and again she shouldn't do it, but she did. Kept seeing him, and then she was going to baptize you in the river right away. I thought I was there in time to get to you first, but she tricked me."

"Get to me first — what were you going to do?"

Mary rolled hers eyes. She clearly thought Skye stupid. "Kill you, of course — it was my job to kill half-breeds, all of them, all the half-breed babies —"

Disbelieving horror overtook Skye. "You killed babies?"

"Half-breeds — those weren't babies, they were half-breeds — they couldn't live — Laura knew that, and that's what you were, a half-breed — and not only a half-breed, but the most despicable kind — a Malefic half-breed."

Confusion overtook the horror. "But you're a half-breed."

"And do you think I should be alive?" Her face contorted. "No. This existence is nothing but a living hell. Why would I leave a half-breed alive for that?"

Skye couldn't even place Mary's words in her mind, they were so horrific. But they told her nothing of her mother. "Wait, my mother wasn't a Panthenite — she was killed in a car crash, along with my father."

Mary looked even more disgusted. "You really are stupid. Those people weren't your real mother and father — I don't know who they were."

Understanding dawned on Skye. "What happened to my mother?"

A look of pain, the look of heartbreaking loss, sped across Mary's face. But then she gained control and sneered at Skye, clamping her mouth shut. Her mouth twisted in a spiteful smile.

Skye clamped Mary's bloody hand back to the floor and raised the dagger. Her words were punctuated with threat, teeth bared. "What. Happened. To. My. Mother?"

Mary twisted her wrist, but it wasn't going to be freed. She relented with a rant. "I found her at the river, but she had already had you. She drew me in and we fought — she went under," Mary sneered at Skye, "so weak after you she was. And I held her down under the water, and she fought, she shoved into the blade and she didn't come back up. And when I searched for you, I found the afterbirth, but you were gone."

"You killed her?"

"I did — but it should have been you. You were the cause of all this, you little mutt."

The rage in Skye coiled, steeling itself into a cool rod that ran through her body. Her voice was even. "You killed her."

The aim of Skye's raised dagger changed from Mary's hand to her heart.

"Put it down, Skye." Aiden's words were thunder.

Skye didn't even twitch. She hadn't heard them come in, but their presence didn't surprise her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Aiden, Triaten, and Charlotte frozen at the entrance to the library, Aiden holding Triaten and Charlotte back.

Skye's breathing was even, the dagger one stab away from ending the wretched witch's life.

"Skye, what are you doing?" Aiden said, deathly calm. "I don't know what is going on, but you need to put the damn dagger down."

Skye suddenly realized what the three of them must be thinking after walking in on the scene. They hadn't heard what she just did. Her eyes pierced Mary. "Tell them."

Mary smirked at her.

Skye shifted aim and thrust the dagger down, slicing off Mary's thumb.

The gasps from the doorway were louder than Mary's squawk. She probably had little feeling left in her hand, so much blood had drained out already from the stumps at her knuckles.

The dagger was instantly poised over Mary's heart again. Skye waited for her to stop writhing. The three at the doorway hadn't moved. Skye could see Aiden's arms straining against Triaten and Charlotte.

Skye's green eyes, cold as ice, bore down on Mary. Her voice didn't waver. "I will gladly kill you before they can reach me. So you either need to tell them, or you need to say goodbye."

The smirk left Mary's face. It took painful moments before her eyes turned, pleading to the three at the door. "She's a Malefic — a Malefic and she needs to die — you need to kill her— she's a half-breed — Triaten, I know you understand — the half-breeds need to die—"

Skye interrupted her. "Tell them what you did to half-breed babies, Mary."

For the first time in the fight, Mary's face showed fear, and it wasn't because of the blade, it was because of the horror starting to creep onto Aiden, Triaten, and Charlotte's faces. Horror at her.

Mary's voice turned desperate. "I had to — it was my job to kill them — we couldn't let them taint our blood — they weaken us, you know that. And she was a Malefic half-breed — the worst, she's half evil. She needed to die, but she was going to be my last kill — I swear, I wasn't going to do it anymore — but then Laura tricked me and then it turned so horrible..." She trailed off.

Skye pressed her knee into Mary. "Tell them."

Mary shrieked. "I killed — fine — I killed her, I killed Laura — but it should have been you, mutt." She sneered at Skye. "You ruined everything."

Mary's eyes shifted to Aiden. "You can still do it — you can still kill her. She needs to die, Aiden — we can't have a Malefic-Panthenite running around. She could ruin us. Ruin us all! I know you don't want that." Her voice rose. "Just kill her. Kill her. Kill her."

"Shut your mouth, Mary." Aiden growled.

Mary eyes darted between the three. She gave a wail. "Oh, lord, I lost you. Triaten? Charlotte?" she begged.

Triaten and Charlotte didn't move, and their faces told Mary all she needed to know.

Mary looked up at Skye and the blade over her heart. "Just kill me, kill me you little bitch. I've lost everything. Just bury that thing in me. You're a Malefic, I know you can do it."

The steel rod of fury in Skye began to fragment. It was what had kept the blade true in her hand. And now her grip began to shake.

Mary gave a sinister laugh. "Unless you're a coward? Beautiful! A coward is no good for either side. But even a coward could drop a blade into me. Just let it go. Let it drop. Be good for something at least."

No control over her arm, Skye turned without thought and threw the blade across the room. It stuck into the spine of a book. She kicked herself off of Mary, collapsing backward. Aiden caught her.

Triaten and Charlotte didn't enter the room, both looked shocked as they waited for Aiden to help Skye to her feet. He supported her as they walked toward the door of the library.

Mary started to drag herself across the floor to the group, begging. "But Triaten — Charlotte, I've taken such good care of you."

The group turned to leave, but Mary continued. "Wait — I've tried to redeem myself. I haven't done it anymore. I knew I couldn't — I stopped. I stopped and haven't done it since Thomas —" she cut her own voice off.

The word "Thomas" hung in the air. It hung, and it froze the feet of the entire group. Eyes turned back to Mary, pitiful on the floor.

New desperation overtook Mary. Her crazy eyes were on Charlotte as she pleaded with her. "No, you don't understand. I love you. I knew I couldn't kill your baby. Not after what happened with Laura. So I had to stop it before it happened. I couldn't let it happen again."

Charlotte's voice was tiny. "It was you? You killed Thomas?"

Mary's eyes pleaded with Charlotte. "I had to."

Silently, Charlotte spun on her heel, stalked into the room, hand grabbing the blade out of the book on the way. Two more measured steps and she was at Mary. Without noise, without preamble, she bent over and drove the dagger into Mary's heart.

Charlotte stood up, and calmly walked back to the group. Triaten grabbed her immediately, enveloping her. It took her a rigid moment before she crumbled into him, sobbing.

Aiden and Triaten gave each other a hard look over the heads of the females. They both moved the group down the hall and out into the continued sheets of rain. Triaten ushered Charlotte into his jeep, Aiden getting Skye into his.

It wasn't until Skye was sitting in the jeep that shock subsided enough to think. "Rafe!" It was a whispered cry.

Aiden was still at her door. "Where is he?"

"The kitchen."

Aiden went to talk to Triaten in his vehicle before he went around to the back of the house.

Skye's breath held as he came out the front door, carrying Rafe into the rain. Her jacket was draped over him. Rafe was limp in his arms. Aiden went to the back of the jeep, flattened the rear seat and laid Rafe gently down. Skye jumped out and limped back to them.

Her hands cupped Rafe's face, horrified and hopeful. No, not Rafe too. She didn't think she could go back in time after what just happened. She didn't think she could relive it. But she would.

Triaten and Charlotte joined them immediately. Aiden grabbed Skye's shoulders, pulling her back from Rafe. Skye struggled until Aiden whispered in her ear. "Trust me."

Skye's hands clasped over her face, holding back the fear that was about to escape.

Charlotte stepped close to Rafe, running her hands gently over his whole body. She did this slowly, stopping at certain areas for moments at a time.

When she had finally touched every inch of Rafe, Charlotte took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Without looking, her hands went to his body, stopping in three specific areas. At each spot, her hands clasped, thumbs entwined, and she pressed her hands into his placid body. Each time she stopped, she would take a deep breath, exhale it, and her hands would glow. Glow a red from deep within.

Every time she did this, hope began to rise a little higher in Skye.

As Charlotte's hands pulled back from the last spot, Skye saw Rafe twitch. Twitch, and then his tail began to slowly thump. His eyes opened slowly. The second his big black eyes found Skye, Skye knew he was going to be okay.

But she didn't step toward him, instead, she near tackled Charlotte in a hug, and, tears streaming down her face, wouldn't let her go. Charlotte gripped Skye back, tears echoing Skye's. Both in their own distinct pain, but shouldering the burden for the other. The two friends stood there, collapsed against each other, gripping each other for comfort and strength. Aiden and Triaten could say nothing, do nothing, except stand in the rain with them.

When they finally pulled back, they looked at each other and nodded, neither having to say a word.

Aiden closed the back hatch on Rafe after tucking his head onto Skye's jacket, and moved Skye back into the front passenger seat. They drove down the pitted road, following Triaten and Charlotte, Aiden taking care at potholes to not jostle the jeep too much, for Rafe was still listless in the back.

Skye gripped her upper arm. The flesh that was torn through by Mary's dagger was beginning to throb. She hadn't noticed it until now. Her fingers were warm, and when she looked down, a pool of blood was beginning to collect on the car seat. She'd have to clean that up. Skye's head wavered.

"Hell, is that your arm or your chest?" Aiden muttered. He grabbed her leg, giving it a shake. "Skye, look at me."

Her eyes swung from the blood on the seat to Aiden.

"Just keep looking at me, Skye. Keep those eyes open. We're almost to my place."

Aiden laid on his horn just as Triaten reached the drive to Aiden's house. Triaten's jeep turned up the drive in front of them. Skye watched Aiden's eyes flicker between her and the road. Her eyelids got heavy. Her head began to tilt.

The sudden stop jerked her awake. She looked around, confused, as she didn't recall driving up Aiden's dirt road, but there they were, right in front of his house.

Aiden opened her door, and then leaned over in front of her, moving her hand off the bloody wound on her left arm. He looked at it, gently smoothing blood away from the entry point. His words entered her brain in a fog. "Shit, Skye, the hole is clear through your arm — how did you hold that dagger?"

Skye shrugged.

He called out to Triaten, still in his jeep, window down, waiting. "We're going to need Charlotte." He pulled Skye out of the jeep, supporting her as her feet tumbled through the wet slop into the house.

Aiden sat her down on the worn leather couch. He paused, thumb running over the goose egg and cut on her forehead, courtesy of getting her head slammed into the floor. Triaten and Charlotte were in right behind them.

Aiden turned to Charlotte. "I know her arm would heal on its own, but you need to speed it up. I don't know what's going to happen, but we all have to be ready for whatever is next." His words were pointed.

Charlotte nodded, not asking anything, and sat next to Skye. She took over the room. "Aiden, get a dry t-shirt for Skye and medical tape, and Triaten, I need a slew of wet towels. And then the two of you get Rafe out and set up. He's going to need more sleep."

She turned to Skye's arm. Her fingers poked and prodded the open wound, and Skye jerked back.

Charlotte gripped her arm with soft, but forceful fingers. "Sorry Skye, but I need to know how the muscle has been severed in order to fuse it back together properly. It's going to hurt for another moment. And what I'm going to do next is really going to hurt, so brace yourself."

Skye took a deep breath. She thought she had braced herself, but when Charlotte's fingers plunged deep into her wound, she couldn't help but scream. Her body doubled over in pain, but she managed to not rip her arm away from Charlotte.

Aiden was back, t-shirt in hand, the second Skye had cried out. Standing in front of the two, he shifted back and forth on his feet, helpless, but angry concern evident. "Really, Charlotte, necessary?"

Charlotte didn't look up from Skye's arm. "Get out of here Aiden. It's going to get worse, and she's going to need to scream, instead of holding it in because you're standing here."

He didn't move.

"Triaten." Charlotte called out calmly.

Triaten set the pile of wet towels down next to Charlotte, and grabbed Aiden's arm, pulling him out the front door.

Charlotte pulled on Skye's shoulder so she was sitting upright again. She toweled off the blood right around the wound. "Skye, it's going to get really bad here for a moment, but I'll be as quick as I can, and then I can heal it and the pain will be gone."

Skye's eyes met hers.

"Ready?"

Face white as snow, Skye nodded.

Charlotte's fingers plunged into the wound again, her fore and middle fingers going into the wound on one side of her arm, and just a forefinger plunging in from the other side of the hole. Skye could feel Charlotte's fingers meet in the middle of her flesh. Her scream was excruciating. Her nails drew blood from her own thigh, her grip was so sharp.

Charlotte pulled her fingers from the flesh, and immediately entwined her hands, laying them over the initial entry point of the dagger. Her hands glowed, just as they had over Rafe. She stopped and lifted Skye's arm, repeating the same thing on the opposite side of the arm.

The moment Charlotte let the arm down, Skye fell back onto the couch. Pain in her arm gone, the muscles in the rest of her body still twitched in contorted agony.

Charlotte used a wet towel to clean the rest of the blood off of Skye's arm. "I'm sorry that was horrible. Muscle heals are intricate, and harder to heal, especially when I want the muscle to function just as well as pre-injury right away." She began to wrap the white tape around Skye's upper arm. "I'm taping just to make sure everything stays where it needs to for the next few hours. You're going to get really tired here in a moment — you saw that with Rafe? It's recovery mode. As a Panthenite, you'll probably sleep a couple hours, tops — a normal human would need about 12 hours after a heal like that. I'm not sure how long Rafe will sleep — I've never healed a dog."

Skye nodded, still exhausted from the pain. "Thank you, I think." She gave a teasing half-smile.

Charlotte chuckled, "Yea, I know. Not the most pleasant of experiences." She grabbed a fresh wet towel. "Now let's see about this head of yours. You really are a bloody mess."

Charlotte dabbed the towel on Skye's forehead, silently washing away the dried blood. She eventually spoke, voice quiet. "Skye, we are truly sorry about what happened earlier. We shouldn't have kept the information about who you were from you."

Skye could tell Charlotte's apology was heartfelt. But she didn't have the energy for any emotion right now, even forgiveness.

Charlotte continued as she washed the blood away. "But regardless of what else happened today, you should know that at Mary's, Aiden was holding us back, Triaten and myself — and just barely. We were going to take you down, without question. When we walked in and saw you on top of Mary, and the fingers...well...we love — loved — her so much." Her voice caught.

"I'm sorry — you must think I am a monster." Skye's words were flat with defeat. "But I guess it turns out I am."

Charlotte wasn't about to have it. "Nonsense. You're still the same person you were before you walked into Mary's. Someone I've come to admire." She looked closely at the bump on Skye's head. "This spot doesn't look too bad — it'll ache for a while, but will be fine on its own."

She put the red-soaked towel down and looked Skye squarely in the eye. "This is what you need to hear, need to know about what happened at Mary's. Aiden held us back. He didn't give you up. And both Triaten and I were using all our strength to get around him. He wouldn't let us by. So however mad you may be at him, be mad at us, instead. Aiden has, without doubt, always had your best interests in his heart. To a fault. No matter what."

Skye swallowed. She wasn't sure what to say. And her head was so heavy.

Charlotte gave her an out, standing up and extending her hand down to Skye. "Come, let's get you out of that mess of a tank, and into dry clothes. You need to get your sleep."

# { Chapter 12 }

Skye's eyes opened. The rain had turned to drizzle. From Aiden's bed, she could see the peaks of the mountains to her left were disappearing up into the heavy cloud cover. Opposite, a thin purple stretch of sky in the west, framed by the angry blue-grey post-rain sky, told her dusk would be coming soon. She stretched. Her arm didn't hurt, it in fact, felt more fabulous than the rest of her body. Skye gave silent thanks that Charlotte was her friend.

Her bare feet hit the warm wood floorboards. She was stripped down to just one of Aiden's black t-shirts. The house was quiet.

She walked down the hallway. The bathroom and office were empty. Skye paused at the entrance to the great room. Aiden was sitting there in silence.

A black leather club chair was pulled to face the picture window in the living room, the window framing a view of the circular clearing around the house and the surrounding woods. But Aiden wasn't looking outside, he was bent over, elbows on his knees, hands clasped under his grizzled chin, staring at the floor. He was clearly deep in thought, trying to work out something in his mind. Skye wondered how long he had been sitting there like that.

Skye stepped into the room. "You didn't turn on me."

Jarred, Aiden looked up at her. His eyebrows rose, confused.

Skye walked over to him. "At Mary's. You didn't turn on me. When you walked in, you must have thought..." her voice trailed off, choked by what could have happened.

Aiden reached out and grabbed her hand. He didn't take his eyes off hers. "Skye, don't you know by now that I know you?"

"But you saw what I did, I was out of control. Hell, I cut her fingers off. I didn't even know what I was doing. The rage — it was repulsive — I was repulsive — and it just had me, I couldn't do anything about it."

Aiden stood up. Skye tried to avoid his gaze. His hand went to the back of her head, gently forcing her to look at him. "You did control it. You walked away."

Skye's eyes shifted away from Aiden's, focusing on nothing over his shoulder. "Or I am a coward."

"Skye, a coward would have taken the easy kill. Turning your back on a crazy woman is courage, not cowardice."

Skye refused to look at him, even though his face was inches from hers. "Aiden, I have to leave."

Aiden dropped his hand from the back of her head. He took a step away from her, turning his attention to the forest beyond the window. "Is it what we did, keeping you from what we knew about you?"

"No, that...that I'm mad about. But it's not even important now." She stepped next to him and put her hand on his arm. "Aiden, I'm a Malefic, I can't be here—"

"You're a Panthenite, Skye."

She squeezed his arm for emphasis. "I'm both, and once people know—"

"Who would know?" Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair. "No one needs to know. Charlotte and Triaten won't tell."

"Aiden, think about it, it's beyond us — I'm sure others besides Mary knew of my mother's affair."

Aiden considered the words, then shook his head. "I don't think it was common knowledge — I didn't know."

"But on the phone today, when you were talking to Mary about the 'Laura issue'—"

Aiden interrupted her. "I wasn't on the phone with Mary today."

Skye was taken aback. She stepped away from Aiden, sinking onto the couch as she rubbed her forehead. The bump was still there. She looked up at Aiden. "But before she attacked me, she was on the phone — I thought it was you."

"What did Mary say?"

"It was one-sided and I wasn't really paying attention. Just that she said I was there, that's why I thought it was you, and that she could rectify the Laura issue from long ago."

Aiden's fist clenched. "Shit. And this happened right before she attacked you?"

"Why, what's going on?"

Aiden paced for a moment, then sat in front of Skye on the ottoman. His hands went to her bare knees. "That had to have been right after I left town today." He paused and his hands stroked her legs. Skye knew he didn't want to tell her what he was going to. "I was in there, talking to the elders. I had decided the only way to really protect you was to tell them about you, about what you can do. It was going to be the only way you were safe from them and their distorted views on lineage."

Understanding disgust crossed Skye's face. "Because if they thought I was human, they would just off me like they did Thomas so we couldn't pro-create? Or worse yet, kill our babies? Damn, Aiden, you live in a very sick world."

Aiden shook his head sadly. "Some of their viewpoints and practices are not only indefensible, they're abhorred. But I left today, thinking it worked. I told them about your ability to control time. Something they've coveted for eons. I thought you were safe. But shit, if they know you're half Malefic...shit...."

Skye put her hands over his. Her voice was soft, aching. "It's why I need to leave."

His blue eyes darkened. "I'm not giving you up."

"Which is why I have to leave. Not to keep me safe, to keep you safe. I'll be fine — I can go back to what I was doing. I know now I was an outlier. Shifting from place to place. I made my way, and it was fine. I can go back. I can get lost. I was good at it. No one will find me. It won't be bad." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"Skye, you can't go back to who you were. You can't deny who you are. Believe me, I've tried. You are what you are, and you can't run from it. Or ignore it."

"It's relative — who am I? You tell me I'm a Panthenite, I don't feel any different. I'm told I'm a Malefic, I don't feel any different. I get my memory back. That only confuses everything. None of it is me," she said as her eyes went to the heavens. Her grip tightened on his hands as she focused on him. "Hell, the only time I feel...feel like I know my own mind, my own skin, my own heart, is when you're touching me."

She leaned forward and her fingers slipped behind his neck. "And I need to live with the hope of someday having that, not the pain of losing it." She stopped, tears welling. "I've already lost so much, I can't lose you. That's why I have to leave. You have to let me."

Aiden reached out, his thumb caressing her cheek before slipping down to cradle her jaw. His voice took a hard edge that Skye instantly recognized. He wasn't going to argue about it. "I am not giving you up. And I'm not letting you give up. Your home is here, no matter what."

