 
Silverline

By J.R. Cassidy

Copyright 2015 J.R. Cassidy

Smashwords Edition

ISBN 978-0-9940368-0-3

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This is a work of fiction. Characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is purely incidental.

**Table of Contents**

Silverline

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About J.R. Cassidy

Connect with J.R. Cassidy

Chapter 1

Sweat broke the dry surface of James' skin. His pulse throbbed double-time with each pounding step on the hard cracked earth. The smell of his prey was sickly sweet, foreign, drawing saliva around his tongue. He spat out a mouthful of coppery sand. The wind was not working in his favour today.

Not far now.

He had broken away from the rest of the pack, moving with that extra burst of adrenaline and endorphins afforded to a tracker. Ahead of him, the man with flaming red hair was stirring up a dust cloud, pushing the sand and air behind him just enough to propel himself forward faster than anyone wearing silverline should - _prushrunning_. Which meant one thing: he wasn't wearing it.

The prushes were intermittent, conservative, but thanks to good breeding and the keening gene, James could chase down a howler through a sandstorm if he needed to.

The earth trembled beneath them, causing the fine powder of red and gold dust to drift up like mist and coat the exposed skin on his arms and face.

James' muscles flexed, anticipating a takedown. He was going to lose ground in the dunes soon. _It has to be now_.

The instant the decision was made his body boiled into a fever, energy burning and ready to burst. The toe of his boots left gouges in the ground. Air and dust rushed over his ears muffling all other sounds, though he could feel his throat vibrate as he yelled. A brief energy pulse rippled around him as he shot over the stretch of desert towards his target. But instead of crashing into the other man, James hit a wall. And the wall struck back, slamming him to the ground with all the force he'd charged into it and skidding several feet across the dunes. The movement drove a flurry of sand around him, choking him.

Maniacal laughter drifted down with the shower of dust that marked his marvellous failure.

Further away the rest of the pack had yet to cross the first series of dunes beyond the copper flats. James ground his teeth as he started to get back on his feet only to be knocked down again. He felt a great warm pressure push against his chest as his target used him for an anchor, prushrunning further away. Growling, James fought against the force until it released and he was free.

His lungs and ribs ached with every breath. It was harder to gain a foothold among the tall dunes but James continued in pursuit. He found the man waiting at the valley over the third crest. Brilliant white lights, invisible to all but James' keen eyes, strobed outward in waves. The target was prushing steadily now, stronger and focussed. The heat generated from his efforts reached James from several meters away, bringing with it the strange sweet smell.

Something twisted in James' stomach. He paused. Hope knotted in his throat with a promissory note of a long and satisfying hunt coming to an end. The light blossomed into solid lines. James blinked, shielding his eyes. This wasn't right. He should have combusted using that much power. The slope of the dune trembled and sand began to sift steadily downward.

At the edge of the flats, Rhand was shouting a string of curses. James had to act now before his alpha arrived and pulled rank. If he did this right, he could be his own alpha.

Gusts of wind rose up from the man in the dune, spinning in rapid succession. James slid as the sand fell from under him. It was like falling into the flames of an oven. The sand burned. James made a last attempt, launching at the man before they were both killed and consumed by the inferno. Then a brush of cool air hit him like diving from the flames into a pool of water. The space where they had once existed held little more than a swirl of red dust and a small patch of smooth glass where the sand had melted.

The pack stopped on the ridge of the crater. The air still crackled with energy, prickling their skin.

"Do you think they -" Rhand held up a hand cutting Jobin off. He sniffed the air. He wasn't keen like James but there was something strange about it, something sweet but musty. Definitely not the acrid burning of flesh from apret burnout. Nor were there bits of flesh or blood in the pit.

"Son-of-a-bitch went nova!" Pip laughed, his giant chest still wheezing to catch its breath.

"Is it possible?" Islena looked at Rhand, her eyes filled with horror.

"It doesn't matter now. We've failed." Rhand spit into the sand. It sizzled.

They all stared at the empty space, skin tingling, chests rising and falling. Hot. Silent.

Rhand shook his head, the last to turn away. As they walked back across the dry dunes of the Red Desert to Sildre Val, he afforded a small momentary headshake. _Dumbtarded nutmugger_.

***

Stacks of files teetered on the wobbly aluminum cart as Caitlin wound her way around the maze of hallways beneath the National Research Council's main corporate building - or as most referred to it, the dungeon. It wasn't far off; cold, dusty smelling, ancient office equipment scattered about, whistling paint-chipped pipes, and overhead the fluorescent tube bulbs yellowed and buzzing, some blinking. Add a few shackles and a stretch rack and there you were.

Caitlin stopped in front of the large steel door of the vault. When she'd first started her job here she'd always felt a small thrill at having clearance to access it - even if there weren't any "top secret" files in _this_ vault. Now though, that feeling was much diminished by the atmosphere of an enclosed space two stories below daylight and the fact that she could never quite seem to remember the combination.

Even with no one around, her cheeks flushed.

On her second attempt the inner lock gave a click and she lifted the heavy steel handle. The musty smell was even worse in the uncirculated air of the vault. Caitlin pushed the little white button on the back wall. Seven rows of shelving units on a motorized track crawled their way forward with a screech from the generator. The lights flickered. Ancient dust fluttered down.

Caitlin felt a brief wave of heat. Her fingers released the button. The screeching stopped, replaced by something distant... laugher?

It wasn't unusual to hear muffled voices or footsteps from above or adjoining rooms, or carried through the pipes, but this was getting louder. She had passed no one in the halls to get here and the other storage rooms nearby were all locked and dark. She dismissed the spook with a shake of her head and turned to get her cart.

A brilliant light flashed, exploding with intense hot, dry air that shattered the overhead bulbs. Sparks and shards of glass rained down as two dark figures suddenly slammed into her. There hadn't even been time to scream or shield herself. She gasped at the impact, struggling to extract herself from the tangle of arms and legs that punched and kicked and growled. She was shoved aside by an elbow to the chest while the other two proceeded to roll over each other. The one remaining light dangled and swung, blinking. All she could see at the moment were two men fighting: one with unnaturally fiery red hair wearing tattered shades of gray clothing, the other slightly larger with short dark hair wearing desert army fatigues. Mr. Desert Storm had the upper hand at the moment, pounding into the slightly smaller man with his fists. Caitlin grabbed a poster canister and smoked Desert Storm across the side of the head. She couldn't tell how hard she'd struck, her whole body seemed to have gone numb except for a rush of electric shocks snapping under her skin, but it was enough to knock him off his opponent. Gray rose to his feet sporting a wicked grin that raised the hairs on the back of her neck and arms. Caitlin raised the canister in defense but some outside force pulled it forward. Gray caught the tube in his hand and drew her to him, grabbing a handful of her hair. He leaned forward and inhaled a deep breath through the nose. His grin widened, lending creases to the corners of his eyes. It was both haunting and disturbing.

"Why hello Ms. Summers."

Her jaw dropped as chills goosed up her spine, her eyes wide and frozen with fear. He looked like he was about to rip her hair out but then his eyes darted around her. She felt a dizzying rush of energy come over her. Instead he threw her back against Desert Storm and slipped like a shadow out of the room. The vault door slammed shut and the swinging light finally cracked and fell. Desert Storm shielded her from the glass but in the pitch darkness his hands somehow found her shoulders and gripped her firmly.

"How does he know you?" he demanded. Cait's body tensed. She couldn't see him but she felt his warm breath on her face, heard the prolonged inhale as he too smelled her.

I _did put on deodorant after I showered this morning, didn't I?_

"I... I've n-never seen either of you before in m-my life!" she managed to stutter.

"That was a very dangerous man -" He was cut off by the building alarm. Whether tripped by the explosion or Gray's escape was unclear.

"We need to get out of here," Caitlin turned and felt her way to the door, Desert Storm's warm hands still on her. "There should be a safety release..." She found the lever and pushed it up. The door swung out and Caitlin with it. Dim florescent light and cool, dusty air greeted them as her knees hit the floor. The man behind her leapt into the hall, looking up and down but Gray was long gone. He then helped Caitlin to her feet. "This way," she led him to the stairwell and out the emergency exit. They joined the growing crowd of evacuees being herded by yellow-jackets to a safe distance across the parking lot.

"Hey! Hey Caitlin!" Mary waved and walked to her holding out Cait's purse. "I grabbed this for ya. Biggs said it's not a drill but we have to wait for emergency services. Hey you don't look so good. You weren't downstairs were you?" Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh Caitlin, you should go to the hospital, I'll cover for you."

The adrenaline rush was starting to wear off, replaced by numb shock. She had no desire to sit in a waiting room for hours over nothing. She wasn't hurt. A little shaken maybe but nothing a good sleep couldn't fix. Cait managed a polite smile and nod as she took her purse and walked away. She reached her car -thankful that she'd had to park at the far lot this morning, closer to the exit. Her hand froze with the key in the lock though. Desert Storm was still hovering beside her casting a shadow over the door. He was staring at something down the other hill across the road. Her eyes followed until she saw the flash of red.

"How does he know your name?" His voice echoed the one question on her mind as well. She could only shake her head. "I'm coming with you."

Cait blinked. It was the first time they could actually see each other clearly in the daylight. He was tall, not crane-your-neck-to-look-up tall but beating her 5'6" by a few inches. Judging by his outfit and what she'd felt in the dark, he had the build of a toned fighter rather than the bulk of a wrestler. Short dark hair and a hint of a five-o'clock shadow complemented the most intense azure blue eyes that were roving over her own soft features. In short a veritable Adonis clad in strange red-gold over copper and cream desert-type fatigues. The sin of it was she was unpreprared for the way his presence set off electric shocks within her and made her insides puddle. Either for protection, for answers, or for proof that what had happened was real... somewhere deep down a little voice told her to wait until he got around to the passenger's side. She didn't argue.

***

Cait flexed her hands over the steering wheel trying to wear off the electric current that was incessantly buzzing through her.

"So are you going to tell me what happened back there? Maybe starting with your name?" She asked once they were safely on the highway.

He shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with the seatbelt. Snapping his head around to look at everything, like he'd never seen the inside of a car before. _Or does he feel it too?_

"I am tracker James Devlin, of the Sildre Val War Den," he looked directly at her when he spoke, "I was attempting to capture the terrorist known as Levi before.... that."

"That?" Cait raised an eyebrow.

"He was either going to self-implode or - apparently - cross over here." He waved vaguely at the Ottawa skyline before bracing his hands against the door and the center console. "I failed," he added quietly with a low rumble in his chest.

Cait snuck a quick glance at him before returning her focus on the road. She bit her bottom lip, a million thoughts and questions turning over in her mind, each seeming more impossible and fantastic. Crossed over? _Like from another world?_

The terrorist known as Levi.

_Terrorist_.

Her hands gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, her face paled. He knew my name. The small hairs on her neck and arms goosed up again. "How did he know my name?" she whispered to herself.

James looked at her. "That's what I would like to know too."

The rest of the trip was made in silence - or at least Caitlin's brain seemed to have gone into autopilot as she couldn't remember driving past downtown to the off ramp or even how she'd gotten to the lot of her apartment complex. She only seemed to come back into her own to park. That alone gave her chills.

James, on the other hand, was very much aware, his eyes darting all over, taking in her new, strange world. He followed her closely into her one bedroom apartment, taking an unguided tour and picking things up to inspect them. Not that there was all that much to inspect; after the accident she'd decided to clear the slate when she moved, keep things simple. Though her mind drifted dangerously to the one box in the back of her closet...

Don't go there...

The situation was too surreal yet to process. Cait stood in a daze, watching him move around, pressing buttons, lifting things, turning them over, inspecting photos - which Cait grabbed from his hands and set back on shelves face down. He went on to the kitchen asking questions like "what's this" and "how does that work?" One after another, he threw them at her without waiting for the answer. It was dizzying watching him. Her ears were beginning to fill with static.

James was in the bathroom now. He came rushing out with a bottle of shampoo, a custom order she got from a little home-run organic shop Sophie had introduced her to. He held it up to her face but before he could ask anything she held up her hand.

"I think I need to lie down for a bit."

James cocked his head slightly, suddenly quiet, his eyes focussing like he was seeing something inside of her. His face was difficult to read, perhaps concerned? He didn't say anything, just nodded. She worried suddenly about having this strange man in her home... _but he's here now. You let him come._ Was Levi really a threat to her though? _He knew your name._

She took a deep breath, warding off the tingling sensation and locked herself in her bedroom. She practically collapsed onto her bed in instant sleep.

A couple of hours later she woke up to her cell buzzing. Everything felt sore and sluggish. She reached for the phone, mustering all the energy she could just to tap the "accept call" feature.

"Caaaayt..." the voice on the other end sobbed. Cait jerked up as if she'd been burned.

"Sophie?" The image of her younger sister with long lines of mascara running down her cheeks had Caitlin immediately alert. "What's wrong? What happened?"

After several more choked sobs she got the gist of it, "I saw him at lunch today... with that blond skank Marissa... they... were... lips... oh!" Sophie's voice rose with each final word. Cait took a deep breath, calming the racing pulse within her.

"Sophie," she said calmly, rubbing her eyes, "I thought you broke up with Collin last week."

"Not Collin. Todd! Collin was three weeks ago. But he's already... with that... that..."

Cait had to cut her off before she broke into incoherent sobs again, and from what she'd heard neither of them was worth the salt of those tears. "Okay, listen, it's live band night at O'Connors'. I'll get us a booth, we'll dance and have fun and forget about everything."

"Are you sure?" Sophie sniffed.

Cait smiled, "I think we could both use a night out. What time can you get here?"

"Eight?" She made a final sniff, "I need to take a shower and - oh! Could I borrow your red strapless? I've got just the pumps for it!" Leave it to Sophie to have a pair of Prada's for every occasion. Nothing got her out of a funk faster than an opportunity to show off a new pair of footwear. "Oh, and you have to wear that black backless one you wore at your birthday!"

"It's a date at eight, dressed to the nines," Cait laughed, her mood lightening exponentially.

A burst of laughter spilled out of the speaker and Cait felt a flood of relief. Then the laugh subsided and she could hear a muffled sound as Sophie wiped her cheeks. "Cait?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." The silence of their smiles was interrupted only by a soft click as Sophie hung up.

Cait put the phone down and closed her eyes. She sighed and slumped back onto the pillows until the surrounding silence of her apartment hit her with all the shock and tingling she'd felt earlier. She jumped completely out of bed this time, her head swimming from the rush. She held onto the bedroom door as she poked her head out.

"James?"

No reply. Her heart sank. Then she wondered if the whole thing had been a bad dream. Maybe she had overslept the whole day? She'd done that once when she'd overworked herself. But if that was the case, why was her body still tingling? "I must be losing my mind." She checked the clock on her dresser. There was enough time to shower, have a bite and get dressed. Sophie would probably show up early to help with hair and make-up. If the explosion had been real then it appeared that Desert Storm had let himself out. Whatever was between him and Levi, she would be better off staying out of it. And if it was a dream... all the more reason to get out, have a little fun again, put herself out there and meet someone new. Someone who, according to her subconscious, was about 5'10", had dark hair, a military-built body, and two pools of bright blue eyes she could get lost in.

Cait opened her closet and pulled out the dress.

Chapter 2

When Sophie arrived she clapped her hands appraisingly at the backless little thigh-high number. Caitlin was pleased with the reflection in the mirror too, regardless of how stunning Sophie looked beside her.

"Two gorgeous young hotties on the prowl," Sophie made a purring noise.

Cait laughed, "you can prowl, I just want to dance." They bumped hips playfully. It had taken two years to get her confidence back, and still below the surface a little voice gulped and worried like an open wound with the band-aid freshly ripped off. Cait trampled the insecurities back down, plastering a smile on her face. Funny that she was feeling nervous about going out. There was safety in crowds.

"Oh," Sophie waved a hand while she touched up Cait's hair with some more pins. "You do look a little pale though," she said thoughtfully, and began scrounging her bag to apply more make-up, prattling on about how pretty Cait could be if she just applied herself a little more.

Truth be told, Cait despised make-up. If she didn't poke herself in the eye with mascara, the liner smudged or the lipstick flaked... Though the older she got the more she felt she would probably need it. _Not til I'm 30_ , she often told herself, especially when she saw how some women caked it on. But then she also knew that on the rare occasions that she did bother applying it she was so inept it seemed a wasted effort.

Sophie always had the perfect make-up and fashion sense. She was an inch taller too, with full double D cups and all. Guys drooled over Sophie. Girls envied her. As a teenager she'd even managed to snag some modeling gigs in photo shoots, which was how she managed to land a job at a PR firm. The only reason she hadn't continued modeling was that she couldn't stomach it. She suffered from some kind of low blood pressure where she needed to eat regularly. She didn't like to talk about it. That didn't stop her from hounding Cait though. If she wasn't trying to make her over she was pushing some product or another to "at least help your image a little bit."

Cait drew the line at custom organic shampoos.

By comparison, Cait was a ghost. Her hair was the only feature to really stand out but that was more for the color. Sophie was a dark espresso, Jolynn (their elder sister) was sun-kissed blonde, but Cait was a redhead with deep auburn and - in the right light - cherry red highlights. On a normal day it fell down her back in long, soft lines with just the right bit of curl at the ends. She had done a loose bun for tonight with a few tendrils bouncing down. Sophie had pinned most of it back up, securing it tightly (promising a headache later).

"Something happened at work today," said Cait while Sophie got to work touching up her own hair and makeup. She made a humming sort of noise to indicate mild interest while reapplying gloss to her lips. "I'm not even sure if it was real," Cait continued before her throat parched and she found it hard to speak at all.

"Ugh, I've had days like that. I wish today had been one." Sophie stood back and admired her handiwork. She smiled in approval and then her eyes caught Cait's and she read something there. Suddenly she was all excited. "You met someone!"

The blush hit Cait's cheeks before she could stop it.

"Oh my god! Dish! I want to know everything!" She grabbed Cait's hands and refused to budge until she got the details out.

Cait reiterated how it might all be her imagination or faulty memory. How could it possibly be real? She didn't say anything about the explosion or Levi, only focussing on describing Mr. Desert Storm since that's what Sophie was interested in, getting her all worked up until she got to the part where she woke up and he was gone.

Sophie's face changed. She looked something between pity and anger. Then Cait knew she'd said too much, but she'd needed to say something to someone and Sophie was not only her sister but her best friend.

"Forget it. Come on," she stood up and pulled Sophie with her, "tonight it's just about you and me. Eight to the nines, right?"

"Right," Sophie stopped to stuff a few bills and ID in her cleavage. Cait waited by the door. "but just so we're clear," she said giving Cait a firm look as she adjusted her dress, "I plan to seduce us a couple of tens, taken 'em home, have our way with them and let them pine over us for the rest of their lives."

Cait couldn't help but burst out laughing. They left the apartment and walked through the parking lot.

"We're walking? What happened to your car?" asked Sophie.

"Nothing," Cait grinned, "I just thought it's so close we can stumble home together after."

Sophie shook her head and rolled her eyes, "or one of us can pick up a tall, dark and handsome driver and have our way with him," she winked. Cait stuck her tongue out and they both laughed.

Wind flapped Cait's skirt. She wasn't sure she would ever feel comfortable showing so much skin but tonight was a release they both needed.

It was only a fifteen minute walk to the bar in the mall across from her complex. Parking was full (so walking proved a wise choice) and there was a line up out the door. Sophie by-passed it with a kiss and a cover charge to the bouncer - a friend - though Cait had reserved a booth earlier anyways. Music was already blaring.

O'Connors was not a large building. Most of the dozen booths on the raised platform to the right were occupied. The sisters took the last one available. Sophie let her take the side with a better view of the stage. Not because of the band, but because the other bench had an open sightline to the bar, above which hovered the giant violin - the feature of the pub - which doubled as a custom acoustic amplifier and hid the stage lighting. David had been friends with the man who had built it.

With that thought, Cait was grateful she'd eaten earlier and they'd only ordered a light snack before the band started. She poked at the zucchini sticks with her fork while Sophie quickly inhaled her onion rings.

"How 'bout you order dessert while I get us some celebratory drinks?" Sophie didn't wait for a response. She scurried down to the crowd and disappeared in a sea of writhing bodies where between the booths and the bar, tables had been cleared to the patio to make room for a larger dance floor.

The band was seriously kicking things up tonight. It was a wonder how the servers moved around the grinding, gyrating bodies. Cait ordered a slice of cherry cheesecake to share. While she waited for the cake and Sophie to return she watched the band. A warm body slid onto the booth beside her. Just as she was about to tell him to get lost she looked up into two stunning azure eyes. James smiled at her but it was like a slap in the face. If he was here, and real, then so were earlier events that she wasn't ready to process yet. Not to mention that he'd come home with her just to leave her there alone, or the look of pity she'd gotten from Sophie when she'd told her about it. She wanted to be mad at him. Why did he have to look so good?

"You look nice," he said over the music then leaned in, "You feeling ok?"

"Where did you go?" asked Cait, dismissing his question.

"Tracking. But I was surprised to pick up your scent here wh-"

"Hey now!" Sophie set a tray of shots on the table, "who's this yummy treat?" She gave him an obvious thorough once over, then nodded at Cait. The flush on her cheeks suggested she'd already partaken in a drink or two. At the same time that she sat down the server slipped a large slice of cheesecake on the table. She ogled James as well and conveniently touched his shoulder, smiled at him and mouthed "enjoy."

"Sophie, James. James, Sophie - my younger sister." They nodded at each other. Sophie passed out the first round of shots.

"Ah, the magician makes a return appearance. Gotta say, you lose brownie points for the disappearing act but I'll give you another shot," Sophie teased, sliding a literal shot glass in his direction with a critical eye. "More's the merrier, so they say." She slid a shot towards Cait then picked one up herself and raised it, "Eight to the nines," she giggled, staring straight at Cait and quickly downed it before reaching for another. "Aie!" Sophie cheered. Cait raised her glass and threw her head back. "And a lucky ten in the bed tonight!" Sophie giggled. Cait nearly choked

James looked at her though she deliberately ignored meeting his gaze. "Eight to the nines," he mirrored with a curious twist to his smile.

Cait reached for a second shot and tossed it back too. She had a feeling she would need it. A war was raging inside of her: part of her excited to see James again, part scared at how strong the attraction was, and part angry that he'd disappeared in the first place (which she knew deep down was just a projection of her feelings about David). Add in the tingling and the alcohol and Caitlin was a disaster waiting to happen.

"You've found your prospective tens then I take it?" she directed at her sister.

Sophie shrugged. "I may have already spotted a few potentials on the way over. Might be a few who prove worthy of a second glance once I get down there," she winked at James. Her hand reached across the table but Cait beat her to the last glass.

"Right," Cait chased her second shot with a third. Subtlety was not Sophie's middle name.

"So James, you in the military or something?" Sophie asked, passing him a fork to partake in the cake - which Cait made no move for. Her fingers were setting off electric shocks against her palms.

"Or something," he smiled and bit into a forkful. His eyes closed for a moment in bliss. Cait wasn't sure she had ever seen a look so peaceful on a man's face. Her insides twisted.

"You single?"

"Mm-hm," he licked the fork clean and went for more.

"How old are you?"

Cait stared at her sister, pleading with her to stop with the twenty questions. Sophie smiled, acknowledging and ignoring the silent message.

"Thirty."

"Cait's 26," Sophie informed him all too happily.

Cait shook her head. _I'm not ready for this_ , said one voice in her head. _Yes you are_ , said another.

"So how d'you know Caitie?" Sophie took a bite of cake too.

"Our paths just sort of crossed," he said, his smile never faltering, eyes on Cait. "Actually it's important that -"

Cait cut him off, "I..." she took a deep breath and smiled apologetically, "I need to dance."

James looked at her confused. Sophie's brow furrowed but despite the silent, "you're crazy," innuendo there was also sympathy. Her nerves on edge, Cait pushed herself up on the arm rail and slipped over into the dancing crowd below.

"Cait!" exclaimed James, standing up so fast he knocked the table crooked. He looked a little frantic but Sophie laughed.

"Don't feel bad," Sophie stood and patted his bicep. "She's a little damaged but she's worth the chase!" She pulled out some money from her cleavage and left it on the table then hurried down to dance. James scanned the crowd with concern.

The lights strobed and different colors rotated over the crowd, making it hard to pick out red-heads in the massive throng.

Cait saw Sophie leave the table and tried to find her in the crowd. She hadn't meant to be quite so rude to James but something was pulling on her nerves, mainly the incessant waves of electric current sparking up her arms, and she was still trying to process the whole thing. Dancing off the excess energy was better than sitting and listening to Sophie interrogate the man.

After a song she finally caught a glimpse of Sophie and pushed her way towards her sister. The shocks shooting out her fingers weren't isolated to her own body. It was almost like she'd built up a static shield around her, though maybe not all that surprising considering how little space there was between bodies. There were more than a few dirty looks but Cait ignored them.

"Sophie!" Cait called. She felt her lips move but only the sound of the amplified drums and guitars registered in her ears. Sophie didn't hear her either, too involved with whatever flavor of the night she'd picked up. Her eyes closed as she slowly teased the man behind her with her thighs. "So-" the word hung unfinished.

That's when she saw the shock of fire-red hair and his ghostly green eyes fixated on her. Sophie raised her arms and twirled for him like she was spinning on invisible lines. His arms drew around her, following the curves of her body. Even as Levi tilted his head and leaned in, rubbing his nose along Sophie's neck, those eyes were still locked on Caitlin. He smiled now, one corner of his mouth creeping up.

Coldness cloaked Caitlin. She couldn't move. She was a stone pillar among moving, writhing bodies. Sophie's head swooned back, giving open permission to her exposed flesh and the small delicate arteries that pulsed excitedly in her neck. Levi's hand cradled the back of her neck with pale, thin fingers.

Caitlin's gut twisted in a panic. He was going to hurt her. Kill her. Right here in front of all these people... All she could think of was getting him away from her sister and in the same instant she felt a flash of heat and sparks. Levi's head snapped sideways and a red welt appeared on Levi's cheek. His ghost eyes narrowed murderously as his head corrected itself back to a straight forward position. Cold unseen hands touched Caitlin's throat.

Her heartbeat thumped against her chest as fast and hard as the drummer's sticks crashing against the drums on stage.

Sophie looked up as Levi moved away. Not at Caitlin but beside her.

A real hand tucked firmly around Caitlin's stomach and moved her aside. James stood between her and Levi only long enough to plant his feet and launch a left hook into Levi's side.

***

Before Cait could breathe with relief, James pulled him back up by his shirt and kneed him in the stomach.

Sophie stumbled into the crowd looking stunned as the two men were about to have it out.

Levi fell back but the crowd - half drunk and roaring for a fight - pushed him back in. He lunged, bent over, grabbed James's waist and sent them both sprawling on the floor. Levi was up on his feet first. He raised his hand like a puppeteer and James's head drew up then smacked back down on the hardwood floor.

The crowd shared an awed, painful "Oooh!" And Caitlin found herself squished among the crowd.

James stared blankly for a moment while Levi grinned. But James' knees were bent and a second later he sent Levi flying back with a two-legged kick.

The strobe lights came on and Cait realized with horror that the band was feeding the crowd and the fighters with their music. The circle around them was growing as people from the patio and bar swarmed in, climbing on tables and chairs to watch.

James flipped up onto his feet.

Sophie howled, her arm punching a fist in the air and jumped up and down with the mob.

"Haters get so mad! You CRANK that song!" sang the band. "Punch it Superman, hit it all night long!"

Levi and James walked determinedly towards each other. James twisted in a kick but Levi pulled his other leg up. Only Caitlin seemed to notice Levi hadn't actually touched him. James thrust out a hand and Levi was knocked back by an invisible force. Then James was on him, legs surrounding Levi in a scissor hold.

"CRANK BACK while we roll! CRANK THAT, soldier boy!"

Levi kicked like a madman. Both were yelling and grunting but drowned by the cheers of the crowd. The lights spun and dimmed.

The men rolled and Levi spun out of the hold. From three feet away he puppeteered James' body up then charged. The crowd jumped out of the way as James' back crashed into a table. Splinters and chunks of wood went flying.

"Oh!"

The crowd surged forward around Caitlin, shoving her to the back. She ended up slammed up against the bar where the bartender was crouched behind the counter on his cell phone.

"Yeah, this crowd's outta control, Rick! You tell them to get their asses over here YESTERDAY!" He looked up at Caitlin, meeting her eyes briefly. Then he looked above her and his face paled. Caitlin followed his gaze. The giant violin was trembling. One of the steel cables holding it to the ceiling snapped. The crowd shrieked and panicked, some fled back out to the patio. The band stopped abruptly. Caitlin started to move but the cold hands grabbed her throat again.

She turned slowly, as if pulled by an invisible arm.

Levi stood, panting. One arm reaching for her, the other outstretched toward the violin. She could see his breath crystallizing in the air. A determined and irritated expression on his face.

James lay crumpled on the floor, temporarily knocked out it seemed.

Something burned in Caitlin. It was building. She didn't try to think about it. The tequila was already starting to make her feel dizzy. She waved her arm at the coldness touching her, nothing but shadows extended between Levi's hand and her throat. A wave of air came out of nowhere, blowing over the crowd and causing all the windows in the building to blow out.

The last of the crowd scrambled and ran or ducked for cover. The band dropped their instruments and fled with them.

Levi's shadowy connection broke off but he was smiling. He reached up and delicately plucked something in the air. Another cable snapped above Cait. The violin swung, its weight too much for the remaining cables. The whole thing came down, smashing into the bar counter.

Cait ran torward James, away from the crash. In mid-motion her body jerked and she was _pulled_ , landing directly in front of Levi.

The sound of sirens wasn't far off now.

Levi finally put his real hands around her neck, cradling her head. They were so ice cold that his touch burned. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to her ear.

"Tracking prey is one thing, making a meal of it, quite another. This is not the end, Caitlin dear," he whispered.

Her whole body tingled and buzzed, both hot and cold. In the periphery she saw James rise. Then just as quick as it had started, it was over. Caitlin stood alone, her legs shaking, her mind clouded, watching Levi disappear out one of the broken windows pursued by James.

Sophie practically pounced on her, making Cait jump.

"Did you see that?!" Her face was flushed and wild eyed. "Oh my gawd! Cay-tee!!" Her jaw was stuck open in a strange sort of awed grin.

Caitlin stared at the chaos surrounding them. The floors, the walls, the windows... the place was a write-off. She was really starting to shake.

"I have to go," she told Sophie.

"But the police \--"

Cait shook her head, "I need to get some air." Sophie nodded, concern evident, but after what had happened at work Cait didn't need anything else on her plate and the police would have plenty of witnesses. She knew Sophie would be fine. As soon as the officers would walk in she'd be smiling again, flirting and distracting. And with her luck she'd no doubt land a few phone numbers.

Cait ran out the back patio.

***

She turned away from the main group of running patrons and slowed to a brisk walk, pretending not to be a part of the crowd escaping the battered building.

The sky was riddled with thin clouds and somehow even though the sun was down there was still a residual glow. Street lights started to turn on. Cait crossed her arms over her chest, not just for the chill breeze but because her insides were beginning to turn.

The ground was swirling and shifting under her sandals. Cars whipped out of the parking lot, their taillights lagging behind them in blurred residual zigzags. Red and white lights flashed from the arriving police cruisers and a fire truck.

Cait was really regretting the alcohol now. She leaned against the cold, metal traffic pole, waiting for the walk signal to change. Her body tingled and the strange burning sensation continued inside of her.

Green light.

Cait stepped out onto the street. The lines of residual ghost-lights faded as she crossed them but she felt an electrified tingle where they had been. The stairs up to the park were in front of her now. 10 acres of land, protected from any future development except for a small man-made reservoir the city had added for visual appeal, stood between Caitlin and her apartment building.

She had walked this way before. It took longer than following the street directly home but it was better to avoid being caught stumbling drunk along the very public cement sidewalk when the police started their search for Levi. Cait struggled up the steps. The tequila was really kicking in now. By the time she reached the top the sky was a dark navy. There was a single lantern lighting the path into the trees. It grew darker the further she went. Her eyes closed for a few seconds, trying to still the sensation of the ground spinning out from under her. Her temples throbbed.

_Just put one foot in front of the other_ , she told herself.

The path was shaded by trees most of the day and with darkness falling, the temperature plunged further, yet she still felt hot. She looked up at the tall broad limbs, their branches like arms praising the heavens. The top leaves rustled in the breeze, whispering hushed prayers. Between and beyond them was the dark endless space littered with infinitely small twinkling stars.

She stumbled but caught herself and kept moving forward.

Something else was moving too. She could see it briefly if she didn't focus too much. Her whole body pulsed with fire now. Had the police found her that quickly? Had they been following her the whole time? Cait's feet hit the ground running, but as with the car lights earlier, objects passed in delayed blurs. There was a faint pulse of light that moved out, fanning the trunks of the trees until it faded and was replaced by another. Cait looked up and down the path. No policemen. She paused. The light was moving out and away in all directions, which logically meant only one thing... it was coming from her!

Caitlin ran until she reached the roundabout on the hill and the next lantern post. _Half-way home._ Her whole body shook. She dropped to her knees before it and spilled the contents of her stomach on the earth. She stayed like that, heaving - which to anyone else may have looked like absurd prayer. But it started to feel better almost right away.

She couldn't see any more light pulses and now the lantern was logically and safely the only thing illuminating the area. Cait crawled away from the spot and sat beside a bed of flowers.

"I'm going crazy." She brushed a hand through her hair. _I'll talk to Sophie tomorrow, I just had too much to drink. It was all a bad dream. I was just overworked, and drunk, and hallucinating light pulses._ But she couldn't shake the images from her mind. Levi had pulled James up without physically touching him, had snapped the cables, he'd... threatened her. She touched her throat. _And I made the windows explode..._

Cait looked down at the flowers. Small pink and purple bulbs closed in tight little fists had been planted inside the roundabout circle. She touched one with a finger. A wave of warm light pulsed out and the entire bed bloomed open like a sigh.

Chapter 3

From a distance, Luna compound looked like a piece of the moon that had crashed into the copper flats of Sildre Val. Her opalescent salt-stone walls and smooth arches were in stark contrast to the red sands that swirled around her, more in tune with the pearl walls of the Citadel than her sister dwellings in the city dens. The thud-thud of ten thousand boots amplified like a growl in her belly. It was a sound Jobin now longed for as he stared out the window. The Citadel was much too sterile to be comforting. Despite the hanging banners and the myriad of well placed reflectors and glow stones that swelled the halls with light and warmth, there was something... too clean and too open, lending the feeling of being watched around every curve and corner.

"They're ready for you," a guard motioned for them to enter the door to the Senate chamber.

Rhand nodded and with one look, Islena, Pip and Jobin fell in line behind their alpha. They marched before the court, Rhand stepping forward to face the crowd. Well, half a crowd, considering how few Senators had bothered to show up for the late afternoon council session. A squirrely looking magistrate shuffled his parchment into order, preparing a blank sheet before looking to the Lord Speaker to begin. Rhand faced the Lord Speaker as well, the two facing off while uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

Jobin felt an itch in his left elbow. He tried to casually tense and relax his arm as Lord Speaker addressed them and Rhand gave his report. "We tracked him to the Red Desert, where the terrorist appeared to be intensifying his apret. Tracker Devlin arrived on scene first and charged him but..."

"But what Alpha?"

Jobin took a deep breath. Now in addition to the first itch there was one behind his right knee. His eyes - the only part of him allowed to move - shifted to Pip on his left. Pip didn't even appear to be breathing; his chest movement was so minimal. He stared almost unblinking at a spot on the wall directly across the room. Yet he seemed to detect Jobin and what could have been an eye roll creased the lines on his face.

"But they vanished, sir."

Silence. Only the faint rustle of clothes shifting as the Speaker leaned in closer over his podium. "Clarify."

Jobin couldn't hold it. He ground one leg against the other to ease the prickling feeling. Islena popped him in the side with a flick of her elbow. He stopped. Given the move-again-and-I'll-hurt-you look in her eyes, he decided against another attempt.

Rhand was a perfect statue, posture straight and stiff. "There was a blast of heat, a flash of light, and they were both gone."

"So the terrorist burned out then," corrected one Senator pompously. A few others snickered.

"No sir," Rhand held his temper in check, "there was no scorch mark on the ground, no body parts, not even a drop of blood."

"No blood? Preposterous! What was there then?" another Senator challenged.

"Alpha," the Speaker's voice quieted the others, "surely there was something left behind?"

"Nothing sir. Nothing but a small patch of glass."

"Well, glass is something, isn't it?" remarked one Senator Followed by several snickers.

"It's burned sand is what it is! There's your proof of burn out!" said another. They started bantering back and forth again. Jobin felt more prickles on his skin and tried not to give in to the urge to scratch. If this was how they dealt with a hunt and recapture mission he couldn't imagine how they managed the city-state infrastructure on a regular basis. _They should focus on how Levi escaped his cell in the first place!_

"Enough!" the Speaker boomed. He waited for the room to quiet again. "I find the Alpha's report troubling. I am aware of the process from sand to glass, however I am not convinced that the evidence described indicates an implosion, else we would have seen its like before. And the lack of body parts or even blood is troublesome. Very troublesome." He paused. One of the Citadel runners passed the Speaker a file, which he scanned through. Rhand's shoulders did not relax, however. After a moment Lord Speaker looked up again, "without a tracker you no longer have the numbers for a complete pack, is that correct?"

"Sir, we are all suitably trained for desert patrol," replied Rhand. "Officer Islena and I have completed the tracking course -"

"But the one you lost, Tracker Devil -"

"Devlin, sir."

"- Whatever. He was the only member of your pack with the keening gene. His loss means that you are down below minimum pack numbers. And as Alpha, you should have had control of the situation and not leave it up to one member to take down a terrorist such as Levi. Where was the coordination? The planning? The leadership?" His voice boomed over the court. He gave a quick nod to the magistrate who was scribbling notes like a madman trying to keep up. "It is therefore the decision of the Senate that the pack of Alpha Hardwick is hereby disbanded." He clapped the gavel on the podium. Several Senators banged their hands on the railings in support. "You will all be reassigned to other duties. Rhandal Hardwick, you will inform Beta-General Greave where this supposed 'burn out which is not a burn out' occurred and you will aid in the organization of regular patrols of the area. I want no less than two patrols every four hours scouting for signs of the terrorist and/or your lost tracker."

In the fallout, Jobin hadn't missed the fact that despite essentially calling Rhand an incompetent alpha, the Speaker still assigned him a major role, albeit a likely fruitless one.

The court was up in arms, voices chattering, drowning each other out all at once. One brave but nervous voice spoke out, "Lord Speaker, can the city afford that many patrols to come off the streets?"

The Speaker stood, pressing his arms and upper weight onto the podium and addressed the room. "The lead terrorist is missing, Senators, I will not accept his _momentary_ absence as anything more than that until I have solid proof of _something_! This city is far from safe, if anything we are even more so at the mercy of these vigilantes. Failures like this are the reason the public is losing faith in the Senate." The Speaker sighed. He closed his eyes for a second as the court settled once again. Then he addressed the pack, "You are not the first to fail, but it is time for change. Pack dismissed." He banged the gavel again and waved them out.

Rhand held his curses until they'd left the court hall. _Dismissed? They weren't the first to let a terrorist escape capture,_ it didn't seem fair, _as if losing James wasn't enough..._ The only good of the situation was that the Speaker was taking the matter seriously at least, unlike the rest of the Senate. Still... Jobin left the court with little sense of relief. Even now that he was free to scratch, it seemed each itch he relieved brought out two more elsewhere.

Pip moved off from the others as they left the steps of the Citadel.

"Where are you going?" asked Islena.

"For a pint. I've got to wash that blather out before I remember why I'm out of a job tomorrow." The old man hobbled off to the War Den, muttering under his breath. "Be damned if I'll work stuck behind walls! Joined the pack to be a wolf not a whelp."

Rhand set off city-side to his family, too stuffed with emotions to even bother with a goodbye. Islena huffed and marched towards the women's barracks. Jobin was left by himself in the courtyard.

"So that's it then?" he asked aloud. Only a frail wind replied. Jobin shook his head then made up his mind. He chased after Pip, better to not let the old man find the bottom of a bottle alone.

Chapter 4

Cait practically crawled into her apartment, praying the neighbours wouldn't complain about all the mud she'd tracked in. She didn't remember how she'd gotten here from the flower bed other than vaguely sliding through a lot of dirt and rocks and roots... under a fence maybe?

She flipped on the lights and nearly had a heart attack as Sophie jumped up from the couch.

"Jesus Christ!" Cait clutched her chest. Sophie rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Took you long enough. What the hell happened to you?" she looked Cait over from the top down and the bottom up, hands on her hips.

Cait groaned and mumbled something about the woods as she stripped off her sandals. She headed for the bathroom then stopped.

"What are you doing here?"

Sophie shrugged. "Your place was closer and I didn't want Lemon to know where I lived."

Cait raised an eyebrow. Even the effort to give a look was draining. Lemon was Sophie's code for a date gone sour.

Sophie just grinned. Cait didn't need to know any more. She continued to the bathroom, drew a long hot shower and closed her eyes while it washed over her. Her head was throbbing and dizzy. _Too much to drink, that's all_. Maybe it was good that Sophie was here. Cait towelled dry and crawled into bed. Her body was still tingling but exhausted. At least now she was clean too.

Morning came too soon. Why she had taken Sophie out on a Thursday night when she still had to work Friday? Ugh. It took a little prodding to get Sophie up off the couch, but after a quick primping in the bathroom she was all smiles and perky miss sunshine. Cait, on the other hand, needed tea - a lot of it - to reach a minimum mental alertness. It felt like she'd been slammed by a mac-truck.

"So last night..." Sophie started, leaning her hip against the counter with a grin. Cait willed the kettle to fill faster so she could pour it into her mug already. "That guy was freaking gorgeous, wasn't he? Did you get his number at least? What was his name? Jeremy, Jason...?"

_James_. "Seriously? After everything that happened last night you're concerned about me getting a guy's number?" She rummaged for some cookies in the cupboard and slid the plate to her sister hoping it would shut her up. Last night was still a bit of a blur and Cait wasn't ready to delve into that level of crazy at six a.m.

Sophie took the proffered cookies and popped a couple quickly in her mouth. Cait filled her mug and added extra sugar. "I bet he's killer in bed." Cait glared. Sophie giggled. "Oh come on, don't tell me you're not at all interested in Mr. strong, dark, and military. You're the one who told me you brought him home. Maybe if you just -"

"Don't even go there Sophie-Lynn!" Caitlin snapped. She took back the plate of cookies and put it away. Sophie followed her like a yapping terrier on her heels as Cait gathered her purse and keys for work.

"But Cait you have to move on sometime. There are so many other men out there! And yeah last night was pretty wild but it was fun! You need fun in your life Cait. Don't pretend to be better than that - you're human, you're alive, enjoy it! Aren't you even going to ask what happened to him after you left?"

"No. I don't want to know. I don't know what got into me yesterday but I want today to just be normal. I need normal!" The look in Cait's eyes was pleading. Sophie finally clammed up, but crossed her arms under her chest to make her silent point.

"Let's go." Cait held the door open and walked Sophie out. She was kind enough to drop Sophie off at work before heading across town to NRC.

Sophie's final words still echoed in her mind, "I know everyone handles things in their own time, but it's been two years Cait. Two years. You're still here."

***

By the time she found a parking space she was ten minutes late and dreading what Mr. Biggs would say, but by some grace he wasn't there. The cubicle farm was bustling though. The mail drop had come in and a stack of envelopes was piled high on her desk. Cait ducked into her cubicle, plunked down her purse, turned on her computer and closed her eyes while it booted up, savouring the brief return to normalcy.

"- don't know why they ever stored files with all those pipes overhead anyways. You'd think Health and Safety would have been aware. "

"It was Health and Safety who insisted on a sprinkler system in case of fire."

"Yeah, I guess, but it still shouldn't have been so close to the electrical. They had to know a burst pipe was bound to happen at some point. The building's what, eighty years old?"

"No, not that old. What I want to know is what the heck they were looking for. The files downstairs are all dormant or closed."

Of course they would be discussing _that_. Cait flexed her fingers, shook her hands and when that failed to ease the tingling, she rubbed her arms. She looked up as the log-in prompted for her password. Her desktop was a serene scene of a calm lake at sunset. The sky had been absolutely brilliant, different hues of pinks and orange hitting a few nimbus clouds, while the water was smooth as glass. It had been taken a few years ago from her father's cottage.

That was the pinnacle of her goals right there. Work, earn enough to be independent, find her soulmate, and then it was white picket fences, smoothies in the kitchen while twirling around each other like in the movie _Working Girl_ , then take the kids to the cottage in the summer. The cottage was key because it was the one staple from her own childhood - despite all the lost nights and weekends her parents had to work, despite the sibling rivalries between her sisters growing up, despite that it was small and crampt and not really a family cottage but more of a fishing shack \- summer trips to the cottage were sacred family-together time... until she'd gone to university, met David and forsaken the annual trip.

Caitlin opened her email and the NRC Records intranet site and started sorting mail into piles. She felt guilty for covering the photo but she didn't need that pain thrown on top of everything else.

An email popped up on screen.

U OK? I HEARD U GOT ZAP'D YESTERDAY. HOW WAS THE HOSPITAL? - Laura.

Laura sat two cubicles away. She was in her late 30s, tall but plump and knew everything about everyone via email. The only time Cait had seen Laura out of her chair during work hours was for bathroom breaks and lunch.

I'M FINE. Cait typed back then added, THANKS. She heard the notification ping as she hit send. She could also make out Laura's keyboard clicking a response.

Ping.

U MISSED A FUN AFTERNOON! THERE WUZ A SECURITY BREACH & THE WHOLE CAMPUS WAS ON LOCKDOWN. I HERD CSIS IS INVESTIGATING AND BIGGIE'S NOT IN YET BUT HIS CAR IS HERE - I BET HE'S IN A MTG WITH THEM NOW. MAKES SUM PPL WONDER IF U'RE ACCIDENT WAS 'N ACCIDENT?

Cait stared at the screen. Her gut clenched. He knew my name.

Mitch, a cubicle diagonal to Cait's, walked in after getting his morning coffee. "Hey, did you see the basement? Papers and boxes everywhere! The lights are all still flickering in the hall. I think one of the shelving units is completely twisted off the track in the vault. And there's glass everywhere. It's all cordoned off so no one gets hurt."

Someone already did.

Her fingers squeezed into fists. She closed the message, blocked out the ensuing hushed voices and went back to the regular mail - the kind people used to print their penmanship on paper and not lazy, cut-up txting. Granted, most of it nowadays was invoices, but at least it was a distraction from other things. This part of her job was simple: sort the incoming mail for her assigned departments, open them up and find the corresponding file number, and send them back to the mail room to be delivered to the addressee directly. After four years the task was repetitive and almost mindless - quick and easy.

Caitlin settled into her usual rhythm. The computer was being slow but she knew most of the file codes by heart and made short work of it.

_Ping._ Another email from Laura. Cait rolled her eyes and debated ignoring it.

TROUBLE COMING! She could see the forwarding message from the commissionaire below: CSIS IN THE BUILDING, LOOK ALERT.

"CSIS?" the voice came from another cubicle. Laura had apparently sent word out to the entire office.

"I guess they're the ones doing the investigation."

Cait's heart started to flutter so fast her ribs cramped. Was this about the vault or O'Connors? Did they know she was involved with both? They couldn't. At least not that fast. _Could they?_

Cait grabbed a stack of files from her desk. The active file shelves were kept at the back of the office, close to the second stairwell and the service elevator.

Her phone rang. Cait's jaw clenched. The phone rang again. She had to put the files down to answer it.

"Caitlin speaking," she tried to keep her voice from shaking. Her mouth was dry.

"Oh good, Caitlin, you're back." Stephen Biggs, head of the Records Department. Cait cringed. "I was just in a meeting with Lisa - from Health and Safety -" his inflexion made it sound like he was asking a question. "She'd like to talk to you about what happened. Make sure you're ok and all that. It's a quick assessment..." he went on but Cait knew what he was getting at; rather than asking that she was okay he was covering the company's ass so she couldn't sue them for work-related injuries. Steve, as he liked to be called, was a nice guy, but sometimes a little too corporate. "... so do you think you can drop by her office later?"

"Um, yeah. Sure, I guess."

"Great, thanks." The phone clicked.

_Ping!_ Cait ignored it and picked up the files again. She turned around. Two men in black tie suits with matching security badges clipped to their breast pockets barred her exit from the cubicle. A large lump formed in her throat.

"Caitlin Summers?" asked one of the officers. Cait nodded reluctantly. She felt flushed and sweaty again. Her hands tingled. All she could think of was glass shattering. _No, don't do that again._

"Could you come with us please?" the other officer asked. Caitlin didn't ask why. She picked up her purse. She knew. She knew they were going to ask her about one or both. There had been witnesses, she'd fled both scenes... could they arrest her for something like that? She shivered.

***

Cait was in trouble. She sat on the stiff back seat of a black sedan staring out the almost blacked out tinted windows. Instead of getting onto the main road, the car turned down one of the campus side streets, away from NRC and onto the adjacent CSIS campus. The government property covered a fair amount of land, most of which was green space, which Cait had always assumed was part of their environmentally friendly propaganda.

The dispatcher over the radio became static. The officers clicked it off. Cait swallowed nervously. She thought about what would happen if she could blow out the windows of the car, but she didn't know how to duplicate the force by will. She still wasn't even sure about what had happened exactly.

The car slowed and pulled up to a small grey brick building no larger than her single bedroom apartment. Other than a small manicured lawn, it was hidden by trees. It looked like one of those utility buildings where rider-mowers and hoses were kept. There were two other cars parked outside. The officers escorted Cait out of the vehicle to the building. She wasn't handcuffed but she couldn't run. Her legs felt numb and weak.

Inside was a single room with a large table and several chairs, most of which were already occupied by more men in suits. This was no garden storage shed. The walls were probably soundproof too. A cold shudder passed through her.

"Miss Summers, why don't you have a seat?" She doubted there was any other option at this point. Caitlin sat. The door closed. "We realize you've been through a lot -"

"Am I in trouble?" she blurted. A couple of the men chuckled. Two were already furiously taking notes.

"No, miss Summers. But we are hoping you might have some information to share." The man speaking was roughly her father's age but in slightly better physical condition. His hairline receding and gray but still thick. His goatee was lighter, almost white and slightly yellowed by smoker's tar. "You were present at the explosion at NRC, correct?" She nodded. More scribbling. "Can you tell me, in your own words, what you think happened?"