Skye wished she could be even half as certain as Aiden's eyes were. He was going to make this right, or kill himself trying. That's what terrified her.

"Skye, I'm not sure what happens next, but we need to be ready. And that means you need to eat." He pulled her to her feet, leading her into the kitchen.

"Where are Triaten and Charlotte?" Skye asked, leaning against the counter.

Aiden pulled out avocados and bread, then went to the refrigerator for meat. "Triaten was going to drop Charlotte off at his place, and then go into town to report Mary's death to the elders. They'll want her body to go back to the river."

~~~

Triaten walked into the salon, spotting the three he wanted immediately, sitting in their usual spots. He walked through the room, taking a seat across from Horace and Helen on the couch. He gave them and Edmund a curt nod.

"Triaten, to what do we owe your presence?" Horace asked, obviously miffed at the interruption.

Triaten offered no preface. "Mary is dead. Her body is at the ranch. You can do with it what you will."

The group didn't look shocked, as Triaten had imagined they would be. Helen eyed him, her perfect coif setting off her discerning look. "You seem upset, Triaten, and this is not how we expect you would speak of a well-loved friend. What happened with Mary?"

Suspicion rose on Triaten's neck. He shrugged. "Her mind split, quite simply. We prefer to have nothing to do with interring her body back to the water."

"Are you protecting someone, Triaten?"

Triaten stood. He had said what he needed to. "I just came as a courtesy to the dead. To your... _particular_ relationship with the dead. Do with the information what you will."

Edmund gave a nod to Horace, and addressed Triaten without looking up, eyes instead, focused on the fire burning across the room. "Be very careful boy, with what side you choose in this matter."

Horace picked up the phone next to him on a side table and dialed. He stared up at Triaten, dark eyes meeting dark eyes. After a moment, he spoke five words into the receiver.

"Come and take what's yours."

He hung up.

Triaten's body tightened, but his hands remained placid at his sides. His dark eyes, however, betrayed the anger. "You've just made a grievous mistake, father."

Horace didn't blink. "You won't get there in time."

Triaten strode out of the opulent salon.

# { Chapter 13 }

Rafe's barking started as a far-off echo. It quickly grew louder, urgent, until it was at a terrifying pitch. A terrifying warning.

Aiden and Skye ran out the front door. Fog had filtered into the air in conjunction with nightfall. The thick white vapor hugged the evergreens surrounding the house. Both searched in the dark, their eyes not fully adjusted, for the dog. Aiden kept a hand on Skye, keeping her a step behind him.

The growl-bark was getting closer and closer until Rafe came tearing out of the white film from the direction of the drive to the house. He nearly toppled the two once he reached them. He turned around, facing the fog in front of them, his low, protective growl not ceasing.

"Shit." Aiden muttered. His eyes didn't leave the fog as he backed them both up to the door. "Get your shoes — quick."

Skye stepped back in the house, quickly pulling on her boots. She heard him whistle at Rafe. The dog went silent. Aiden whispered to her. "Shut the lights."

Skye quickly did so, then joined Aiden outside again. He grabbed her arm and steered her alongside the darkened house. Rafe stuck close. Past the building, they stopped at the large shed, Aiden silently opening the door. He pulled out a sheathed dagger with a leg strap, and quickly attached it around Skye's thigh over her jeans. He pulled a sword out of a leather scabbard and pressed it into Skye's hand.

Aiden grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the treeline. "There's a trail here. It goes to Triaten's. Rafe knows the way." His voice was low.

"Rafe knows the trail?" Skye whispered back.

"Yes, I've shown him all the trails. Just follow him down."

"Aiden, no, I'm staying here with you."

"No, you're going to go down to Triaten's as fast as you can and send Charlotte and Triaten back up here. Then you're going follow Rafe into the woods. He will find a safe place for you."

Skye stopped. "Aiden, no, I'm not leaving you. Whatever is here, I'm ready for."

He looked down at her. His grip tightened on her arm. "It's not you, Skye. It's me — I'm not ready to fight with you near me. I won't be nearly as effective if I have to worry about your safety. I need you somewhere safe."

Skye knew he was right. Rafe nudged her leg. So she stepped forward, letting Aiden lead her into the woods. Rafe was at her heels.

They were on a thin path not too far into the brush of the woods, when Aiden stopped and let go of her arm. He turned to her. "The path is going to drop sharply in a few hundred feet. Just stay close to Rafe and you'll be fine. I need you to move fast, but keep your footing, okay?"

Skye grabbed his arms. "Just come down with me, you don't have to go back."

His hand went to the back of her head. "I do. They'll track us. I can handle whatever is up there if I know you're safe." His breath was hot and his muscles alive under Skye's hands. His body was ready for battle.

Skye trembled. Fear was overtaking her. This was exactly what she had been most terrified of. And it was here so quickly. Her eyes implored. "Promise me you'll be okay."

Aiden kissed her hard, his lips, his tongue sucking away the fear, returning back strength. He enveloped her, his mouth at her ear. "I promise."

Skye clutched him, refusing to let go.

Aiden pulled back, peeling her arms off his neck. "Go." He gave her a push. And then he was gone back up the trail. Skye turned to find Rafe already several paces ahead of her.

Her feet stumbled down the path, searching with every stride for solid ground amongst the slippery roots and slick rocks. She was right behind Rafe as he ran, but then the ground dropped from under her. Her grip on the sword tightened above her head as she slid down the incline Aiden had warned her about.

Skye ran and ran, branches constantly smacking her face and body, the trail veering in all directions. She could see none of the turns in the fog. But Rafe wasn't about to let her slow down, every time she lagged, he would double back to her, insistently nudging her along. Skye didn't mind, she wasn't interested in slowing down. She needed to get to Triaten and Charlotte for help, and fast. And damn if she wasn't going back up to Aiden's with them.

Down the mountain she careened, two maybe three miles. And much too long of a time before the trees cleared in front of her. Rafe sped up as he hit the clearing, blasting to the house, barking announcing the arrival. The front door opened, light flooding the lawn before Skye was five steps out of the woods. Charlotte was at the door, and Rafe jumped up onto her. Her hands went to his head as she searched the area. It took a few scans through the fog, but then she spotted Skye.

"Skye, is that you? Shit, what's happened?" Charlotte had immediately recognized that Skye coming from the woods was not a good thing.

Skye heaved as she ran toward her, desperately trying to grasp breath into her lungs so words could come out. "It's Aiden, we have to get back up there. Something was coming — I couldn't see in the fog, but Aiden knew it was something bad." She gulped air as she halted in front of Charlotte, who had come across the lawn to meet her. "He sent me down here — we have to get Triaten and get back up there."

"Damn," Charlotte looked over her shoulder, "Triaten's not back. He shouldn't have been gone this long." She grabbed Skye's hand, pulling her back toward the house.

"We're going to have to take the 4-wheeler up — I'm no good on Triaten's motorcycle." She stopped abruptly. "Wait. You're not going back up. There's no way Aiden would have wanted you back up there if there was danger."

Skye didn't fess. "We have to get back up there right away."

Charlotte wasn't budging. "No, where did Aiden tell you to go?"

"Fine, in the woods," Skye said with a roll of her eyes. "But we both know that isn't going to happen. I'm either going up with you, or I'm going to run back up that mountain the second you are gone."

Charlotte eyed her, assessing the options. "Hell — Aiden's going to kill me. Come on."

It only took a few minutes for Charlotte to suit up with her own weapons. She, however, strapped four daggers to her body, one on each thigh, one above her calf, and one on her upper arm. She handed Skye a hair binder as she tied her own blond hair back. Their swords went into sheaths attached to the ATV, and Rafe jumped into the rear gear basket.

They didn't take the main road up the mountain, Charlotte instead turned onto an ATV trail that paralleled the main road. It veered in and out of the woods, most of the time hidden in the trees, but at times right next to the road. Charlotte made care to turn off the lights and slow when they were near the road, hidden, if need be.

At one point, they pulled out by the road after slowing, lights out, only to see headlights coming down the road. Skye slammed into the back of Charlotte when she hit the brakes. They sat, staring at the lights, hidden behind a layer of trees into the woods, fog about them, assisting in the cover.

It wasn't just one pair of headlights coming down the road through the fog. Nine big black SUVs trailed past them in close procession, kicking up mud from the wet road. Skye and Charlotte silently watched the taillights disappear down the road, red turning into pink in the mist.

"Shit — hold on." Charlotte swore once she was sure the road was clear. She turned on the headlights, and cut across the ditch to the main road, breaking open the engine and tearing up the mountain. The need for covertness had clearly just passed them.

As they turned up Aiden's drive, their headlights caught the smallest reflection from just up and off the main road. Charlotte stopped and backed up, aiming the headlights through the fog at the reflection just off the road. It was the back of a jeep. "Triaten's." Skye could feel Charlotte tense.

Charlotte throttled the ATV up the drive, but stopped before the clearing around Aiden's house, pulling the four-wheeler off the drive and in-between the pines. Rafe vaulted off the back before they were stopped, nose in the air, searching. It was eerily silent.

Charlotte and Skye were off the ATV quickly, swords in their hands. Skye looked at Charlotte, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do next. Sword up and at the ready, Charlotte crept with stealth along the tree line toward the house. Her steps were light, careful to not make noise with each foot plant. Skye followed suit as best she could.

The fog was still thick in the clearing in front of the house, and although the moonlight from the clear sky graced them with some light, Skye could hardly see Charlotte a step in front of her. She had no idea what happened to Rafe.

The dog's quiet whimper from across the clearing caught their attention, and the two moved cautiously toward the sound. Skye stepped on something and almost fell, twisting her ankle. A groan rose up from the ground. She had stepped on a leg.

Skye's heart stopped as her eyes searched the ground through the fog. Hope was choking her.

"Charlotte?"

It was Triaten.

Charlotte and Skye both went to their knees, searching along the ground for Triaten's body and face. Rafe was at his head. Triaten reached out and grabbed Charlotte's arm.

"Malefics...they're gone. I was too late, and they're gone."

Charlotte's hands immediately began to run over Triaten's body, assessing damage. His limbs were distorted, not lying in the directions they should.

"They sent an army. Their best —" he continued, the words barely trickling out.

"Triaten, shut up until I fix you," Charlotte hissed. "Damn — both legs broken. How does that happen?" She straightened his legs from the grotesque angles they were stuck in. Her hands ran up his torso. "Your arm, your head, a crushed shoulder. Shit, Triaten, what did they do to you?" She immediately interrupted herself. "Don't answer, just get ready."

Charlotte went back to his legs, her hands glowing over each limb. Triaten groaned. She worked her way up his body. Skye stood up, ears and eyes scanning the surroundings. She walked toward the house. Aiden had to be here too. Rafe closed in on her heels. She took wide sweeps with her sword on the ground in front of her. Nothing but branches and stones. She circled around the clearing again and again, faster and more desperate with each sweep.

Her heart pounded, straining against the crushing reality she didn't want to acknowledge. Skye knew Rafe not leaving her side was bad. If Aiden was here, Rafe would have found him already. She made her way back to Charlotte and Triaten.

Triaten was already sitting up. Charlotte's hands glowed behind his head. Skye knelt in front of him. She waited until Charlotte was done. The words were stuck in her throat. She forced them out. "Where is he?"

"They took him. They were here for you." He leaned over in pain as Charlotte pushed him forward, working on his back. His voice was cracked. "I'm sorry Skye, I couldn't stop them. Aiden couldn't stop them. I've never seen so many in one place — they don't work together — and on our mountain..."

The smallest morsel of renewed hope fluttered in Skye. "They didn't kill him?"

Triaten shook his head. A grimace overtook his face as Charlotte's hands glowed over his shoulder.

It suddenly dawned on Skye that there had to be a reason the Malefics had left both Aiden and Triaten alive. "Why didn't they kill him?"

Triaten avoided her eyes.

Skye gripped his arm, fingers digging into his already pulverized flesh. Her voice was harsh. "Triaten, tell me right now why they didn't kill Aiden, or you."

Charlotte glanced up at Skye over Triaten's shoulder, concerned. But she didn't say anything.

"Triaten." Skye's voice was desperate.

He took a deep breath, head rolling up to the foggy sky, then leveled his eyes on Skye. "A trade." He looked over his shoulder at Charlotte, then back to Skye. "I'm to trade you for him tomorrow night."

Skye fell back onto the ground. Sitting, her hands rubbed her temples, trying to find a way out. Some way to get Aiden back. There was only one solution. She looked at Triaten. "Oh god, I have to change time back."

Triaten grabbed her wrist. "You can't, it won't change anything. If you go back and are here when they arrive, they're just going to take you and kill Aiden. There's that many of them," he turned his head back to Charlotte. "Even with you and I, we would need twenty more. And we won't get them."

Charlotte paused in her healing, eyes searching Triaten. "No?"

Triaten shook his head. "No — the Malefics were welcomed here. It's the only way they could get on the mountain."

Charlotte gasped. "Damn them." She closed her eyes, shaking her head in disgust.

"Damn who?" Skye asked, desperate to still somehow make a time shift work.

"The elders. Ouch." Triaten grimaced as Charlotte's hands dug into his back. The pain passed, and he continued. "This way, at least Aiden's alive and we have a chance to figure something out."

Skye nodded, her mind already calculating. "Are they actually going to trade? Can we trust they won't kill Aiden?"

"I'm not worried about their word. I'm worried about Aiden getting himself killed." Triaten muttered, gripping his now healed shoulder.

Sudden understanding flashed in Skye's eyes. "Aiden's not going to let them take me, is he?"

Triaten shook his head.

Skye nodded, contemplating their position — really, lack of one. "So we have to get him back without the Malefics killing him, or him getting himself killed."

"You see the quandary." Triaten sighed.

Skye stood up, holding her hand down to Triaten. "First, you need to take me to these elders of yours."

~~~

The headlights lit the suspended fog particles, which hung effortlessly in the air before being sucked into the current around the jeep. Each droplet enjoying a calm before a tornado, Skye thought. God, what had she done to Aiden's life?

She shook her mind. She needed to concentrate on getting Aiden back. Not what she had caused. Thankfully, Triaten had been silent since stopping at his house.

"Are you sure Charlotte will be okay?" Skye asked again, even though she was earlier assured of it. After making their way to Triaten's jeep, Charlotte had almost collapsed. Out of the blue, it had seemed to Skye, for Charlotte had appeared fine until that very moment. Triaten wasn't surprised, he had just been glad they were at the jeep when it happened. They had stopped at his house, where he carried Charlotte in and laid her down, and Skye got Rafe to stay with her. Skye and Triaten had then continued into town.

"She'll be fine," Triaten's voice was easy reassurance. "It was just a lot of healing today for her. She has a finite ability to heal, before she needs recuperation. But she'll be fine in a few hours."

"Does she know when to limit herself?" Skye asked.

"She's pretty good about it now," Triaten frowned at a memory. "But it was hell during the early wars, we'd find her passed out on battlefields after making her way through the carnage of troops. World War I was particularly gruesome — lots of hand to hand combat and chemical warfare, and she was just coming into her powers — we all were. And she wanted to help everybody." He shook his head. His hands tightened on the steering wheel.

"And then there was Mary."

Triaten nodded. "Yes, she's not used to killing. It's not in her nature, but she's effective if she needs to be."

"I'm so sorry it happened. Maybe if I —"

Triaten cut her off. "No, it was better to know the truth, love. It's just hard. It took Charlotte twenty years to put Thomas' death into a place that wouldn't haunt her every second. I'm just afraid she'll be back in the place she was when he died. I don't know, maybe this will give her closure. I hope."

Triaten pulled the jeep to a stop outside the Hotel Auric.

"Aren't you going to need recuperating time? Charlotte really had to work you over."

He shrugged with an effortless smile. "No worries — I've been healed so many times now that I know how to ignore the sleep." Triaten looked at her hard. "Are you sure you want to go in there, love? And are you ready?"

"I think."

"Okay, then you need to know there are three. The rest of them will all be gone at this time of night. But these are the only three that matter anyway. Horace, he will talk. Helen, she will try to read you. Try to block her. And Edmund, he's the oldest, and looks it. He is the one we have to convince."

Skye nodded.

They walked through the hotel lobby. The crystal chandelier glowed above, the brightness offending Skye's fog-focused eyes. Triaten grabbed her hand, leading her around the circular staircase. He squeezed it as he open the hidden door to the salon. He looked down at her, eyebrow raised in question. It was her last chance to bow out.

Skye silently tilted her head inward at the room and steeled herself. They walked in. The room was large and empty except for three figures sitting in the middle of the room. Triaten led her to them. They did not sit.

Three pairs of eyes looked Skye up and down. She tried not to squirm. They didn't bother to hide the disgust that entered their faces.

The distinguished-looking man with dark hair, graying at the temples, spoke, removing his eyes from Skye. "Triaten, you bring this in here?"

Triaten didn't flinch. "I do."

"Your disrespect goes too far, boy." Horace threatened.

Skye wasn't about to have this conversation become about her. She dropped Triaten's hand and stepped forward, eyes darting between the two men and woman.

"Triaten has told me you know that my mother was Laura and I am half Malefic. Now whatever that may mean to you, it means nothing to me." She struggled to keep her voice even. "And it can be dealt with at a later time. Right now, we have a pressing matter."

"Which is?" Horace spoke.

"The Malefics have Aiden." Triaten said.

The three elders glanced at each other. This was news to them.

Skye pounced, staring at the old man in the wing chair — Edmund. "And we need your help to get Aiden back."

The woman, Helen, spoke. "If they took him alive, that means they expect him to be valuable." Her eyes bore into Skye. Through her. "It's you they want, half-breed, and they mean to leverage him for you, don't they?"

Triaten and Skye were silent.

Horace's hand went to his chin as he leaned back on the sofa. "Aiden is a loss, but he made his choice, just as you will have to make yours."

Skye could feel all control losing her. That they would toss him aside so easily infuriated her. Angry desperation laced her voice. "Aiden said he told you about my power?"

"He did," Horace answered.

"And you have no use for it?" Skye asked.

That gave the group pause. Helen and Horace looked at Edmund.

The old man finally spoke, clearly perturbed that he was being lowered to speak to a half-Malefic. He didn't bother to look at Skye. "If it works so well, child, then you should have no trouble getting Aiden back on your own."

Skye's foot moved forward. Triaten grabbed her arm, silently holding her back. "Are you stating you will not help?" he asked.

The old man's voice shook. "Our hands are washed of it. We cannot condone a Malefic in our midst. Even one with your particular ability."

"Not even for Aiden?" Triaten pushed.

Edmund waved his hand, crooked fingers flashing in the air. "Expendable. You two can leave."

Skye's feet wouldn't move. Triaten pulled on her arm. He recognized the futileness of it. The pair walked silently out of the room, Triaten, expected disappointment on his face, Skye, furious.

They got back into the jeep. Triaten gripped the steering wheel, not starting the ignition. He stared at the mist collecting on the windshield, droplets pooling and rolling down the slick glass. "Sorry they're assholes, love." Triaten had summed up the encounter perfectly.

Skye shrugged with a tired smile. "I had to try."

He looked at her. "Now we have to figure out how to get Aiden back, without getting anyone killed." He looked pointedly at Skye when he said anyone.

Skye's hand went to Triaten's arm. "I think I have a plan that I'm probably going to have to convince you of. It's simple, but I think it'll get Aiden out of there without getting himself killed."

Triaten raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Taking any suggestions, love. Sane or not."

Skye took a deep breath. "Okay, but I have to tell you now, because you're going to have to help me convince Charlotte of it when we get back to your place. You're not going to like it, and she isn't either."

# { Chapter 14 }

They drove steadily down the straight road, which cut across the flat valley floor between mountain ranges. Darkness had just set, the last remnants of the orange-red streams of light dissolving in front of them after a clear blue-sky day. Clouds were beginning to build atop the last rays of sunlight. They were to meet the Malefic contingent on Mesa Albastos, two hours to the west, an hour past dark.

An hour later, at the base of the plateau, a grey drizzle began to fall from the dark sky. Triaten threw the jeep into 4-wheel drive, and picked his way up the muddy switchbacks cutting back and forth along the sheer rock.

Pulling onto the flat top of the mile-wide mesa, their headlights greeted a line of figures, twenty wide and three deep, strung along in front of a contingent of vehicles. Headlights from the row of black SUVs shone through their arms and legs. Triaten pulled directly across from them and put the jeep in park. He left the engine running.

He looked over his shoulder at Charlotte in the back, then at Skye in the passenger seat. "Are we ready?" A deadly calm had overtaken him during the course of the drive.

"Ready." Charlotte answered from the back. After hours of arguing, with Charlotte coming up with alternative after alternative, Skye and Triaten finally convinced her this was the best course of action. And once she had agreed, there had been no hesitation on her part in making the plan work.