She looked around the room at the various faces. More scribbling. _What could they even be writing about? Did they know about O'Connors?_ "I - I was just putting away some files... There was a flash. Next thing I know I'm on the ground and... " Scribble. Scribble. Scribble. Pause.

"And -" the same man, the only one who had spoken so far, prompted her to continue.

"There was a man." Furious scribbling. The images surfaced from memory. "He was thin, 30's maybe? Red hair. He had really bright red hair. Tan skin." _And the creepiest smile._

"What was he doing? Did he take anything?"

She shook her head no. "I don't think so." _Should she tell them about James?_ They were all waiting on her. The voice in her head was holding its tongue. "He just ran away. That's all I remember." She clasped her hands in her lap. _Scribble. Scribble._ "I'm sorry."

Mr. Suit smiled. "That's quite alright, miss Summers. That was very helpful." _That's it? You had your goons pick me up and bring me here for that?!_

He nodded at one of the scribblers, who handed him the notes. He read them over, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Then he slid them back and clasped his hands on the table.

"So according to your statement, this red headed, thirty-something man ran out of the vault?"

Cait nodded.

"So he was in there before you entered?" Cait shook her head. "Miss Summers?"

"The vault was locked when I opened it, and the lights were off. I told you, I went in, I was putting away files, then there was a flash."

"Could he have been hiding prior to your entry?"

"No," she shook her head again, "the shelving units were closed against the far wall. They run together on a track and there's no space for anyone to hide between them. If he'd been there I would have seen him when I opened the door." For an instant his eyes narrowed on her.

"Miss Summers, do you know what an EMP is?"

She thought for a minute, "an Electro-Magnetic Pulse?" she ventured. She hadn't managed records for the national science and technology organization for the last few years without picking up a few things.

"An Electro-Magnetic Pulse," he repeated each syllable slowly. "Surveillance picked you up going into the vault but then a few moments later they blacked out. That's what we're trying to piece together now Miss Summers. There is no evidence of any activity around the vault, and certainly no one matching your astute description, in the 24 hours leading up to your entry. Nor was there any natural cause - earthquake or power failure - reported in the area. EMPs can be caused naturally by powerful sun bursts but not, generally speaking, two stories underground in a small secure location." All eyes were on her now, even the scribbling paused. "According to your file you've been an NRC employee in the records office for four years. Secret clearance. Filing for the VPs and President's office on occasion. I'm sure you've seen your share of classified information. A few sick days but no major mishaps. You're a third generation Canadian to a middle class family. Quite frankly, you don't exactly fit the profile of someone who has the skill set to develop or set off a man-made EMP."

"I didn't do anything. I thought you said I wasn't in trouble?" she looked from face to face, feeling a great urge to get up and walk out.

"You didn't. You're not," he said, raising a hand to placate her. "But the evidence seems to favour the idea that one was used. To me, that says someone was looking for something and then tried to cover it up. Due to the nature of where it took place and the documents stored there, our interest is in protecting the country. We already have a special team assigned to audit the files and search the premises. Right now the word going out is that a pipe burst over an electrical panel. Until this investigation can build a stronger case, that's the only story to leave this room."

That suited Cait just fine. A small weight lifted off her chest.

"Since we aren't exactly sure what we're dealing with here, however, it might not be a bad idea to take some time off - not leaving the country of course, but... it's just a suggestion," he shrugged, "In the meanwhile, if you can think of anything else..." one of the others handed her a business card. The only thing on it was a phone number. "Just give us a call."

She shoved it in her purse. They stood up. The mouth-piece offered Cait a hand shake. When she took it, he leaned in and took a deep breath near her hair. Cait immediately tried to pull away but his grip held firm.

"Honeysuckle coconut passion?"

Her palm suddenly burned with electric energy and they both release quickly. "I beg your pardon?"

One of his lackeys set a small bottle of shampoo on the table. Cait stared at the familiar blue container with pink, yellow and white label. For an instant she was about to demand how they had trespassed in her apartment but the man who had put it on the table spoke first.

"This was found at the scene. Serial number is about two years old but we were able to confirm a sales receipt with the shop owner."

Two years?

Suddenly the door was ripped from its hinges. Every officer drew their gun. Cait was pushed aside behind one of the officers. And then all hell broke loose. A cold force reached in the room. Cait felt it closing around her but she also felt a surge of heat from within. The table crashed down like someone had ripped the front legs out, those spun out and whacked two of the officers. Cait jumped back and unintentionally felt a pulse go out. The table fractured and everyone was shoved back against the walls, including Cait. She felt a cold hand clamp on her leg and dragged her to the door. She screamed. Shots rang out and whizzed over her head.

The cold feeling released. She rolled over as the agents ran out. A maniacal laugh was all Cait needed to get up and run. More shots followed. Cait didn't wait or turn around. She scrambled into the forest, praying her legs carried her far enough. She tripped on rocks and tree roots, bracing her arms against low branches that would scratch her face. The cool shade of the forest did little to ease the burning sensation though it did a job of blocking her from direct pursuit or attack. Her legs wobbled, knees buckled... Cait reached out for a tree but her hand flashed with electric heat and the trunk bent away and snapped like a twig. Her feet pressed off the ground in an awkward, unintentional leap. She fell onto mulch and mud, her ankle twisted with instant agony and for a moment the rest of her felt overwhelmed by static. She fought to draw breath. She was seeing stars and tingling energy sparked all over.

Branches snapped. Something was moving closer to her. Pain radiated, refused to let her up. She bit down on her lip and closed her eyes.

Her pursuer skidded to a stop beside her. A hand reached around her waist lifted her up. Cait cried out as she was forced to put pressure on her leg. Her whole body was swung up against a rock hard chest, breathing just as heavily as she was. The altitude change was dizzying. Then she felt wind on her exposed cheek and she knew he was carrying her away.

"That's two you owe me," said James. Cait's head slumped heavily against him.

Chapter 5

They sat at a table in the corner of the Clink, Jobin's fingers wrapped loosely around a tankard that was still two thirds full. Pip opened his mouth and sloshed back his fourth lagger. He let out a belch that on its own would give a red howler a run for the dunes, but in the throng of grizzled patrons was hardly an eye-batter. The air was much too warm, stagnant with bodies that had been in the same seats for hours, regardless of the time of day. Jobin had never been fond of the mess hall, but at least there was always a steady stream of folks coming and going. Even the Hind Quarter, the only other sanctioned tavern this side of the Dens, had a patio and windows, and smelled better.

"What thoughts are you drowning in now boy?" Pip raised a glassy-eyed brow. He leaned back so far in his chair Jobin thought he'd tip over, but he managed to just hover on the edge of two legs.

"Shouldn't we be out there? Doing something?"

"Pah!" Pip raised a hand ordering more ale. "What's the rush? I'm keeping the Clink in business."

_I can see that_ , Jobin held his tongue. He was still only on Probation Under Pack and it was only on Pip's word and seniority that he'd even been granted entry to the Clink.

Pip sighed. "Quit lookin' like a lost cause and drink your cup while you can. What's there for you to wallow about anyways? You're still just a PUP. You have time to explore other options. I'm the relic. I'm the one with the good old days behind me."

The server came over with a fresh pitcher and Pip exchanged it for a coin. He took a swig, made a face and washed down another mouthful. "Drink," he nodded at Jobin. "They'll put us out to pasture soon enough. It's always the tarded jobs they give to the ones they want to get rid of."

"Didn't you say last week that they send men out to the flats hoping they get lost and die?" Jobin finally lifted his mug to his lips. Truth was, he'd let it sit too long and beer was no good if it wasn't cold.

Pip huffed. "They do that too."

Jobin rolled his eyes. The crotchety old man was too many tankards in, he decided.

The door opened briefly, a quick waft of fresh air passing over them before Jobin could breathe it in. A minute later Islena had worked her way over to them and tossed two envelopes on the table. She settled one arm on Pip's shoulder, taking the tankard out of his hands with her other. Pip frowned as she sniffed the cup before taking a swig. She made a face and set it down at arm's length from the old man.

"Ugh. Vile," she winked at Jobin and gave Pip a sly smile. He rolled his eyes. "Your reassignments," she nodded vaguely at the letters on the table. "I figured you'd still be here getting tanked. They want me reporting in right away."

Pip ignored her and reached for his drink.

Jobin picked up the letter addressed to him. He looked from Islena to the old man nervously.

"It's not so bad. I'm back on flats patrol, actually," Islena added smugly. Jobin wasn't sure if that eased his mind or not. PUPs were below the base on the hierarchy of Den work. He forced a bit of semi-warm liquid courage down his throat and broke the seal.

His eyes scanned the letter. "Citadel security."

Pip burst out laughing. Islena moved off his shoulder and crossed her arms, shaking her head with a smirk.

"That'll teach you to stand still!"

Jobin groaned. Standing guard in a bland hallway for hours on end... simple but mindless work. He would be bored out of his skull. Day shift too, so he wouldn't even get to find out if it was true about Senators bribing guards to keep quiet on nightly _activities_.

"Alright old man," Islena shoved the other letter in Pip's gut. "Your turn or do I have to open it for you?"

"Nutmugger," he mumbled. Islena ruffled his graying hair until he'd ducked away. Grumbling again, Pip took the thing and slid his finger under the seal. It sliced across his knuckle.

"Son of a - !" Pip shoved the offending cut in his mouth.

"Is that how you sanitize a cut? How much have you had to drink?" Islena rolled her eyes. She took back the letter, opened it for him and looked it over. "City patrol. South division. Report to Alpha Mattson at oh-eight hundred hours... oh," her brow perked up and she looked amused. "Well... you're only nine hours late."

Pip jumped up, knocking his chair back, and grabbed the paper. "What?!"

Islena giggled. "Well maybe if you weren't so pickled you would have checked the box yourself."

He crumped the paper in his hand and stormed off.

"How could they do that? The letters only came out today - I checked my box this morning," said Jobin.

Islena picked up Pip's drink again. "They didn't. It's oh-eight hundred tomorrow. But if you hadn't let him get that sloshed he would have seen straight."

Jobin's mouth dropped. "You -?"

"If you're going to appoint yourself as Pip's watchdog you need to learn how to control the old hound." She lifted the mug to her lips. _She really is a nutmugger_ , thought Jobin, _just has to step in and take-_ "Oh, and you might want to go after him in case he falls and breaks a hip."

Jobin shot out of his seat, someone giving him a slight prush out the door and Islena's laughter joined by several others behind him.

Chapter 6

Cait groaned. She was lying under soft sheets in a bed... her bed, she realized as her eyes opened and adjusted to the light. Had it all been a dream? She moved and pain (though not quite as intense as before) shot up from her leg. She inhaled sharply. Her ankle throbbed.

James stood up from a chair - one of the kitchen chairs - that he'd positioned at the foot of the bed. "It's just twisted. I wasn't sure what to give you for the pain," he nodded at her side-table. The entire contents of her medicine cabinet, as well as a glass of water and her purse were piled haphazardly. Cait cringed as she forced herself up and took a couple of extra strength advil.

"There's a cold pack in the freezer," she barely said it when he was off for the kitchen. He came back a moment later with the frozen sack, pulled back the sheets to expose her leg and placed it with some care around her sock. A different flush of heat shot up her leg from his touch, settling deep in her core. She swallowed and inhaled deeply.

"How did you get me here?"

"I carried you to your car. Your keys were in your purse," he shrugged, "It took me a minute to figure out how to work it though. I don't think it likes me." Cait's gut twisted. He moved and sat on the bed, his weight tugging the sheets slightly against Cait's thighs. He had to be solid muscle under those clothes. "Good thing you didn't break anything though, because I don't think I could've taken you to a medic if it was serious."

"Why did you help me?"

"I have this personal thing about leaving people wounded and unconscious to fend for themselves against terrorists, especially when this one seems to be targeting you for some reason." He took a deep breath. "And because I think I need your help."

The last part was unexpected, hitting her lower in the stomach than she cared to admit. Now that she wasn't drunk or distracted, she could really see why Sophie had been harping her about getting his number. That face, those intense blue eyes... strong hands... _I've been single too long,_ the voice sounded like Sophie's and she chastised herself. _Focus_.

"I'm a tracker; I also have an innate ability to... stretch my senses - see and hear and smell what others can't. It's called keening. You absorbed the energy from the portal, I can see it manifesting in you."

She raised her eyes back to his, ready to listen this time. James took another breath and shifted. She saw something glint in the reflection of the closet mirror.

Her eyes narrowed as she followed the image with her fingers slowly reaching toward her throat. She felt the trail of a thin threaded silver chain wound completely around her neck. The piece was foreign. She turned it inch by inch searching for a clasp, but there wasn't so much as a kink. She felt a sudden inexplicable panic now, like he'd caged her somehow.

"What the hell is this?!" she yelled. She tried to yank it apart, stretch it, tear it... she even tried to summon some of that strange sizzling energy but it was like there was a lock on the lid where it was bottled up.

"It's for protection," replied James. Cait's hands were turning red from effort. "Stop that. Stop it! Cait!" He tried to grab her arms but she elbowed and smacked him away. Then she felt his energy slam down against her, pinning her to the bed. _So he can use his magic but I can't?_ She struggled for a few more seconds before the pressure on her leg almost made her cry. "Would you listen to me?" His anger should have scared her. A strange man, who had strange powers, was holding her hostage in her bedroom. And yet she was still fully clothed, he'd gone out of his way to bring her here, and... _for protection?_ His or hers? She stared up at him. Her own anger stirred just below the surface. She wasn't afraid of him, she wanted answers.

"This is silverline. It seals the manna within you. It's synthesized to imprint on the one who seals it, so that only the person who locks it can unlock it. This is what's keeping you from blasting out walls and bringing the building down so stop fighting it." They continued staring at each other in silence until he was sure she was listening and his own flash of anger had abated some.

"But you can still use yours on me?" her temper was cautiously checked.

"In short, yes. I can still project my energy on you - just not on the silverline itself." He waited to make sure she understood, then continued, "There are two kinds of people where I come from: those who can prush and those who can purl energy pulses, manna. In the old tongue: _apretar_ and _arrastrar_. One repels, one attracts. Levi, your red-headed friend, has been leading a terrorist movement against the very thought of silverline and undermining the authority of Sildre Val's Senate. He escaped a high security cell. I was in pursuit when he opened a portal to your world. I don't know how or why exactly, maybe it has something to do with the portal itself but now he's full of arrast and you've somehow gotten his apret. I think that's why he's targeting you."

"So... we're like energy magnets?" Cait tried to understand.

"It's a little more complicated than that," he confessed, but he didn't divulge any more.

"And you can see the energy in me?" she asked, trying to keep the flush on her cheeks to a minimum. _How closely has he been looking?_

"Not while you're wearing silverline, no. Apret gives off a certain light, arrast is more of a shadow. It's harder to detect, which is why I'm having a hard time finding Levi on my own."

"And you're planning on capturing him how?"

Silence. But the way he stared at her with a guilty expression had Cait's nerves on edge.

"I'm sorry that you're caught up in this but I do need your help. He's interested in you and if I can take advantage of that then..."

"You want to use me as bait." She crossed her arms. His eyes softened somewhat, exposing more of those azure irises.

"He will come for you regardless. It would benefit both of us if we worked together. I can protect you. I can teach you how to control yourself. Without that," he nodded at the chain.

The advil was finally taking effect. The pain in her ankle was subsiding. Cait took a long deep breath. There was honesty in his eyes. And hope. He wasn't holding her hostage; he was trying to give her clarity to think. The only thing distracting her now was the hint of a dimple over his left cheek. He touched her chin. She hadn't even realized until then that she had been biting her lip. _God_ , those eyes would be her undoing.

"If you want this off then you need to learn some basic training, but we can't do that here. It's too dangerous. We need to go somewhere outside, away from other people," said James.

Cait thought for a minute. "I think I know a safe place."

***

While Cait reached into her purse and got on her phone, James gave her some space. He knew the effect of his charm on women - he could see it plainly in the dilation of her pupils. It was part of basic training tactics that had served him well on many occasions - on and off duty. Why, then, did he feel so guilty about this time?

_Because she doesn't know what it really means? Doesn't know the danger she's in?_ Suggested the voice in his head.

But what other choice was there?

_Using her for bait is wrong. Rhand would never approve_ , the voice chastised. He hated to admit it was right because some days the thoughts in his head felt so crowded he ignored them completely, acting instead on impulse and instinct

And look where that got you.

"Shut up!" he curse quietly. James sighed and scratched at the growing stubble on his face. He dared a glance out the living room window. "Ottawa. Canada," he tested the names on his tongue. They sounded as foreign to him as Sildre Val probably did to her.

And yet you speak well enough the same language.

Cars and trucks passed along the street. Still, there was no sign of Levi. _He's shacked up somewhere._

_He's planning something or he would be here already. Unless one of the guns got him..._ but that was unlikely. James huffed again. It was a neat little weapon, the gun, but a man like Levi was too quick and could easily manipulate the trajectory. _Unless..._

"Okay," Cait interrupted and miraculously the ghosts haunting his conscience fled. He was impressed that she was back on her feet already, but then he also caught the wince as she walked stiffly into the kitchen and put the cold press back in the freezer. "It's settled. We just need to pack a few things, round up some groceries..." Her narrowed gaze swept over him and she sighed, "you'll need some clean clothes. Just a minute."

She hobbled back to the bedroom but after some ruffling around it was quiet. He cautiously approached the doorway. She was staring at a pile of men's clothes on the bed, standing very still.

The voice wondered why she had men's clothing at all - clearly the size was much too big to be hers. They both noted she appeared to be in pain, and not from her ankle. His own unspoken voice, from deep down, wanted to take that pain away, carry her off like he had in the forest and take care of her.

She turned suddenly, not expecting him to be right behind her already. She jumped. He smiled, unable to help himself at the sight of her reddening cheeks. She pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. "You can try these on, hopefully they fit so we don't have to add a shopping trip. It's going to take us long enough as is." She was about to leave the room, "oh, and I kind of had to agree to host supper for my folks on Sunday night. They're coming from out of town. I'll have to call Sophie too, since she can't keep her mouth shut and she's got the space for it, she can at least put them up for the night." She huffed again and left the room, getting on her phone again.

Well this is going to be interesting...

Chapter 7

Two hours later Cait had packed an overnight bag, a few groceries and other essentials, and they were in the car driving along the highway into cottage country.

Sometimes her mother was just too good at weeding her way into Cait's life at inappropriate times. It was like she was psychic, and even though Cait knew it was Sophie who had spilled the beans that Cait had "met someone", she knew the revelation hadn't come without her mother's inquiry and a good deal of guilt tripping. Where Sophie got the idea she and James were an item - after everything at O'Connors... She sighed heavily. There was no point dwelling on that line of thought now. The city was behind them. She needed to focus on what lay ahead. The last thing she wanted was to put them in danger and the cottage was the best place she could think of.

James had taken some of the clothes from the box. The shirts were tight but it made him look like a normal guy - ok, more 'sexy as sin' than "normal" - but he blended in much better than the copper and cream camouflage.

Cait turned on the radio, undecidedly flipping between different stations. James was fascinated.

"May I?" he adjusted the dials, picking up one station after another, listening for a few moments more or less before moving on, until he finally settled on something close to classic rock. After a couple of songs she turned down the volume.

"So these powers... everyone on your world has them?" she asked.

"More or less," James sat up a little straighter, "although it's been weaker each year and in some cities I've heard there are people born without any abilities at all. It's not always an easy thing to control and with more people like Levi, carelessly or even deliberately causing trouble, the Senate is pushing for silverline more than ever."

"You say that like it's a bad thing and yet that's what you're using on me," she quickly glanced his way before returning her focus to the road.

James sighed. "That's different. You haven't had the opportunity to learn. It's like..." he looked around, "it's like driving this car. You need to be taught, you need to be focused and aware of what's around you. It might be easier to have someone else drive for you but when the car is an extension of yourself why would you let someone else control it?

"Maybe that's not the best example... if you had a second set of hands - would you tie them behind your back or learn to use them?" He held his hand out to the dashboard, close but not touching, and turned the dial on the radio with a small apret pulse.

They fell back into their own thoughts serenaded by a sad song about only realizing things you missed after they were gone. Cait took a deep breath and focussed on the drive though her eyes were suddenly stinging. It felt like forever since she'd last been on this road... Yet passing trees, rocks, fields and hills were still the same as she remembered. The same barns were slowly falling into the various states of decay. The same farm houses still needed fresh coats of paint. Some of the grafitti on the rocks and signs had changed. That was all.

But it's not the same.

"Well you only need the light when it's burning low; Only miss the sun when it starts to snow; Only know you love her when you let her go; Only know you've been high when you're feeling low; Only hate the road when you're missing home; Only know you love her when you let her go; And you let her go. Whoa whoa. Ooooh..."

Cait leaned forward and shut the damn thing off before she started bawling. James raised an eyebrow at her but had the sense to keep his mouth shut. They stayed in silence for a while. James leaned back in his seat and stared at the countryside. The highway snaked around rocks, bridged over smaller lakes and rivers, and followed the ups and downs of hills and valleys.

"So where are we going?" he finally asked.

"My dad's old fishing cottage. He hasn't used it in a couple of years. I think he plans to sell it next spring. It needs work but it'll do for us for a couple of days, I think," she answered. James said nothing but folded his arms over his chest and went to sleep.

He awoke two hours later when they turned onto the old gravel logging road. He sat up, readjusting his seat, and seemed to be instantly alert and scanning his surroundings.

"Five more minutes," Cait informed him quietly. They turned down a dirt side road, barely large enough for one vehicle with a culvert on one side and a small hill of trees on the other. The cabin - a small L-shaped bungalow - was pressed up against a barrier of trees. "It doesn't look like much but it's got a roof, four walls, a wood stove, and a fridge. There's a septic tank for the sink and toilet too, it's pumped up lake water though, so I wouldn't drink it. There's a path in behind that leads down to the lake. Just a quiet spot for weekend fishing getaways."

It looked smaller than she remembered, but memories of her sisters all piling into the bed together, giggling and poking each other, surfaced with a comforting sense of familiarity.

Cait parked and James helped carry in the groceries. Cait threw her bag of clothes beside the bed, flicked on the generator then quickly unpacked the food into the fridge and cupboards. James stood, hands on hips taking it in from the middle of the room. "Cozy," he noted aloud. At the back of the L was a room just large enough to fit a queen bed and side table, the central room had space for a pullout couch facing the wood stove, and to the right was the kitchenette (just a few cupboards, an old gas stove, a fridge and counter). There was a small add-on outhouse-turned-toilet through the kitchenette. James dropped his meagre change of clothes on the pullout. He eyed the woodstove.

"There should be some woodpile cuttings by the side. Dad always leaves a few for lost camper and hunters as a courtesy." She stood behind him with her hands on her hips, unconsciously mimicking his earlier stance. _If he hasn't been up in two years though there probably isn't a lot._

"Where's the lake?" asked James, looking out one of the two windows.

"Follow me," she led him out the back door onto a small deck and down a series of uneven rock and wood steps, aided by a thick timbre-frame banister. At the base of the hill the trees opened onto a wide beach of sand and stones. The water ebbed and flowed in a low tide for now, the wind rippling waves further out. The Next nearest beach was miles away, separated by a snaking tree-line, which hid all but a few visible parts of peaked roofs of other cabins. Across the lake they faced a small uninhabited island. They would not be disturbed.

James breathed in the fresh country air. Cait did the same. She stared at the lake with a dozen memories flashing through her mind. James touched the silverline and with a soft chink it released and fell away. He tucked it in a pocket. Instantly, Cait's body zinged with energy. It was like a part of her had suddenly awakened and reached out to touch every particle of air, water, earth, and tree... a rush of adrenaline passed over her and she exhaled while shaking out her hands.

James' eyes widened in shock but it was too late to react. Pulses of apret prushed outward detonating a flurry of sand around her. She coughed, one arm covering her mouth, the other waving the particles away. James stepped in and caught her arm before she stirred up more trouble.

Cait almost pulled back but quickly realized why he'd stopped her. The dust settled. Their eyes were locked and Cait felt a different surge of heat. She swallowed. Sweet lord, she was lost in the bright blue sea of his eyes. _Oh, this can't be good. What the hell was I thinking taking him here... Alone?_

"Guess I should have expected that," he laughed. "Think of your power like an invisible hand," said James, still holding hers up. His voice was like velvet and she found herself staring at his lips now. "Think about what you can do with that hand. Think about how much it weighs, how the fingers move." His hand slid up her wrist into her palm, his fingers spreading against hers. Her insides twisted as her panties grew moist. If she didn't tear herself away from him now she would be lost.

As if reading her mind, James broke the spell first, pulling his hand away. He turned and bent down to pick up a small stone.