A shiver ran through Skye, and she had to remind herself to breath. "Whatever happens next, thank you both. If something goes wrong, just remember the most important thing is to get Aiden back. Do you see him out there?"

All three pairs of eyes scanned the dark line of figures. There was no sign of Aiden.

Skye stared at the small army across from them and swallowed hard. "I'm ready."

The three got out, and converged in front of the jeep, standing in front of the headlights. All three held swords solidly in their hands, and were lined up, wide foot stance to wide foot stance. Triaten and Charlotte flanked Skye on either side. The drizzle had turned to sleet at the colder elevation. Wind whipped the miniature ice chunks into Skye's face.

A figure stepped forward from the line of Malefics. The light from the headlights behind him blinded Skye to his face. He held no weapon. There was no need. The army behind him had plenty displayed.

"I'm surprised you are on your feet already. And I thought you would bring her in a cage." He sounded amused. "Instead you show up bearing silver? And giving her one?"

"Did you also expect us to be imbeciles?" Triaten shot back. "Where is Aiden?"

"Right to it then?" The man lifted his arm and motioned a bring-forth with his hand.

By the SUV in the middle of the row, two dark figures moved to the vehicle, pulling out their captive, and dragged him through the line of Malefics. They threw him to the ground behind the leader. The headlights lit his form.

"Aiden." Skye gasped. A gasp that was echoed right next to her by Charlotte. Triaten was silent, but Skye could feel him tense. Aiden was a lump on the ground. He was shirtless, his skin torn and pulverized in too many places to count. On the arm they could see, bone from his forearm jutted out through his skin. The grotesque angle of one leg was proof it was clearly broken, probably in at least three places.

The still lump shifted. Aiden managed to raise his head and look up. His face was a bloody, mangled mess. But through the one eye that could still open, he recognized the three standing opposite him. His voice growled out through the wind. "Skye, no."

The leader moved in front of him, blocking their view from each other. But Aiden wasn't done. "Triaten, get her out of here," he shouted above the wind.

One of the Malefics that had dragged Aiden out of the SUV kicked him. It took the air out of his words, but it didn't stop him. Aiden started to claw his way on the ground toward Skye with his one good arm. The kicker stepped on his wrist, holding it down.

Skye battled the urge to run to him. Or to crumple to the ground in the horror that she had wrought. She wavered.

Triaten whispered harshly. "Steel yourself."

It was what Skye needed to hear. She pushed her shoulders back. It wouldn't do to look at Aiden right now. Not for what she needed to do.

Skye took two steps forward. The wind was whipping rogue hair from her braid into her face. Her bare arms cutting out from her tank took in the freezing rain, the cold helping to numb her for what was about to happen. She filled her lungs to strengthen her voice. "I go with you now, and you release Aiden. He makes it safely back to the mountain."

Their leader took a step closer to Skye. It was at that moment Skye could see his face.

"You?" Her face was in shock.

The amusement was still in his voice. "Yes, my dear, we met in the bar in your little town. Twice now. Evan."

"Skye, no." Aiden coughed out the words. Skye could see him straining against the foot on his arm.

Skye searched for composure. She had to do this. She pushed a wet strand of hair out of her eyes. "I go with you by my own free will, and Aiden is safe."

"Tempting, child. But you stand there facing me with a sword in hand. What is our guarantee you won't fight? Won't shift time on us?"

"Skye, don't go with them." Aiden's voice was stronger.

Her eyes remained focused on Evan. "You need a guarantee?"

"You need to get the hell out of here, Sk—" Aiden was cut short with another kick to his chest.

Skye didn't let her eyes drift from Evan. She realized her time was getting short. Aiden wasn't going to stop until she was gone or he was dead. Slowly, she pivoted on her heel, turning her back on Evan, on Aiden. She looked at Charlotte, then at Triaten. Her hand tightened on her sword, as her hair swirled around her face. Slowly, her arm rose.

She sprung, and her feet were light as she moved back at Triaten, sword up. It was silent, except for the wind, as she plunged her sword into his heart. His shocked eyes locked into hers.

She wrenched the sword out from his flesh. Triaten went down slowly to his knees, then crumpled at Skye's feet.

Charlotte's scream was muted in Skye's ears. Everything was muted. Everything except for Aiden's voice behind her. Agony. Pure agony as he screamed her name. The scream shook the earth under her boots.

Charlotte dropped her sword as she went to her knees over Triaten. She screamed and railed, horrified at Skye. Skye didn't pause at the scene.

She turned around and stepped back to Evan. Her voice showed no emotion. "I have that in me. I think I can do whatever you need me to do. Aiden goes free."

Evan's arms were crossed in front of him. He contemplated Skye, deciding. Eons passed. Eons with Charlotte's sobs behind her, and Aiden's screams in front of her. Her eyes remained stone cold.

Aiden's garbled words eventually penetrated into Skye's mind. He was begging with every last ounce of strength. "Skye, just take it back. You can still fix this. Just go back and put the damn sword down." He growled as he clawed the ground, trying to free himself and get to her. "Don't do this. Change it. You can change it, Skye. You don't have to do this. Just think, think. Fix it."

Skye wouldn't look down at Aiden. She could only stand, silent, staring at this man. Evan. He had randomly shown up in her life and put into motion everything — giving her everything she never knew she had, and then just taking it away.

Finally, Evan spoke. "It will do."

Hopeful relief coursed through Skye, until Charlotte's excruciating scream broke her reprieve. Before she had time to spin around, one of the Malefics guarding Aiden flew past her, sword drawn. She knew Charlotte was coming at her back.

"Stop," Skye yelled before she had fully spun back to Charlotte. The Malefic faced Charlotte, both of them with a sword at the other's throat. Skye had her own sword, up without hesitation, pressed into the flesh in the back of the Malefic's neck.

Skye jammed the tip of the sword, dimpling the skin. "Leave her. She drives Aiden away." No one moved. Skye's words were harsh. "Evan. She drives Aiden away."

It was silent behind her. An impasse. And no one was moving.

Slowly, Skye reached down and pulled the dagger from the sheath strapped to her leg. Dagger in one hand, she threw her sword to the ground with the other, and turned back to Evan. Behind him, Aiden was now silent.

She spoke directly at Evan. "Clearly you want me alive, or I would be dead by Charlotte's hand right now. So you have a choice. Charlotte drives Aiden away safely, or I sink this dagger into my own heart." Skye raised the tip to her chest, both hands poised on the handle. "If I have no regard for a friend's life, do you think I have much regard for my own? Especially now that I have lost everything?"

Evan stared at her, waiting her out.

Skye pulled up all the force she had left, gritting her teeth, steel in her words. "Aiden and Charlotte go free right now."

Evan scowled at her. The early amusement he found in the situation was gone. He obviously didn't care to be pushed. Skye had no patience for it, and glared back at him.

Finally, he motioned to the Malefics behind him. "Let the girl go, and put him in the jeep." He directed his next words to Charlotte. "And you can tell Horace he can come and claim the body of his son. We do respect the burial rights, after all."

Two Malefics dug their hands into Aiden on the ground, pulling him up and dragging him toward the jeep. Skye tried not to look at him. The moment they passed Skye, Aiden's hand shot out, gripping her arm. The Malefics paused.

Aiden's voice was soft, tortured. "You can still fix this, Skye."

Her eyes went down to meet his one blue eye that wasn't swollen shut. The eye implored her.

His voice was even softer. "You know you can. Just like with Rafe. Just go back and we'll get out of here, we can fix it together. It can be like it never happened. All you have to do..."

His voice trailed off as Skye's face turned scathing at him. Her voice was crisp. "Really, Aiden, just be grateful I didn't kill Charlotte too."

Aiden's hand jerked back from her arm. His eye turned to confusion, to pain, then, best Skye could tell, to hate.

She had done what she needed to. The Malefics dragged Aiden the rest of the way to the jeep. Not turning her back, Charlotte retreated, ponytail whipping in the wind, sword still high and at the ready.

Once both in, Charlotte backed the jeep up, and then within seconds, they were gone down the dirt ridge off the side of the mesa, their red taillights disappearing past the rocky ledge at the end of the flat expanse. Triaten's lifeless body still lay on the wet ground.

Skye exhaled, dropping the dagger to the ground. The sleeting ice pelting her face picked up, and her hair began to whip around. The wind was crazy, and it was moments before she looked up and realized a helicopter was landing yards away from them. She hadn't even heard it approach.

Evan grabbed her upper arm and leaned in on her left, his voice raised over the chopper blades. "You should know, Skye, that I knew your mother, Laura, quite well."

Skye knew immediately what he was inferring, and it seemed about right to find out at just that moment, who impregnated her birth mother. The news didn't shock her. Didn't upset her. There was no emotion. She was just numb.

She didn't bother to look up at Evan. Instead, she stared at the rotating blades of the helicopter, loose hair lashing into her eyes in the turbulent air.

Another Malefic appeared on her right, grabbing her other arm. Evan's voice was in her ear. "You might recognize, Warten."

Skye looked up at the face on her right. She knew it instantly. It was the bastard that attacked her on the train. The one she stabbed. The reason she jumped. Why she ended up on the mountain. Her gut twisted in horror, but she remained stoic. She had too.

"So you're not dead," she said flatly into the air, not directing the comment to either of them. Her eyes shifted back to the chopper. The numbness on her face wasn't hard to produce. She wasn't going to feel anything until Aiden and Charlotte were hours away. "Steel yourself," Triaten's words echoed in her head. She was.

Evan spoke into her ear again. "The self-sacrifice would be admirable in anything other than a Malefic. Warten will be sure to break you of such notions."

Skye didn't react, just walked stiffly as she was pulled toward the helicopter, both Evan and Warten gripping an arm tightly. They pushed her into the helicopter, then sat on either side of her.

The Malefics had planned all of this, all of it going back to her jumping from a train.

And now they had her.

# { Chapter 15 }

Charlotte walked into Aiden's front door, Rafe at her heels. She paused in the doorway, surveying the scene. Empty whiskey bottles littered the floor in the living room, the kitchen was a mess, and the air was stale, hanging with the smell of alcohol and sweat. Aiden was passed out, face down on the wooden floor. Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Typical," she muttered to herself. Every few days when she had come to check on Aiden, this is what she found. With a sigh, she walked into kitchen, pushing aside dirty dishes and setting the few bags of food she was carrying onto the counter. She opened the fridge and started to unload the groceries into it. She was careful not to move the crumpled picture of Skye on the counter, wedged between glasses and bowls. That it was even there was telling to her friend's state of mind.

Rafe had decided to veer off from Charlotte's feet, and went over to Aiden, nudging, then licking the upward facing ear. He was at it for some time before Aiden roused.

Confused at the slobber on his face, Aiden raised his head. Seeing the dog, he cracked Rafe hard across the snout. Rafe whimpered and scampered to the door, paws slipping across the wood floor. He cowered at the entryway.

Aiden flipped over to his back and pushed himself up to sit. His fingers stumbled on the floor next to him until he found one of the whiskey bottles. He threw it across the room. The bottle crashed into the door just above Rafe's head, shattering into flying shards of glass. Rafe yelped.

"Get him the hell out of here." Aiden's voice was scathing. He leaned forward, resting on his bent knees.

Annoyed, Charlotte went over to Rafe and brushed the chunks of glass off his fur. "You okay, boy?" She scruffed his ears and kissed the top of his head, then opened the door and ushered him out.

She closed the door and turned back to Aiden, her heels crunching broken glass. He was still drunk and hadn't shaved in weeks, the hair thick on his neck and face. Her arms crossed in front of her. "Aiden, you're a mess and frankly, I've had enough."

Charlotte went to get a hand broom and dustpan, and began cleaning the glass from the floor. She scolded as she swept. "You've taken twice as long to heal as you should of — two weeks when it should have been one — because you were drinking so hard. And I thought you'd stop and gain some perspective once you were healed, but then, no. You've only gotten more insistent about drowning in that bottle. You've been drunk for a month now, and I'm sick of it. Sick of seeing you drink yourself into oblivion."

Aiden's eyes were glassy, not really focusing on Charlotte. His words were angry, angry but slurred. "You don't know anything about it."

Charlotte bit her tongue as she went to the wastebasket and dropped the glass pieces into it. She set the broom and dustpan down and walked over to Aiden, towering in a pissed stance over him. "You're talking to the wrong person about loss, Aiden, I know you know that. Why do you think I've let this go on as long as I have? When I lost Thomas...well, I've been everywhere you have been in here," she rapped his head. "But I'm done watching it."

She bent down, sitting on her heels in front of him. "And lord knows, I miss Triaten too — but it's been a month. I'm not saying you have to be okay with anything — ever — if need be. But you do need to start functioning again. You need to take one step outside."

Aiden tried to focus on Charlotte. "I just have to kill the memories." He didn't bother to hide the pain in his voice. "How do you kill the memories? Days pass, and I haven't been able to do it."

Charlotte's face softened in empathy. She reached out, hand on Aiden's cheek. "I wish I knew what to tell you. But I never wanted the memories of Thomas to die. They are my only comfort, even after all these years. They are my proof that I could love someone that deeply. With my entire soul. Even if it was for such a short time. Even if that time haunts me. Knowing what love I was capable of...it makes me who I am."

Aiden shook his head. "But what you had with Thomas, it was real. What I had...what I had was a lie...something I concocted for myself. Because I wanted it. But it was never real. She was never real." He hung his head. "I believed in the wrong thing. The wrong person."

Tears brimmed in Charlotte's eyes for her friend. She didn't have an answer for him. And he was broken. Her hands slipped into his and she stood up. She pulled on him, willing him to his feet. He wobbled up.

Charlotte led him down the hallway to his bedroom, talking to him, her tone no longer scolding. "Aiden, I need to speak to you sober. Sober and not railing against the world. Just sleep this one off, and I'll be back in a few hours." She pushed him down onto his bed. Her voice took on an edge again. "Promise me you'll stop drinking, at least for today so I can talk to you. I have been alone — no Triaten, no you. Just give me this, give me one hour of soberness, and then you can go back to whatever you call this embarrassment of a life."

Aiden flopped down on his back, arm covering his face. "Fine, but bring some grease from Joe's back with you."

~~~

Aiden was showered and clean-shaven, cleaning up the kitchen when Charlotte walked in hours later. The early summer sun was shining bright afternoon light into the house. The empty piles of whiskey bottles littering the floor were gone.

Charlotte smiled at the back of Aiden. This was the friend she was used to.

"Good," she walked over to him, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek, "this is exactly what I wanted to find."

Aiden looked down at her, cynical, "Enjoy it, I doubt it will last for long."

She took a step back from him. "I'm hoping it'll last longer than you're planning. But for what I need to talk to you about, you may just disappear on me again. And I would understand if that's what you choose to do."

Aiden paused his cleaning and eyed her, curious.

"Come, sit with me." Charlotte said. They sat down at the table across from each other.

Charlotte was silent, picking at the aged wood on the table. She wasn't looking at him. Aiden watched her, waiting. Finally, he prodded her. "Out with it."

She looked across the table at him. "I don't want you to have to go back to _that_ day. But we have to."

Aiden's eyes narrowed at Charlotte. "I sobered up so you could remind me why I need to drink?"

Her hand rose to stop him. "I need you to listen, for just one second." She took a breath and continued. "We were willing to do anything to get you back safely. _All_ of us. Once we had a plan, that was always the goal, there was never any discussion about it, never any wavering from that mission. We knew we had to get you back alive, at least alive enough for me to heal you. All of us, myself...Triaten...and Skye."

Aiden started to stand up, but Charlotte's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. "No, please sit. I won't mention her name again."

Aiden slowly sank back down to the bench. But his eyes were wary now on Charlotte.

"So we were successful in the mission — we got you back — and we all believed in it, even if there was damage along the way. We didn't anticipate everything — we couldn't — we didn't have a lot of time, so we just acted."

"What are you trying to tell me Charlotte?"

"Hold on." Charlotte got up and walked out the front door, leaving it open. In a moment, she was back through the doorway. Right behind her was Triaten.

Alive, healthy, Triaten. Standing in the doorway.

Aiden's breath stopped. He looked back and forth several times from Triaten to Charlotte. They were both staring at him, silently holding their own breath, waiting for his reaction.

Slowly he stood up. "Shit." The word was long and low under his breath. The word was furious.

In a horrible flash, he was over at Triaten, tackling him with a guttural roar. They hit the ground outside together, hard, with Aiden on top. He punched Triaten several times before Charlotte jumped on his back, yelling.

"Stop it, Aiden, stop it. Get a hold of yourself." She gripped at his arms.

He paused, fist mid-air, eyes piercing Triaten. He unclenched his fist and pushed himself back off his friend. He got to his feet, disgusted. Charlotte let go and slid off his back.

Charlotte went over to Triaten, giving him a hand to his feet. Aiden's eyes were at the sky, his breath heaving. Eventually, he lowered his gaze to the pair. "Do you know what you've done?"

Triaten nodded, blood trickling from his mouth. "I deserved that. And yes, we know what we've done. We got you home alive. That I won't apologize for." He wiped away blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "But the second Skye's sword went into me, I knew it was a mistake, we should have found another way, but by then it was too late. Once her sword was in me, we had to play out what we had planned. "

Aiden eyed him furiously, anger refusing to cool. "How did you not die?"

Triaten widened his stance, just in case Aiden decided to come at him again. "We had practiced all day where Skye could stab me. She hit the mark spot on. And then she drew all the attention to herself while Charlotte healed me from underneath."

"But you were screaming." Aiden's look shifted to Charlotte.

Charlotte shrugged it off. "Acting."

Aiden's jaw clenched and unclenched. He couldn't look at the two of them. His eyes shifted back to the clear blue sky. "Why would you do this to me — to Skye?"

Triaten answered. "It was her idea, and it was a good one. She had to convince us, and if we could have come up with something better, we would have. We all knew you would never leave her. Or you would get yourself killed in the process of saving her."

"You could have just left me."

"Skye was going for you with or without us," Charlotte said. "They had a small army, Aiden. And it was just the three of us. The elders wouldn't help. Skye and Triaten went to them first. Triaten and I just didn't think we had another option."

Triaten picked up the thread. "Aiden, I didn't know she would go to it so soon. We were supposed to play it out longer, to see if we could find another way. But when they dragged you out, she was crushed. I thought she was going to break right then. But she didn't. She was true. I was there the whole time, and she didn't break, even after Charlotte took you away, she wasn't going to give you up."

Renewed anger shook Aiden's voice. "So you let the one person with very little training, and no tactile experience, lead you into it?"

Charlotte stepped in front of Triaten, she wasn't going to let Aiden attack him again. "We know we shouldn't have let it go. Believe me, we've gone over and over it in our minds. It was our fault, there is no arguing that. We take that responsibility — we never should have let it happen. But we did, so the best we can do now is try to rectify and salvage what we can."

"Salvage?" Aiden didn't like where Charlotte was going. "Where is she?"

Charlotte stepped toward him. "Let's just go inside and talk about this."

Aiden's look stopped her. His fingers clenched into a fist. "Triaten, where the hell is Skye?"

Triaten stepped up next to Charlotte, he wasn't about to hide behind his friend, Aiden's fists be dammed. "The plan was for me to track them, her, right after they left, and then extract her as soon as you were safely away. We thought we would have her back within a day, maybe two, tops."

He paused, not wanting to go on, but then looked directly at Aiden. They created the mess, now Aiden needed to know. "Instead, they took her away in a helicopter."

"A helicopter? Shit." Aiden swore, realizing right away that meant Skye could be anywhere.

Triaten nodded. "So I've been tracking her ever since — she's alive — I just found where they have her two days ago."

"You just found her?" Aiden was incredulous. "It's been a month — damn, she must think we abandoned her. It took you a month Triaten? You're better than that."

Triaten was obviously disgusted with himself. "Apparently not. They're about four hours west, holed up on a mountain ridge I didn't know they used. I scouted, and then came back."

Triaten's voice turned to even deeper gravity. "Aiden, we need to get her out of there right away."

Aiden didn't want to ask the question. His scowl pierced Triaten. "What have they done with her?"

"It's not good." Triaten shook his head.

Aiden reached out and grabbed Triaten's shirt, gripping him upward. "Tell me."

Triaten made no motion to protect himself. "For starters, there's a river that runs through the cave they're in."

"And?"

Triaten hesitated. Aiden tightened his grip.

"And they've been torturing her, drowning her again and again. They're trying to turn on the Malefic in her."

Aiden shoved Triaten away from him. He ran at the house, fist raised. With a tormented scream, his fist went through the front door, splintering wood in all directions.

He didn't turn back to Triaten and Charlotte. The two waited. And waited. Aiden was breathing heavy, fists dug into his thighs, standing in the wrecked doorway.

He didn't look back at them, but finally spoke, asking a question. "Have I missed any time shifts?"

Charlotte answered him. "There was only one, it was a day after we got you back. It was really short — maybe a five minute repeat. There haven't been any others since."

Aiden gave the slightest head nod, and then there was silence. Eventually, he half-turned his head over his shoulder. But he did not look at them directly. "We will go and get Skye back. But know I will never forgive either of you for this." He walked into the house.

Charlotte's eyes closed at the blow, her hand at her face as she fought back tears. Triaten put his arm around her shoulder. He knew he was getting off easy. They walked into the house after Aiden.

~~~

"We need twenty, and you are going to give them to us." Triaten's voice was harsh.

Horace looked at the three of them surrounding him, Triaten, Aiden, and Charlotte. The anger circling him was palpable. He was sitting alone at the bar in the salon. Helen was perched in her usual spot on the couch, but Edmund was absent, not in the spacious room at all.

Horace swirled the amber liquid in his stocky glass. "Don't you think that's a bit extreme? How many Malefics could actually be posted there? The topography alone wouldn't warrant that much of a protective force." He took a swallow. "And didn't you say there's only one way in and one way out?"

"We don't plan on taking any chances," Triaten said. "We're going to get her back, one way or another."

Horace took another gulp of his drink, specifically eyeing Aiden. "Plus, you're assuming we would allow her into the fold."

Aiden was near to throttling Horace. Charlotte grabbed his arm in reminder to remain calm. It wouldn't do any good to take out the one that they may actually have on their side.

Although downplayed, Horace was relieved to see his chosen son alive. Charlotte had refused to tell the elders anything of the night they lost Skye. The only thing the elders knew was that Charlotte and Triaten had left with Skye, and only Charlotte and Aiden had returned to the mountain.

Triaten's hand went to the bar, leaning in on Horace, his voice low. "Do I need to remind you she can control time? We've all seen it, we know it, and they're turning her into a Malefic."

Horace stared down at his glass. "Honestly, we thought they had planned to kill her."

"Well, you were wrong. You made a deal with the devil, and if you don't help us get her back, you'll be paying for your deal till the end of days." Triaten leaned back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Aiden. He continued, arms crossed in front of him. "If the Malefics have control over time — I think you know exactly what could happen to the Panthenites, to mankind. Let your imagination go on that one."

The first bit of worry crept onto Horace's face. "We'll discuss, and get back to you about the force."

Triaten jumped on his words. "No. Unacceptable. You gave her up once when you allowed them onto the mountain. And then you gave up Aiden. You are going to rectify both of those mistakes right now. Today."

Horace bought time with a swirl and sip of his drink. His eyes travelled from Charlotte's blue eyes, imploring — to Aiden's icy blue eyes, murderous — to the dark eyes that mirrored his own, commanding. He sighed as he set his glass on the mahogany bar. "We agree. Twenty of our best will be outfitted and ready to accompany you by nightfall."

# { Chapter 16 }

Dispatching the seven guards at the opening of the cave had been easy, three were eating and two were playing cards, so all were taken by surprise, their weapons not nearly close enough. The two that were left, were at the least, alert and at the ready, but no match for the force of twenty-three that had descended on them in the middle of the night darkness.

Aiden, Triaten, and Charlotte left the twenty, strategically spread out on the mountain landscape, down the dirt path, and guarding the opening of the cave. The three friends, all in black, moved with stealth deeper into the cave. The enclosure, lit by an ongoing track of lights strung amongst the stalactites, was darkened by Charlotte silently unscrewing the light bulbs as they progressed. All three of them had excellent night vision — being able to faintly see body heat in total darkness once their eyes adjusted, so the blackness would only help if a retreat became necessary.

A half-mile into the thick dankness, they came upon a split in the cave. Lights ran down both tunnels. They held up, the three looking at one another, all ears straining. Just as Aiden heard the faded sound of water running in the left corridor, footsteps, a mass of them, were coming at them fast from the other corridor.

Aiden, Charlotte and Triaten quickly smashed the light bulbs near them, plunging them into near darkness.

"I go in, you two keep the corridor clear." Aiden whispered.

"Go." Triaten and Charlotte returned in unison.

Aiden cut through light bulbs with his sword as he ran. It was only moments before he heard the clash of steel echoing down the tunnel after him.

A minute later he slowed, and stalked covertly toward the wide cavern opening in front of him. The water was rushing loudly now, drowning out any sound of the battle behind him. He slipped along the rock wall next to the entrance, and paused to observe what he was coming into. He was instantly horrified.

An underground river cut out from under a sheer wall, running the length of the wide cavern, only to cut out and disappear under a rocky ledge on the far side of the dank cave. The entrance he was by appeared to be the only way in or out.

Sunk into the wet rock at the top of the cave was a pulley system. Control ropes came down to the side of the river from it, the ends wrapped around a metal wheel. Hanging straight down from the pulley, down to the water, were two entwined ropes. The ropes were being tugged at a slight angle in the direction of the rushing water. Tugged by two bare feet tied together at the end of the rope.

The feet were the only thing above the rushing water.

Aiden's eyes froze at the sight of the feet. "Hell, no," he mouthed to himself.

"Pull her up." The words came from across the cave, opposite the pulley system. A Malefic sat at a small wooden table. He looked bored. Aiden recognized him from the night a month ago. Evan. He also recognized him from the bar.

Another Malefic in a chair by the pulley system stood up, and started to crank the wheel. The ropes pulled upward, pulling the feet away from the water.

Aiden was suspended, his heart stopped, and horror intensified. Triaten had said they were drowning her, but he had not imagined this monstrosity.

Skye's limp body rose, upside down, from the river. Her arms hung down past her head, hair tangled around them, wrists bound. There was no movement.

The Malefic at the pulley tied off one rope, then pulled at the other, swinging Skye's hanging body to position above the side of the river. He let the wheel down again, depositing her hard onto the slick rock floor. She still wore what was left of the black tank and jeans from the night they took her. Even wet, the clothes hung off her body. She had easily lost a quarter of her weight. Bones stuck sharply out of her skin. Her body was lifeless.

Aiden could feel his own life sucking away from him. He willed Skye movement, a twitch, anything. Minutes passed, his breath held, not able to swallow.

A gargled suck of air and sputtering cough jerked Skye's body. Still bound, she rolled to her side, vomiting up wave after wave of water, body in seizure with every purge as desperate gasps of air fought their way into her lungs.

Having sat down, the Malefic from the pulley stood again, halfway through her convulsions, and went to stand over her body. When her purging petered out, he bent over and untied her feet. Then he kicked her over onto her back with his foot.

He said something to her, Aiden couldn't hear. Skye didn't move, just looked blankly at him. The Malefic slapped her viciously across the face.

Aiden sprung from the entrance of the cave with a harrowing roar. His wrath was so focused on destroying the Malefic that had just slapped Skye, he didn't see the blade coming at his side until too late. It swung down, cutting deep into his arm.

He turned, and Evan was already attacking again with a sword. Aiden blocked harsh blows as out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Malefic run for a dagger and go back at Skye, who was trying to struggle weakly to her knees.

Evan craftily moved to the side, turning Aiden away from his sight-line to Skye. Aiden knew instantly what the move meant, and attacked Evan with a ferocity that beat the Malefic back into the stone wall of the cave.

"Aiden." Skye's voice, small and fragile, broke into his attack. He looked over his shoulder and saw Skye on her back, struggling against the Malefic who had been torturing her.

The Malefic's dagger was wavering with force over her chest. Skye's bound hands wrapped around the blade of the dagger. Bloody, meekly, and only barely interrupting the point of steel from hitting its target. The blade was slowly digging straight through her palm, the tip growing longer out the back of her hand.

Aiden was to Skye in two strides, sword swinging. The Malefic didn't even have a chance to look up, before his head was sliced clean off. Aiden grabbed the dagger from the fingers of the corpse, and kicked the headless body off of Skye before it could fall onto her.

Aiden turned around, eyes circling the cavern. It was empty. Evan was gone.

He turned back down to Skye. "Hold your arms steady," he commanded. As smoothly as possible, so as to not re-slice the flesh, he pulled the dagger out from her hand. The blade clear, Skye yanked her hands into her chest as she rolled onto her side with a harrowing moan.

Running footsteps echoed into the cavern from the entrance. Aiden's stance went wide in front of Skye. His sword was high.

Out of the black, Charlotte and Triaten appeared, breathless, blades glinting, ready for battle. "We heard a, well, roar," Charlotte gasped.

"It's clear. You met no one on the way in?" Aiden asked.

"No," Triaten answered, "Should we have?"

"We go now." Aiden tossed his sword to Triaten, who effortlessly caught it. Aiden turned and picked up Skye, cradling her as gently as he could. The four traveled down the blackened tunnels, Triaten in front and Charlotte bringing up the rear. They encountered no resistance, no Evan, only several bodies at the split of the path that Charlotte and Triaten had disposed of earlier.

At the entrance of the cave, the twenty warrior Panthenites were all stationed as they had left them. The brigade vacated the mountain without incident.

They travelled through the valley plains in the darkness, the five large, black SUVs in a fast caravan. Once Charlotte saw Skye in the dim light of a flashlight and the car light, she refused to heal her in transit, so mangled were parts of her body. Charlotte knew she would have to reconstruct bones before healing, or risk deforming structures. The best Charlotte could do was wrap the gaping hole in Skye's hand and demand that Triaten drive as fast as he could.

Aiden had laid Skye across the back seat, her head in his lap, a blanket over her still wet body. Charlotte and Triaten were in front. Skye slipped in and out of consciousness while they travelled, her eyes fluttering open, wild, before focusing on Aiden's face, and then drifting closed again. Aiden's gaze never left her gaunt face, one hand stroking her head, the other protective across her stomach. He could feel displaced ribs jutting out awkwardly from her body.

Skye was silent until halfway back to Brigton. Her eyes had been open, staring straight up through the sun roof. "Stars," she whispered, almost in passing. "I had forgotten."

Aiden could barely hear the cracked words when she said them. He looked up at the sky through the glass above. Bright white dots littered the crystal clear night sky, dancing along as the vehicle sped over the rough road. His stomach turned. That she had not seen the sky in weeks sickened him. Aiden shoved down all the anger that overtook his chest and prickled up his neck. He forced his muscles to relax. Skye needed softness around her, not rock.

The anger settled into a hard lump in his throat, and he looked down at her. She had drifted off to sleep again. Even in the darkness of night, Aiden could see deep, dark circles etched under eyes, her cheeks sank inward from her high cheekbones. Blood from the Malefic hit still stained a red streak from her mouth to her jaw line. Aiden wiped the line with his thumb, and Skye jerked with a gasp. She tried to wrench away from him, eyes crazy.

"Shhhhh, Skye, you're okay, shhhhhh." Aiden held her solid, his voice soothing. He repeated his hush over and over again as she struggled against him. The sounds finally penetrated, and she stopped struggling, but didn't relax. Her body remained taut under Aiden's grasp, even as she stared at his face, trying to place where she was.

"We're almost home, baby, almost there." Aiden's hand gave the slightest shake as it stroked her forehead.

Soon enough, their mountain road came into view as the first bright rays of sunlight filtered around the peaks of the mountain range in front of them. They turned, peeling up the elevation and through town, arriving at Aiden's house before the sun had fully made an appearance over the top of the mountains.

Charlotte was out her door before the vehicle stopped moving. "I'm going to run a bath first. We have to get all this blood off of her, so I can see everything I need to be dealing with. I'll be back out in a second, I only want to move her once." She disappeared into the house. Skye was still passed out.

Aiden and Triaten sat in silence, the only sound coming from the busy early morning birds in the trees around them.

Triaten looked into the rear view mirror and ventured to open his mouth in a whisper. "Aiden I —"

"Don't want to hear it." Aiden hissed back.

Triaten clamped his mouth shut.

Charlotte opened the back door across from Aiden. Skye's left hand was resting on her thigh. Charlotte paused at the sight of the fingers. She shook her head. "Oh, shit, they've been smashed," Charlotte muttered. She had known about the hole in Skye's now bandaged right hand, but she hadn't seen these fingers up close until now.

All three looked down at Skye's hand as she slept. The fingers were a mangled mess. Flattened in some segments, with fragments of bone sticking out of craggled knuckles that sent fingertips into unnatural angles.

"A hammer?" Triaten guessed.

Charlotte nodded. "Probably. Triaten, you need to go down to the clinic and get all my surgical supplies. I'm going to have to reconstruct these bones in her fingers, piece by piece, before I heal them, if she's ever going to be able to use this hand again."

Charlotte looked at Aiden. "Let's get her in. I'll heal as much as I can before Triaten gets back, and we'll tackle any surgery all at once."

In short order, Skye was cut out of her clothes and laid flat in a thin skim of water in Aiden's tub. The tub was enormous, made for someone of Aiden's frame, plus company if so chosen. So Skye easily fit flat in the water with a towel under her head to keep it above water level. Aiden started to sponge all the blood from Skye's face, her arms, and her legs, where the binding rope had cut like a dull saw into her ankles.

Charlotte crawled into the tub with Skye, assessing the injuries and prioritizing easy to hard heals. Skye woke up when Charlotte started to heal body parts. But she didn't say anything. Her eyes shifted to the window above the tub, staring through the glass at the towering pines. Aiden began to wash the month's worth of dirt, from living in a cave, out of her hair.

Charlotte eventually got to Skye's left arm, where two long parallel gashes cut across her arm, just above her bicep. The gashes were gaping, full of puss and dried blood. Charlotte's fingers went over the cut flesh. Skye jerked at the touch, pulling her arm away from Charlotte's hand.

Skye's voice came out cracked. "Leave them." She didn't look at Charlotte.

Charlotte looked up at Aiden. His eyebrows rose. He shrugged, not having an answer.

"Skye, the wounds are infected, it looks like for a long time. If I don't heal them, the infection could spread, the muscle might not recover, or in the least, be permanently weakened." Charlotte reasoned. Her hands went slowly to Skye's arm again.

Skye jerked again, this time eyes boring into Charlotte. "Leave them."

Charlotte backed off, looking at Aiden for help. He shook his head, motioning for Charlotte to leave it be. Skye's eyes drifted back to the green needles outside.

"Okay, well that just leaves your hand — we'll do that when Triaten gets here — and I have to reset three ribs, maybe four, and both of your shoulders are dislocated," Charlotte's voice was soothing. "It's going to hurt getting the bones back in place. Do you want to wait until Triaten gets back and I can sedate you?"

Skye didn't look at Charlotte. But she did give the slightest shake of her head.

Charlotte looked up at Aiden, questioning.

Aiden nodded to move forth.

"Okay, let's get you out of here and onto the bed." Charlotte said. Both helped Skye up and Aiden wrapped her in a towel, then carried her to his bed. He sat Skye down, keeping her upright in a sitting position.

"Shoulders first," Charlotte said, mostly to herself. Charlotte positioned herself next to Skye, hands pulling and pushing on her bicep and shoulder. Skye's face clenched as she writhed in pain. The bones popped back into place, and Charlotte moved to repeat the action on Skye's other shoulder.

"Good," Charlotte whispered, pleased, after the second shoulder popped back into place. "Onto the ribs." She went behind Skye, leaning her forward.

Charlotte's fingers dug into Skye's flesh. She worked quickly, but the pain was still intense — bones popping and clicking, muscle tissue tearing. A silent scream ratcheted through Skye's body. She crumpled up and collapsed forward, hunched into a ball.

Sickened, Aiden looked at Charlotte. "Done?"

She nodded. "Just her hand is left."

Triaten arrived with the surgical supplies. Aiden tried without success to gently unfurl Skye's tight frame, all appendages tucked, unmoving, into her body. He looked up at Charlotte, helpless.

She held up a syringe. Aiden was grateful. Charlotte gave Skye the shot, and the anesthesia soon relaxed her body. Aiden turned her onto her back, stretching out her limp limbs while Charlotte readied her bare minimum tools: scalpels, clamps, forceps, and probes. She would heal from the inside out after reconstructing the bones, so there would be no need for additional supplies, just minimal wrapping. Triaten brought in a plastic and a metal tray for Charlotte to work on, something that was a luxury, for she was used to making due and working in the field on uneven dirty patches of ground.

Two hours later, Charlotte looked up, bleary-eyed, from Skye's pinky, now straight and back to a normal shape, no longer flattened. It was the last of the digits, all needing complete reconstruction.

She let out a big sigh, wiping her forehead with the back of her wrist. Right next to her, Triaten squeezed her shoulder. Charlotte was still transfixed by what had been the complete mutilation of Skye's hand. "Wow, that was horrible. I can't even imagine how many times they were crushed. But I think all the fingers will have normal function again in a week or so."

Charlotte glanced at Skye's still prone body, then looked up at Aiden, who was standing right next to Triaten. "It's just those gashes on her arm, now, Aiden."

"Leave them." Aiden was curt.

"Aiden, they're infected, I can't leave them like that."

"She didn't want you to touch them." Aiden's eyes pierced hers. "They will heal. If she wants to keep the scars, that's up to her."

# { Chapter 17 }

Two weeks passed, and Aiden was able to get five meals a day into Skye. He moved her from bed, to couch, to a lounger outside, and back to bed. Bathed her and watched her sleep. Sleep a lot. He saw her wounds heal, even the gashes on her arm, though they did indeed leave two long white scars running halfway around her arm.

She said very little, and nothing of consequence. A "thank you" now and again. A "better" when Charlotte would stop by and ask her how she was feeling and healing.

Triaten was by every couple days with fresh groceries. Conversation between Aiden and Triaten was always short and strained. Then Triaten would go and sit with Skye, wherever she was at the moment. He would never try to engage her in conversation, he just sat with her in silence, staring at whatever she was blankly staring at. Aiden wondered if she even knew Triaten was with her at times.

She did, however, know that Rafe was always by her side, as her hand rarely left the back of his neck. There had never been a happier dog, than Rafe was when he saw Skye was back. And he was not about to leave her legs again. It was a daily battle Aiden waged just to get him outside to do his business.

And as much as Aiden recognized Skye needed that dog as a crutch, he wasn't taking kindly to the fact that Rafe had replaced him in his own bed.

The first night he had Skye back, he wanted to leave her sleeping in peace, but, for his own sanity — and selfishly, he knew — he had crawled into bed and held her tight in his arms. Hours later, her screams broke into his dreams, jarring his eyes wide open. Skye was only half awake, the narcotics wearing off, screaming and clawing at Aiden, trying to escape him. When he let her go, she scurried to the headboard, cowering. It had taken him two painful hours of talking her down to a point where she fell asleep again.

Aiden was horrified he had caused such a reaction in Skye. And he wasn't going to chance that scene again, at least not yet, not while a wide-awake Skye still jerked away from his hands if she didn't see him coming.

So the days passed into full summer, and Aiden conjured up patience.

But it truly wasn't in Aiden's nature to be patient.

A summer rain was falling. A long, gentle soak that had started before dawn, and greyed the skies throughout the day. The smell of dirt and worms, entwined with shined evergreen needles, hung in the air. Skye had spent the entire day sitting in the leather chair in the bedroom, staring out at the droplets on the window.

Aiden walked in, making sure his footsteps were sufficiently loud behind her. He handed her a cup of tea.

"Thank you." She smiled weakly, her eyes glancing at his chest, but not making their way up to his eyes before diverting back to the rain outside.

Aiden stepped in front of her, leaning casually against the glass, blocking her view. She didn't look up at him, just stared at his torso.

"Skye, you have to say something to me. Anything. Tell me what happened. Tell me you hate me. Tell me anything other than 'thank you.'"

There was no reaction from Skye. Minutes dragged on, and Skye's eyes didn't move.

Finally, her mouth opened and closed several times with no sound. The third time she opened her mouth, flat words escaped. "I'm trying. I'm just trying to feel something."

Aiden's heart sped. Those were the first real words he heard come from Skye's mouth since they found her. He went to his knees in front of her, face close so her eyes had nowhere to be except looking at his. His hands went lightly on her legs. "What do you mean?" He tried to turn his voice from excited, to non-pressuring encouragement.

Her green eyes edged to meet his. They too, looked flat, a match to her voice. "Aiden, you abandoned me. They couldn't break me, but you did."

His gut dropped, and he knew he didn't want to hear the rest, but he nodded her on.

"I waited. I held on for days. I held on for weeks." Her voice was hollow. "The things they did to me...but it didn't matter, I held on because I knew you were coming. And then they found out about me and water...And they began drowning me, forcing me under water, hour after hour, again and again. Blackness...Days and days of the blackness it caused. But I held on. I held on because I knew you would come."

Aiden's hand reached up and traced her jawbone. He could see her override the urge to flinch. "Skye, I didn't know. I would have been there. I thought you had betrayed me. Killed Triaten. Killed us. Damn, I would have been there. Nothing could have stopped me."