_Shit, is my mouth open?_ Mortified that she may have just literally drooled in front of him she gave herself a small mental slap. This was not the time to be distracted by lust. _Focus!_

"What you want to do is call up only as much energy as it takes to hold this, to manoeuvre it." He tossed it in the air a couple of times before handing it to Cait. She stared at it and frowned. "Ok, maybe not a hand. It's more than that, but the point is learning how much energy to gather and using only as much as needed. Think of the difference between blowing out a candle, a light breeze in your hair, and a strong storm gust. Each requires a different amount of force and covers a different sized area." He piled up several larger stones at the edge of the water. "Try to imagine how much pressure it would take to knock down this stack. Just to scatter them. Focus, take your time visualizing and then try." He stepped back this time. Cait stared at the pile. _More than blowing out a candle_ , she thought. A light breeze brushed her hair from her shoulders. The leaves shook gently as the wind whispered through them. Her skin prickled and flushed. She felt a rush of gathering energy flowing into her arm and without thinking too hard she flicked her hand, casting the energy out. There was almost a small explosion as the stones flew in all directions. Cait would have given a joyful shout if that had been the end of it, but the energy continued barrelling and skimming over the water until it was about half way across the lake. In a panic Cait drew her hand back but the connection still held, lifting lake water into a spinning vortex just off the coast of the island. She couldn't tell if she was unintentionally feeding it or if the water spout was just taking more and more from her, either way she couldn't turn it off.

Horrified, Cait watched the funnel grow until James threw silverline around her severing the connection. The water spout took a little more time to wear itself out before it collapsed. Cait was shaking but James held her, rubbing her arms and her back. She felt slightly light headed.

"Careful, the more you expend the more it takes a toll on you. You'll tire just like you would physically. But you can build up a higher tolerance the more you use it, like exercising a muscle. Do it often enough and after a while the same weight doesn't feel so heavy."

Cait grunted and focused on the rocks again. "I see why people wear it now," she said pointedly.

"I think you just have a flare for the dramatic," James laughed. Cait elbowed him.

"I think I get the gist of letting it out but how do I cap it? How do I cut the connection?"

"That's the thing," James let her go, taking the silverline off again. "You'll just have to keep trying until you can figure it out. The feeling is different for everyone."

On the second try she only flicked a finger and the top rock shot out into the lake with a quick 'plunk'. The next followed suit. The fourth skimmed the water. Cait was already hot and sweating. Another breeze brushed her skin. This time she kept her hand open but at her side. She sighed, just trying to imagine brushing it aside. It didn't move at all. Frustrated she made a fist and the stone exploded into dust.

James was ready with the silverline but didn't use it.

"You're thinking too hard."

"You told me to focus!" Cait protested, her energy lashing out. James stumbled back like he'd been knocked on the shoulder. He stared at her disbelieving and prushed her back with a firm poke.

"I'm a tracker not a teacher. Just think about what you want to do and go with your gut."

Cait prushed him back in the chest, deliberately forcing him to step back into the water, a triumphant smirk of satisfaction on her face.

"Care to rethink that lesson?" she asked cheekily.

The corner of James' mouth turned up, his smile reaching his eyes. "Oh no you don't!" He lunged forward, grabbing her around the middle and lifted her up over his shoulder. Cait squealed with laughter. James swung around preparing to toss her in the water but she caught his shirt. It lifted and caught him halfway up, drawing him in over top of her. Soaked and splashing, they rolled away laughing. James stood up first, his shirt ripped. As soon as Cait found her feet he prushed her back on her butt in the shallow water. The mock-indignant look of shock on her face made him laugh all the more. He waded over and extended his hand to help her up in a bid for truce.

"Come here," his expression couldn't have been more appealing but Cait wasn't ready to be bested yet. She accepted his help and at the same time sent out a dozen little well-placed playful pokes about his body that had him jumping back. Cait had the last laugh, dashing across the water back to the beach. She waited for James to make his way over but his confusion sobered her.

"What?"

"Apparently you handle yourself best under pressure," he noted. "If you'd done to me what you did to those rocks you could have broken my bones." He scratched the growing shadow of a beard under his chin. "But you didn't."

There was no anger in his voice but Cait felt a blush creep up her cheeks. _Shit._ "Sorry." She busied her hands wringing her clothes out as best she could.

"All right, let's try the stones again." Clothes dripping and clinging, James stacked new stones. Cait shivered as the breeze touched her soaked body. She focused on the stones, taking a deep breath and summoning energy when out of the corner of her eye she saw James strip off his tattered wet shirt. The sun illuminated his abdomen, casting shadows on what was already a well defined six pack and a sexy V that drew her eyes still lower. Her body flushed and trembled. Her heart was suddenly thumping. She raised her hand toward the stones. James tucked his thumbs into the belt loops of his pants. Cait covered her eyes with her other hand and turned away with a quick gasp.

The stones slipped and fell.

James laughed, his pants still on securely. "See? You're better under pressure." He stacked the stones again and stood behind her, hands on her hips. "Again," his lips brushed against her ear. Something inside of her quivered and melted. He trailed his lips down her neck to the point where it met her shoulder.

Cait swallowed. _Focus. Focus! It's a test._

Was he doing this just to distract her or was there something more behind his motives? Cait blinked hard.

Gentle as ever, James took her hand in his and raised it towards the stones. "One," he kissed the same spot, "at," another kiss higher up, "a time." Cait twitched when his stubble tickled her ear that time and a pulse shot out in a short wave all around them as she giggled. The rocks tumbled, branches and leaves shook as the energy moved outward before fading.

"That's cheating," James laughed with her, giving her a quick squeeze, then to get her to re-stack them again. She felt a distinct chill where his warmth had left her. Her wet clothes were starting to feel very heavy and her head swam as she leaned over, but she managed to set the stones. James watched her intently, "Maybe we should take a break."

Cait agreed and they went back up the stairs to the cabin. Cait couldn't tell if she was sweating but she definitely felt the heat coming off her skin mixing with the cool damp, clinging clothes. A few steps up and it was already colder under the shade of the trees. She tried to keep her hand on the banister. _Oh no. Don't faint. Don't pass out! You didn't even do that much..._ but she remembered the water spout and then everything was swirling and Cait reached out. A sudden chill overtook her and she vaguely remembered catching hold of something, but not with her hand.

"Cait!"

She felt something warm and heavy cocooned around her. She heard popping and crackling and then somewhere far away a rhythmic _thunk_. The two didn't match. Cait groaned as she opened her eyes. She was alone on the floor, a blanket wrapped around her and a fire going in the wood stove. She sat up and realized very quickly that she was only wearing a damp bra and panties. Clutching the blanket closely she followed the _thunk_ noises and found James outside still shirtless with only in his damp jeans on, splitting wood. He'd added a significant amount to the pile already. He turned to look at her, the muscles tensed and knotted in his back. His chest froze as if he were holding his breath.

"You've been busy," she smiled, trying to make light of things.

He couldn't seem to look her in the face. He ran a hand through his hair and shifted his grip on the axe handle."That shouldn't have happened." He turned back to the block on the stump and with one swing - _thunk_ \- it split in two. The pieces fell into the pile on the ground. James lifted the axe out of the stump with almost no effort and set up a new block.

A shiver raised goose bumps on Cait's arms. A moment ago she'd been bursting with heat, now she was freezing. James hefted the axe up but then thought better of it and set the tool down. He picked up an armload of firewood and walked back to the porch. To Cait.

" _What_ happened, exactly?" she asked slowly.

"Apret generates heat. The more you use it - depending on your tolerance level - the more you risk heat stroke, internal self-combustion or in extreme cases what we call burn out. People with apret generally run a couple degrees higher than normal. Arrast does the opposite. You'll run cooler, risk hypothermia, frostbite, or fading (where you pull so far within yourself that you literally fade away).

"No one can do both. You prush or you purl, but you..." he shook his head, "You went from one right to the other. We have to let your body balance it out. You should just rest." He seemed to be working out his thoughts aloud. Cait's teeth chattered but she accepted the explanation and hugged the blanket tighter. She followed his muddy footprints into the cottage.

"Is that why Levi is looking for me?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"So you've never -?"

"No," he said before she'd finished asking. He stoked the fire, adding more logs in the woodstove. His shoulders relaxed a little as he stood. "Believe me, it's not for lack of trying. I think everyone has tried to use both at one point or another, but it's in your blood. You can only be one or the other. The dualists died out long ago. You were overheating and then it's like your body overcompensated. You were about to pass out when you purled the railing. You went from one extreme to the other. I think it's best if your body learns to self-adjust... but I can use silverline if you want." His eyes met hers.

"No. No silverline," Cait said quickly, "I think you're right, I think I just need to let my body learn. I don't need a collar. No more silverline." She made a point of narrowing her eyes on the last sentence. James' lips quirked upward. Butterflies skittered inside of her.

Cait cleared her throat. "I'd uh... I should get some clothes on." Excusing herself, she made it to the bedroom only tripping once on the blanket, and leaned against the shut door. _Relax. Deep breaths, baby steps._

She was in enough trouble as it was - new powers, a terrorist on the loose who seemed to be stalking her... The last thing she needed was to get involved with a guy she barely knew, and from another world! Two years... was she really ready to move on?

Isn't that what you've been trying to do?

Cait sucked in her lip and bit down lightly. Was she so desperate for love?

Love? No, this is purely lust.

Was she that callous?

No! ... maybe? It has been two years...

Cait took a long, deep breath. She felt the energy stirring in her belly, her fingertips tingling. No. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She had more important things to do. Besides, there was no way a man as gorgeous as James could ever be interested in her like that. David had been an exception.

She wasn't ready to move that fast. Not yet. _Just let it be what it is. One day at a time._

"Cait?" James called from across the cabin, "I'm going to make something to eat ok?"

"Ok," she hollered back. That was something else she needed to do as well. Get dressed, eat, focus on handling the energy, she made a mental list. Having sex with a man she barely knew had no place on it.

The little voice - she wasn't even sure it was hers anymore - grumbled quietly in the background.

But Cait had made up her mind. She dumped the blanket and the wet undies and quickly threw on an old t-shirt and yoga pants. When she emerged, tying her hair back in a loose ponytail, the smell of something burning filled her nose. James was in the kitchen scrapping helplessly at two blackened clumps of meat on a skillet. He cursed. Cait moved in, taking the spatula and pan out onto the porch without a word. She pried the coals off and prushed them far out into the forest then brought the pan back in with a smile.

"So much for that," James muttered.

Cait patted his arm, "I'm sure something will eat it."

James huffed. _Body of an Adonis but can't cook to save his life._ Cait tried hard not to laugh. "Sit," she instructed as she started pulling ingredients together for supper. Now that the steaks were toast she went to plan B: ratatouille. The pot was soon boiling and bubbling, filling the cabin with a mouth-watering smell reminiscent of Cait's childhood. Both their stomachs were howling by the time it was ready.

Cait handed James a bowl. "I know it looks a little odd but -" James shovelled a spoonful in his mouth.

"Ermfergerd! Isgerd!" he said through a mouthful.

"- it's hot," Cait finished. She sat down, blowing on her spoon before her first bite. James was already half-way done. He consumed two more bowlfuls before Cait had finished her first. "That was fast," she noted.

James flushed, "in the Den it's first come, first served and you're competing with a couple hundred hungry mouths in the mess hall."

Cait just smiled and took the dishes to the sink.

"Where'd you learn to cook like that?" he asked, following her.

"My parents. Dad's a chef in a big restaurant, used to run a deli and bakery with my mom. My cooking doesn't hold a candle to their skills though. The only reason I learned was because they were usually working through dinner time."

Cait washed. James dried.

There was a natural ease to their rhythm. Working side by side like this was comfortable. Cait didn't want to assume anything and have her heart broken but there was a real and definite attraction to him. The more time she spent with him the harder she fell. What scared her was that's how it had started with David.

"You trying to wash it til it's see through?" James teased. She handed over the last plate and drained the sink.

"I think I'm just going to go to bed," she said, her mood sombre.

"Hey whoa, did I say something? Is it your parents?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine." She avoided eye contact while fresh tears surfaced. _Even two years later and it still hurts like the first day._ Well maybe not the _first_ day; she'd been a sobbing, bawling mess that day. Crying-wise this was a marked improvement. The pain was scarred in her memory though. She'd forgotten a lot of little things but the pain cut too deep to ever forget. Her chest hurt. Cait went into the bedroom, crawled into bed and pulled the sheets up over her head.

James watched, careful to give her space. The last dish dried and away, he shut off the cabin lights, and lay on the couch. Apparently mood swings in women were universal. _They're all bat-shit crazy,_ the companion voice agreed.

Was she disturbed because he'd shown concern she could prush and purl? Was she worried about him meeting her family the next night? Was it him? Was it something else? He knew she was interested in him: he'd caught her checking him out several times.

Forget it. You'll never figure it out.

But it bothered him. The instinct to shield her was strong. He hated to see a woman in distress, especially one so... intriguing. He couldn't quite figure her out. He could see there was a spark of humour and playfulness but just when she started to show it she clammed up. _Damaged goods_ , her sister had cautioned. That stirred up memories of Cait in that sexy black dress, Cait wet with lake water, Cait all but naked in his arms as he rushed to get her clothes off to stop the hypothermia and then wearing the blanket around her shoulders on the porch knowing what was hidden beneath... His interest in her was evident. Every time she walked in the room he became hard. He wanted to see that playful side come out. But you have to be careful, James. It would be hard enough to explain she couldn't stay. He had to bring her back to Sildre Val with Levi, for her own good, _to learn control for one thing, and to keep her from being a danger to others on Earth._

_She's the only one alive who can prush_ and _purl. A dualist._ Why did that bother him? It was something most people he knew only dreamed about, a chapter from Sildre Val's history that had long ago died or been bred out. With a bit of training she'd likely have more power than he did, but if anything that impressed him. He was used to having more power than most people but he wasn't jealous of others in that aspect. His parents had drilled in him early on that it wasn't how much power a man possessed but what he did - or didn't do - with it that mattered. But why her? Why here? Why now? And why hadn't he seen it before?

Because you're not as good a tracker as everyone thinks you are. Because you don't plan and you don't think far enough ahead, you just act on impulse. And because there hasn't been a dualist in two centuries, so why would you look for arrast when the apret was glowing in her?

He knew apret inside and out (well aside from portals apparently). What he knew of arrast was much more limited. There was so much to teach her... he was really going to have to think about this.

He groaned inwardly and let out a long breath. It was going to be a long night.

***

In the morning Cait produced a breakfast feast of sunny-side eggs, hash browns, maple sausages and toast. James devoured most of it. Cait felt sluggish, her muscles were kind of sore but it was a different feeling than what she was used to. A little tea went a long way. Before anything else, she started taking out ingredients for a marinade.

"Better to do the prep work now before I'm too tired to cook later," she told James. He watched her with avid fascination, his head cocked slightly. There was something soothing in watching her work, filling his lungs with the sweet and spicy smells, adding a dash of this and a pinch of that, some measured, some not. She poured in something red.

"Wine? You brought alcohol?" he asked nodding at the bottle.

She paused in her stirring to look at him. "Cooking wine, yes. Why?"

"Alcohol can sometimes bring out latent keening." In response to her askant expression he explained, "keening is the ability to extend your senses. That's what I do, as a tracker. I can zoom in on things from far away: sight, smell, sound. Part of that is also being able to detect apret or arrast. I can literally see the energy."

"So alcohol does the same thing?" _That explains the pulses I saw in the forest after O'Connors_.

"Sort of. It still affects your perception, coordination, and all that. So it wouldn't be as clear as someone like me would see it -"

"But like a residual light?"

"Exactly." Cait felt herself squirm under his gaze so she went back to stirring. Neither said anything else as she put down the bowl and started cutting up two chicken breasts. She tossed the pieces into the marinade, covered the bowl tightly and gave it a good shake before leaving it in the fridge. "You make it look so easy," he said.

Cait shrugged but inside she felt a flush of heat at the compliment.

James helped her with the dishes again. Then it was down to the beach. Cait stretched her arms high, arching her back, before bending in a slow, fluid movement to touch her toes. First one leg back, then the other, she fell into an old yoga routine. While she did that, James walked around picking up rocks and placing them in a large circle around her. When she was done she felt energized and invigorated, the sluggishness and soreness all gone.

"Ready?" she asked James.

For some reason he looked nervous. "Just don't hate me after this, ok? I'm not exactly the best teacher for this sort of thing."

She nodded.

He handed her a bucket that he'd brought from the cottage. It was large and green and smelled of fish - one of the pails her father usually kept minnows and small perch in for bait.

"I want you to purl the rocks into the bucket. You're going to get cold but we'll switch to prushing after. Just listen to your body and let me know if it's too much, preferably before you pass out."

She gave him a look for that comment.

He stepped back, expression blank as he folded his hands over his chest and waited. Caitlin took a deep breath and put the bucket down at her feet. She could feel the tingling heat but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to feel cold. _Focus_. It took several minutes of visualising before the first shiver bristled up her arm. Instead of building energy up inside of her and letting it out, she found she had to build the arrast outside of herself and then summon it in.

The rocks were all small enough to fit into the palm of her hand. Her first attempt brought a face full of sand and the rock hit her arm (which had risen to shield her head) and dropped at her feet, missing the bucket. Cait tried again with a lighter purl but caught her own foot and tripped.

She stood up, brushed herself off and refused to look at James who was trying hard not to laugh. It took a few more tries to finally get the rock straight into her hand. Cait was so excited she shouted and jumped. James smiled and nodded. She was still stirring up sand but it was less and less. It took about two hours to get them all in the bucket and by then she'd worked up a cold sweat. The sun was breaching over the trees onto the beach but Cait was shivering. She looked up at James, not sure what to expect. His expression was blank as he approached her.

James drew a small circle around her in the sand, picked up the bucket and stepped back to the edge of the beach.

"Deflect the rocks and don't step out of that circle," he said. She had about two seconds to prepare herself when he started hurling them at her. The first one hit her shoulder. The second one she dodged, one foot landing on the edge of the drawn line. She finally sent a prush out before he threw the third but James jumped out of the way faster than she would have thought possible. He threw another. This time Cait knocked it away into the trees. James began moving around the beach, throwing stones at her from different angles. He was throwing them faster and harder. The more he challenged her, the more she fell into a kind of instinctive rhythm. This lesson went by much faster than the first. When the bucket was empty she held up her hands but stopped herself from putting out any more energy.

James smiled. "Good. You really seem to do better under pressure."

Cait wiped off a line of sweat from her brow. "It does seem easier when I don't have to think about it too much."

"You have good instincts," said James. He clapped his hands, "ok, one more lesson before lunch: prushrunning."

"I beg your pardon?"

James grinned like an excited child on Christmas morning. "So far it's been you affecting other items but some things can be used as anchors to affect you. Prushrunning is running but you prush yourself off the ground to propel yourself further. Landing is actually the hard part because you have to brace a bit but when you do it often you kind of get used to it. Now because it's your first time I want you to just take a couple of small jumps towards the water."

Cait looked at him like he was crazy, envisioning herself shooting up over the trees and breaking her neck or her legs on the fall down. _No. Don't think about it. Just do it._

Swallowing her suddenly dry throat, Cait readied herself at the back of the beach. She slipped off her sneakers but kept her shorts and shirt on. She still had a couple of spare clothes if she did get wet but her goal, she decided, was not too.

James stood by watching.

1... 2... 3...

Cait pushed off her right foot and her legs bicycled as she face planted. She spit the sand out of her mouth, stood up and brushed off, growling under her breath. James was squinting painfully but said nothing. _God, this is so embarrassing._ She took a deep breath. Back in position she tried again. Her heart was hammering. Legs tingling.

She gave herself a short running start. Sand blasted out under her feet and then she flew forward at an acute angle, lost her balance and skidded across the sand to the edge of the tide. The next attempts were not much better. She knew she was thinking too hard, scaring herself with each new failure.

"So much for good instincts," she grumbled. She readied herself to go again but James put a hand on her shoulder. He had the nerve to smile at her. Her stomach growled as if in protest to his touch.

There was laughter in his eyes. "Let's take a break. You're doing fine. You can't expect to master everything in one day."

She knew he was right but she still didn't like to fail. It made her feel incompetent. Like she wasn't good enough. Like her father's quiet smile when she asked him to taste a new recipe and he would then suggest a list of changes to improve it. Or the guilt of being a top A student who suddenly came home with a C and her mother saying she'd do better next time.

Despite the grumbling in her stomach she'd lost her appetite.

But James wouldn't have it. "Come on. We're both going to need something in us for what I have planned for this afternoon. And now that I've had your cooking you can't possibly be mad enough to deprive me of a meal." He looked at her with irresistible puppy eyes.

Cait rolled her eyes but smiled. "Well if you put it that way..."

They went back to the cottage. She only put together a couple of cold-cut sandwiches and some home-made chips that she sliced, spiced and threw under the broiler for a few minutes, but James acted like it was a feast for kings. He wasn't putting her on, either. He genuinely enjoyed her cooking for what it was - no adding salt or pepper, or smothering things with ketchup or mustard. No complaints. Just a look of bliss, savouring and swallowing.

"You really should have a restaurant of your own," he told her after they were both finished.

"There's a big difference between cooking for two and cooking for twenty. A restaurant is a lot of work and the menu stays mostly the same. I prefer the intimacy and freedom of a small meal."

James cleared the table. This time he did the washing.

David never washed a dish in his life.

After lunch Cait followed him down the stairs to the beach once more. She didn't feel too tired or hot or cold. James was right; the more energy she used the more her body was able to acclimate to the effects. Using both apret and arrast, and taking a lunch break helped as well. She wasn't sure what he had planned but she felt ready.

James looked nervous. He scratched the stubble on his neck again then took a deep breath and that seemed to help settle whatever was on his mind.

"Okay. I know you haven't had a lot of time. But this is all we have right? We have to be back in town tomorrow?"

Cait nodded. She'd already explained to him the deal with her mother.

"Alright, I'm going to try something. You're not going to like it, but if we can do this without seriously hurting each other it might be worth it. Trust your instincts. I want you to use both apret and arrast. Oh, and one more thing: energy in motion stays in motion - you can't directly counter prush if someone is prushing you, but you can deflect their body and interrupt their focus or you can throw a different object at them. Got it?"

"No direct counter-prushing," she repeated.

"Good. We start now."

"What - ?" Cait hardly had time to react before he prushed her backward, pinning her against a tree. She yelled, fighting back with her hands against the invisible force, until he pinned those too. It was getting harder to breathe as the bark crushed into her back. Forgetting the rule he'd just told her, she tried to counter his force against itself. It was like kicking herself in the gut, doubling the pressure on her own body. That was enough to drive the lesson home. She directed her energy on hitting James. Somehow he was able to dodge the first two but the third knocked him down just briefly enough for her to drop to the ground. James was already moving, jumping and dodging every prush she threw at him, while throwing out his own against her. For two steps she actually chased him into the forest, not even realizing that she was prushrunning after him until the third jump when she catapulted into a tree. A small rock crashed against the trunk above her head. Followed by another.

"Stop!" She held up her hands, sending out a round pulse wave that knocked over a couple of lighter trees. James had disappeared. He couldn't have gone far. He wouldn't want them to get close to where they could be spotted by anyone. Sneaking carefully, Cait circled around to the beach. James pounced and in a second he had her on the sand, rolling and sending out panicked bursts of energy. "Get off!" She managed to land a good hard punch to his face. James shook his head but stayed on top of her. She tried to slap him but he pinned her hands above her head and stretched out over her, bearing his full weight down. The look in his eyes was cold and distant, an unseeing soldier. He was no longer a man playing games, he was a predator on the hunt. It was as if he'd become possessed. She could see only a tiny corner of sky behind his shoulder. Out of desperation, Cait reached out with her mind and purled. She was hoping to grab a big enough breeze to knock him off but instead she'd somehow manifested rain clouds and water was suddenly pouring on them. James blinked, his eyes softened and in then filled with a different, intense hunger. His fingers flexed and locked between hers, his lips were on her neck, her jaw, her ear... kissing, sucking and licking the rain water from her skin. Something crazy was going on inside of her and her body arched up to meet his. His left hand moved slowly down her arm and side, up under her shirt and bra, gently cupping and caressing her breast. Her whole body was sparking and she could have sworn there was actual steam coming off of them, they were that hot. And then,

"Focus, Cait." His voice was grated and hoarse in her ear.

"Oh!" She wanted to be furious but he was doing things... things that felt so good, that she'd been longing for for so long... His waist pressed down, grinding against her. Her hips rose in acquiescence.

"Focus!" His lips brushed hers, needing little encouragement to ease them apart then probe his tongue against hers. And then he pinched her nipple.

Cait finally woke up. She reached around and grabbed a fistful of his hair and prushed and purled to get enough leverage to roll them so that she was on top. Then she prushed him so hard she could see a look of shocked pain. She got up and ran back to the cabin, bursting into tears.

A few moments later James burst in after her, chest heaving and dripping all over the floor, eyes wild and yet the presence of him still set off fireworks in her belly.

"That the hell was that?!" She cried, hysteria leaking out.

"I'm sorry," he blurted with a small shake of his head, "I'm so sorry." He stood a few feet away from her, frozen at the sight of her. The smell of her damp hair invading his lungs with every breath, the taste of her on his tongue... in his keensight her entire body was glowing with steamlike haze, like some ethereal being... _if only she could see herself like this_ , "I shouldn't have... I just meant to distract you and you were..." The look on her face was undoing him, his head was swimming. He swallowed hard, scrambling for words. "I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry." He couldn't look away from her.

"You!" She stormed towards him, a finger raised but equally unable to complete a sentence. Her eyes flickered and dilated. She subconsciously moistened her bottom lip with her tongue. "You -" Cait purled him against her and kissed him with all the anger and lust and wont that had been building up in her since she'd met him. Her arms folded around him and his were all over her. Their clothes couldn't come off fast enough; torn and ripped they hit the ground in wet thumps. James nuzzled his way against her naked flesh, kissing the spot on her neck that made her melt. She gasped and moaned, hitching her thighs up around his hips. He helped lift her, encouraging her legs to wrap tightly around his waist, holding on as they made it to the bed and all Cait could think was how much she wanted him, wanted this.

He set her down on the mattress. His fingers travelled down, rubbing her sensitive nub and finding her already well prepared her for his entry. He pressed his mouth on the peak nipples of her breasts, one then the other, sucking, teasing, kissing. There was no long drawn out foreplay though. There was urgency in their need. Her hips rocked with his, nudging him to fulfill her desire.

His kisses and playful nips moved up her throat and jaw, stopping to make eye contact for just an instant before ravaging her mouth and claiming her. Cait arched and ached, pulling as much of him down on her as she could stand. Her hands dug into his shoulders. His thrusts were hard and fast and filling and she met him for every one. He grunted and moaned, and Cait started making sounds she'd never made before, mewling, gasping, crying out. The places he was reaching inside of her built up like an electric charge until she could no longer stand it, and she lost herself, trembling and pulsing with pleasure. She'd barely recovered her senses when he pulled out.

He grinned, short on breath but enthralled by the vision beneath him. "A gentlemen always puts ladies first," he mused.

Cait sat up, "is that so?" She reached up and ran her hands through his short hair, not quite long enough to grab hold of, and lay kisses all along his stubbled jaw. His chest rumbled. One hand travelled down and over his sculpted abs. She felt his erection still hard against her belly and gently But firmly rubbed her fingers along the length of him.

James' breath hitched then inhaled through his clenched teeth. Hands on her hips he turned her around and bent her belly down on the bed. This time he eased into her, savouring the sensation of every inch. He built up the pressure until she was making those sweet sounds again. His hands were on her hips, guiding her tempo against him. Cait dared to reach down between her own legs, feeling his slick silk member gliding in and out of her. James shuddered and groaned. She was starting to reach the tipping point again too when James leaned down just enough to reach under and pull her back upright against his chest. Her hands held his against her breasts. Panting and thrusting, his mouth came down and bit hard into the flesh between neck and shoulder. Cait felt an explosion of electric current through her and shuddered against him as his hot seed flooded inside of her.

Her heart was racing, she could still feel him twitching inside of her, but she would have given anything to stay in that moment forever. Sated. Floating. Breathing in time with his breathing, feeling his chest move in deep waves. His breath like a sigh on her neck.

He squeezed her breasts one more time. She smiled and parted her head to the side so he could nuzzle her with soft kisses before he reluctantly separated and collapsed onto the bed. Cait curled up next to him, enjoying his arm wrapped around her and the heat that came with it. She trembled with post-coital satisfaction and drifted into a heady sleep.

Chapter 8

After Islena's little prank yesterday, Jobin decided to follow the old man again this morning. He had a few hours yet to report to his own post. He stuck to the shadows this time though. The shiner on his eye had started to show this morning and he did not want a repeat of that mistake. Pip was old and a drunk but there was a reason Rhand had kept him on. A mean right hook being one of them.

The first couple of hours passed without incident, other than Pip clearly had a stagger in his walk from a hangover and now and then he siphoned a drink from a canteen in his pocket.

Jobin felt a weight in his stomach. Pip had been sober the whole nine months since Jobin had been a part of the pack. According to rumour, he'd been a force to reckon with in his younger days but then something happened - an injury or someone close to him had died... or some variation of the two - and he'd turned to the bottle. He was bumped from different packs until Rhand took him on, and some said that was because of James. James was usually the one to make sure Pip didn't go overboard and made it home okay. Now James was gone. Rhand and Islena were out on the flats, so the responsibility fell on him. Jobin sighed.

He didn't know Alpha Mattson. Rhand had always been tolerant and understanding, so long as the pack fulfilled their duties. A rough offensive muscle was perfect for dealing with criminals in the flats, but city patrols were a different breed. Mattson might want someone more reigned in, socially speaking - a diplomat.

When Pip was assigned to patrol alone, it didn't sit right. So Jobin stayed back, watching from a rooftop while Pip swaggered along slowly. He looked up at something, shielding his eyes from the bright morning sun. Jobin wasn't keen sensed. He squinted and strained to hear. A few more steps and Pip looked up again. This time Jobin heard him curse and a small figure peeked over another roof, joined by several more. They popped up and down. Pip was now yelling at them.

Jobin tried to sneak closer for a better view but couldn't risk being seen. He knew to let Pip deal with the issue on his own unless absolutely necessary. He just wished the old man had enough sense to throw up a flare for backup.

The people on the roof were shouting back now. Pip staggered. They were throwing rocks, Jobin realized. His hand automatically checked the clip on his belt for his own flare, but he resisted throwing one for now.

Pip prushed, whether in warning or off-aim from drinking, a large chunk of the building blasted chunks of brick and cement, scattering bodies on the roof but most of it cascading back down on Pip, leaving a massive gouge behind. Things escalated from there.

The rebels purled chunks out of other nearby buildings and prushed or threw them down at Pip who was already half buried in his own mess. It started to look like a mine field as each additional piece exploded on impact with the ground and sent up clouds of dust and debris on the already dusty street. The chunks were getting bigger too, and more citizens were coming out to find out what the hassle was.

Jobin had enough. He sent off the flare first then prushed down to Pip. The man reeked of ale and was covered in bloody cuts and bruises. Jobin immediately set up a small shield around them and started digging him out.

"Bloody terrorists!" Pip spat prushing the broken bits around him as another chunk came down and deflected off the shield. Jobin was sweating far too much at the effort to keep their limited protection in place while working to free his former pack mate. More projectiles pelted towards them, some of the rebels were even daring enough to come down to street level.

"We don't have time for this," Jobin grunted. He released the shield and focussed on getting Pip out. The pile finally shuddered and gave way. "Would you get out of here before they bring the whole building down on us?" Jobin shoved the old man to get him moving. He resisted for one more belligerent minute. They were both getting pelted now with direct apret pulses. But help must have arrived because the rebels scattered and Jobin caught a flash of pack colours chasing after them.

Pip was staggering badly now. Jobin wormed his way under the old man's arm and helped him get away. Around the corner of the next building the street opened to a fountain square and Pip shook free of his rescuer and backed himself right into it under the large statue of the SheWolf herself, clear water spilling out of her teats onto his head.

"You little bastards!" He flailed. Jobin was only grateful that the few citizens still around quickly dispersed into hiding. "You'd better run! And you," he waved a finger at Jobin, "you'd better git too! I didn't ask for your help, nutmugger."

"Oh, was I supposed to just let you get stoned to death? You're piss drunk. Nutmugger my ass! It's no wonder they were throwing things at you." Jobin's anger had gotten the best of him. Islena was right, he had a lot to learn about dealing with Pip and maybe that shouldn't be his job. "I miss James too - and Rhand and even Islena - but this is the lot we're given, so deal with it!"

Pip huffed, crossing his soggy arms over his wet chest as the formation rippled around his movements, the water turning muddy and somewhat red. "Bugger off!"

Jobin felt a jab of air move passed his ear. "You can't even prush straight!" He prushed Pip back, flat into the fountain. The old man sputtered and splashed, scrambling to his unsteady feet using the SheWolf to brace himself. Jobin refused to help him get back out to dry land, making a point by crossing his arms over his chest. Pip's face contorted with rage.

"PUP!"

"Drunk!"

"Whelp!"

"Dumbtard!"

Pip splashed water into Jobin's face. It absolutely soaked him and dribbled down his face. He raised an eyebrow. Pip's lips twitched, unable to hold back the chuckle which quickly escalated into a contagious guffaw. Jobin started to laugh too.

"Crazy bastard," Jobin wiped his face and held out his hand to finally help Pip out of the fountain.

"Well, now you'll have something to think about when you're staring at those white walls. Now shut up and take me to medical," Pip slapped a damp sleeve over Jobin's back and finally let the youth walk him back to the Den.

Chapter 9

James caressed the hair from her face, inhaling the scent of her and wanting more as soon as it left his lungs.

What are you doing, James?

His eyes strayed about the room: dark stained wood paneled walls, thin forest green curtains that let in a dim fraction of the full moonlight... Cait's skin looked like milk against the sheets. He slowly brought them up to cover her, his hand absently brushing against her shoulder. She turned, tucking into him like a child.

You're playing a dangerous game, Devlin. You don't deserve her.

James kissed her forehead, ignoring the ghost in his head as it manifested on the other side of her. He stared at Cait, watching the innocent expression on her sleeping face.

_It doesn't matter._ The ghost smiled. It reached out and touched Cait's shoulder. She shivered and recoiled. And in her exhale she whispered a name, "David."

James tensed.

She doesn't belong to you. You both took advantage of pent up energy, nothing more.

James shook his head, hating that some small part of himself thought the ghost might be right. But he'd been with women like that before.... Cait was different. She wasn't like that.

She's a weapon. She's going to hate you for taking her away from everything she knows, and everyone she loves.

She would have me.

The ghost shrugged. _I'm only stating the obvious. You can't forget your mission._

Cait sighed against James' chest. Her body was warm and soft. Her hair smelled sweet like honey-suckle and fresh like the forest, forever changing how he would remember burning campfires and cool rains. And there was still something else that was entirely hers alone. He closed his eyes for a moment. Inhaling. Imprinting the scent to memory.

She's an anomaly.

_She's special._ The ghost raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. "She was always special, wasn't she?" James looked at her.

Nothing. The ghost was gone.

A fraction of the puzzle clicked in place - he'd smelled her before passing through the portal. It couldn't have been a coincidence. Levi knew her name. He had targeted her from the beginning. "He knew all along," James whispered, hoping the jump in his heart rate wouldn't disturb her sleep.

Levi had to be working for someone else. Someone powerful enough to help him escape from the Citadel dungeon.

Cait's fingers twitched and she wimpered in her dream. James wrapped his arm protectively around her. Now there really was no way he could leave her behind. She was too much of a danger to herself and her world if she didn't get more training. Her potential already exceeded his own limits, and even if it wasn't Levi going after her, someone else would. He had to catch Levi and cross the portal with both of them.

She could be the key to restoring balance to Sildre Val, or perhaps she would also be the catalyst for a bigger change... on all Allea.

His stomach knotted. Therein was the crux of the other side of the coin. He didn't want to think of her as a means to an end. The idea of dualists returning to Allea had become so unreaslistic, it was more of a symbol for hope. The moment he brought her over and exposed what she was... they would want her, and want to use her - as a force against terrorists, a weapon against other towns or provinces, simply as a figurehead to gain political favor and public sway, hell, even to breed other dualists... He caressed her cheek.

She mumbled something soft but indecipherable. Her fingers stretched over his skin and she smiled in her sleep. He cringed with guilt and worry. All of that had been in the back of his mind from the moment he realized what she was, and yet he'd claimed her for his own despite it. He couldn't have made a bigger mess of things if he tried.

_Yeh don't stop te think. Yer a better man than that, James Devlin._ He could see his mother crossing her arms and giving him that pointed look. He conceded. Something had to change. If he was going to protect her from Levi and his own people, he'd need to stop playing around and start planning, prove that he could be a real alpha. He would let her see his world and let her decide for herself where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do. She was more to him than a one-woman army or an answer to disappearing manna. He laughed to himself at the trail his thoughts were leading; he could see Rhand and Pip raising their eyebrows at him. _No. She is more than hope. She is everything._

How could it be possible that he had fallen so hard so fast?

James sighed, pulling her body closer and resting his chin above her head, and gave in to sleep at last.

***

Cait awoke to a warm chest glued against her forehead. She pulled away, muscles all over protesting and a deep pain in her right shoulder. She groaned just as James started to move.

"Howler have mercy!" he quickly pressed his lips together, his eyes going wide. Cait looked around but saw nothing. "Cait, I'm so sorry!"

_About the sex? What the hell was he talking about?_ She tumbled out of bed and hurried into the bathroom where there was a large mirror. Her confusion turned to horror at the deep purple and blue mark on her shoulder with some distinct teeth marks.

"It's not so bad," he said coming up behind her, trying to hide a laugh.

"Not bad?! HOW AM I GOING TO HIDE THIS FROM MY MOTHER?!?!" She turned around and slammed her fist into his sculpted six pack. He took the hit with a mirthful grunt. Storming back to the bed she pulled clothes out of her bag, looking more and more distressed as reality sunk in. "Oh god! We didn't even use protection, I'm not on the pill, I barely even know you... I - What the hell is wrong with me? Oh!" She buried her face in her hands.

That reaction hurt more than her punch. James took a deep breath and walked up to her. "Cait."

She looked up at him, her cheeks flushing instantly. "Oh god, you're still naked." She hid her face again. He held back from pointing out that she had yet to put on clothes either.

"Cait, look at me. Cait," he took her hands down and lifted her chin up. "I would do it again a thousand times and not regret a single one." She swallowed with his hand still on her chin, looking up at him like a deer caught in a fire. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"But I didn't -" she bit down on her bottom lip, stopping herself. It was a lie and she knew it. She'd purled him onto her so she could kiss him.

"Didn't what? Didn't enjoy it? I know for a fact that you did. The moves that you made, the noises that came out of you... you're no innocent so don't play me for a fool. We're both consenting adults so what's the problem? The right shirt will cover that up. I'm only sorry that I hurt you." Where that came from he didn't know but he leaned down and kissed her full on the lips. He enjoyed seeing the breathless expression on her. "We could have another go at it right now if you want to," his voice had taken on a husky timbre and he playfully pressed up against her, letting her feel just how ready he was.

Her lips were parted and his imagination ran with all sorts of colorful ideas on what she could do with it. A pretty blush crept over her cheeks.

"Ok," the word came out as barely a whisper as her hands reached up, her lids half closing as she rose to kiss his neck.

Half a second later he had her butt up on the edge of the couch, legs securely around him. He didn't last long. Her little squeezes inside and out, her noises and her tongue had him aching for release.

When it was over they both fell onto the couch, replete and content.

"You Summers girls are all vixens aren't you?" he teased. Cait laughed. He left her with a quick peck on her forehead, grabbed some clothes of his own and left the cabin to put them on and go for a quick run.

Cait was left to catch her breath. "No regrets," she repeated. She stretched a hand across her belly, as if feeling the song inside of her. Then she got up and with a broadening grin went out to the balcony to practice some yoga before she put breakfast together.

"Bloody hell, Devlin..." he put a hand through his hair, "of all the dumbtarded, irresponsible..." But oh was his body singing with victory right now. "Boy are you in trouble!" He laughed to himself, shook his head, and quickened his pace. He needed to get his head back into teaching mode.

About an hour later his keen sense picked up a scent so tantalizing his mouth began to water. He prushran back to the cabin to find Cait had set out a plate of bacon and sausages drizzled in maple, with something she called French toast, orange slices, a stack of blueberry pancakes and two strawberry-banana smoothies.

"The day you stop cooking I think I will cry," he told her. Cait laughed. They ate. James was even sorely tempted to lick the plate but resisted thanks to his mother's lessons on proprietary when a lady was present. He sighed when Cait cleared the table.

"I think I felt the same way when I first had bacon," she reminisced. "Growing up Jewish it's against the religion to eat pork so my parents wouldn't have any in the house. The restaurant was a different story though. Hypocrites," she rolled her eyes. "My dad used to make this candied bacon for a breakfast special... oh my god! I know a few people who would say it's a sin not to eat bacon."

"There's just nothing like this in Sildre Val. The meats, the spices... some of them we have but it's also the way you prepare them..." He leaned back in the chair and crossed his hands behind his head.

"What's it like?" asked Cait, leaving the dishes to soak for a minute while she sat in the chair beside him. "Where you come from?"

"Very different," James smirked, "It's a big city - though not as big as yours I think - more compact, but stretched between the high cliffs of Remus on one side, and the Red Dessert on the other. The water is underground but it surfaces through North Den, the most fertile lands. There are a few goat herds and farms. No pigs for bacon though. The Citadel is closer to the end of the South Den, built into the cliffs and then further south-east is the War Den where I live. The mornings can be insufferably hot, the nights freezing cold. It depends on the time of year. This place is an emerald city compared to where I come from."

"I'm sure," Cait tried to envision his description.

"There is a beauty to the land though. The shimmering copper flats and the endless red dunes of the desert... in other parts of my world it's known as the Ruby realm. Remus was the first to claim the land. They say he fell from the sky after battling his twin brother. I don't remember the whole story. They were raised by a SheWolf or some say it was a howler. He wandered the desert, uniting the tribesmen until he found the cliffs. He carved out a cave where he found water and jewels to trade for food and supplies. So he stayed. Remus was the first dualist."

"Funny," said Cait, "it almost sounds like a myth I heard once in high school." She looked at the clock on the kitchen stove. "Hmm. We'd better start tidying this place up so we can get going. I want to have enough time to clean up the apartment too before my parents come over."

Chapter 10

After leaving Pip with medical Jobin ran to make shift change on time.

"'Bout time," huffed the guard he was due to replace.

"Sorry, got caught up in a small riot in East den," Jobin apologized as they traded places.

"It's always one thing or another," the guard dismissed with an eye roll. "Well, at least you won't have to worry about that nonsense 'round here. First time, right?"

Jobin nodded.

"Just keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. You can take a break when they're done," he nodded at the closed doors, "should only be another four hours or so." He winked, tipped his head and left.

Jobin had to remind himself he'd just been to the bathroom and the sudden urge to go again was a trick of the mind. He stared at the polished, bleached walls, trying to find patterns in the shadows.

Half an hour later his back was already sore from standing. He shifted his weight carefully, slowly adjusting his shoulders and stretching his back. Things were definitely starting to ache.

"Unh uh," a voice chided him. A woman in typical sky blue servant pinafore smiled at him, approaching from the left corridor. "You're new, aren't you?" she said quietly. No one else was around but Jobin still knew better than to break protocol, besides, everyone in this place was on some Senator's payroll - some on more than one. The woman looked friendly enough but better to play it safe. She smiled at him.

"I'll tell you a secret - none of the guards stay still the whole shift, except for the really old ones but they usually fall asleep with their eyes open. Mmm," she put a cool hand on his cheek, "you're a PUP aren't you? Still on probation." Jobin swallowed. Her smile reached to the creases in her navy lined eyes. "You're cute. My name's Miera. Don't worry," she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "I've got something to keep you entertained for an hour." She winked and then slid open the door, disappeared inside and the door slid back, stopping short of closing all the way. Voices leaked from the council chamber.

Jobin waited for Miera to come out, when she didn't, he moved just enough to check the halls. No one.

He snuck a few deep stretches before taking up position again.

"- come so far since the days of kings. This is not up for debate. I am not convinced that Levi is gone for good and just because he is not here to incite fear does not mean the unrest among the people is gone. We need 100% compliance with the silverline campaign." The Speaker's voice was easily recognizable. It carried through the halls of the Citadel with resonance, as though his were the only voice that mattered enough to be heard.

"People need to trust that they can do their jobs."

"What jobs do children have? What need does a youth have unless he is a PUP or an apprentice? We've all done it - experimented, tested our limits, stirred up trouble... all I'm suggesting is that the schools provide training and assessments in a more controlled environment. As with adults, let the course instructors - not the parents or the youth - be the ones to enforce silverline. It would solve the problem of youth packs causing criminal activity and improve attendance in schools, which means better education all around. They should be tested like everyone else. Something needs to be done about these roving bands of youths stirring up trouble. Parents are too easily manipulated and clearly the youths themselves are not ready for the responsibility. We are not tribesmen or the desert wanderers of Remus. There is no milk of the SheWolf and only so much manna to go around. Apret and arrast should only be allowed to go to those who need it. That means limiting those who don't. We have few enough resources as is.

"There are other means of doing things. It is time we industrialize and promote education and inventorship."

He shouldn't be hearing this, but then it wasn't anything new. The younger generations were being born with fewer abilities every year. Breeding programs had done little so far other than keep the keening gene existent but even that was rare. It was only when the secret of silverline was explored and with the current Speaker's campaign for regulated wear that things had really shown improvement.

It was also directly in response to the campaign that the rebels had banded together as terrorists. They argued that it was not up to the Senate to decide or deny who could have manna, that it was a birthright not a privilege. But the Senate argued it was better to preserve manna than let it disseminate completely. The fewer who were free to absorb it, the more they could absorb.

It was much better than the forced killings of his great grandfather's Senate, the 'slaughter-house ruling'.

"Can we have a motion to carry the dissolving of youth bands with state collaring?"

A cacophony of voices erupted until a gavel struck the podium.

"The Speaker proposes that Senator Kelsier look into the particulars of setting an age minimum since it is his ward which seems to have the highest number of incidence reports."

Several murmurs of agreement followed.

"Motion carried. Magistrate, please add a follow-up to the agenda next week, I'm tired of hearing about this already."

Jobin stretched again, this time daring to lift his arms up and out, and cracked his neck with little twists.

The Senate went on to deliberate other matters of state - the rate of silverline production, the mines (and how the crackdown on terrorists and rebel-supporters were populating it)...

Jobin's thoughts went on to other things. The Speaker had done and was doing a lot of work to reverse the damage of the Mad King's war, when dualists disappeared.

In a way it was sad that people had to be collared with silverline, but better than "enforced population reduction". Snippets of the infamous decree were still remembered and repeated,

" _It was a blessing that the wolf found and fed the boys, and when Romulus struck Remus, lo was he cast out and made to cross the vast desert. Death led Remus to life. As it was, so shall it be."_

Of course Jobin only had the liberty to think that way now that he was a PUP. Until he'd been accepted to the War Den he'd worn a collar like his parents and friends.

You only miss freedom when it's gone.

The hour passed quickly. Miera slipped back out of the chamber, a handful of papers stacked carefully under one arm. She winked at him before shutting the door completely.

"See ya round PUP."

He stared at the sway of her hips as she walked away. Jobin shifted, a growing discomfort in his pants. _Shit_. It was going to be a long three hours until break.

Chapter 11

When they got home Cait immediately started to tidy up. It wasn't the dirt per se \- her mother was not nearly the neat freak that David had been - but she wore an almost permanent look of disappointment, always expecting things to be a step better.. Cait had a government job but it wasn't management. She had her own apartment but she was renting. It was clean but it was never quite clean enough. Caitlin (and her sisters) knew that their mother only wanted the best for all of them. She was proud of them all, and told them so, and yet... Cait always found herself apologizing for the mess or for not calling enough, or whatever other shortcoming. Her mother would smile and say, "it's fine dear." But it wasn't. At least not to Cait.

_Or maybe you're just projecting your own disappointment at yourself through her_ , whispered a voice.

"Do you mind if I take a shower?" asked James. The image of him naked suddenly sprang vividly to mind. Cait flushed.

"No, please. I mean... No. not that you smell or anything... I uh... Yeah, just go ahead," Cait stammered. James looked amused as he left.

In the forty minutes he was gone, Cait had sprinted around the apartment like a mad woman, dusting, cleaning, scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming and chucking little things that were dirty or out of order into cupboards and closets. James stood in the hall holding half a towel around his waist. Cait was leaning over the dining table wiping it down, her cleavage on full display. He gave an impressed whistle. Cait couldn't help but stare with her mouth hanging just the smallest bit open before she snapped to.

"Don't just stand there!" She shooed him into the bedroom, "Get some clothes on! My mom will be here in... thirty minutes!" She ran to throw the garbage in the building's bin. When she got back she raced into the shower herself. The steam still smelled outdoorsy with a hint of something that was all James. She could not get the picture of him naked out of her mind. A warm need called to her. "Mother's coming," she forced the intimate urges aside, turning the water to cool. Five minutes later and she was out, toweling off and dashing across her room to find something suitable to wear. She was in such a rush she didn't even notice James was still in the room while she got dressed.

"You look nice," his voice made her jump.

"What are you -?" He reached out to her, pulling her in close and leaning down bringing his lips to hers. Cait's head spun, her heart pounding.

The intercom buzzed. Ten minutes early. She should have known. She prushed out of his arms without even realizing what she'd done.

"Ok, my mom has a way of getting into people's heads so just... try not to let her get to you. Ok?" She smoothed out her shirt, and walked briskly to the front door. James nodded but had no idea what she was talking about. She pressed a button on the wall and a minute later there was a knock at the door.

"Caitie!" A medium sized woman with graying curly hair bustled into the room giving her daughter a warm embrace.

"Hi mom," Cait's tone was a pitch higher. Sophie followed their mother, carrying several shopping bags and groceries. James grabbed a couple and helped set them on the kitchen table. "What's all that?"

"Oh we just did a little shopping earlier. I didn't want to leave it in the car in case anything happened. You know how people are these days. Besides, there are a couple of things I wanted to show you. I thought they might look nice on you. But look at you! Are you eating? I don't know if they're going to fit. You'll have to try them on. Otherwise I'll have to bring them back. Shoot, I hope she put the receipts in the bag. I tried a couple for myself but I'm too big - that's what I get for having three daughters - and your sister is even smaller than you are. Oy. But who's this? Caitlin aren't you going to introduce us? Sophie, did you know about this? I'm only you're mother, why am I the last to know? Caitlin, honey, you don't call me enough."

Now it was James' turn to recover from an open mouthed stare. Sophie tried not to giggle. Cait smiled respectfully. He hadn't even had time to register the third figure in the back - Cait's father - who cleared his throat so the girls would move to grant him entry.

"Mom, this is James. James, my parents."

Mrs. Summers turned her back. "Your father wants to know if he can watch the hockey game."

"Yeah sure," Cait motioned them in, taking the coats as they were dumped on her. Her father went immediately to the couch. "How was the drive?" Cait asked her mom.