Her face held no reaction to his words. "But you weren't. I held on for so long. Fought for so long. But somewhere in the blackness I began to question myself. What if I had missed? What if I had accidentally killed Triaten? What if something happened after they took me away? What if you believed in the last words I spoke to you? I remember that I was terrified of the way you looked at me before they dragged you off."

Skye closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then continued, her voice still emotionless. "It had been going on for days, and then, I don't — I don't know why this time was different, but it was. They dropped me under the water again, and I was sucking it in, gagging and choking, and just before I blacked out, I suddenly realized you weren't coming. No one was. You had abandoned me. There was no one."

"It was in that instant I gave up," she continued. "Didn't matter what they did to me, I wasn't going to fight anything, anymore. I just...turned everything off, I guess. They had worked so hard to put so much hatred into me. And I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't have hope, it was gone. But I had all this hatred. All this hatred that had nothing to keep it in check. So I just stopped feeling anything. Everything." She looked directly at Aiden with the last word.

Skye finished, face blank. "And I can't get it back. I've been trying. I know in my head what I should be feeling. I know what should be the motions. But...I don't know...I can't conjure up anything real in my gut, in my heart, good or bad. I don't know what to do. Or how to get it back."

Aiden rubbed her knee. It took all his will power to not grab her and wrap her into his arms, cocooning her, fixing her. God, he wanted nothing more than to fix her. But he knew that wouldn't do it. Nor did he have the words to help. "You'll get it back." He said awkwardly, and squeezed her knee. "I know you will."

Aiden got up, leaving Skye in the chair. She didn't seem to mind his abrupt exit. Aiden paused for a moment at the door to the bedroom, looking at her profile. She took a sip of the tea and went back to staring at the drizzle. His jaw shifted with words he wanted to say, but couldn't. They wouldn't help anyway. He walked through the house and out the front door.

He stood in the rain, not moving. The droplets soaked him in short order, doing nothing to ease the burn that had encased his body. His chest was crushed at what Skye had just told him. He had failed her. Damn Triaten. Damn himself. How could he have ever believed she had been so heartless? How could he have lost faith in her so easily? He failed himself, and now he was paying for it.

His head tilted back in the rain. And the truth that he had been avoiding for weeks, was now painfully unavoidable in front of him. He needed to admit it to himself. Skye was damaged, and he didn't know what to do to fix her.

He needed help.

~~~

The rain had cleared by early the next morning, and Aiden was outside the house, stacking wood to busy himself as he waited for Charlotte and Triaten to show up.

The black jeep pulled up the drive out of the woods, parked, and the two got out, walking over to Aiden. Charlotte handed him a small white paper bag.

"Donuts from Jillian's." She looked past Aiden toward the house. "Is Skye up yet?"

"No." He opened up the bag and pulled out a chocolate donut, downing it in two bites. He re-folded the top of the bag, donuts still in it, and set it on the top of the wood pile.

"So what has you getting us up here so early?" Charlotte asked.

Aiden's head pointed to the house. "I didn't want to leave her alone, but I needed to talk to you both in private."

"What's going on?" Triaten asked.

"Skye isn't getting better." Aiden bluntly laid it out.

Triaten and Charlotte glanced at each other.

"Physically, she's fine. All her wounds have healed. She's put some meat back on her bones. But mentally, there's been no progress. She's stuck in a really bad spot, and she can't get out of it. And I can't get her out of it." Aiden half-sat, half-leaned on a tall chunk of unsplit wood. "I'm worried. If Skye's...conflicted, I'm not sure how the elders will react — you both know how they dislike things they can't control. And they already don't really want her here. So we need to fix her fast, before they decide to make some decision that's going to be detrimental to all of us."

"Don't worry about the elders, I'll handle them." Triaten promised.

Charlotte poked Triaten. "Tell him."

Triaten looked down at her, suddenly on the spot. "Really?"

"Yes," Charlotte answered, "he needs to know."

"Know what?" Aiden's voice took an edge.

Triaten hedged a moment, not sure what he was going to say. He glanced between Aiden and Charlotte, knowing he would have to fess up with what he knew. Finally, he shrugged, "I can read her again."

Aiden's eyebrow rose. "Skye?"

"Yes, since she's been back, I can read her. Her thoughts are all just sitting there for me to see."

Aiden shot up, kicking the wood he was sitting on backward under him. "Shit. What the hell does it mean?"

Triaten and Charlotte looked at each other again. Charlotte nodded Triaten to continue on. He did. "It's odd, it's never happened before that I couldn't read someone, then suddenly could. So we're not sure. Best we've been able to imagine is that something is gone in her...I don't know...dead...missing, I'm not sure. But it doesn't have anything to do with my powers, or what I think of her — I still adore her, she's one of us, as she has been since she showed up."

Aiden took a few steps from his friends, kicking dirt. His arms crossed in front of his chest. He took a deep breath, and looked up at the early morning orange-to-blue sky, his back to the pair. "What do you see in her?"

"Do you really want to know?" Charlotte asked.

"No...Yes."

"It's almost all about you." Triaten started slowly, then stalled. Charlotte poked him to continue. She mouthed the word "everything" to Triaten.

"It's about you. And how you abandoned her."

With an angry growl, Aiden turned and picked up a waist-high tree trunk, pulling it back over his head and throwing it hard. The chunk of wood hit high on a tree, rattling down through branches to the forest floor. Then he repeated the motion with a bigger trunk.

Burst expended, he sank down on his haunches, forearms balanced on his knees, summoning calm. He looked up at Triaten. "Is that all? Tell me everything."

Half of Triaten's face rose in question. "Are you sure you want to hear it? It's harsh."

"Tell me."

"She waited and waited for you. Not for me, and she knew that was the plan — I would get her out. It was you she waited for. And she goes through the torture in her mind, the drownings, again and again. And no matter what else is going on in there, there is always one moment in there that is present — always, without fail, no matter what else she is thinking about."

Aiden instinctively knew what it was. "When she gave up?"

Triaten nodded. "You know?"

"She told me yesterday. It's why I called you two." Aiden rubbed his forehead. "She talked about the hate too — all the hate they put in her?"

Triaten looked sad. He nodded.

"What is she doing with it?"

"Don't know. It sits in there. Doesn't move, doesn't change, but it's always there. It's like a cancer waiting to wake up."

Aiden stood up, facing his friends. "Is there hope?" Aiden's voice near cracked on the question.

Triaten shrugged.

"Charlotte?" Aiden pleaded. He wanted the answer he needed to hear.

Charlotte rolled her eyes at Triaten, dismissing his lack of optimism. Her genuine eyes met Aiden's. "I think you know there's always hope. Speaking of which, Triaten, you need to go in and check on her, see if there's any change."

Triaten nodded and looked at Aiden, eyebrow raised in question.

Aiden tilted his head toward the house in approval.

Charlotte watched him disappear into the house, then shifted her attention back to Aiden. "You just need to keep faith that time will heal. I know your patience can lack, but this just isn't going to be as fast a recovery as you want it to be. She's damaged right now, Aiden. She's got to come back from this dark place. I don't think there's anything any of us can do to help."

"Faith." A bitter guffaw came from Aiden's mouth. "I already failed her on that one, once."

"Aiden, don't put that on yourself. What we did — what Skye did — to get you back alive, you had no choice but to lose faith. That was the point of what she did. The lengths she was prepared to go to keep you safe — she was willing to give up everything, even die, as long as you were protected."

"She shouldn't have had to protect me to begin with. I was supposed to be protecting her, and I failed. Failed miserably and now she's near catatonic."

"Stop it," Charlotte glared at him. "I'll not have you wallowing in should-haves. No one could have known the Malefics would swarm the mountain for her. And without warning."

Charlotte softened and put her hand on Aiden's arm, looking up at him in earnest. "You are just going to have to trust in that emotion that carried Skye through that night on the mesa. The same emotion that allowed her to crush you and not break — even though she knew it would kill her heart. Trust that it is strong and couldn't have been destroyed. Everything she did, she did for the two of you, and now it's your turn. You just have to hold on for the both of you."

Triaten came back out of the house. He looked preoccupied.

Charlotte saw it right away. "Any change?"

He shook his head. "No, I just stepped in for a second, and she's asleep. I didn't want to wake her." His hands went into his pockets. "Did you want to get going, Charlotte? I know you wanted to get to the clinic early this morning."

"Yes," she turned her attention back to Aiden. "But are you sure you're okay? Maybe a change of location? You could bring her into town, or up to the ranch."

"Possibly." Aiden said, noncommittal. He looked at Triaten — he hadn't been paying much attention, nor been any help as Triaten had taken over the ranch over the past month. "How goes it at the ranch?"

Triaten shrugged. "Busy, but I have a good crew of seasonals. They're taking care of most of the work. I finished the demo of the library. Not sure what I'll do with it yet. So if you do bring Skye up there, at least there won't be that visual to deal with."

Aiden's focus turned to Charlotte. "You okay with that?" he said, referencing the room Mary had died in.

"Absolutely. I've been up there. Triaten gutted the room, but even if he hadn't, I would be okay. Turns out what happened and knowing the truth about how Thomas died was the best thing that could have happened, at least for me."

"And the town is pretty busy right now, the usual lots of people in and out." Triaten finished. "Things have really settled down, and there haven't been any more rumblings about Skye — from either side, the Malefics or the elders. Laying low has only helped. So you might think about Charlotte's suggestion, a change of locale might do Skye, and you, good."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Aiden's brow rose.

"No, I'm just saying the option is there, without worries, if you want."

Aiden nodded. "Thanks for stopping by. Maybe I'll try to get Skye up to the ranch."

Charlotte leaned up to kiss Aiden's cheek with a hug. "Hang in there."

# { Chapter 18 }

Hours later, Aiden was still outside, working on his bike when Rafe came bounding out by him. Surprised, he looked up at the dog running circles in the clearing, happy to be out of the house. As he wiped his greasy hands on the grass, he heard water running inside the house — the shower? He stood up and went inside. If it was the shower, it was the first time Skye had taken initiative to do anything by herself without prompting. Hope coursed through Aiden.

He went to the kitchen, scrubbed the grease off his hands, and started to make breakfast to go along with the donuts Charlotte had brought.

It was a long shower. And just as Aiden was starting to get worried, and about to check in on Skye in the bathroom, the water stopped. Aiden put the food into the microwave to keep it warm, and sat at the table. He waited. And waited.

It was an hour before she came out of the bathroom. She stood at the edge of the hallway, fully dressed, a pair of Charlotte's hiking shoes on with jeans and a plain blue tank. Her hair was pulled up in a braid that trailed down over her shoulder, auburn wisps escaping, like always, around her forehead and cheeks.

Aiden stood and beamed at her, ignoring the hesitant look on her face. "Hungry? I made breakfast, and Charlotte brought up donuts from town."

Skye took a step toward him, then paused, a distance away. "Aiden, I'm leaving."

The beam didn't quite leave his face. He was sure he hadn't heard her right. "What?"

Her voice was stronger, definitive. "I'm leaving. I have to."

Blood drained from Aiden's face as confusion set in. "What? No, you can't. Why would you want to leave? Did something happen?"

Skye shook her head. "Nothing has happened, and that's the problem. I'm not getting better. I know I'm broken and I'm not getting better here. So I have to go."

"Skye, no, you need to give it more time." He took a step toward her.

She put up her hand, stopping him. "No, no more time. We can't live like this. I'm a ghost that you've shackled yourself to. I'm not getting better, and you can't keep catering to a memory of who I was."

He ignored her hand, raised as barrier, and moved close to her. "So, I'll go with you. Wherever, I don't care. We'll find somewhere that you think will help. And if that doesn't work, we'll go somewhere else. We'll figure it out."

"Aiden, it isn't the place. It's you. It's too much pressure. You watch me all the time, waiting for something to change." Her voice was even and emotionless, as though she was giving a weather report. "You're waiting for me to magically turn into who I was before. But I can't be that person, and I can't pretend I am. I wish I could, but I don't know how."

The words stung, but Aiden ignored them, not giving in. He moved in, inches from her. "I don't need you to be who you were, Skye, I just need you. I'm all in — however you are, I don't care."

"But you do." She looked up at him, her truth in her eyes.

"Don't leave us." His eyes closed as he took a breath, then opened them, his eyes locking into hers.

Skye didn't flinch. "You must think I don't remember, but I do. That's why I have to leave. I remember how we were. And I want it back more than anything. I may not be able to feel, but I still know right from wrong. And it's wrong for me to be here. To do this to you...it's too hard...for me, for you."

"It's not wrong. You don't need to leave. Stay. Stay with me." He grabbed her face in his hands. "Stay. We can figure this out. I love you. We just need time." He leaned in, his lips softly brushing hers, with a gravelly whisper. "Don't leave me. Don't give up." The words disappeared as he closed in on her mouth, searching, pleading, convincing with his tongue, with his lips.

Skye held his kiss for moments, letting it overtake. Then she leaned away from him. "I'm sorry, Aiden. It's not there." She sounded sad, but determined. "Don't you see? This should be breaking my heart. But it isn't...my heart is gone...there is nothing to break. I want to feel this, what we were to each other, more than anything...but I can't."

He pulled away from her, struck.

Skye stepped around him, going to the hooks by the door to grab her coat. She turned back to him. He stood staring at her, framed by the hallway behind, shell shocked.

"Aiden, I run, you come after me. It's what we've done. I need you to not come after me this time." Skye stepped back to the table and dropped the crumpled photo of her onto the table. "Put her back on the wall. She doesn't exist anymore."

Skye turned and walked out of the house, not looking back. It had been her own test. She was still void of any feeling. She wasn't sad, wasn't heart-broken. Still nothing. As she walked down the drive, Rafe by her side, tears did not fall from her eyes.

Those belonged to Aiden.

~~~

The town of Brigton was clearly alive when she arrived after hitching a ride down the mountain with some random tourists. She and Rafe parted ways with her ride at the hotel they were staying at, and she walked down the sidewalk, bustling with people. She walked down to the edge of town and stopped outside of Joe's, pondering whether she should stop in and hustle, or just walk and hitch her way out of town as quickly as possible.

The sound of the river broke her ponder, and without conscious thought, her feet began walking to the back of the building, through the parking lot, and down the steep bank to the river. Once she realized what she was doing, she acknowledged it was a last ditch effort to see if this spot could reignite something in her, before she left this mountain for good.

She stared at the river for some time, the din of the town far removed from the gurgling sound of the now gentler, summer water of the river. The sudden voice right behind her made her jump.

"Just so you know, I'll be tracking you."

Skye spun around. Triaten was standing there, backpack in hand. She wasn't sure what to say to him, and she didn't want to report on the scene she had just gone through with Aiden. So she just looked at him, mouth closed.

He nodded, knowing. "Right. I know, you're leaving. I just wanted to make sure you knew that you can go wherever you want, do whatever you want, but I will be tracking you. I owe it to Aiden. And I owe it to you."

"Did Aiden call you?" Skye finally got words out.

Triaten put the backpack down and went over to Skye. "No. He has no idea I'm talking to you, love. Sit with me?" Triaten motioned to a couple large flat rocks jutting out from the bank of the river. Not waiting for Skye, he sat. "Just five minutes? I'm not going to try to change your mind about leaving." He patted the rock next to him.

Skye hedged, then cautiously sat down next to him. Rafe went over to the river to lap up a drink. Her eyes planted on the cascading water. "So why bother to tell me you'll be tracking me if you're going to leave me alone?"

"Just so you know you have back-up, if you should need it. And if — when — you figure out how to get your emotions back, figure out how to balance the good and the bad, I'll be there to bring you straight back here, if you wish."

"What's going on? What did Aiden tell you?" Skye eyed Triaten suspiciously.

"He didn't tell me anything. I can read you again."

Surprise hit Skye's face, replaced almost instantly with dismay. "If you can read me again..." she paused, looking back out to the water. "I really am broken, aren't I?"

Sympathy edged into Triaten's voice. "I'm afraid so, love. It's how I knew you were planning on leaving. I popped in on you this morning when you were in bed. I thought you were asleep, then caught wind of your mind working, deciding what to do."

Skye nodded slowly, taking in the news. "So you also know I'm afraid of what I might do to Aiden if I stayed. To anybody, frankly, if I try to awaken any emotion. I know all that hate is in there, and I'm afraid — being half Malefic...there might not be any way of controlling it."

Triaten nodded, considering Skye's fear. He bent over and picked up a rock, studied it, and then casually tossed it into the river. His eyes went to her. "True, there is that possibility." His hand rubbed along his jaw line, thinking. "But living without any emotion, is that really living? Aiden could handle anything you might do to him, and he would still be there for you. He's not about to abandon you ever again."

Skye shifted uncomfortably. "You said you wouldn't try to change my mind."

Triaten grabbed her arm before she bolted. "I'm not trying to change your mind about leaving, but I am going to make a suggestion about where to go."

Skye looked at Triaten, suspicious eyebrow arched.

"I think you need to give the mountain a chance to heal you."

"I've been here on this mountain for long enough — there's been no change."

He didn't let her off. "But you haven't been alone on the mountain. Make me a deal — give the mountain some time — one more month. Hike up to the origin of the river, there's a one-room cabin there, long abandoned. You have my word that no one will know you're up there but you and me."

"You think going back-country is going to help me?" Skepticism laced her words.

"It might. Charlotte spent time there after Thomas died. She was a tiny shred when she left, and when she came back, she wasn't whole, but she at least had back that spark of what makes her, her. And you won't have to worry about what might happen if you un-jail your emotions up there. A squirrel or a tree might suffer, but that's about all."

Skye stared at the water, contemplating. Rafe was looking back at her, expectantly. She knew she didn't have to speak through the pros and cons — Triaten was reading everything she was thinking. And rather than that being unnerving, Skye was thankful for it.

Finally, she stood up.

Triaten smiled up at her. "Good. And if it doesn't work, you can always go back to the drifter life you were planning." He went to his feet. "Now, I have a backpack with provisions, but at least let me drive you up to the ranch. You can catch the trail on the river from there, and it will save you a quarter of the hike."

# { Chapter 19 }

As warned by Triaten, the river forked several times before Skye finally got to the trickle of a stream with a cabin next to it. It had taken the last day and a half to hike up the mountain.

The one-room cabin was a little box, grey-weathered boards warped, but still sheltering, nestled between two towering evergreens. High altitude scrub poked out of the rocky soil in the ground in front of the cabin. Skye crunched across the rocks and pushed the door open. The stale air inside barely shifted. Her eyes scanned the single room. She was greeted with an old army cot in one corner, faded, with a layer of dust covering the dull green fabric; a rickety wooden table and chair against the far wall; and a small stone fireplace to her right. The fireplace did have a pot hanging next to it. That was it.

Exhausted from the hike, Skye went to the cot, half-heartily brushing the dust off it. She gave up within seconds, and fell onto the cot, not caring about the filth. Rafe settled on the floor right under her.

The morning birds cawing were her first indication that she had slept solid through the night. Solid and hard — she hadn't moved from the position she landed in the night before, and the crick in her back was proof. She sat up slowly, morning light filtered through the crack under the door onto the wood floor, the only light that made it into the windowless cabin.

Skye stood up, opened the door to let the light and fresh air in, and cleaned the four things in the cabin she could, the bed, table, chair, and cooking pot. She stared at her surroundings, wondering if she had made a mistake coming up here. Then the thought suddenly struck her — maybe she wasn't up here for the cabin, maybe she was here to be outside.

Stepping out the door, Skye was greeted with a rabbit nibbling rogue foliage along the base of the cabin. The rabbit skittered away when Rafe took a step out past Skye, hopping past an ax that was leaning against the front of the cabin. To her left, toward one of the clustering evergreens, was a stack of split firewood. A big stack of firewood. Skye walked over to the pile, and could see to the back of the cabin. Stack after stack after stack of firewood lined the side of the cabin. Most of it was old and crumbly, but it was there. If Charlotte was the last person up here, she had chopped a ridiculous amount of wood.

Skye went back into the cabin to grab an apple from the well-provisioned backpack Triaten had sent with her. She emptied its contents onto the table and bed, taking stock. At the bottom of the backpack was a surprise, the wooden box that her sister had sent to Triaten. Skye had left it in the kitchen at the ranch after Mary had attacked her. She noted the thoughtfulness of Triaten in this regard as she fingered the carvings. She set it on the table and grabbed an apple.

Back out to sit on the one step up to the door of the cabin, Skye took in her surroundings. The trees were sparse at this elevation, it was colder, and grass valleys had long since given way to rocky terrain underfoot. She had a clear view of the peak of the mountain from here, still with swathes of white snow streaking down toward her. And she was pretty sure a short hike further up the mountain would give her unencumbered sight lines of the surrounding mountain range and valleys.