"I can't complain. Traffic was normal and your father drove so we had a nice tour of the airport three times before he found the right exit."

"That was three years ago Ayaela, it's enough already!" hollered Mr. Summers from the couch.

"You don't live in Ottawa?" asked James.

"Oh no, I live in London with the rest of the family. Caitie came up here because of her scholarship for university - she's such a smart girl. Do you know that when she was four years old she was reading books on her own to her sisters? Four! Goodness that girl loved to read, couldn't get enough of words!"

Cait could think of a few choice words she'd love to express right now, but held her tongue.

"Really? What else did _Cay-tee_ like to do as a child?" pressed James with a sneaky smile.

"We brought wine," Sophie piped up, holding up a bottle of sweet ice wine. James saw a slight twitch in Cait's hand. He still kept the silverline in his pocket just in case.

"Wonderful, why don't you get some glasses out dear? I'm sure we could all use a glass right now." Sophie skipped off to the kitchen. James couldn't quite tell if there was an underlying tone but while she put on a happy face he somehow got the impression that she was insulting him or Caitlin - that his presence was an unwelcome shock.

"Mom," Cait said with some urgency, "could you join me for a second please?" Her mother smiled. James nodded curtly back. He didn't have to keen his hearing to hear their conversation. "The last thing I need is for my mother to be telling stories of me sitting naked in the backyard kiddie pool!"

"You know Caitie, it's been two years now, it's okay to move on. I support you in whatever you choose." She gave Cait a small hug around the shoulders. Cait cringed in pain.

"He's just a friend mom."

"Are you sure?"

Cait nodded. Her mother sighed. "Are you ever going to make me a Bubby?"

"Mom!" Cait and Sophie both exclaimed at the same time.

"Ayaela, leave the girl alone," said Mr. Summers from the couch. Sophie fetched their mother from the kitchen, arm in arm, bringing her out to the table where James was standing.

"James would you be a doll and open that bottle for me?" Sophie asked. It took him a second to realize it was a twist off. Sophie put out the glasses and he filled all four. Sophie started on hers right away but his suspicions deepened when Mrs. Summers only had the tiniest sip before she put her flute back down.

Cait busied herself - chopping, mixing and cooking up a storm. Sophie took her glass to the couch, sitting on the arm rest beside her father, who was commenting on the plays and cursing the refs.

"Oh shoot, I think I forgot something in the car. James would you mind helping me?" asked Mrs. Summers.

"Why don't you ask Sophie to get it?" suggested Mr. Summers from the couch. How he could watch the game and still keep track of the other conversations was uncanny. Sophie sipped her wine, feigning or genuinely not listening.

Mrs. Summers smiled, "it's fine, you enjoy yourselves. Come along James, it won't take a minute."

Sophie rolled her eyes but smiled. "Sure mom."

Mrs. Summers took James' hand and led him out of the apartment. They walked outside and across the parking lot to the car. She unlocked the doors. "Sit down dear." It sounded like a polite request but James knew a command when he heard it. He expected her to lock the doors, but she didn't. She took a deep breath. "You seem like a nice boy."

Boy?

"I can see that you like my daughter, and she likes you, but I know this little relationship you have is just in its infancy. I can only guess at your intentions, and maybe that's none of my business, but I know my Caitlin is not the kind of girl who lets a man into her life just to sucker her into bed. So either you want a real relationship with her, or you are setting her up for a hard fall. I'm hoping it's the former because you seem to have good manners and respect for your elders. Cait looks healthy and, more importantly, happy. I'd like to see her stay that way. How much has she told you about her past?"

James didn't like the underhanded digs, but he could understand a parent being concerned for her daughter. And part of him kind of admired her method of interrogation.

"I know you and your husband worked hard, and as a result she was left to cook and care for herself and her sisters, she's guarded, doesn't have many friends because she works too hard, she tends to over think and worries too much instead of enjoying life. But when she puts her mind to something she puts all of herself into it."

Mrs. Summers digested all that without pause, "then she hasn't told you."

"Told me what?"

"About David." His stomach tightened. Mrs. Summers looked down at her hands on her lap. "He was older, like you. And like you, he seemed to just appear one night. Like a stray puppy she'd brought home. We were so happy for her. Sophie," she waved her hand dismissively, "Sophie brings boys home all the time but Cait... we knew it was serious. You're right," she looked up at him, "Cait's too smart and works too hard, so to bring home a man was something special." Her expression was pained. Her fingers fiddled around, pressing on each other and turning the tips red.

James tried hard to remember to breathe but kept finding he was holding his breath.

"He treated her well. At least I assume so. We didn't see much of her while they were dating. I guess between school and work and a new relationship... there wasn't much time."

And...

Mrs. Summers cleared her throat. "They were engaged." She set her hands in her lap again, smoothing out her skirt. James wanted to be sick. "Everything was planned, the venue was booked, the dress bought... David helped her plan the whole thing. I offered as well but they seemed to have everything covered." Did he detect a hint of longing? Probably, given her apparent need to meddle.

"So what happened?" he asked, prompting her to continue.

"He was killed in an explosion."

His body pulled back. "What?"

"It was about a month before the wedding. According to Caitie he was out on some errands and then..." She waved her hands around and shrugged. He noticed a slight quiver in her bottom lip before she bit down on it.

"He just blew up?" James said doubtfully, one eyebrow raised. Mrs. Summers shot him a hard glare.

"He was in a warehouse and they said it must have been a gas leak or something because the whole place just about disintegrated. No one knows why he was there or who he was with. His car was parked outside and there was surveillance video of him going in and then..." She raised her hands again. James' eyebrow remained raised. He shifted his weight.

"And there was no one else around?"

She shook her head. "I know what you're thinking, but he wasn't into drugs. You could tell he wasn't into that, and this is Cait we're talking about. She doesn't even like soft drinks and she once wrote a paper for school on the impacts of smoking cigarettes. This was something else." She stared at him for a long unwavering minute. "I think he was waiting to meet someone else. Or maybe he was going to break it off - who knows."

So either this dumbass David was screwing around on her, or... what?

James clenched his hands into fists. "What does Cait believe?"

"She's too naive to think he was cheating. She only wants to see the best in people so she overlooks their faults even when they are glaringly obvious." James wasn't sure how to interpret the look accompanying Mrs. Summers's last sentence but he felt insulted on both his and Cait's behalf. Mrs. Summers sighed. "David was controlling. Sometimes she would get on the phone with me and the tone in her voice was... almost pleading for help. And then I could hear him in the background always with some excuse for her to get off the phone." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "He didn't beat her, but... he kept her from us. I just thought I'd raised her better than that."

James softened. He couldn't fault her for being an overprotective, caring parent. "When David died, it was like he had done no wrong. I just wanted my happy-go-lucky daughter back but it's never been quite the same. I suppose it never will be." She took a deep breath and looked up, eyes puffy and red. "And now we have you." They both exhaled at the same time.

His gut twisted again but for a different reason this time. He was going to take her daughter away again too. For a valid reason but still... Mrs. Summers was never going to have her daughter back and suddenly he knew she was holding him accountable for that even though it hadn't happened yet. _She knows you slept with her daughter and - oh god if she sees that bruise!_ If this is the opinion she had of David what would she think of him? He squirmed on the inside. He knew she was waiting for him to say something, but what could he say? She had that mothering look - the one that saw right through a child's lie and told them she knew exactly who had eaten the last cookie and it was futile to deny it any longer. That look that said, "you are guilty, confess!"

Then it all spilled out of him. "Your daughter is in trouble. Something happened and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's a man after her and I'm trying to do my best to protect her and apprehend him. But I might have to take her away for a while."

Mrs. Summers became deathly pale. James instantly regretted himself, especially after Cait had tried to warn him of her mother's mind games.

"That's why you were at the cabin!" She slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes scanned him up and down. "Are you a cop or -"

"Military."

She muffled a sound into her palm.

"Please, Mrs. Summers," James pleaded, "I- I really do want to help your daughter. I don't mean to -"

She shook her head, put both her hands on his and gave him a forced smile, tears brimming in her eyes. "You really care about her," she said. "I can see that in you. I can read people very well... most of the time."

He wanted to tell her that Cait had to live her own life, make her own mistakes and learn her own lessons, but his tongue was glued to the inside of his mouth.

"Take care of my baby. And just... let her come home when she can." Her pleading watery eyes undid him.

Soul crusher. Kin-destroyer. Family-breaker. Liar.

James nodded.

Mrs. Summers pulled a tissue from the centre console to wipe her eyes. He waited for her to open her door first. "Come. Before they start to worry I've locked you in my trunk or something."

He followed her anxiously back into the apartment.

"Where's your purse?" asked Sophie with a know-it-all grin, a fresh glass of wine in hand.

Mrs. Summers scoffed innocently. "Here it is, on the table. I must be losing my mind - and after all that searching. Sorry James dear." James smiled nervously. Cait gave him a suspicious look. He ducked away and helped Sophie set the table. Mr. Summers was still glued to the game on tv. Mrs. Summers went into the kitchen next, twittering around Cait and no doubt garnering more information out of her. The glare Cait threw at him when he interrupted for more cutlery was fit to kill. Sophie was obliviously going on about some club, trying to convince him he should bring Cait on a double date.

"- and they have a wicked pool table. I bet you're a real snooker too, Cait told me you have a way with sti-"

"Supper!" Cait rushed a steaming plate of chicken to the table. Her mother came out with roasted potatoes next and Cait gave Sophie an elbow to the ribs on her way to get the rest of the side dishes. Mr. Summers sighed and stretched and took his seat.

***

Everyone sat at the table passing dishes and serving themselves. It was a bit of a free for all compared to the orderly lines of the mess hall, but you could take as much or as little as you wanted. Cait was still sending James an occasional look but he just smiled at her. Mrs. Summers commented on Jolynn's progress at nursing school, her father asked a question about the seasoning on the potatoes, and Sophie continued to polish off her wine while raising little stories of Cait's past and bursting into fits of giggles.

"Do you remember when we went fishing that time at the point with Charles Tucker from eighth grade? You got jealous because he tried to kiss me so you tried to knock him in the head with the pole but you hooked a fish instead!"

"That was when you nearly capsized the boat! Oh I was furious with you. But your father was so proud -" Mrs. Summers added.

"That carp almost weighed more than you!" Sophie snickered.

Cait put a hand up to block them while she stared at her plate and stabbed peas with her fork. Her cheeks grew red.

James watched the banter with a growing sense of unease. Sophie seemed out to humiliate her sister. Mrs. Summers was clearly attempting to guilt him by recounting Cait's happy childhood. And Mr. Summers was... disinterested? Ignoring them? Apparently he'd just learned to tune it all out.

Good as the food was, James found he'd lost his appetite. Cait stood up and started clearing plates.

"What's for dessert?" asked Sophie, finishing off glass number four.

"Drink your wine dear, don't drown in it." Sophie rolled her eyes. "I brought a blueberry crumble and some scones," Mrs. Summers announced. Mr. Summers actually smiled. Sophie squealed and clapped. It was only when James got a bite that he understood why. Between the marzipan, icing sugar and blueberries he was in absolute heaven! The scones were a little harder than he expected but he watched Cait dip hers into her tea so he followed her example. Just the right amount of sweet.

An hour later Mr. Summers was back on the couch watching the post-game show. Sophie was half-asleep beside him. Cait was doing dishes and Mrs. Summers was still sitting at the table drinking tea, looking at some photos on the wall, her mind elsewhere. "She looks so much like my mother," said Mrs. Summers quietly. James followed her gaze to a photo of Cait holding down a wide brimmed hat from the wind and laughing. "Smart and strong-willed... And God will watch over her too." She looked at James now. "She survived the Holocaust, my mother. More than once she was faced with death but each time her father appeared to her and told her, 'not this time,' and she survived. She swore one time she was so close to death that her friends even said their goodbyes and left her to die in peace in the dark. She had a dream that her father came to her and gave her an apple. 'Take a bite,' he said and she could taste it. And the next day she was better."

"Oh mom, not the apple story again," Cait said, coming out of the kitchen, but she had a sad kind of smile.

"It was God's miracle. He is watching over this family. I swear it. And now your Bubby is too. Watching over you and all of us." Mrs. Summers stood up and gave her daughter a tearful hug. Confusion crossed Cait's face for just a second before she returned the embrace with warmth.

"Alright, I think it's time we got going," Mrs. Summers announced. "Come on Sophie, help me take these bags out to the car. Felix..."

Sophie and Mrs. Summers each gave James a quick hug before collecting their things and stepping out. Mr. Summers took his time getting up and stretching. He hugged Cait and kissed her on the head. "I love you sweetheart."

"Hang in there daddy." They exchanged an understanding look.

"She'll be the death of me," he said smiling.

"But you love her." Cait kissed her father on the cheek and let him go. He nodded at James. James held out his hand and Mr. Summers shook it firmly. The older man gave him a look both pleading and threatening, _take care of my little girl_.

"Ok," he took a deep breath and followed after his wife and youngest daughter.

Cait had barely clicked the lock when she turned and pinned James with a glare, hands on her hips and feet splayed. He could see a slight glowing haze emanating from her. "What the hell was that between you and my mom earlier? She looked like she was going to cry!"

"She told me about David."

Cait bit her lip in silence. She closed her eyes, shook her head and walked straight past him to the bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed. I have to go to work in the morning." She started closing the door.

"Cait... Don't shut me out. Cait!" He followed her into the bedroom. She stood turned away, shoulders slumped. James put both arms around her and felt her shake. He waited patiently for it to subside.

"She talks about our family being blessed, like God Himself is looking out for our survival. But it's not a blessing. It's a curse. We're cursed to endure these horrible things in our lives and then we just have to deal with them and keep going. Even my Bubby," the tears started streaming down her cheeks. "After everything she went through, she immigrated to Canada and they changed her name from Somberg to Summers as if that was all it took to start over." James held her tighter. "And I get it. I know the world stops for no one. Life has to keep going. But -" she swallowed hard, "it was only a day after David died, my parents came up to stay with me and my mom says to me, 'it wasn't meant to be'. It's like they didn't even want me to grieve, like I should have expected it and moved on."

"We have a saying in the old tongue: _ea dra par-y-lin dawlra essa edri, tan calli h'ess et ny-ess_. It translates as 'the lines we live by are drawn in all lengths and sizes, some thick and strong, some frail and thin.' No one knows how their line will be drawn. All you can do is live _par-y-lin ea dal_ ," said James, brushing strands of hair from her face. "Of course we also say _ebriis dawl imen'arik du re-lin_."

She looked up at him, wiping away the tears, "what does that mean?"

"Drunks draw the most interesting of straight lines," He smirked. Cait laughed despite herself. It resonated in James like a warm ray of sunshine. Who knew those old language lessons would pay off. He spun her around, and kissed her, relishing how her body melted limply in his arms, knowing it was him causing her to relax.

Cait felt safe with James. He wasn't trying to change her or make decisions for her the way David sometimes had. He wasn't manipulating her like her mother would. He was trying to teach her how to control herself; be herself. In that moment her heart leapt over the precipice and her mind only prayed that she flew and didn't fall.

His arms gave a final squeeze before he let her go, turned her around and gave her bum a pat. Saying nothing else, she went and cleaned up in the bathroom then climbed under the covers and made room for James to join her. James spooned her, her body fitting perfectly against his.

"Hmm," Cait smiled, "that's some _h'ess re-lin_ you've got." She tried hard not to giggle.

"Actually," James brushed his lips against her ear, wrapping his hands tightly around her, "that is called _ardura sepi_ and he'd very much like to meet your -"

She turned over, cutting him off with a kiss that led to other acts where speech wasn't necessary.

A couple of hours later they were both sated and asleep, and all too soon the morning alarm was going off.

Chapter 12

James was warm. It was nice while she was cozied up beside him but as soon as she pulled back the sheets and exposed herself to outside air she shivered. She wanted to go back to sleep but she couldn't. James started groaning, making faces in his sleep. Quiet as she could, Cait got dressed. It was only when she sat back on the bed to put on her socks that a strong, warm hand tugged on her pants.

"Where are you going?"

"Work," she replied, refusing to look at him because the image of his bed-tousled hair, those intense eyes, and the naked flesh peaking out of the covers was too much. Clearing her throat as she stood she added, "come on, I'll make you some breakfast before I go."

"Wait!" She heard his feet thump to the floor, no doubt scrambling for his pants and other strewn clothing. Cait set a pan on the stove, gathering eggs and a few dribs and drabs to throw in for an omelette. At the same time she turned the kettle on and was humming around the kitchen in a better mood than she'd been in a while. She felt whole and alive. And falling asleep in the safety of James' arms definitely had something to do with it.

"Cait!"

The good mood bubble shattered, replaced by an urge to close her eyes and retreat.

"You can't go to work." He stood over her like a wall. "Levi knows where you work, remember?"

"Well then what better opportunity for you to catch him?" She focussed on the eggs and for a moment the scent of yolk, peppers, shallots and cheese pulled all of James' attention and for another blissful moment of silence they both watched her flip and fold, mouths watering and stomachs grumbling. She cut the meal in half with a spatula and slid each smoothly onto a plate. Then she handed James a fork with a smile. He dug in, making quick work of it but extending the silence (albeit with muffled chewing) for a minute more.

"You've been through a lot and I think you would benefit from some more training. We barely even -"

"I need this." She finally looked him in the eyes. "I need some normalcy. I need the distraction, even if it's just for a few hours." It felt like she was pleading with him. The intensity of his eyes saw through her, saw into her and all of her.

"If you need a distraction..." James smiled coyly, raising his eyebrow in a humoured smoulder.

Cait shook her head, though she felt a flush creep her cheeks. "Stop." She cleared the dishes, poured her mug and grabbed her keys. "Just for today, okay? Just for the morning so I can get some stuff in order and make some arrangements. Don't do that."

"Do what?" He was standing with his arms folded across his chest, accentuating the clearly defined muscles, while his borrowed sweatpants hung just at the corners of his hips revealing a dangerous suggestion of what stood beneath.

Cait shook her head again. She felt a small apret pulse poke her shoulder but he didn't stop her.

***

The drive to work was slow and meandering with morning rush-hour traffic. She had hoped to get in the office before everyone else but no such luck. The parking lot was 3/4 full and the clacking of keyboards and hushed voices were audible as she walked in to the cubicle farm. With a sigh, Cait turned on her desktop and started a mental-to-do list. First was sorting out requests by priority; printing off emails into a neat stack. She added a couple of notes to her manual and when the mail came she found the health and safety form Biggs had asked her to sign Friday. Time passed quickly. Informing Biggs and her supervisor that she would be taking a couple weeks leave was not easy, the office was short staffed as it was This time in summer, but they understood. She spent the rest of the hour until noon pulling and putting away files, tidying up her desk and ignoring Laura's pesky e-mails. Five minutes to the lunch break she snuck down to the dungeon hoping to avoid a scene of goodbyes.

It felt strange to stand inside the damaged doorway of the vault. Someone had cleaned away the debris, although the core of mangled and half-melted shelving units was still there. It looked like a bomb had exploded and left strange gothic metal statues. There was a crackle of energy in the air still, tingling against her body with hot sparks. For a few moments she fell into a trance, enveloped in warmth and a sense of filling something deep within her. It was as if her soul were feeding off the energy. Her fingers tingled and Cait jolted out of it. The last thing she needed was to set off another explosion.

She headed back upstairs. The office was quiet now. Empty. Cait set her out-of-office and shut down her computer. She walked out to the parking lot alone. Her car was parked between a gray sedan and a blue BMW. All four tires had been slashed. Cait froze. She surveyed the lot, the grounds, the building... No one. A chill crept up her back.

She could go back in the building, call a tow and wait for a ride - but then she might run into coworkers with nosy questions, or worse, put them in danger if Levi attacked.

Cait chose to wait for the bus. The #12 was fairly regular every ten or fifteen minutes. It wasn't long before an articulated 60 footer pulled up. Cait paid cash and found a seat near the middle door. She got off at Blair Station, watching the crowds closely and staying where the surveillance cameras could see her (she hoped). She caught the first 96 Kanata. The driver seemed agitated and in a rush to close the doors. Cait chose a window seat in full sun, warming her skin but not warding off the chill within. There were seven other passengers on the bus. She kept her distance from all of them. The further she travelled the lighter the weight on her chest, and she breathed a little easier watching the familiar landscape of downtown Ottawa, the river parkway and old stone walls of the transitway. Three people got off at Lebreton, two more came on. One sat behind Cait. When they reached the tunnels the bus slowed. Someone pulled the bell. Two men from the back got up, slowly approaching the door.

The bus stopped, letting them out. Cait felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The doors closed and the bus began to pull away again. They were between stations. Through the window she saw nothing but stone wall interspersed with occasional weeds resilient enough to grow in the cement cracks, and a reflection. Red hair. Not her own.

"You have a gift, miss Summers. One that is very valuable."

Glass shattered down the sides of the bus. The bus screeched to a halt, knocking Cait forward and Levi back. The driver shouted curses. Other passengers were still scrambling in shock. Cait purled the doors apart like a can opener, making an awkward leap onto the emergency shoulder as Levi caught one of her ankles with his own arrast. She landed with her hands and knees hitting the shattered bits of glass on the gravel. Levi opened his mouth to say something more but apret rushed out of Cait's body with volcanic precision, knocking Levi back and the bus on its side and shoving it across the oncoming lane. It left a scorch mark in the pavement. Regret and horror washed over her as she tried to reign in control, wishing she had listened to James. How many people had she just hurt? Or killed?

A maniacal laugh cut her to the quick. "I like your style, girlie." He climbed up out of a blown-out window. A cold lasso of arrast wound around her. Levi purled but Cait prushed the ground and ended up slingshooting up onto the street level above where she caught the steel post of a street sign. Both energy lines cut off and she slid down to the base, every muscle in her body stiff but alive.

She couldn't keep the air in her lungs. Every breath was short and shallow.

Run.

Cait ignored the honks of cars, and gawking onlookers. She got up, felt her knees buckle, swallowed her heart back into her chest where it belonged, and tried again. This time her feet hit the pavement and propelled her naturally in a new direction. She didn't think about how far it was, or what streets she was taking. _Just run._

***

From the moment she left he'd followed her. He gave her a generous head start while he finished getting dressed but there was no way James would let her go off alone. And she had a point - what better opportunity to draw out Levi? Prushrunning wasn't as easy in the city - especially a foreign one. But James managed to move at a fast enough pace that if he was spotted, he disappeared again and most bystanders would blow it off as nothing. The security at NRC had tightened somewhat since Friday: more frequent foot patrols and drive-bys. James chose a spot for surveillance from a patch of thick bushes along a ravine. It was a fair way across the road and trim lawn from Cait's building but with keen eyes and ears he would have no problem. Wherever Levi was holed up he'd have to be a lot closer to spy on Cait.

Cars and delivery trucks sped along the different campus side streets, employees ran between buildings, some civilians even walked their dogs on the paths through the greenspace. Birds, squirrels and ground hogs went about their business in and out of trees and bushes. All the extra visual clutter was distracting. At one point a large truck parked in the lot blocking his view of Cait's car. He scanned what he could of the area but arrast didn't resonate the way apret did. When the day was half over he realized everything prior had been slow compared to the race for lunch.

_You knew it wasn't going to be easy._ James took a deep breath, determined to find Levi before anything happened to Cait. The plan was simple: spot Levi, attack, pin him down and lock him in silverline. Then he would hold him until Cait could make a portal - hopefully Levi would cooperate, since James had a feeling he wanted to take Cait back to Sildre Val, to whoever he was working for.

After most of the cars had left, Cait was standing by hers without getting in. _Something's wrong._ He watched her walk to the bus stop. When Levi still hadn't sprung out of hiding, James dashed out to the lot and found the slashed tires. _Damn!_ He prushran after the bus but it took longer to figure out the route so he missed her transfer by just a few moments. By the time he caught up to the scene at Westboro station, Cait had just slingshot herself out of the tunnel.

James charged into Levi, knocking him down and pinning him. He landed a couple of right hooks before the surprise element lost its effect. Levi purled the next punch over his head to connect with the pavement instead. His next purls came in fast succession: James was ripped away backwards, both arms yanked outward, hard, with the intention of pulling them out of their sockets, while a dozen more smaller lines leeched out to debris purling speedily towards Levi. He severed all the lines save one anchor and purled himself in a backwards flip out of range leaving James as the target. James hit the ground as glass and stones and bits of metal rained down.

By now sirens were getting loud and it didn't take keen sight to see the flash of lights approaching in both directions.

Levi was crouched on the edge of the wall just below a layer of grassroots and weeds peeking through the cracks. James glanced up at the fence above the wall at street level. He hoped Cait was safe.

Levi took advantage of his inattention and strung James up by the ankles, purling him in the air feet over head. "I'm afraid you won't be winning this one either," Levi taunted.

James didn't have a chance to reply. Levi dropped him in the middle of the road as multiple police cruisers pulled up and officers streamed out, guns raised. James had only a second to look up and see Levi's feet swing over the fence and disappear.

"Hands up behind your head! Hands up!" one of the officers shouted at James. Now he was pissed.

Without much choice, James prushed outward as he darted to the eastbound side of the station, deflecting the rounds of ballistics that shot after him. If they couldn't touch him, they couldn't stop him.

Civilians screamed and ran for cover as the shots rang out. He regretted causing more panic but he didn't have time to check where the ballistics were redirected to.

James ran at the wall, kicked his feet out and prushed against it, flipping outside the police barrier. The officers cursed and gaped in disbelief, weapons lowering as he prushran over them.

James' whole body was steaming with hot sweat. He dropped back to the ground and prushed everyone back with a powerful burst, trying not to further damage the bus which sheltered survivors. He clenched his teeth, grinding until they hurt.

He couldn't keep this up too much longer, Levi was after Cait and the officers would start shooting again, but his luck held - they'd left their cars running!

He prushed two cruisers on their sides, scraping them along the road forcing the lot of them all back - save one cruiser. He jumped in the driver seat, hands on the wheel, feet on the pedals and got the hell out of there, not stopping to look back.

"...417, ALL UNITS REPORT TO PURSUIT. SUSPECT IS TRAVELLING WESTBOUND..." the CP radio announced. James fumbled to shift gears and narrowly avoided swiping an oncoming bus. He turned onto the ramp to the upper level, making a hard right on Tweedsmuir Avenue, then a quick left and another right to throw off anyone behind him. At least the sirens and lights had their purpose. Most vehicles moved out of the way in time. The problem now was that he had no idea where he was going.

_Levi's going to find her first._ James took a deep breath but it only made his chest tighten. A small screen flickered on the dashboard and he quickly realized the little object moving along the lines was him. He didn't know what GPS stood for but he would have laughed if there was time for it. Somehow he found his way to the highway. At the next ramp several other cruisers - CSIS, OPP, and RCMP - got on. James stiffened in the driver seat, trying to keep at a safe distance but still appear to blend in.

"ALL UNITS, REPEAT ALL UNITS ..." the dispatcher's voice was loud and clear, "SUSPECT IS ARMED AND DANGEROUS, TRAVELLING WESTBOUND ON 417... CONFIRMED HOSTAGE SITUATION... SUSPECT IS MALE, 5'8", RED HAIR..."

"But where is he taking her?" he asked the radio. It crackled with static. James reached over to turn up the volume while changing lanes. He fumbled around with various dials until he found the right one, keeping his focus on the road and driving. Something was poking the back of his leg. Cursing, he reached down and tucked it back behind him. The steering wheel crunched as James' hands squeezed and twisted the leather.

"ALL UNITS, SECOND SUSPECT IS DRIVING STOLEN OPP CRUISER 4782-AR..."

James shut the radio off. He pulled down the next street. Two cruisers followed. They bumped his back end. He swerved but managed to prush back on the road. The cruiser didn't like that though. Tires squealed as they dragged spinning rubber against the pavement. It also jolted the vehicle so much that the move engaged the safety system which deployed air bags.

James smashed face first into the powdery cushion, his feet slamming on the brake. He was quick to recover as the other cruisers had pulled up along either side so tight he couldn't have opened the doors. James prushed out the windshield instead and dove over the hood. As soon as his feet hit the pavement he prushran away.

Now he had two choices: run around the city hoping to pick up the scent or sight of either Levi or Cait; or wait for local law enforcement to find them first and crash the party. All he had to go on was a South-West direction.

Once again he was back to reacting without a plan. He had lost control of the situation.

You never had control of it!

James growled. It wasn't in him to wait.

He chastised himself for not insisting on teaching Cait more defenses. His stomach was in knots. _I shouldn't have let her go. I should have gone with her. I should have been there._ He cursed all the greenery of the city now. The uneven terrain and expansion of buildings away from the city's center was a hindrance compared to the flat, concentrated dens of Sildre Val.

_You need to get higher_ , the ghost in his mind instructed.

There was no single structure tall enough to view the whole city. Instead, James climbed one of the extra large metal frames that carried power lines and satelite dishes. The energy buzz made him nervous but at least here he had a decent shot at spotting any manna.

"Come on," he growled, scanning as much of the city as he could, "show yourself."

He could see and hear local law vehicles dispersing, apparently they'd lost track of Levi as well.

It was almost at the hour mark when he finally spotted it. Just the smallest flash of unnatural light, somewhere in the shadow of trees, behind the south side of a large building compound... James set off towards it, hoping that when he reached them he would have enough apret left to face Levi.

He passed through a large population of people, prushrunning across a shopping mall and a college campus. He reached the line of trees and burst through to the source where he'd seen the light. He had been hoping for an element of surprise to catch Levi. Instead, Levi caught him mid-jump and reeled him in like a baited fish.

***

Cait was moving faster than she could control. She skidded off parked cars and narrowly avoided slamming into three different posts. She'd barely touched down on a grassy lawn when her foot swung out backwards behind her. She flipped forward, bracing with her arms. Her whole body dragged on the ground. Cait grabbed fistfuls of grass until a shadow cast down over her. She glared up at Levi but by now her energy was spent and the sting of her wounds was stealing her focus. The world and the light around Levi blurred and began to fade. In their place coldness crept in.

"Oh, just when we were starting to have fun... Next time, don't spend all your energy in round one, eh? Sweet dreams." He had the nerve to crouch low and pet her head.

Sirens careened in the distance but Cait could do nothing but groan. Darkness sucked away the light and Cait's thoughts went with it as Levi gathered her up and carried her away.

***

Cait could not stop shivering. The chill was crawling under her skin, into her bones. She huddled against the wall where Levi had set her down, only to find it didn't hold any heat. She was still only vaguely aware of his presence beside her. The sun wasn't much lower than when she'd last seen it. She squinted, trying to regain focus. A familiar pattern of erect stones was taking shape. _I'm in a graveyard._

A door creaked as Levi broke the lock off. His back was lit up from the sun and she could see lines of sweat through the dirt on his clothes. He'd been busy.

"We have a few minutes before they get here," Levi said, picking at the dirt from under his fingernails. "Which I suppose is enough."

"Enough for what?" Cait tried to stand up but her body was stiff from cold and unresponsive, except for shivers.

Levi crouched down to her eye level. "For me to set up a nice welcome party for your tracker friend." He picked up Cait before she had a chance to draw in breath, and threw her in.

She slammed against a large stone crypt hard enough to knock the lid just slightly before tripping to the floor. Millions of dust particles floated down in the newly disturbed air. Her stomach instantly heaved at the released stench of rotting corpse. She pulled herself up. There was just enough light coming through the doorway around Levi to cast light on the fleshless skull. She inhaled a scream and yanked her hand back. An instant later the light was gone as the door slammed shut. Cait trembled with cold, fear and anger. She stumbled forward in the pitch darkness, heart pounding and bile rising in her throat. She found what she thought was the door and pounded on it. "Levi! LEVI!!!" But the dust choked her throat. She coughed and sank to her knees, slamming her palm against the steel door. She shuddered, trying to summon energy from deep down but it wouldn't come. "Oh no. No!" She felt the skin around her arms and waist, then at her throat. "No!" the sound came out as half a sob. Her fingers curled over the thin chain.

Chapter 13

James landed on his side, ribs hitting the fresh cut cemetery grass first. He prushed Levi away.

_You should have known,_ the voice hissed. _He has you where he wants you._

True. It was the best and worst of scenarios - a secluded area enclosed on all sides by trees, but beyond those surrounded by civilians. A fight here wouldn't go unnoticed for long.

The cemetery was a modest size. There wasn't much cover, except for a few large statues and a small stone mausoleum. He could just pick up the sweet scent of honeysuckle under the cold earthy smell. He could hear Cait's muffled pounding and faint scream somewhere nearby, there was no time for stealth or mistakes. James walked up a narrow path between grave rows. Levi stood leaning below the praying arms of an angelic statue, his arms covered in earth to the elbows. James' blood boiled at the thought of Cait locked up but the location of the sound was hard to pinpoint, as though it was resonating from different directions. He had to get her out and she had to open the portal. In the back of his mind he wondered if she would have enough energy left. Or worse, would he?

"I think it's time we resolve our differences don't you?" proposed Levi. There was a soft clip. James froze. Several of the angel's feather tips snapped off.

"I don't negotiate with terrorists." James felt his energy building with a fresh flood of adrenaline. His eyes darted quickly around the cemetery, searching. Levi remained still, continuing his slow disfigurement of the statue.

"Pity." He sighed and suddenly purled it off the base, flipping the statue forward over his body. The marble angel toppled and its head snapped from the rest of the body. James shot forward and prushed into Levi, knocking him dead on. The two men toppled over one tombstone, smashing it to pieces, and rolled up to another. James smacked Levi's head against the epitaph. Levi yelled. Hard chunks of marble and granite cracked off and hurled themselves at James. The decapitated angel's head slammed the center between his shoulders. His ribs cracked as he jerked back. His throat released a desperate croak as he gasped without catching air. Fighting Levi was like fighting a small tornado of debris.

Levi scrambled to his feet and purled James back by the head, dragging him on the grass, but James lashed back with an instinctive prush to Levi's feet. Released, his lungs opened again but they burned! Both men stumbled back. James put up a steady apret shield. He clutched his sides and tried to catch his breath. Sweat beaded down his temples and chest. Levi let the scattered rocks fall. Mist swirled around him, spreading outward over the ground.

Sirens sounded in the distance. He could still faintly hear Cait shouting but the bangs echoed from somewhere indeterminate. James was confused.

Levi smiled and purled an entire row of gravestones from behind James. James burned and ached, his hands and arms felt like they were on fire but he fortified the shield behind him and dropped to the ground at the last second. A few of the stones battered against him but the majority continued in their momentum straight at Levi.

Levi dodged for cover behind a large cross, not without at least a few shrapnel wounds. He turned his head away from James for a moment as if he'd lost sight of something, in the mist. He tried to purl but this time James struck his arm. Levi cradled the appendage with a hiss. A shovel clattered beside the mausoleum revealing a drop in the mist. James' heart plunged as he realized it was a fresh dug hole.

A series of bangs thudded from below. James jumped into the hole. He could see the large object in the ground - a coffin. The high gloss polished lid trembled as the edge of the mist touched it. James nearly dropped to his knees as a cold feeling washed over him. "CAIT!" His voice was hoarse. Chills goosed his entire body.

The cover lifted open. The breath left him. He had half a second to register that it was empty - that the real pounding was in the crypt behind him. She was still screaming at him.

Arrast mist wrapped and twisted around his throat. It lifted him almost back to the surface while Levi stood over the grave grinning wickedly ear to ear. James grabbed frantically at the invisible pressure choking him.

"You know I'm almost sorry it had to be like this," Levi chimed, "though I'm sure you can see the _silver lining_ in all this. Don't worry. I'll take care of Caitie," he winked. As soon as Levi released the spell, James dropped into the pit and the lid slammed shut.

James gasped and wheezed, his whole body battered and burning, head spinning. His apret tingled and faded inaccessibly. His body was too oxygen starved to respond. He was powerless.

Levi jumped on the coffin and quickly locked the pins in place.

James breathed as deeply as he could, trying to calm his heart and the panic gripping him. Then there was a thump as the first shovel of dirt scattered over the lid. James jumped.

You need to get out of here, said the ghost.

_Yeah, that's very useful_ , James retorted. He pressed his hands up against the lid. Another thump of dirt. And another. Dirt started falling consistently now, as though Levi were purling the walls of the grave on him.

He's burying you alive. He has Cait. He's won. Again.

James snapped. He yelled, screamed, banged and scraped his fingernails against the lid. The dirt kept coming. He had never been afraid of small spaces before in his life, in fact he'd hid in some of the smallest cupboards and closets as a child playing hide-and-seek. He'd even fallen through a crack in the old mines once while on a tour with his father. But this was entirely different. This was being buried who knew how many feet under the earth, injured, with limited air supply... with no escape, and no backup. Local law would be useless against Levi. Cait couldn't help him.

_Silver lining._ Levi's words haunted him. He scraped at the padding, ripped it open, but without light he could only feel and guess that the cold smooth surface was a layer of silver leif, applied on the lid's interior and probably over the entire inside of the coffin. _He planned this. He manipulated the sound with arrast to bounce it away from the real source and purled the lid just enough to make me think it was Cait banging from the inside!_

Could he really do that though?

_The opposite of keening_ , reasoned the ghost. _If keening extends the ability to sense outward (like prushing), then there must be an opposite form to draw and redirect the senses (purling them)._

Clearly his instructors had skipped that lesson. Just how powerful was Levi? James trembled with both adrenaline and fear. He was being buried alive and there was nothing he could do about it. He would never see Rhand or Pip or anyone ever again. There was nothing he could do to save Caitlin - and who knew what Levi would do to _her!_

He was going to die.

***

"James!" Cait screamed. She pounded until her fists felt bruised. Her hands stretched extending flat palms against the door. She leaned, trembling. She could hear gravestones smashing outside.

"Do something!" she said to herself. She couldn't prush, couldn't purl, couldn't open the latch on the door handle, there were no windows... "Think, Cait, think! How else can you get a door open?"

Suddenly she remembered something from her childhood - when Sophie had accidentally locked herself in the bathroom. Her father did something to the door...

Feeling her way in the dark, praying and cringing over every cold inch, Cait found the first of two large hinges. She worked at it, turning and pulling to pry the piece loose. At one point she even kicked it. The pin dropped to the floor with a satisfying clang.

Grunting and cursing, Cait got to work on the second one. Outside, the sirens had gotten louder. She could hardly hear James or Levi though. "James!" she shouted, hoping to hear a reply.

The peg was rusted. She tugged, putting all her weight into it, almost hanging off of it. Then she nearly fell on her ass as the pin came out. Heart racing, she threw herself at the door, slamming her shoulder in first. It screeched as it dragged open over the concrete slab floor.

Levi was shoveling soil over a fresh grave.

"No!" Cait ran at him. She reached for the shovel when her body was slammed sideways, skidding over grass and dirt. She got back up and Levi purled her sideways, against the wall of the crypt, putting himself between her and the hole.

"Forget it sweetheart," Levi laughed.

"James!" Cait yelled.

"Hold it! Put your hands up!"

For a second there was quiet. The sirens had shut off though their lights still flashed - and everyone froze. In the hole in the ground Cait could hear a muffled yell from James. Levi dropped the load, shovel and all, into the grave. Cait panicked as air rushed out of her lungs.

"No! No!" she screamed.

The air around them chilled. White patches of frost spider-webbed out around the grave and Levi.

Cait crouched crawling slowly behind Levi.

The police looked warily on the scene, their own breath coming out in white mist.

"What the - ?"

A cold thick fog built around Levi's feet and Cait grabbed at the base of a broken tombstone.

"I said hands up!" an officer repeated.

Levi grinned as he threw both hands into the sky. All of the officers fell back at the same time, a couple of them dangling by their feet. Wind gusted around the cemetery, gathering in a vortex around Levi. Cait lunged into the grave and began digging with her hands. She found a metal latch and held on to it as hard as she could.

"I said forget it!" Levi roared. He moved his hands over the grave and the coffin bolted up from the earth with Cait clinging on with both the hands. An icy grip took firm hold of her entire body, so cold that it burned her hands and cracked the casket. In an instant the latch broke from the wood and the fabric of space itself ripped her apart from the coffin. For the second time she witnessed the flash or heat and sand. Cait screamed.

The vortex of cold air swept up and into itself. The coffin disappeared, Levi dropped to the ground as officers tasered him then swarmed in. Cait fell to the ground, numb from the inside out.

Chapter 14

Just like David, James was gone. Cait's eyes burned. She was on her own.

She stared at the void in the sky, wondering if it was as dark and ominous as it suddenly felt.

An officer helped her into the back of a cruiser. Her body was numb. Trembling, she saw them put Levi in a SWAT truck but she doubted he'd stay there long once he recovered.

"You want to explain what's going on here?" asked the officer who'd helped her.

Others stood around talking to each other, taking notes and photo evidence.

Cait stared at the SWAT truck.

"That won't hold him," her voice was ragged, throat dry and raw.

He smiled nervously at her and made a non-committal noise, "bit of a magician, hmm?"

Cait said nothing. He cleared his throat.

"How about we start with your name?"

"Caitlin," she didn't move her eyes off the truck, her body shivering.

"Do you need medical attention, Caitlin... ?" he wanted her last name but Cait just shook her head. He sighed, his voice softening sligtly. "Having a rough day huh?"

"You could say that." Her voice sounded strange, like half her mind was on autopilot and half still in shock.

The SWAT truck bounced around. Cait's heart jumped. No one else seemed concerned.

"What's the nature of your relationship to uh -" he nodded towards the truck, "him?"

The word stalker came to mind, but then so did a few other choice words. The truck shook again. She needed to get out of here.

"Am I under arrest?" she asked.

The cop raised an eyebrow, "did you do something illegal before you were forcibly confined? Any drugs or alcohol?"

"No."

He flashed a flashlight in her eyes, moved a finger around and watched her track it. Satisfied - and maybe a little disappointed - he tilted his head at her.

"I just need your statement and contact information."

"Can we go somewhere else?" He followed her stare to the SWAT truck, and took a deep breath.

"Sure. Watch your feet."

She tucked them in and he closed the door. She knew she couldn't tell them the whole truth or they'd lock her in a psych ward - although who knew if that would be any safer. Right now she just knew that she needed to put as much distance between herself and Levi as she could, and find time to think. Maybe she could go back to the cottage?

The officer walked around to the driver's side door, reporting something over the radio clipped to his shoulder. He hadn't even sat down as the walls of the SWAT truck imploded, crumpling in on themselves like a crushed can.

"Jesus Chri-"

Levi emerged through the roof, sweeping everyone aside with arrast while Cait ducked down and tugged uselessly at the silverline.

"Well gentlemen, as nice as you've been I'm afraid the lady and I have a previous engagement to attend," Levi announced.

The cruiser she was in screeched forward. Levi jumped down, purled the back door off. He held up his hand, purled hers into it and pulled her out of the car.

He was still grinning at her. Caitlin glared. And then something smacked the back of her head and she blacked out.

The police did nothing as Levi threw Cait over his shoulder and walked away. They stood in shocked silence.

***

The coffin burst apart as it hit the sand. James rolled, skinning his arms on the rough dry patch of red dust at the edge of the red desert.

"No!" He scrambled to his feet, getting his bearings. "No! Cait, no!" His voice crackled. Something caught in his throat and he dropped back to his knees. His body shook.

The crack and pop of a flare went off. He knew the protocol. In a few seconds the patrolling pack would be on scene.

As it happened, it was Rhand who found him first, still prone on the hard packed sand, bits of broken coffin surrounding him in an image that mirrored his insides. Others soon followed.

Their mouths moved but James was too numb to register the sounds as words. They took him back to the War Den. Medical looked him over and released him. Rhand escorted him back to his bunk apartment.

"I'll send a message to Dundarryn," said Rhand, "let your family know that you're back." James said nothing. He didn't feel much like talking. It had registered that the pack Rhand had found him with was not the same. Not his. _They've been reassigned,_ he realized, _thanks to my marvelous failure._ He'd failed to capture Levi, failed to rescue Cait - and it was his fault for putting her in danger in the first place, his pack was disbanded, and now his family would know the shame he'd brought. His shoulders slumped with the weight of it all.

"I'd take you to my place but by the look of you I don't think you need two young ones running around. Gavin has been bad for fits lately."

Just as well, the War Den was James' home and he had no desire to be babysat by Rhand or his wife. Medical said he should sleep off the shock, so that's what Rhand had him do. He stripped him down to the scivs and tucked him in bed like he did his sons every night. He said something about visiting later and left.

James lay awake for hours, the last moments replaying on an endless loop in his mind. At some point in the dark of night the grumbling of his stomach and other bodily functions couldn't be ignored. His mind rebooted and he got up to go to the washroom.

He tripped over his own pants on the floor where Rhand had left them, something hard peeked out. He bent down to pick it up. The voice in his head threatened to come back, shouting opinions and advice he didn't want to hear right now. Shoving them back down into submission he stuffed the item in between the towels neatly folded on a shelf.

The shower didn't feel nearly as good as he needed it to. He came out still feeling dirty and sorry for himself. With just a towel around his waist he stepped back to the main room. The Speaker stood waiting, leaning against the frame of his bed.

James was about ready to tell him he could fuck off but it was Lord Speaker who spoke first.

"Report soldier."

The command triggered an automatic response drilled into him since basic training. His anger calmed, his breathing steadied.

"I tracked the terrorist Levi to the other side. He evaded capture, causing trouble in the other city -- it's not like here. They don't," his voice caught but he swallowed it down, "they don't have powers like us. They use a different technology."

The Speaker's brow raised but he said nothing, waiting for James to continue.

"The terrorist attacked a girl, local law enforcement got involved. I tried to resolve the situation but he had me trapped and then... he sent me back."

Lord Speaker watched him, his eyes narrowed, distrusting. "You were there for nearly a week, and you expect me to believe that all that went on was a simple game of cat and mouse, and the mouse won?"

Why did James get the feeling that his Lordship knew something he didn't? His jaw tightened. There was no way he was going to tell the Speaker about Cait, about his relationship with her or her abilities.

"I'll write you a report," he said at last.

"See that you do."

James expected him to leave but he didn't.

"Something else you want to ask?" James ventured.

The Speaker crossed his arms, "yes. What was he after? He must have crossed for a reason. I doubt it was simply to get away or he would have laid low and popped back already." Apparently the man was quite astute. Of course he'd have to be if the rumours were true and the Speaker was the one running things over the Senate's head. He was supposed to be a mediator and a liaison between the Senate and the people but the last six years since he'd taken over as Speaker this one had been much more vocal in passing certain laws that he himself initiated.

"I can't be sure," James said.

"But you said he had a girl with him before you were sent back?"

"Yes. But I can't be certain that she was what he was after. She didn't know him." James let the towel drop an inch from his hip as he opened a drawer and pulled out a clean pair of boxers.

When the Speaker still showed no sign of leaving James let out a deep breath, turned and let the towel drop completely before dressing.

"The girl... did you talk to her at all?"

James fixed his gaze on the other man. If he didn't know any better he'd think the Speaker knew more than he did.

"You said she didn't know him," the Speaker prompted.

James nodded, "I did. I thought she was a witness to something. Levi abducted her as soon as I left. Maybe that's why; either he thought she saw something, or just because I talked to her," he conceded. It was a lie but for some reason he felt he had to protect Cait.

The Speaker thought for a moment then seemed satisfied. His eyes wandered a bit around the room, but came back to James.

"And the local law enforcement, do you think they will be able to deal with Levi?"

"You mean should we expect to see him return?" James tried hard to play it off nonchalantly. He shrugged, "who's to say? He was far from dead when I left, mind you I didn't see all their technology, so..." he let it hang. James was starting to get a headache. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes for a moment. The voice was trying to escape again, pounding against its prison walls as long as James insisted on refusing to listen.

"My apologies, you must be tired. You should rest, take some time off..." The Speaker's smile was dripping with diplomacy. He cocked his head, eyes narrowing just a fraction, "you've a keen sense, is that correct?" James nodded, waiting to see where this was going. "You're a rare breed, James Devlin. Despite what happened the Senate is pleased to have you back. You're an asset to Sildre Val." He paused, finally turning for the door. "Perhaps we can forget about a written report for now. You just get your rest and take your time recovering." His hand was on the doorknob. "But do send word if you can recall any other pertinent details."

"Will do, sir," James nodded.

The Speaker finally left and James all but collapsed onto his bed. Something was definitely not right, but at this point James didn't want to think about anything anymore. He curled up, tugged the sheets over his head and fell asleep to the ghostly echo of Cait's screams.

Chapter 15

Cait awoke to throbbing pain in her head. She felt her neck. The silverline was still there. Her stomach rolled and she had to keep her eyes closed to stop the room from spinning. After a few steady breaths she tried again. She rolled back the sheets of the bed and swung her feet to the floor, slowly testing her weight against the inevitable creak of the floor boards. One hand on the wall, she made her way to the light switch.

She was in a bedroom, surrounded by vivid colours and a few knick-knacks and posters that she instantly recognized, but did nothing to ease the headache.

At the same time, the door opened.

"Hey there sleepy head!" Sophie's perky voice chimed. She all but skipped and jumped on the bed. Her smile was uncannily cheerful, one side of her bottom lipstick was smudged and it looked like she had tried to conceal an earlier mishap with some mascara.

Every alarm in Cait's body was going off. Sophie cocked her head lazily and patted the mattress indicating for Cait to join her.

Cait sat, if only to settle the spinning sensation and to get a closer look at her sister.

"What's going on?"

"You've got a minor concussion. But don't worry, you're safe now," answered Sophie.

"Safe?" Cait's heart was racing. She shook her head in disbelief. "James. Where's James?" Her eyes widened with panic. She nearly jumped up again but Sophie put a hand on her thigh to keep her grounded.

"Caitie relax. Lewis told me everything. We had a long talk." Her voice sounded strange, sedated.

"Lewis?"

"Lance, Leroy... whatever. The thing is, these things you can do - these... abilities - he says you can help him with the problems on his world." The realization of who Sophie had been talking to hit her like a splash of ice water.

"Sophie," Cait couldn't believe she was even saying this, "Levi is the problem on his world."

Sophie's eyes dimmed. She folded her hands in her lap. "I thought you'd say that."

Heart in her throat, Cait took a deep breath and looked harder at her sister. "Sophie, what did he do to you?"

A blush rose in her cheeks. Sophie's eyes softened again and for a second Cait saw through her little sister. _Oh no_. Cait's stomach twisted for a different reason. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. "Sophie, please tell me you didn't sleep with him."

Sophie bit her lip.