Even though the hike had been exhausting after a month of no activity, her body was thanking her for finally moving. She didn't want to lose that, and as she looked around her sparse surroundings, she kind of understood what all that wood was about.

Apple finished, Skye figured she may as well give it a try. She'd never split wood before, but had seen it done. She grabbed the ax. It was still sturdy, as far as she could tell, so she balanced a piece of wood on top of what she guessed was the chopping block.

It took six swings before she split her first chunk of wood. And she liked it.

She chopped for days, even going out and chopping down several trees when she ran out of wood to split around the cabin. Every day she exhausted herself, and every night she slept like she hadn't slept for years. Dreamless sleep.

And Rafe loved their spot. He would lounge by the river. At the step of the cabin. Next to the evergreens. It was an exhausting schedule for the dog.

Two weeks into her time on the mountain, Skye's sleep was finally disturbed. A dream snuck into her hard sleep, to shift foundation, and spark embers she thought were dead. The dream pulled her out of darkness, and she was suddenly lying on her back, watching pinpoints of light dotted across a far-away black landscape. The lights came into focus, and she realized she was watching stars bounce and flutter overhead. Bounce because she was in a moving car. Her eyes moved down and she saw Aiden's face right above her, his hand on her head. He was looking down at her with gut-wrenching fear on his face. His fear suddenly became her fear. A fear so real in its intensity, that Skye bolted upright, jarring herself awake.

She sat on the cot for a long time, panting, fear gripping her chest, her mind trying to sort out dream from awake reality. Rafe didn't move from his sleep at her feet.

When her breathing finally slowed, she got up and stumbled to the door in the dark. She stepped out into the cool night air, pulling her coat around her shoulders. Taking a few steps from the cabin for a clear view, she threw her head back, looking at the bright stars in the clear night. The moon hung, a classic sliver, its light not overshadowing the brightest of the stars. Odd that she could pick out constellations she learned as a child, knowing that many of them were named for the greatest gods — Panthenites — and now, here she was, descendant. She mused as to what stars might be vaguely connected someday to represent Aiden, or if mankind was done with such frivolity.

Skye turned back to the cabin and went inside. Rafe finally roused and was at her heels. She grabbed a corner of the cot and dragged it, scraping, across the wood floor. She pulled it through the door, and back to the spot in the clearing she had been in. Positioned, she laid down onto the cot, captivated by the night sky.

Her gaze was fixated on the stars shining like beacons above her. She let the real memory of traveling from the cave back to Brigton, her head on Aiden's lap, wash over her. The memory of the fear in his face. The fear she had just felt for herself in her dream. Real feeling. Real feeling — whether or not it came from a dream, she didn't care. It was real in her gut.

She let the memories come. Of Aiden slicing off Warten's head over her. Of him picking her up, cocooning her, and carrying her out of that torture chamber. Of his worried gasps and own looks of torture when Charlotte reset her bones.

He had come for her. He was just a little late.

Every night thereafter, when it wasn't raining, Skye slept outside. She fell asleep to the slow-moving stars, and would open her eyes throughout the night, letting the shards of light lead her back into dreams that could conjure up emotions. Emotions she still couldn't afford herself when awake.

She slowly found out she didn't need to exhaust herself every day. She watched birds when it suited her, slept when it suited, chopped wood, hiked up the mountain to take in the majesty that the mountain range offered, and tried to track her rabbit friend when he would show up. That was Rafe's favorite — "tracking" the rabbit. But Skye would never let him get too close to her furry friend.

Dreams started to come more frequently, bringing with them ever-increasing snippets of emotions Skye had thought were dead — joy, sadness, anger, desire, happiness, despair, passion, rage, love — she welcomed all of them equally, even the harsh ones. If she could reach balance in her dreams, then maybe there was hope for her awake.

Skye lost count of days, which she figured was a good thing. Her supplies were holding up, so she didn't feel any pressure in that regard. She walked out of the cabin one grey morning — it had rained most of the night, and went to the stream. She bent down to fill the water bottle Triaten had packed for her, when she noticed on the bank across from her a dead rabbit, half split open. It was her little rabbit friend, and it looked like an eagle or hawk had gotten a hold of it, then dropped it. Skye stood up slowly, staring at the entrails.

Her feet started to shuffle backward. It was just a rabbit, she kept telling herself. Just nature. But the word "innocent" kept flashing in front of the word "rabbit." Still staring at the remains, she backed herself into the cabin. It wasn't until her backside ran into the far wall of the cabin that her feet stopped.

She was still for a minute, before it exploded in her. The water bottle flew across the cabin, thunking into the wall. The chair went next, a leg cracking off. The table and cot followed, along with all the food. When everything in the cabin had been smashed into a wall, Skye didn't stop, yanking up things from the mess and re-hurling every piece a second and third time. It went on and on.

Dazed and crumpled in a mess of unusual proportions for how few items she actually had in the cabin, Skye managed to find her way back into the present. How could she have torn apart everything in such a few short minutes? Rafe stood at the doorway to the cabin, watching her curiously as she heaved deep gulps of air.

With a sigh, and not sure whether to be frightened or to celebrate what just happened, Skye got to her feet and began to clean up the mess. After propping the table up against the wall, balanced on shreds of legs, Skye was about halfway through clearing the floor when she came across her childhood wooden box. It was cracked, half askew. She didn't remember throwing it.

Skye turned it over in her hands. She had always wondered how it opened, if it did, and what was inside, if anything. She shook it. A small corner of white appeared at an open joint. A piece of paper.

Skye stepped through the mess on the floor and out the door into the grey daylight. She sat on the doorway step. Her fingernails clamped down like tweezers on the corner of the paper from inside the box. She had to take care as she tugged it out through the small sliver of an opening.

The paper crumpled at the corners, squeezed by the box as she pulled it out. It was folded in thirds. Once out, Skye set the paper on her lap, then shook the box again, just to make sure there wasn't anything else hidden inside. Empty, as far as she could tell, she set the box down, monkeys and snake face up to her.

Skye picked up the paper, unfolding the crisp white linen paper. She saw immediately the ink had faded with the years. A waft of cedar floated up from the paper. The handwriting was in script, and she didn't recognize it.

Her breath caught as she read the first line.

My Dearest Baby — You are unborn now, but I know you will soon be joining us. I hope you will never read this letter, for if you are, it means I have left this earth, and failed you in not being present to protect you. I can only hope that your father was able to do so.

You are all I ever wanted, but you are also an oddity — born of both good and evil. Two sides of a coin, and you will always have both to deal with. Those are the options you will inherit. Inherit as a result of my own choices in life. Choices I would make again.

I hope the good will rule your life, but if not, know that I love you, regardless of the path you've chosen. I love you, or I wouldn't be going to such great lengths and deceit to have you.

You need to know that you were created out of love, from both sides of that coin. Your father, Evan, is a Malefic, but know that a Malefic can love, just as a Panthenite can hate. Most do not understand that — maybe it will be your salvation in life, maybe it will be your ruin. Your choice between love and hate is just that, a choice.

Remember that, and let no one take the will to choose away from you.

My hope is that, you too, will someday get a chance love another unconditionally. It really is the only reason we exist. I only speak from my own experience, but who I have chosen to love, I would never undo. You will be the living proof of that.

Know that the heavens will afford me a clear view of you, and I will always be watching, always loving, always near.

Forever love — your mother, Laura

A blotch of liquid blurred the ink of the last few words on the paper. Skye stared at the wavy letters. Then she realized the droplet was a tear. Not a tear from years ago, shed by her mother. It was her own tear. Fresh. Alive. Straight from her own eye. It struck her suddenly that her chest was tight, tight from an incredible sadness from deep within.

She smiled. The first smile she had formed since before the Malefics had taken Aiden. It was real emotion she was feeling. Real, wide-awake, middle of the day emotion that wasn't out of control as she had been just minutes ago in the cabin.

It was a step, maybe small, but it was what she needed.

Rafe's frantic bark from the woods broke her sudden sad glee. She hadn't even noticed he had wandered off. Skye recognized it immediately. It was not his I'm-chasing-a-squirrel bark, it was a warning bark. The same bark they had heard the night the Malefics captured Aiden. Hairs on the back of her neck pricked.

She turned and went into the cabin, frantically searching in the mess for the dagger Triaten had packed for her. She vaguely recalled throwing it several times in her rage, but now had no clue where it was. The barking was getting closer.

Skye threw things in the cabin, now in panic. Finally, in a corner, she caught a glimpse of the steel. She grabbed it and went back to the door, slowly nudging it open. Rafe's barking had stopped.

The door creaked. Crouched, Skye stepped lightly out the door, dagger high at the ready. She moved along the outside wall to the side of the cabin. At that moment, Rafe came tearing out of the woods, frantic, then finding her, turned and positioned himself halfway between Skye and the woods he just left. Teeth bared, he kept up a low growl while minutes ticked by.

Skye could hear over Rafe's growl, feet crunching on the rocks of the path. Two sets of feet, closer and closer. She moved up to stand at the ready right behind Rafe, eyes focused on the needle-strewn path.

Two men appeared into the clearing and cackles rose in Skye. Horace and Evan. A Panthenite and a Malefic, walking together. And right at her. Fear gripped every pore. She didn't stand a chance.

Skye was just about to shift time backward, when the two stopped. Horace threw his hands up. "Skye, no. Don't go back. Triaten sent us."

Skye froze. Her eyes flitted from one to the other, dagger up high, aimed at them. She had to force her tongue to move. "No, he wouldn't send you, Evan."

"But he did send me," Horace yelled across the clearing. "And I brought Evan."

"No, Triaten wouldn't do that." Skye's voice was confusion.

"He did, he had to." Horace continued. "He couldn't come himself."

"Why not?"

"That's why we're here to talk to you. Triaten told us where you were. We're here on his behalf."

"Prove it." Skye yelled back with clear distrust.

Horace paused, then continued, annoyed. "How about this, he said before he convinced you to come up here, he was reading you, and you were thinking that if he screwed you over, and told anyone where you went, you'd time-shift back and cut off his manhood. He was hoping you weren't serious."

The edge of fear dulled. What he was saying was true, Skye knew. She had thought that very thing at Triaten, right before she committed to staying on the mountain. But it didn't fully convince her. She still held the dagger up at the two of them, wary. "So why are you here?"

"Can we come closer to talk? This yelling is getting cumbersome." Horace asked with pompous irritation.

Skye wasn't giving in. "You can tell me from there."

Evan finally spoke up, scolding. "Respectfully, Skye, you would be dead already if we had come up here to kill you."

"You didn't want to kill me last time either, Evan," she gave him a withering look, "and I've been paying for that ever since."

Horace interjected before the exchange could escalate. "Frankly, Skye, both sides need you. Both want you alive and with them, which is why we're here together. It's the only way we could think of for you to trust our intentions."

Skye's steel didn't lower. "And your intentions are?"

"To stop Aiden before he starts a war."

Skye's arm slowly dropped in unison with her heart. Her voice was softly mortified. "What has happened?"

The two approached her. Rafe moved back to Skye, but refused to sit, still poised to attack a length in front of her. But his growl had ceased. The two stopped directly in front of her and Rafe.

Horace spoke. "Aiden has begun a war with the Malefics that neither side is prepared to fight. At least not at this moment."

"What has he done?" Skye was finding it hard to breath.

"After you left him, Aiden has been on a singular rampage to kill every Malefic that had anything to do with taking you," Horace said. "He's being killing scores of Malefics, quickly and indiscriminately."

"Truth be told, he is after me, most of all." Evan interjected.

Horace continued. "Some that have been killed were, unfortunately, kin of a very powerful contingent of Malefics. That's why Triaten is not here, he's trying to keep Aiden alive, since he can't convince him to stop. Charlotte is with them also."

Horace's voice was reprimanding. "Skye, he's starting a war because of you. And he is going to die in it."

Skye felt like she was going to pass out. Not Aiden. Not because of her. She sank to her haunches, balancing on her heels. She stabbed the dagger into the ground. Her head hung, eyes closed. If she had any curiosity what true emotion would feel like when it came back, she wondered no more. Every inch of her screamed in agony, crushed. It was exactly like it was before. She would do anything — _anything_ — to keep Aiden safe.

The smashing of bones. The drownings. Every moment of the torture flooded her mind. But if that's what it took to save Aiden. Fine. Eyes terrified, but accepting of what was ahead of her, she looked up at them. Then her eyes settled on Evan, resigned. "You're taking me back to the cave?"

Surprised, Evan looked from her to Horace. His eyes went back down to Skye. "Not exactly."

"What are you going to do to me, then?"

"It's not what we want to do to you. It's what we want you to do. We need you to go back." Horace looked down at her, commanding, not asking. "To time shift. To not leave him."

Skye's eyes narrowed, suspicious. Was that all? In a heartbeat. "That's it?"

"We hope. We don't know if the dead will remain dead in a time shift, since for Panthenites and Malefics, the time lines appear to remain true, from what we know. The ramifications, on many levels, are unknown," Horace said. "But we have to try this first, assuming you are willing."

Self-doubt crept into Skye's mind. "I've never gone back more than a few minutes. How long have I been up here?"

"According to Triaten, forty-six days since you left Aiden."

That shocked Skye. Sure, her provisions were getting low, but she had no idea she had been gone that long. "A month and a half? How do I go back that far?"

Horace shrugged. "We don't know anything about your power, how you control it, but I'm guessing that you're going to have to pick a very specific moment from the day you left, and try to aim for that."

Skye stood up. Determination straightened her spine. She knew immediately what moment she needed to go back to. She nodded. "Okay, yes. I'm in." Her voice turned harsh as she addressed the two pairs of eyes that had been assessing her since they walked into the clearing. "But make no mistake, I do this for Aiden. Not for the Panthenites, not for the Malefics. I could care less if both sides decided to destroy each other."

"Duly noted." Horace answered dryly.

She shifted her eyes to Evan. "And you need to leave me and Aiden alone."

"Understood," he answered.

Skye surveyed her surroundings. She wasn't sure how she was going to do this, if she could even pull it off, but she guessed it was going to take concentration. And the best place for that was the vantage point five minutes up the mountain. She had spent hours up there, consumed by the slow moving clouds brushing along the peaks of the mountains surrounding her.

Skye took several steps away from the two before pausing. She stood, silent for a minute, before turning around and eyeing the Malefic that had tortured her mercilessly. The one who claimed to be her father.

"Before I do this, I need to know something from you, Evan."

"What is it?" he asked. His voice lacked the constant harshness it had held in the cave.

"Did you love her?"

"Who?" The word left his mouth, even though both knew who Skye meant.

"Laura. My mother."

He paused. "It was a long time ago."

Skye wasn't about to accept that as an answer. "Did you love her?"

"Yes." His eyes suddenly looked ancient, sad. Skye vaguely wondered how old he really was.

Skye nodded, satisfied. "She loved you..." She paused, silent, thoughts flashing in her mind. Her eyebrow raised in thoughtful consideration. "The whole good-evil, Panthenite-Malefic thing. It's a bit more complicated than that, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so," Evan answered.

Skye wasn't quite done with him.

"Why did you save me, when I was born? It was you, wasn't it? It had to have been. And then you gave me away. Why, if you were just going to do to me, what you did?"

Evan sighed. He evidently didn't want to be bothered with a trip down memory lane. But then he relented. "When you were a baby — at first it was to protect you, to remove you completely from this life. It was what Laura wanted. And then your parents died. I should have taken you back right then, but I wasn't prepared. I thought you still had a chance to not lead this life."

"So you knew where I was the whole time?"

"Yes. And then your life, how it turned out — you were abused, angry, with no direction. I realized the best thing I could do for you was to turn you into a Malefic. Give your life purpose. Better than the aimless path you were on. And I thought it would be easy. I didn't anticipate your involvement with a Panthenite. With Aiden."

"So you thought I would go into the river, come out, and be ready to be molded into whatever evil you had planned for me? Simple as that. I got no say in the matter?" The bitter taste in Skye's mouth pinched her words.

"Skye, you are not going to understand, and you may hate me for what I have done to you," Evan's eyes flickered to old and sad again, "but you should know, I hid you for years, and then took you back myself, only because of what the other Malefics would have done to you. If they had gotten to you first...once your power was known...what they would have done to you — it would have been a thousand times worse. They would have turned you into a monster — and they still want to do that. They want to control your power, so they still want you. What I was doing with you...was not exactly sanctioned by the others. At least when I had you, I could control the situation, control what Warten did, how far he could go. I was hoping to turn you Malefic before the others got to you."

Skye choked on an acrid chuckle. "So in your mind, you were saving me?"

He didn't bother to argue the point. "I still want you to join me, Skye."

She shook her head in angry pity. Her eyes were deadly, boring into Evan. "If our paths should cross again, do not expect me not to try to kill you. Nor will I stop Aiden from doing the same."

"Then there is still hope for you." Evan replied. He didn't bother to hide a smile.

Silence was Skye's response.

She stared at the two of them, wondering to herself what game they were truly playing. A moment slipped past, and she was disgusted with herself that she let even a second go by — she wasn't going to afford it any more time, any more thought. She had to get back to Aiden. Skye turned and walked up the mountain.

# { Chapter 20 }

Skye sat on a boulder, surrounded by the land so high only rocks could exist. Vistas of peaks and valleys that had remained unchanged for eons encompassed her. Rafe sat ten feet from her, eyes and ears still perked back down the trail to where they had left Horace and Evan.

Her eyes focused on the clear, ice blue of the sky, and she vacated every thought from her mind. Every thought except for the one moment in time. The one moment she needed to get back to. Skye closed her eyes. Hours went by. She didn't move, didn't flinch, didn't waver from that singular thought, as the emotion expanded to fill the world around her.

She opened her eyes.

She was on her feet, in the hallway. Aiden was standing in front of her, his face crushed, begging. Skye's breath stopped and she had to catch her own balance. It had worked.

Aiden's face flickered confusion and he blinked as his head went down, defeated. "Hell no, not again — not the dream," he whispered, pleading with himself.

Skye moved into him and put her hand on his chest. His heart was crazy. "Aiden, it's not a dream. I'm here." Her voice was hoarse. "This moment. Do you remember?"

He nodded, not looking at her, his entire being shocked and broken. "I can't forget," he said, raw pain lacing the words.

Her hand shook as it went along the side of his neck, under his chin, and then coaxed his head up so his eyes would meet hers.

"Ask me again." She could barely get the words out.

Aiden stared at her, and the smallest sliver of confused hope cut through the pain in his blue eyes. His hands went to her head, his fingers enveloping the sides of her face.

"Don't leave us." His eyes closed as his voice, rough, carried on. But his grip on her was solid. "Don't leave me. I love you. Stay with me."

Skye gripped his wrists and pressed herself into him, choking out sound. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to leave again. Ever."

Aiden's eyes flew open, searching hers for confirmation of her words. It was there. Honest and unflinching. She was back.

He collided into her, his mouth attacking hers, savagely starving for her taste, her body. She gripped him, curling her hips into him. There were no words as he pushed her backward down the hallway.

His hands ripped his clothes, her clothes, searching for bare skin to collide with bare skin, not finding enough to satisfy. Skye stumbled and Aiden gripped her, lifting her as he barreled through the house. Clothes were gone and he wasn't going to slow. He crashed them onto the bed, lips devouring her as entered her harshly, fully.

Skye gasped, surprised at ferocity, then arched, offering herself up to his assault, meeting him with her own intensity. There was no silence, no leisure in the mad fierceness Aiden used her body. Her hands clenched his muscles, fingernails digging into his skin, taking him deeper and deeper, trying to give him what he needed.

But he wouldn't have it, and he shook as he grabbed her hands, holding them over her head, stretching her out full before him. His breath was ragged as his hand ran down every vibrating pore on her. He was owning her body, forcing her into climax before he allowed himself to explode into her. Her final screams of surrender were instantly echoed with his own.

He collapsed on her. Skye laid, dazed, under him. This was a raw power Aiden had never unleashed on her. She has taken it openly, passionately. But now she was unnerved at how it originated.

"Where were you just now, right before time shifted?" She asked with concern. "It was a dark place, wasn't it?"

"Where was I — oh shit, Skye, did I hurt you?" He rolled immediately onto his back, pulling her with him. Hurt or not, he wasn't going to let her body leave his. "I'm sorry. I just...just needed proof this was real. Proof that it wasn't a dream."

"Aiden, I'm fine. I needed it just as much as you. Maybe more." Her face was on his bare chest. Somewhere along the way he had lost his clothes. Skye wasn't sure when. "But whatever you were doing right before I shifted time, whatever that darkness was, you brought it back with you, didn't you?"

He was silent.

"Aiden —"

"It doesn't matter. You're back." His hand went deep into her hair, cupping the back of her neck. His death grip on her told her differently.

She tilted her head to look up at him, chin resting on the divot down the middle of his chest. She brushed some dark hair off his forehead. "It does matter. It's why I shifted time, instead of just coming back."

Aiden tilted his head back, avoiding her eyes. He stared at the ceiling. "I...hell, Skye." He shook his head, not wanting to continue. "Killing. I was killing a Malefic. Another one."

That explained the harsh, uncontrolled power Aiden had brought back with him. Skye swallowed. She needed to know all that had happened, whether Aiden wanted to tell her or not.

"Tell me. Tell me what happened."

He was silent for a long period, mindlessly running his hands over her naked back. Skye was about to prod him again when he cleared his throat. He still didn't look at her, eyes trained on the ceiling.

"After you left...I didn't know what to do. It all went so wrong." His voice was hoarse. "I failed you, and the only thing I could think to do was try to right what had happened to you. To take down anything and everything that played a part in hurting you. Revenge. And it didn't matter how involved a Malefic or human was, if they were there that night, or even if they only vaguely knew of you."

He stopped. Skye could feel his chest begin to thud as his heartbeat quickened. "I've just been killing. And killing. I thought if I couldn't be with you, I could at least make the world safe for you."

His grip tightened on her.

"Skye, you can't imagine," his mind went to darkness, reflected on his face. "The things I've done. I became...damn, I don't know what I became. I was out of control...And I would do it again. If you sent back time, just to leave me again — I would be right back there."

Skye got up to her knees, her legs on either side of Aiden's chest. She shifted forward, and leaned down over him, resting her arms on either side of his head, her face right in his. "Aiden, I'm not leaving. And I don't care — I don't care what you did. No matter who you became, I don't care. We're here. Together. I had to go, but it brought me to this place. Back to you without question or hesitation. And now I know I'll never have to do that again, leave you. No matter what happens, I will die, before I'll be broken again."

She kissed him, hard, taking rein of any and all the pain she had left him with. He pulled her down onto his body, wrapping his arms securely around her, still determined to not take a chance of her leaving.

"Where did you go, anyway?" he asked.

"Triaten didn't tell you?" Skye replied, surprised.

"Triaten knew? I should have known. Asshole."

Skye chuckled. "No, it was the only condition I had when I took his suggestion on where to go. I made him promise not to tell you where I was. But he was going to follow me wherever I decided to go."

"Sounds like him. So where did you go? He's been keeping me alive, quite honestly, so you must have been somewhere safe that he felt he didn't need to be there."

"He suggested I go up the mountain to the cabin at the base of the river." Skye answered.

Aiden was disgusted. "You were here? The whole time?"

Skye nodded on his chest. "Yes. But honestly, I don't know if it was enough time. I had to time shift when I did, that I wouldn't change. But I still don't know if I have any control."

"Control over what?" he asked.

"Over the rage — I don't know if I can control that side of who I am. It never used to be a problem, but now...I don't know."

She paused as her hand traced down his chest, still glistening with heat. "I love you, completely unrestrained. But now that, that emotion is unleashed, what will it mean for the flip side — will the rage be just as fierce as the love? Just as uncontrolled? I don't know. I'm afraid I'm still damaged."

Aiden didn't have an answer. He could only tighten his grip on her.

So they laid in silence. Legs entwined. Both lost in thoughts. Aiden's fingers traced her body, eventually rolling over the parallel scars cutting across her arm in the thinness above her bicep.

"Tell me about these." He asked about the thin ridges of raised white tissue, marring her skin.

"He's my father."

Aiden froze under her. "Who?"

"Evan. He's the Malefic that impregnated my mother. He was in love with her, whatever he would consider love, and he was the one that saved me from Mary when I was born."

"The same Evan that took you — tortured you?" Aiden scowled. Skye could feel the shudder of anger that flowed through Aiden.

"Yes, he told me right away, before we even got in the helicopter on the mesa. And then when we arrived at the cave..." Skye paused.

"What did he do?"

"He needed proof of what I could do — time shift. And I needed proof about what he was willing to do." She pointed at her arm. "This was the proof he offered. He carved these. Slowly. He didn't have Warten, the other Malefic, do it, like everything else. He said he would capture you again and kill you in front of me if I didn't really have the power. So I shifted time, once, to prove it, prove I could do it — I couldn't risk him going after you again. After that once, I was done."

Aiden tensed. "And I abandoned you." He said, disgust with himself evident. "Skye, I should have figured it out."

"You couldn't have known. We all made sure of it. Nor could we have known this was one big set-up from the start."

"A set-up?" Aiden asked.

"It's horrible — disconcerting — Warten was the one in the train car that attacked me before I jumped and made my way into Brigton. Evan was the one at the bar that told me to go to the river. You were the only thing they didn't plan."

"What?" Aiden was furious. "Damn — slicing his head off was too good for the bastard. And Evan, he's the one I've been after the most. But he's a damn ghost."

Skye shifted on Aiden's body. "Oh, and that's the other thing — Evan showed up at the cabin."

Aiden bolted upright, taking Skye with him on his lap. He fumed as he gripped her arms, pushing her away from him so he could see her face. "What?! He was on the mountain — near you?"

She nodded. "He was with Horace. The two of them came together. Triaten told them where to find me."

Aiden seethed. He exhaled with a growl. "I'm going to kill Triaten — just when I was going to forgive him."

Skye wasn't going to let Triaten go down for it. "Aiden, can you imagine how desperate Triaten had to have been to do that? To betray my confidence? To betray you?"

He didn't answer. His measured breaths told Skye he was going to a murderous place. Her hands went onto his chest. "I'm glad they came. Triaten had to send them. Aiden, they said you were starting a war. They were the ones to convince me to shift time back to today. To not just come back to you, but to time shift. They wanted me to go back to a point before I left. They thought it was the only way to stop you. To stop a war between Malefics and Panthenites."

"I had it handled." His eyes fumed.

"Maybe — but once I knew you were in danger — it's what kicked my ass." Skye explained. "It's when all feeling came back, for real. And I wasn't about to let my issues, what I did, take you down."

Aiden's hand went into her auburn curls. "So all I had to do to get you back this whole time was try to get myself killed?"

"Not funny." She frowned with her words.

"Whatever." Aiden's eyes pierced hers. "You're back. You're here. That's all I care about."

Skye nodded. They both needed to let go of the past month and a half. But there was one thing Skye wasn't about to let go of. "Oh, and I did tell Evan if I ever saw him again, I would likely try to kill him — and that I wouldn't stop you from doing the same."

Aiden laughed. "Good girl."

"But do you see what I mean?" Skye continued. "Who am I that I can so easily plot the death of my own father?"

Aiden stroked her hair, his hand landing on her neck, thumb right behind her ear. He searched her face. "What he did to you, Skye — death would be too good for him, an easy out, in my book. You are only protecting yourself. And that makes you strong. In our world, strength is what keeps us alive. That is who you are now. And frankly, he already got lucky that I didn't find him."

Aiden pulled her hips closer onto him. He was hard, ready for her again, and Skye leaned into him, hands running along his grizzled jawbone, then sliding down the muscles straining in ridges on his back. Her lips ran along his neck, soaking in the salty skin, burying themselves in his strength.

Rafe's muffled bark from outside froze both of them. They paused, both hoping it was a blip they wouldn't have to attend to. Silence. Then the barking continued. Not a warning, but something was definitely up — or out there.

Aiden exhaled, slow and painful. Skye ached, feeling her own pain at the interruption. She pulled back, reluctantly removing herself from Aiden's lap. They crawled off the bed and Aiden threw pants on, not bothering with a shirt. His face was set in a most uncharitable scowl. Skye went to the closet, finding a shirt and jeans.

Aiden was already out the front door by the time she had clothes on and could follow. The sharp smell of evergreen needles baking in the summer sun filtered in to her before she got through the front door.

Aiden was waiting, arms crossed, scowl even deeper as Triaten and Charlotte got out of the jeep. Skye stepped out by Aiden's side as the two walked over to the house. Aiden's arm went about her shoulders, pulling her close next to him.

Triaten and Charlotte both offered up sheepish smiles to Aiden and Skye.

Triaten cleared his throat, deciding to call a spade a spade. "Not enough time, then, huh?"

Aiden just shook his head at Triaten.

Triaten shrugged. "Apologies. It was either going well or poorly up here, and we wanted to be around in case it was going poorly."

Skye burst out from Aiden's arm and went to Triaten, forcefully throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you," she whispered gratefully in his ear. She didn't let him go.

Aiden cleared his throat.

Triaten pulled away from her. "Happy to be back then, love?"

Skye looked back at Aiden. "Most definitely. You were right about the mountain. And the box — thank you for putting it in the backpack. But Horace and Evan showing up —" she gave him a mock punch in the gut, "I don't know whether to beat you, or just slap you. I know why you did it, but really? Those two?"

Triaten's hands went up in defense. "I just told Horace — I just found out myself that he took it upon himself to invite Evan with. Something I'm none too pleased about myself."

Skye glared at him, arms crossed, not letting him off the hook right away. After a moment, her face softened. "But it brought me back here, so I can't be too mad at you — but I still am, just a bit."

Triaten laughed. "Understandable, love."

Aiden stepped forward and threw his arm along Skye's shoulders again. "I concur — you're walking a fine line, my friend."

Triaten waved his hand at the two of them, emphasizing the singular unit they were standing as. "A well-played risk, is how I would sum it up. Plus it managed to keep us all alive. Bonus for team A."

Aiden rolled his eyes.

Charlotte allowed a moment of good-natured amusement at the banter, before her face transitioned to an urgent seriousness. "But we aren't just here to check-in on the status of you two," she said. "We have some news."

Aiden's eyes shifted from Charlotte to Triaten. "Not good?"

Triaten's usual easy-going demeanor disappeared, as his jaw set in a hard line. "Charlotte, why don't you and Skye go inside. Aiden and I need to take a walk."

Charlotte nodded, stepping forward and slipping her arm into the crook of Skye's elbow, and leading her into the house. "Excellent, you can tell me how your time on the peak was — that is a place of salvation, in my book. Triaten was genius to convince you to go up there."

They were halfway to the house before Skye stopped in her tracks, jerking the attached Charlotte to a halt.

"No." Skye's voice was loud.

All eyes turned to her, surprised. Three sets of eyebrows cocked in unison.

"Sorry, that was maybe a bit much, but no." Skye pulled her arm from Charlotte and stepped away, facing the three of them at the same time. "I'll not be kept in the dark about whatever this 'news' you have is. I am done being protected. Done being kept in the dark. If I'm here — if I'm a part of this life, then I get as much information — good or bad — as the rest of you. I can't protect myself without the skill, and _knowledge_ , that the rest of you have."

She glared at the three, not moving. Both Charlotte and Triaten looked at Aiden. They weren't going to touch this one.

Aiden stared at Skye, frown deepening as he considered her. Skye's eyes narrowed at him, she wasn't going to give in.

Finally, his jaw eased, and he couldn't hide the look of pride that crossed his face. His approval was evident. "We all go in, and Skye hears everything," he said with a crisp nod.

There was a collective, audible exhale from all corners.

The group headed into the house. The bag of donuts that Charlotte had brought over that morning — before the moment in time Skye had left and returned to — was still on the counter. Aiden paused at the sight, still wrapping his head around the last month and a half not happening. The donuts sparked the memory of the food that had been waiting in the microwave. Aiden pulled it out and put it on the table with the donuts, sitting down next to Skye, opposite Triaten and Charlotte. They all dug in.

Several bites later, Aiden prompted Triaten. "So what's the news?"

"The time shift — well, it sort of worked, sort of didn't." Triaten started.

"How so?" Skye asked, mid-bite of glazed donut.

Triaten was somber. "Turns out, completely random. Some are alive, but it turns out for many, a dead Malefic remains a dead Malefic after a time shift."

"What? Holy shit..." Aiden uttered in low whistle. He tapped his fork on the table, thinking. "Interesting..."

"Yea, I was just as surprised," Triaten continued, taking a bite of sausage. "I had hoped the time shift would erase the deaths, just like they did for Rafe — but it didn't work like that. It worked for all the dead humans — they're alive. But some dead Malefics are still dead. And there doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason as to why the alive ones are alive. The only clue I've come up with may be with the Fates. Apparently, and this is just rumor, they're pissed you're messing with their threads."

Skye's jaw dropped. "The Fates are real?" she asked. Even after all that had happened to her, things like this were still hard to wrap her head around.

Triaten nodded in affirmation.

It was suddenly very clear to Skye, that she had no idea what her power meant, or what it could or could not do. Her mind raced. "So what happened to the dead in that moment of time I landed on? They would have been alive...and then what? They blow up?" she asked.

"From the few reports we heard about," Charlotte said, "apparently, their beings — their bodies — just disappeared. There one moment. Talking to people. Then gone — vanished in thin air."

Triaten finished the news. "And the Malefics remember the last month and a half, just like the Panthenites do — that we knew would happen. And that's the rub — not only are the dead, dead, the alive ones remember exactly what has happened."

"And they want revenge?" Aiden asked with a sigh, knowing the answer.

Both Charlotte and Triaten nodded, confirming.

"We could hide you and Skye, but that would only work for so long," Charlotte suggested.

Aiden nodded, acknowledging the fact.

"The best bet may be the elders," Triaten began, cautiously. He knew the relationship between the elders and Aiden was even more strained now than his own. "They may be able to stop or defer the Malefics from coming after you two — all of us — as long as they haven't already organized against us."

"I know there are both some Panthenites and Malefics who have been looking for the slightest reason to start a war," Triaten continued, "but Horace was the one who didn't want this to escalate — he's been adamant about it. So he may be able to avert a war, now that you're off your rampage."

Triaten pointed his fork at Aiden. "You are, off your rampage, are you not?"

"Off my rampage? Yes." Aiden dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. He looked at Skye. "But I'll stop at nothing — do everything in my power, to keep Skye safe and out of Malefic hands."

"Understood." Triaten said. "But in dealing with Malefics bent on revenge, well, I don't know about the rest of the elders, where they stand on the issue. I have a suspicion that they are all not on the same page as Horace in this regard."

Skye spoke up. "Horace brought Evan up the mountain with him. He told me that neither of them wanted this war to happen. Can we use that?"

Triaten sighed with a shrug. "Maybe. I honestly don't know what game Horace and Evan are playing. Where either of them stands. I think we let Horace play out whatever he can with Evan, and hopefully, Evan can control his kind. We also should go to the elders and ask for unity. If we have it, that's our surest bet for keeping you both safe. It'll just be a matter of convincing them."

Charlotte added bluntly, "But honestly, they've proven they're willing to give either of you up."

The group was silent. Skye fiddled with her fork. She had stopped eating minutes ago, as had everyone else. The pit in her stomach was growing. "We know they don't want me here, being a Malefic half-breed," Skye said, managing not to choke on the words "half-breed." "But I know they want control over my power — or at least it not being used against them. Horace was very direct about that. It may be the leverage that we need?"

Charlotte nodded. "I like the idea. We don't have a lot of options right now."

Aiden interrupted, glaring at Skye. "I'm not willing to trade your power away to them. I — we all —" his hand swept at Triaten and Charlotte, "have spent too many years trying to escape the demands of the elders, only to be under their thumb again."

Skye's hand went to Aiden's thigh. "But if we play it right," she reasoned, "I won't be giving them anything — we can keep me as both a possibility and a threat."

"It might be the only way, A," Triaten interjected.

Aiden leaned back from the table, rubbing the back of his head.

Skye's chin was set. "And you know I'll trade away anything if it means keeping you safe — with or without your approval."

Aiden sighed. "Fine. When do we go in?"

"Tonight." Triaten answered.

# { Chapter 21 }

Skye opened her eyes, bleary. She had been taking a nap, Aiden's bed, coupled with her body finally releasing tension, allowed a true, deep sleep. No matter that it was the middle of the day. She looked across the room. Aiden was sitting in the leather chair at the window, staring out at the expanse. It was dark, and a fat moon sat beyond the mountain peaks, clear stars sparkling around it.

At her movement, his voice was low. "We should be going." His head didn't turn around to her.

Skye sat up in bed, naked. The second Charlotte and Triaten left earlier, Aiden had picked her up and tossed her back into bed. He wasn't going to let the friends' interruption ruin what they had earlier started.

Skye reached up, stretching aching muscles — Aiden had pushed her to extremes, bending her body in ways it had no business contorting. But it was exactly what she needed to exhaust her body into rest. "Have I been asleep long?"

"About six hours."

Skye crawled out of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her along the way. She walked across the room, stood next to Aiden, and joined him in staring out into the darkness. "Whatever happens —"

He grabbed her wrist, not looking up at her. "I know."

Skye was silent for a moment, then sank to her knees next to the chair. She looked up at him. "Do you? You need to hear this. Do you know I love you?"

He looked down at her, the glint of the moonlight reflecting off the steel flecks in his blue eyes. He was still gripping her wrist, and he wasn't letting it go.

Skye continued. "That I will do anything to keep us together? That I'm not going to let anyone dictate my life — and that means I choose you every time? That you never have to worry about me giving up on you again? I won't do it."

Aiden brushed her cheek. His voice was rough. "You've ruined me twice. Once when I thought you betrayed me. Once when you left up the mountain. I can't go through that again, Skye. I can't lose you. I'm afraid to have you, only to lose you."

Skye gave a soft chuckle. "Aiden, I have never met anyone more capable of making the world bend to his will than you." She looked at him intently, eyes serious honesty. "You won't lose me again, because you won't let it happen. I won't let it happen. This is it. We are together. From here on out, no matter what, you will not be able to get rid of me."

That coaxed a smile from him. He pulled her face to his, kissing her hard, making the promise he didn't speak out loud.

Minutes later, they were cruising down the mountain, Skye gripping tightly to Aiden on the back of his bike. That she again had a summer dress on — this time in the right season — brought Skye right back to the first night they went into town together. The first night they rode back up the mountain together.

She tightened her arms around Aiden. So much had happened between then and now. But none of it mattered. Not really. In that moment, she knew without a doubt she was gripping onto what truly mattered. And she would until she died.

Aiden parked his bike on the street in front of Hotel Auric. He grabbed Skye's hand as they walked through the lobby, and disappeared under the staircase into the salon. Charlotte and Triaten were at the bar, talking with Horace, in what looked to be a heated fashion. Edmund and Helen sat in their usual places in the middle of the room. Others milled about, soft conversations that yielded once Aiden and Skye stepped into the room.

Triaten caught Aiden's eye and nodded. Both parties walked to the center of the room, converging simultaneously on Edmund and Helen in the middle. Horace took his seat on the couch.

The group stood in awkward silence, Aiden, Skye, Charlotte, and Triaten in a band, facing the sitting three, until Triaten spoke up. He looked over at Aiden.

"Things have been smoothed over with the Malefics, at least for now." Triaten tilted his head toward Horace. "Horace has assured them you are done and under control. They also understand we are unified against any acts of revenge."

Aiden bristled at the words, but remained silent. His focus, analyzing, was on the elders as Triaten spoke.

"And Skye?" Aiden asked, eyes not shifting from the three sitting elders.

"I did not approach the Malefics on that subject," Horace answered, doing his own scrutinizing. Skye could feel his eyes sinking into her soul, assessing her, calculating, she guessed, her mental stability.

"Unfortunate. Then there is something you should all hear. Helen, Edmund." Aiden specifically called out the two avoiding his presence. He waited until all eyes of the elders were on him. "Skye and I are now one. There will be a marriage. There will be children."

Skye's breath caught at Aiden's words. She leaned slightly into him for steadiness, as she was caught off-guard at the absolution of his statement. There was not a sliver of doubt in his words. Nor was there any in Skye's mind.

He squeezed her hand and continued. "Where she goes, I go. That includes any and everything that may transpire in the future between Panthenites and Malefics. Most importantly, know that if she goes Malefic, I go with her, no questions asked."

"You've ruined him," Helen hissed from her perch, flinging the words at Skye. "Before you, he never would have—"

"Shut it, Helen." Aiden quietly thundered.

Helen's jaw opened and closed repeatedly, not able, or willing to take Aiden on. She finally snapped her pursed lips shut, glaring at Skye.

Aiden continued. "None of us truly wants that, a divisive assembly of Panthenites, so I ask you now to just leave us be."

"And how are we to regard her in our presence, this half-breed?" Edmund demanded, seething.

Aiden's voice was callous. "I don't care how you regard her. But I prefer that you don't regard her at all. Or me. I prefer you leave us alone."

"Why should we grant your demand?" Edmund asked with a pinched face.

Aiden looked over at Triaten and Charlotte. Both silently urged their support. He looked back down at Edmund.

"There will come a time that you will need the two of us," Aiden stated. "The two of us...together, powerful as one. We all know it will happen eventually. But make no mistake, everything you do from here, until that time, will determine our reaction when that time comes."

"You threaten us?" Arrogance laced Edmund's anger, his beak nose turning up at them.

Aiden didn't flinch. "I've never known you to mistake honesty as a threat, Edmund. Out of respect, you have been made aware of the situation. I know you will make your own choice in the matter."

Edmund's bluster turned to Skye. "Girl, you—"

"Choose your next words carefully, Edmund," Aiden coolly cut him off. "And that is a threat. Her name is Skye, and she is Laura's daughter. You will respect that."

A haughty grumble came from the ancient Panthenite. Then he relented. "Skye," the word was bitter, with only a trace of the respect Aiden demanded, "you've come onto our mountain, a half-breed — a Malefic half-breed — can you even control your power? What good are you? What assurances might you manage to bestow upon us?"

Skye took a deep breath as Aiden squeezed her hand. She looked down at Edmund and shuddered — she could not even summon a half-an-ounce of like for this Panthenite. She was disgusted just to be in his presence. Nevertheless, she dropped Aiden's hand and took a step closer to him.

Skye swallowed her words several times, just to gain rein of what she couldn't let escape her mouth. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of her anger. Her words were measured once they did form. "I have no assurances of my power, if that is what you're asking. I know nothing of your world, except that is filled with conceited evil on both sides. The only true good that I have encountered are these three standing behind me."

Edmund waved his age-speckled skeleton of a hand. "Spare us the moral judgment — you are correct in that you know nothing of our world, or the decisions that have to be made. I only want to know one thing. Do you have control of your power?"

Skye knew he was trying to infuriate her. She refused, and her voice remained even. "I have never tried and failed to make time shift. My power has not been tested at length, but I have had no issues with controlling it when I have used it."

She looked over at Horace and Helen on the couch, then back to Edmund. None of them were hiding the fact they wanted to erase her from their sight. But she wasn't quite done yet. Not after what she had been through — these were the three that had invited Evan to take her. To torture her. No, she wasn't quite done yet.

Her voice rose. "But as long as we are talking about control, please understand that what Aiden says is truth. You have no control over him. You have no control over me. I am under no illusions as to why you are even tolerating my presence — you want my power. But the Malefics want my power too. Both for your own purposes. So you want me on your side? You want my power? Then this is how you keep it. Do as Aiden requested. I think you can manage that."

"Insolent little twit." Helen spat the words out.

Aiden stepped forward next to Skye, threatening.

"Don't bother, Aiden," Edmund said, bored detachment replacing his ire. He didn't bother to look at either Skye or Aiden as he clasped his fingers under his chin. "You can leave, we have an understanding."

Skye looked up at Aiden next to her. He wasn't moving. He was staring at Edmund, who was staring into space. The entire salon was silent. An excruciating minute passed, no movement, no sound.

Finally, Aiden grabbed Skye's hand, and without a word, stepped around Edmund's wingback chair, and led her out of the room. Charlotte and Triaten trailed them.

The foursome walked through the expansive lobby of the hotel, straight to the front doors. Stepping out into the darkness, all four froze on the sidewalk, their eyes drawn up to the night sky.

"Holy shit." Triaten whistled.

Above them, the full moon sat huge above the tree line, a blood red fire glowing at the heart of it, sending snakes of crimson spears out from the core.

"A flame moon," Charlotte, awestruck, whispered.

Skye had never seen anything like it, not that she had ever spent a lot of time looking at the moon or paying attention to celestial happenings. It was a gorgeous and frightening sight to behold.

"Is that a normal thing? Like a harvest moon?" Skye asked, her gaze not leaving the fiery orb.

"No." Aiden's grip tightened on her hand as he continued. "A flame moon only appears when there is a significant shift in the balance of good and evil."

"I've only witnessed it a few times," Triaten said, "before World War I, and in the middle of the second World War."

"Before the genocides in the nineties," Charlotte uttered, voice and face ashen. She looked like she was seeing a ghost, genuinely shaken.

Skye suddenly realized the street was lined with people, all staring up at the moon. The murmurs were thick, floating up into the warm night air.

"Does it have anything to do with us?" Skye asked.

"I hope so, love," Triaten answered. "If not, well, we better be preparing for any scenario."

"How long will the moon be like that?"

Aiden shrugged. "I've never seen it last more than a night." He dropped Skye's hand and stepped toward his bike, grabbing the helmets and giving one to Skye.

"Charlotte, Triaten, thank you." Aiden tilted his head at his friends.

"We're good, then?" Triaten asked, pulling his eyes away from the dark sky to look at Aiden and Skye.

"More than," Aiden replied, serious gratitude setting his jaw firm.

Triaten smiled. "Skye?"

She smiled and stepped over to him, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Very much more than. Thank you. I'm lucky to count you as a friend."

Skye stepped back to Aiden's side as Triaten asked, "Sure you want to leave so soon? Don't want to head to Joe's?"

"Another night," Aiden answered. "I need to get as far away as possible from this place."

"Understandable," Triaten conceded. Charlotte suddenly started shaking next to him, oblivious to any of the conversation going on around her. Triaten put his arm around her. The shaking eased, but her focus remained riveted on the moon, flaring shards bursting from the center.

Aiden's forehead wrinkled in silent concern at Charlotte.

Triaten looked down at her, then back to Aiden. "No worries. I got it. Get out of here."

Skye already had her helmet on. They sped their way out of town immediately, the rumble of the bike's engine bouncing off the trees, and echoing through the night. Up the mountain Aiden drove, and when they passed the turn to his drive, Skye tried to yell the question as to where they were going, but couldn't get her voice through her helmet and above the bike's noise. Nothing to do but hold on.

She became even more curious when he turned down a trail off the main dirt road, just shy of the long driveway to the ranch. And thus was the folly of the bike — as much as she liked riding it, she was at the mercy of Aiden's driving and, apparently, secret plans.

The trail was skinny and rough, but Aiden expertly eased the bike down the path without unseating either of them. Skye wondered if Aiden was just trying to get her to grip his waist tighter.

The trail got harder and harder to pick through, and Aiden eventually came to a point where he stopped the bike. He cut the engine and got off, offering a hand to Skye as she dismounted.

She hardly had her helmet off before she blurted, "Okay, where are we and why?"

The red-tinged moonlight filtered through the forest of evergreens. It was just enough light to see Aiden smile down at her. His face said it all. Damn, he wasn't going to tell her.

He took her helmet, hooked it on the bike, then unstrapped a satchel off the back and threw it over his shoulder. "We just need to walk down the trail a bit further." He started off.

Skye stood for a moment, contemplating the back of his retreating shoulders. He was assuming she'd be following, and, she conceded, she didn't have much choice — she wasn't about to take the motorcycle and pick her way back out of the trail. It was follow, or wait at the bike. And what was that going to accomplish?

Aiden stopped and looked back over his shoulder at her. "Coming?"

To her disappointment, Skye's dramatic eye roll was blanketed in the darkness, so she was mildly irked at the lack of effect it had on him. She trudged forward, annoyed eyes pinned on Aiden's broad back. The trail was steep, and mostly non-existent, and she slipped into Aiden's backside several times, having to steady herself on his shoulders.

The trees soon thinned, and Skye could hear the water of the river, more of a creek now that they were in the start of a dry summer. As they stepped into the clearing by the river, Skye braced herself for the sight of it, as she had done near running water for most of her life. Even on top of the mountain, she had to take a deep breath when she went to the trickle of water that went by the cabin.

So she was surprised when, past Aiden, her eyes could finally make out the gurgling water under the moonlight, and the familiar water-induced panic didn't grab her. Was it possible she had finally made peace with this river during the time she was atop the mountain?

Skye stepped around Aiden and edged closer to the stream. It did nothing to her. No fear. No panic. Her feet were soon at the edge of the bank, water glistening in the moonlight, splashing onto her hiking boots. The wet, grey rocks beneath her feet clinked and crunched as she shifted her weight. Nothing. Skye nodded her head slowly, a "Huh," escaping in amazed acceptance.

"That's new." Aiden's voice interrupted her.

She turned around, awe at this new development flooding her face. "I had no idea. But I'll take it. Even if it's only with this river."

She looked around the clearing. "So why are we here?"

"You don't recognize it?"

Skye scanned their surroundings again. River, trees, rocks. Aspens dotted the clearing. Their white bark reflected the moonlight in the darkness, creating ethereal glow sticks that jutted out from the pines. She shrugged. "The river?"

Aiden took a step toward her. "There," he pointed to a flat patch of ground, "was the spot that I first saw you — really saw you — and realized that the Fates had decided to put you in front of me."

Skye's eyes widened. "Really? You're kidding. This is the spot you saved me?" She looked around, almost giddy, and then ran over to the spot Aiden had pointed at. "I don't think I gave you your due as my hero."

Skye got down onto the ground and stretched out on her back, settling into the rocky patch. She took in the view, eyes circling the clearing in the red moonlight. Turns out the spot had been burned into her memory. "Yep, this was it."

She turned her head to the side on the ground, her cheek on the dirt. She looked over at Aiden, conjuring up the first time she saw him in her mind. "And that's about where you were, except you were sitting on the rock next to you."

Skye laughed. "And you were pissed."

A scoff-smile carved into Aiden's face. "Rightfully so, and probably not pissed enough, if I had known how much terror you'd bring into my life."

The laughter on Skye's face drained away. She got to her feet, miffed. "Terror? Really? That's how you sum up me in your life?"

Aiden walked over to her, not answering her right away. Instead, he opened up the satchel from the bike and pulled out a tightly rolled blanket. He unfurled it next to Skye's feet, then straightened, facing her. "Sit?"

Skye crossed her arms in front of her, not moving. "Terror?" she repeated, demanding.

Aiden sighed. "Yes, terror." His eyes shifted to the sky. She knew this one. He was thinking. Deciding what to tell her. Skye waited, not sure if she was going to get an explanation. Or if she even wanted one.

His blue eyes finally trailed down to her face. "Terror is the only way to describe it. From the moment, right here, when you opened your eyes to me. Terror that I wouldn't be able to protect you. Terror that you wouldn't be able to protect yourself. Terror at the reasons you betrayed me. Terror that I couldn't save you. Terror that you wouldn't recover. Terror when you left me. Terror for where you were, how you were. Terror that I didn't know if you would ever come back." Aiden's voice choked before his last, quiet sentence. "Terror that my own destruction was no longer my choice, it was yours."

Skye's heart crushed in her chest. A soft gasp escaped. The power and the pain that this love was capable of had always — yes — terrified her, but she had just assumed that was her reaction. She didn't have a steel spine like Aiden. He had always been so steadfast, so sure about absolutely everything between the two of them. Skye was horrified at the pain it — she — had caused him.

Her hand went to his cheek, slipping down along the familiar dark stubble lining his jaw. The rough hairs didn't hide the strength beneath, instead, only amplified the force that was evident on every part of his body. "Aiden, if there is one thing I know about you, it's that you are not afraid of anything."

"The only thing is you, Skye. Just what you can do to me." His hands went to her neck, slipping around into her hair, cupping her head. He looked down at her. "But now...I have accepted it. The Fates knew what they were doing when they put us together. You are a part of me. You are the hole I never knew was missing."

Aiden pulled her closer, his forehead touching hers. The pads of his thumbs ran along her high cheekbones. "Those things I said to the elders, I should have warned you, should have asked you if it was okay. But I meant every word. Marriage, children, I want — need — all of it. With you." His head went down, his lips next to her cheek, his breath hot on her neck. "Marry me. Have my babies. Be with me. Let me be with you. I don't care where. Here, the ends of the earth, wherever you need to be."

Skye gripped Aiden's neck. Her head was suddenly light, almost dizzy, as a million thoughts spun in her head. She hadn't even guessed at how badly she had wanted this. Wanted these words. Wanted exactly what Aiden was offering. But she did. So it killed her, and as much as she hated to, she had to make certain. "Aiden, are you sure? The Malefic part of me —"

"No, you are you." He interrupted her, voice unyielding. "All the parts make you who you are. And it's you I love. Not just one part of you — all of you. You are not to question it. Or my commitment to all of you."

A relieved moan, vulnerable and soft came out with the breath Skye had been holding. Her eyes welled as she searched his face. She believed him. "Oh god, Aiden, then you don't have to ask. You have me. All of me. All of who I am. All of who I'll ever be. You have me."

She pulled herself tight into him, tilting her head back, searching for his mouth, his breath. His lips parted hers, tongue gentle with play, savoring the taste of her. He pulled her head back, trailing his assault down her neck as his hands curved down her body.

His right hand went to the small of her back, pressing her hips into him, as his left hand pushed back on her chest, fingers slipping under her dress strap and easing the cloth down. He paused at her exposed breast, tips of his fingers digging into the flesh, cupping the weight as he teased the peak.

Skye's chest heaved against the multi-pronged onslaught. Every pore electrified as his teeth ran along her collarbone, his hand travelling from her breasts, down her belly, severing their joined hips as his hand cut down, landing in the very heat of her. His fingers pressed through the thin fabric of her dress and underwear, manipulating her core with skill. He knew her body well. Skye's fingers curved, desperately gripping Aiden's shoulders so she wouldn't lose her footing as she arched back, gasp after gasp catching in her throat.

The throaty purrs only made Aiden hungrier as he buried his face into her, drinking in every bare piece of skin she offered up to him. His hand under her back fully supported her weight as she curled her body backward, each inch vulnerable and exposed.

A low scream tore from Skye's throat, her eyes fluttering as she reached a pitch so high, she was on her toes, not able to even pretend to stand anymore. She needed him inside of her that instant.

She ripped herself away, almost falling as she took a step back. Aiden wasn't about to let her have even a slice of space away from his body, until he realized she was tearing at his jeans. An animal groan rolled from his throat. His boots and shirt disappeared, as Skye freed him from pants.

Skye's underwear came down, shoes kicked off, when she suddenly stopped at the sight of him, naked in the moonlight. The red-white light reflected off the peaks of his distinctly carved muscles, light disappearing into the dark depths of the valleys on his body. Skye was struck with the flashing thought that Aiden truly was something created for a higher purpose.

But right now, she only wanted him for one purpose.

She slid the other strap of her dress off her shoulder. Gravity took the fabric down slowly, fighting the curves of her hips. It pooled at her feet.

"Hell," Aiden said in a rasp, "Skye, what you do to me."

Her hand shook as she reached out for the curve where his neck met his shoulder. She pulled him toward her. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Just get inside me, now."

His smile was wicked as he crashed into her, lifting her up and easily sliding himself into her. Skye's legs went around his waist, toes straining as they leveraged onto the back of his thighs. She buried her head into his neck, inhaling the salty sweet smell of his bare skin.

Her thighs strained as she moved her body up and down in rhythmic thrusts. Slowly, savoring every inch of Aiden as he disappeared into her again and again. The constant rush of water over rocks filled her ears, her head, melding with the thumping of the blood pulsating in her brain.

Aiden leaned her back, arm fully under her, supporting the pulsing of her hips. His other hand slid past her belly, diving into the folds of skin, sending screams of tortured pleasure from her throat. Skye's hips did not slow their onslaught as she jerked in pleasure, instead, taking him deeper and deeper into her with every stroke.

The sounds of Aiden's own hoarse growls joined the excruciating tempo Skye had set. Both began to shake as a force, larger than either of them, bubbled up in the fire between them. Skye pulled herself upright, grabbing Aiden's neck, setting her forehead to his.

Aiden dropped to his knees. Skye didn't miss a beat. Face to face, she moved up and down, their breath, heavy and hot, mingling. Skye refused to tear her eyes from his, as a thundering shudder engulfed her. With a scream, her body tightened around him, demanding his body join hers.

Aiden grabbed her hips, taking control of the tempo, quickly bringing himself into the clutches of agonized pleasure. Loss of all strength, he went to his back on the blanket, depleted, bringing Skye's naked body down with him. She rode his chest, heaving like waves on the ocean. Her face buried in his neck, as she tried to catch her own breath between the residual shockwaves that coursed through her body.

It took ages, and Skye wasn't sure if she fell asleep or not, but when she could finally breathe again, finally think, she rolled off of Aiden onto the blanket. On her back, she remained locked down under his firm grasp on her body, one of his arms under her head, the other draped over her chest. His fingers trailed circles on her skin, moist with exertion in the balmy night.

They were silent.

Both of their heads were aimed at the moon, still alive with the crimson fireworks bursting from its core.

Skye turned onto her side, but her head remained aimed at the sky. Her hand moved from Aiden's chest to his ribcage, pulling herself even tighter to him. "The moon — what will happen?"

He shrugged. "That's just it, it's a sign. Nothing more. A flame moon doesn't tell us what, doesn't tell us where, doesn't tell us anything, really...Think of it as more of an announcement. Something could happen two days from now. Or it could be twenty years from now. So it's not something to worry about. Even if you wanted to, it's really not something you can worry about, since we don't know what it means."

Skye digested that bit of information for several minutes. "Charlotte was obviously distraught at the sight of it."

He nodded. "She's seen some harsh things that were preceded by a flame moon," Aiden answered, reaching over to pick up Skye's dress. He draped it over her so it covered a good portion of her back and arm. "Charlotte has put herself into the middle of some of the worst that mankind has to offer. It would be hard not to be worried if one had experienced what she had. Seen what she had seen."

"Being a Panthenite, it can really screw you over, can't it?"

Aiden laughed. A true laugh, straight from deep within his chest. It covered her soul with warmth. Skye realized it had been too long since she had heard it.

"It really can," he said. "You can look at your late start in life as a Panthenite as a blessing. I have been damming it, since there's so much you need to learn, so much training we have to do. But I guess, mentally, it really is a blessing." His arm tightened around her. "Plus, all of it led you right here. Even if you've already had a healthy dose of being screwed over."

Skye snuggled in to him, eyes still on the red moon. "I managed to recover. And now, hopefully, I have some idea of what atrocities to expect. Or at least to not expect anything at all. I imagine there is much worse than what I went through."

"There is, I hate to say. And I'm not sure what we traded back there with the elders. I just don't want it to come back to haunt us."

Skye propped herself up, chin balanced on her fist on Aiden's chest. Her other hand traced his face. She was earnest as she looked at him. "It doesn't matter — as long as we're together. I'll train. I'll run up and down the mountain. I'll take getting my ass kicked every day. Whatever it takes. Whatever you have for me. As long as we're together."

Aiden smiled. "Sure about that? You know I can be hard-core, not to mention inventive."

Skye gave it mock consideration. "If you really want to interfere with our, ahem, 'other activities,' that's your choice. But I think we've proven an exhausted me, doesn't do you much good in the really fun part of life."

She pushed herself upright on Aiden's chest. "And I am pretty well-convinced that we better be enjoying every day to the fullest." Her hand slid down his bare body, grabbing a full hold on his crotch. "And this is a big part of it."

Aiden chuckled. He grabbed Skye and flipped over on top of her, face hovering above hers. "Big? I like to think of it more as ginormous. And you're right — no more pouring every ounce of energy into training — I'll make sure you save just enough energy for me to enjoy."

"How self-serving of you." She smiled up at him. "And tomorrow? What's the plan?"

"Tomorrow, I thought we could get you some clothes of your own."

Skye shrugged. "Sure, I think I still have a couple twenties stuffed somewhere."

Aiden paused, confused. "Skye, aside from the fact that what's mine is yours, you do realize you're Laura's descendant? You own her share of the ridiculous wealth sitting on this mountain."

"What? No, that hadn't occurred to me." Skye wasn't sure what to do with the information. A frown emerged. "What am I supposed to do with it? What I had with me when you met me, was all I've ever owned. I guess I only cared about having enough money for food."

Aiden smiled down at her. "You don't have to do anything with it. I just thought it'd be nice for you to choose for yourself what you want to be wearing, as generous as Charlotte has been with her wardrobe."

"Okay, sounds good," Skye replied with a shrug.

Aiden's smile continued, a finger playing with a curl in her hair. "And one more thing tomorrow."

"The other thing better involve your bed." Her green eyes ablaze with sultriness, Skye ran her hands slowly, tantalizing down Aiden's back, teasing the muscles taunt.

"Tramp," he chuckled, then descended on her, kissing her with promise. He pulled up before Skye could engross him into another round. He still had something to say.

"Okay, two things. One, the bed per your request. And two, we get married, per my request."

Skye's face went serious, rolling the idea over in her mind. She didn't make him wait long. "Hmmm. Yes, I think that will work," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "That will work just fine."

###

~ The Next Adventures ~

The second novel in the Flame Moon series:

Triple Infinity

Flame Moon, Volume 2

The third novel in the Flame Moon series:

Flux Flame

Flame Moon, Volume 3

_Thank you for taking this trip into fantasyland with me!_ _If you liked reading Flame Moon, please leave a brief review – I truly appreciate the reader's words and thank you so much! Reviews are the best way to help others like you find something they will like too._

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~ K.J. Jackson