"Oh Sophie!" Cait had to stand, disappointment and frustration giving her strength. Sophie kept very still. "How could you -?" She bit back her lip and shook her head. "Do you just open your legs to every dick that walks?"

"Hey!" Sophie looked up, a flash of anger breaking the disturbing calm facade she'd held up to now. She crossed her arms, puffing out her chest. "At least I'm the one who leaves them, and not the other way around like you!"

Cait's jaw dropped. She felt like a semi-truck had just slammed into her chest. She had to step back. Step away.

Sophie's face was turning red, a sign that tears were imminent. "He said he could help you."

"Yeah, I'm sure he said a lot of things."

Sophie looked down at her feet, as the first tear streaked down her cheek. "It was nice to have someone to talk to."

Cait breathed slowly, trying to find some sanity in all this.

"Sophie," she said more gently this time.

"I'm not an idiot, you know. I mean yeah I do stupid stuff, and I know I'm immature... but you and Jolynn were the ones with the brains for school. You left. Mom and dad were always either working or too busy arguing over why none of us is married - well you..." her voice dropped and she sniffed. "I was alone and all I had were my looks. I know it won't last. Nothing lasts - look at you; you had everything and you lost it. I don't want to waste my life like that. I - I'm not saying this right... I want to enjoy my life while I can, before something happens and something or someone I love is taken away.

"And I want the same for you, Cait. You used to be so happy. We used to be so close..." She sniffed again. "I ran into Levi a couple of days ago and we just got talking about how life is such a complicated and beautiful mess. There's no sense to it and there's no use trying to make it into a one-box-fits-all... It's not supposed to make sense."

Cait approached the bed and sat down beside her sister.

"I'm not a complete screw up." More tears started to fall. Cait swept a few strands of hair from Sophie's face and leaned in to hug her.

She sighed. "You're not a - WHAT IS THAT?!" Cait jumped back pointing at Sophie's neck by her hairline.

Sophie blushed and wiped her eyes. "Oh, um... that's my ugly tattoo."

Cait's eyes bulged. "Your what?"

Sophie almost laughed, the tension breaking for a second. "My ugly tattoo."

"Sophie, mom is going to kill you! That's disgusting. What the hell - ?" It looked like a part of her neck had been opened, the skin pulled back and the insides revealed - only they were grotesquely shaded and oozing. The necrosis looked real until Sophie touched it with her fingers. The image made Cait shiver.

"I know. That's kind of the point." She swallowed a hard lump, "because that will always be the ugliest part of me." Her eyes went glassy again.

"Oh Soph," Cait reached down and hugged her sister hard. Her heart ached with so many knots... And yet as soon as she touched her she felt an icy sting.

_Oh no. No!_ She didn't want to pull back so soon, but she realized now why Sophie was acting so weird. Levi had a hold on her. She squeezed even tighter then.

The door swung fully open against the inside wall. Levi cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Aw, how cute. Nothing like a little bonding between siblings."

Cait stood up but Sophie remained firmly planted in place, her eyes glazed over with that stupid misplaced contentment. Cait put herself between Sophie and Levi.

"Let her go, Levi," Cait narrowed her eyes on him.

"It's a funny thing, you know? She and I really do relate to each other. I only have the control I do because she is willing to let me."

"Stop it."

"Relax. I'm not hurting her. Yet," he made a small motion with his hand and Sophie sighed and curled up on the bed. Cait stepped forward but Levi just tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Really? I'd think you of all people should remember what it feels like. All I'm doing is purling away the distractions, numbing the senses a fraction..." He folded his hands in front of him, smiling calmly. "According to my source, the sensation can leave a person blissfully ignorant. Almost like a true pair bonding. Pity it can only be applied to one person."

Sophie moaned in her entranced state.

"What do you want?" snapped Cait.

Levi smiled. "Like your sister said, I believe we can help each other."

"You've been trying to kill me."

"I thought Sophie said you were the smart one. If I wanted to kill you I would have done it already. What I want is to take you back to Sildre Val. There is need for someone with your abilities there. I gave my word to bring you back, although I do admit that staying to rule this world is quite an appealing idea. And _I am_ growing rather fond of your little sister. She's got quite a talent of her own." He winked.

Cait couldn't believe she was hearing this.

"So I'm feeling generous. I'm going to give you twenty four hours to deal with all your little hang-ups and goodbyes. Then I'll take that thing off your neck, you will open the portal and then you will cross over with me without a fuss." He was lying. She knew he was simply stalling for time to re-energize and frankly she could use the time for herself, but it still rubbed her wrong. They stared silently at each other. Cait threw daggers with her eyes but she needed him to take the silverline off.

"How can I open it if I don't know how?" her tone was challenging.

"I'll teach you. I've grown rather fond of my arrast. If I create the portal and cross over I'll revert back to apret. Rules of the game," he shrugged. "But I doubt that will be a problem for a dualist."

Cait felt the color drain from her face. _He knew_. It shouldn't have surprised her but having him confirm it also confirmed what she'd dreaded from the beginning - that he was and continued to be ten steps ahead of her. He knew more than he was letting on.

You of all people should remember.

Shivers goosed the back of her neck.

Satisfied that he'd won the battle, Levi turned and left.

***

James was woken by a light jab in his ribs. He jerked up, heart racing, arms up to defend or attack. Then he saw Rhand standing beside the bed, hands on his hips. James lay down and rolled his back to the former pack-mate.

"Don't you knock?"

Rhand shrugged. "Would you have dragged your sorry ass to answer the door if I had?" James said nothing. Rhand sighed. "Everything's your fault you know. You failed to capture Levi so we were disbanded. Pip is back on the bottle and he nearly got stoned to death in a riot. Islena's been leaving packages on your doorstep that are stinking up the hall. Or maybe that's just you." He leaned forward to take a sniff. "When's the last time you ba-"

James swung to deck him but Rhand easily dodged it. When James sat up Rhand was smiling. He knew he'd hit the mark and ruffled James' hair. James shooed him off. Rhand sighed again, "What happened to you over there?" He asked, his tone sincere and concerned, "and don't goat shit me. This is more than just _I let the bad guy get away_ guilt."

James knew he wasn't going to leave until he was satisfied with the answer.

"I - I left her behind."

"Islena? I thought she was the one with the crush? You didn't fall for that did you?"

"Yes. No. That's not... I'm not talking about her!" His voice rose to a yell. Rhand's eyes went wide. James ran a hand over his face and groaned.

"You slept with Islena?"

James' shoulders sagged. "A long time ago. After the Eastwinds assignment. We all went out to the clink after, remember?" Rhand nodded. "You left, we were drunk, I'd just broken it off with Reteah... I woke up and I've regretted it ever since. I talked to Islena after, we agreed to be friends for the pack's sake." Realization dawned on Rhand. "I tried to let her down gentle but the woman refuses to give up the chase!" James rose, pacing the room now. Actually it felt better to get up and move. Too many things were eating at him and now that he'd started talking the weight was lifting. If only slightly.

"So you met someone else? Over _there_?"

The way he said it reminded James of a similar conversation with Cait. His gut twisted. He nodded. "And you left her behind, when you came back. What happened to Levi?"

He couldn't say it. His hands formed into fists and James pressed one against the wall. He leaned, eyes closing as the tightness pulled in his chest. Rhand stood and put a hand on his shoulder, but James shrugged it off.

"He has her," he grudgingly admitted. "He was after her almost the whole time we were there. He had to have known..."

"Known what?" Rhand's eyes narrowed, his lips pressing firmly together.

James dropped his head and his shoulders gave a couple of odd shakes as he bit back a throaty laugh. Rhand looked at him now like he was half crazy and if the banter of voices in his skull was any indication, he was well and truly on his way. "She- she can do both. She's a dualist, and she's strong too! And she's smart and beautiful and she has this smell... and... argh!"

For the first time since he'd known him, Rhand was speechless, his mouth ajar. James ran his hands through his hair and inhaled deeply.

"The real question is how. _How_ did Levi know about her - clearly she's the reason he went through. And she definitely did not know him, or anything about her abilities. Hell, even what I taught her -"

"And you left her behind?!" Rhand yelled. James was lost for a second. "You find the first dualist in more than two hundred years, who probably has the power to topple the Senate and you leave her with the enemy?! WITH A TERRORIST!?!"

James tightened his fists, this time on the defensive. "It damn well didn't go down like that and you bloody well know it! I'm not a total fuck up on purpose Rhand! He had me locked in a silver lined coffin! You were there when I came back! I couldn't..." he slumped back onto the bed, the breath leaving him. "I couldn't save her. I didn't choose to come back. I... I had a plan but he... I just couldn't beat him."

Rhand shook his head, scowling. "That's because you don't think. You barrel in expecting honor and glory because you're stronger than most people, you're faster and you can see things most of us can't... but you don't think, James. You don't plan well enough ahead if at all." He turned his back on James but paused in the doorframe.

"That's why you'll never make an alpha," he said coldly.

The door shut closed behind him and James wanted to punch something.

"Right," said James aloud, gritting his teeth, "an alpha is always in control of the situation-- just like when you let me jump through that portal in the first place!"

But the voice in his head echoed the same sentiment as Rhand reminding him of the mistakes he'd made, blaming him for putting Cait in danger and chastising him for not seeing things sooner. He closed his eyes, pressed his hands over his ears and let out a loud, deep growl, banishing the ghost into silence.

A gust of air swirled through the room, as the desire to physically lash out manifested in a release of apret. Blankets, clothes, papers, towels and other loose objects scattered about the room until James realized what was happening and clamped down harder.

Several minutes went by as he tried to steady his breathing and quiet the pain drumming against his ribs. One voice was left in his head: his own, telling him he really was losing it. _Get a hold of yourself. She still needs you. Someone here sent Levi after her. Sooner or later they have to cross back_ , and he would have to be ready.

"This is my mess," he said aloud, scanning the chaos of his room. His eyes settled on a particular piece of metal.

_You can't affect silverline directly_ , the voice whispered, but this time James didn't feel threatened or scolded by it. Nor did he feel the desire to tramp it out of existence. An idea was forming and he latched on. Possible or not, James snatched up the piece and set out for South Den.

Rhand was right, it was time to start thinking ahead.

Chapter 16

Cait sat on the porch looking up at the sky. Patches of clouds and the city lights made it hard to see the stars. The moon was a crescent short of being full, but it was bright nonetheless.

She watched the quiet neighbourhood as cars drove by. Lights turned on and off in houses, bugs buzzed, and a few nocturnal mammals snuck in and out of gardens and trees looking for scraps of food.

She heard the soft click of the door and Sophie's feet padding barefoot up beside her.

"Supper was delicious, thank you," said Sophie. She handed Cait a steaming mug of tea.

"Sorry about the dishes."

"No, it's okay. I'll get to them later. I don't think I've ever used half those bowls, it was nice to see them put to good use." Sophie giggled.

Cait had spent the evening lording over Sophie's kitchen, cooking up a storm out of a need to keep busy, occupying her thoughts as well as her hands. The result was a last supper that could have fed a dozen people, never mind three. She had definitely outdone herself. She made some of her own and a few of Sophie's favourites, and made Sophie run out twice for groceries. In a way, she hoped Sophie wouldn't come back but there was something different about Levi's hold on her. It was subtle, coming and going at times, and not necessarily a direct physical purl but, as Levi had said, a kind of bond between them. She was Sophie in all the same ways except where Levi was concerned, turning a blind eye to the entire situation, to Cait's protests and attempts to reason with her. Like a shadow had been cast over her.

Worst of all, Sophie seemed oblivious of the hold and Cait had a haunting feeling that if it had been used on her she wouldn't remember either.

_You should._ Was that just Levi trying to unnerve her?

Every bite of supper was bittersweet. Levi's presence at the table was a solid reminder of how much she stood to lose, and what she'd lost already.

"I think I'm going to miss your cookies most."

"Which ones?" asked Cait.

"All of them," Sophie stretched her arms and twirled. "Ugh, bugs!" She swatted a mosquito. "You ready to come inside yet?"

"In a minute."

They both fell silent, crickets chirping away the seconds. Then Cait heard the soft footsteps walk away and the door opened and shut.

Cait sipped her tea. She sighed when it was done and as much as she wished she could just stay out all night watching and listening, the spiders and bugs were starting to creep her out.

She went inside. The house was quiet. Sophie had gone to bed. Levi sat on the couch watching tv, one arm sprawled behind his tilted head, feet on the coffee table, like he belonged there. Ignoring him, Cait went into the spare room, pulled out a spiral bound notebook and pen from the desk, and sat down on the bed to write.

It took seven false starts and four drafts to write out what amounted to a living will with instructions to Sophie on handling the loose ends at her job, apartment and the bank. She left everything in trust to Sophie and Jolynn.

Next came the letters to her parents. She went through more pages as tears spilled over the ink, making sections illegible.

That took up most of the night and by the time she was done she carried a blanket over her shoulders outside to watch the sun rise.

"What's for breakfast?" asked Levi when she came back in. Cait glared at him. But there wasn't much left in her to fight him.

She had thought all night about what she was about to leave behind. Now she wondered about what awaited her. The thought of seeing James again brought hope and a flutter of butterflies in her stomach.

"Pancakes," she announced.

"Mmm. Yummy!" Sophie chimed in. It was the first Cait had ever seen her up so early of her own accord. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her makeup not yet done. She looked younger, like the memories in Cait's head of Sophie before high school.

Cait set about the kitchen, with Sophie doing dishes and Levi sitting calmly at the table.

"I must say, Caitlin, I don't think I'll ever enjoy eating again after the feast you served up last night," he said.

"They don't have personal chefs over there?" Sophie giggled.

"Mess hall cooks and a few eateries, yes, though it hardly tastes the same. And here I don't need be mindful of poison."

Sophie smiled in one of her too pleasant pauses. Cait gripped the handle a little harder, continuously flipping batter on and off the pan until she had a plate stacked high and steaming. She set the table and watched Sophie and Levi pile up their plates. They ate in silence, though Cait had lost her appetite.

"I have some errands to run," said Cait with a focused glare at Levi, "unless of course you object?"

Levi swallowed his latest mouthful and smiled. "Oh I don't think I have to worry about you running out on me, if that's what you're implying. Not while my silverline is locked around your pretty neck, and of course I have dear Sophie here for company." He shrugged. "I'm on no one's schedule. Still, let's set a curfew by nightfall, shall we? I did say you had a day to set things in order."

"That won't be a problem." She watched him take another bite. "But I do have one condition. I don't want to open the portal here. There's too many people, I won't do it in the city. But I know a place not too far," Cait waited for his response.

Levi looked up, considering her proposal as he chewed and finally nodded tentatively. Sophie looked glass-eyed and her cheeks flushed.

"It will take a couple hours to drive. Sophie will have to report the car missing. It'll be easier I think," Cait continued.

Without waiting for further discussion, Cait got up and left Sophie's house, grabbing her spare apartment keys from Sophie's bag.

The walk was a good twenty minutes, the morning air brisk. She breathed in the northeast wind, her lungs burning a little. There would be a storm later. There was always a storm with a northeast wind. The thought depressed her. Not because she dreaded a storm but because it reminded her of how well she knew this city and how much was unknown about the one she would be crossing to.

Seeing the cars, the grass, the reservoir... her mind was already distancing itself from the familiar. As she reached the corner of her apartment complex she could see the empty lot where O'Connors had already been cleared away by a clean-up crew. The world - her world \- was already a different place thanks to Levi.

She crossed the parking lot, let herself into the building and her apartment. She didn't pause, knowing if she stopped now it would all come crashing down on her and she wouldn't be able to go through with what she needed to do. She went into the bedroom first, changed her shirt, then to the kitchen, searching through the pile of papers in the basket where she dumped most things. Somewhere in the middle she found it. A thin white business card with a phone number on it.

She didn't have her cell, had no idea where her purse was either, but she did have some spare change in a jar and the nearest phone booth was in the mall. Another twenty minutes later and she was in the phone booth. Holding the card up, she dialed the number with shaky fingers. The line clicked and rang. Clicked again.

"Pierce," said a low voice.

"It's Caitlin Summers." Silence. "I don't know if you remember me?" Her voice hitched in her throat. The only way to get past it was to barrel forward, "I was hoping we could -"

"Hang up the phone and turn around Ms. Summers. I'll have a car for you in just a minute. That line is not secure." His end of the line went dead. Cait stared at the receiver for a moment before hanging it up. She turned slowly. A plain black Altima pulled into the mall and drove straight towards her. The windows were completely tinted. The hairs raised on the back of her neck. She heard the click of doors unlocking.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she reached for the handle of the passenger side door and opened it. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. There were no laptops, no extra radios or even a notepad. The driver was wearing a suit but nothing trendy, in fact it looked somewhat worn. She didn't recognize if she'd met him before.

Cait got in and put on her seatbelt. The driver simply nodded, checking his mirrors and windshield, and drove off the property.

They spent the twenty minute drive to CSIS in silence. Cait's heart was hammering, her palms cold and clammy. She thought about what she wanted to say and what information she knew.

They turned onto the property entrance, stopped at the gate where the driver showed the security guard a badge from his breast pocket. The gate lifted and they went on to park.

"Follow me," the driver escorted her to the main building. Tall cement walls cast shadows on the large tinted glass doors. Inside the first set of doors was the entry to a second set. The man swiped his badge on a passlock. The lock clicked and he opened the door. Inside was a large atrium not unlike the one in her building at NRC. The difference here was instead of just seeing one commissionaire, there were three behind a counter with bullet proof glass. Three sets of hallways diverged behind them, accessible only by passing through a body scanner on either side.

"State your business," one of the commissionaires addressed her.

Her escort held up his badge again. "Caitlin Summers here for a meeting with agent Pierce."

The commissionaire typed something into his keyboard. He nodded and motioned for them to continue to the scanners. "Empty your pockets on the tray, shoes and jewelry as well. If you have any electronic devices, metal shrapnel or other non-biological and non-plastic items on your person you should advise us now."

Cait held up the silverline. "I can't take this off."

The commissionaire looked displeased. Her escort looked at the chain. He turned it around completely, tugged to get it over her chin but it was too small.

"There's no clasp," he told the commissionaire.

"How -? Nevermind. Pat her down. I'll buzz her through."

They did as told and Cait finally walked through the scanner. The door closed behind her, leading her to a small space facing another closed door. She heard a quiet hum and click. The next door opened on its own. Another security officer was waiting with a wand. She held her arms out as he passed it over her.

"Clear," he told the commissionaire. A small visitor badge printed up through a slot in the back of the security station counter. Cait fixed the clip to her shirt just as agent Pierce made his casual appearance from the left hall. He flashed his badge at the commissionaire, who grumbled and typed something else into his system.

"Ms. Summers, if you'd follow me."

They took an elevator to the seventh floor, to a small office with just a table and two chairs.

"Sorry about all that, nature of the beast. Public phone lines aren't as clean as they used to be, although cell phones are worse. Actually I'm surprised Normand didn't pull out the AK47 on you about the chain. Kind of nice to know I have that pull now though. So, how long do we have?"

"Two hours," replied Cait, hoping that would give them enough time to talk and get back.

"He has your sister." It was a statement. He knew. Cait pressed her hands into fists in her lap. This changed everything. Pierce sighed, leaning back in his chair, stretching his back and legs. "We are aware of your situation miss Summers. He is a terrorist and a threat to national security, after all."

"If you know, then why haven't you done anything to stop him?"

"How do you know we haven't tried? You've seen what he's capable of." Pierce folded his arms across his chest. There was a slight lift at the corners of his mouth, like he was enjoying this conversation.

She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her breathing even. "You spoke with him, didn't you?" The words were out before she quite registered what she'd even said but it was right. She knew it by the unwavering expression in his response, as if he'd expected the accusation. She'd gone with James to the cabin giving CSIS ample opportunity to find Levi. Or could it have even been the other way around? Either way it didn't matter now. It was done. "You realized he's too powerful or too dangerous and you made a deal with him, didn't you?" She narrowed her eyes and raised her voice. "Didn't you?"

"Some would say it was more of a negotiation than that but... yes, miss Summers. The Canadian government and Levi were able to reach an agreement that best suits our mutual interests."

"And what exactly is that?"

"Quite frankly, Levi's capabilities have put a gun to our head. However a gun in the hands of someone who knows how to operate it is less of a danger compared to someone who doesn't. My understanding, miss Summers, is that you will both be removed, whether voluntarily or otherwise. I suggest you make this easier on yourself by choosing the former."

Cait closed her eyes and pushed back her chair, ready to stand up, "why did I bother coming here?"

"If I may, miss Summers," Pierce sat up straight, hands on the table, something in his voice had changed, something subtle almost like human sympathy, though she doubted he was capable of such, "the government was not exactly in much position to negotiate terms with Levi. We would have liked to work with you and... the tracker(?)..." Clearly he didn't know much about James, "but you were not honest with us from the start. We - I - have been trying to make arrangements to keep the rest of your family taken care of, trying to cover up all the damage, believe it or not. Your sister will be safe. I... we can see to that but I do need something from you."

"And what would that be?"

"Information. As a records clerk at the National _Research_ Council, I believe you have a great deal of understanding on the importance of _valuable_ information," his implication could not have been more clear.

She could have laughed. "You want me to spy?"

Pierce cleared his throat. "We want you to gather specific intelligence significant to the strategic advancement and in particular, defense, of this country. And we want you to relay that information back to us however you can - if possible. That statement was issued by the Prime Minister himself. In his words, get us what we need to defend ourselves from these people so that this doesn't happen again."

"If possible?" She raised an eyebrow.

"We can start with the information you are currently withholding, as an act in good faith," he added.

The room became very quiet as he waited for her to respond and she debated whether to do so or not. Cait wanted him to squirm. They had done nothing to keep her or her family safe so far, they had no means of defending themselves against Levi or others like him - or her. She had to close her eyes for a minute to get the anger under control. She took a deep breath.

Worm though he was, it really wasn't his fault what was happening though. He was promising to help her family once Levi was gone... _isn't that what you wanted from them when you called? To keep them safe? To have someone watch out for Sophie and explain things to Jolynn and your parents?_

She opened her eyes. Pierce was still waiting patiently.

"They call it apret and arrast - the energy to project a force or draw it in. Prush and Purl. I'm a dualist; I can do both. James told me that there hasn't been a dualist on their world for at least two hundred years."

"Why you?" asked Pierce.

"I don't know why. Maybe you should ask Levi," she snapped. She closed her eyes again.

Pierce was unphased, "what about the necklace?"

"It's called silverline. I don't know how it works but whoever touches the ends together seals it so only that person can take it off again. The person wearing it can't use their powers - it's like special handcuffs for magic, I guess. Levi put this on me. He's going to take it off so I can make the portal to Sildre Val. I already told him I won't do it in the city."

"And you know how to make a portal?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. Levi's going to teach me. He said... something about if he does it he'll revert back to apret."

Pierce took a deep breath. They both paused for thought.

"You are a real Canadian hero, miss Summers."

"Right," she stood up, and crossed her arms, "tell me, Mr. Pierce, should I expect a ticker tape parade when I return?"

"I will do everything I can to accommodate your family," he promised, ignoring her comment.

"I will be back Mr. Pierce," she stared him down, wishing for the life of her that she didn't have the silverline sealed around her neck so she could prush him into the wall and bust out of this place.

"I do hope so, miss Summers," he stood, flattening the creases in his suit and showing her back out the way they'd come.

The same driver was waiting to take her back. Cait slammed the car door with hardly the satisfaction she craved. There was no point in delaying the inevitable now.

_What did you expect?_ She chastised herself, sulking in the feeling that everyone seemed ten steps ahead of her.

She told him Sophie's address but made him stop at the end of the street.

"Miss Summers," he said before pulling up to the curb, "I won't follow when you leave. I'm under orders to watch your sister."

Cait said nothing. She got out of the car and walked to the house.

When she got there her cheeks were flushed and her ears cold and hurting. The wind was working up, pulling in dark, ominous clouds that suited her mood perfectly. She found Sophie and Levi sitting in the living room. Sophie was curled sideways across Levi's lap, her head resting on his shoulder, her hair brushed back revealing the ugly tattoo.

"Can we get this over with?" Cait looked straight at Levi. He stared back at her, appraising, then nodded. They both stood up and Sophie emerged from her trance, her face growing telltale red. Knots twisted in Cait's stomach.

"Cait... I-" Sophie was on the verge of tears, her voice cracking. There was so much to say. She rushed to her.

Cait shushed her and wrapped her arms around her little sister. "I love you too." She hugged her tight, kissed her cheek and then had to back away. The smell of shampoo in Sophie's hair left Cait feeling sorry she'd forgotten to take a shower, and sure she'd forgotten plenty else too, but time was up. She knew she had to go now before she was truly ready or else she'd lose her nerve. She turned and picked up Sophie's car keys. Levi followed her out the door.

"Will you ever come back?" asked Sophie from the porch. Levi got in the car, waiting for her.

"If he doesn't murder me when we cross over," said Cait.

Sophie half laughed and half sniffled. Cait hadn't meant it as a joke though. With no more goodbyes, Cait got in the driver's seat and reversed the car onto the street. She tried not to watch in the mirror as Sophie crumpled forward and ran into the house in tears. Then she drove away.

***

_Déjà vu_ , thought Cait as she drove to the country, a strange man beside her, and a chain around her neck. Unlike James though, Levi just sat quietly, watching everything - mostly Cait. It unnerved her. Every other time he'd been either destroying things, hitting her, or giving chase. Levi sitting still and quiet, and alert, put her on edge.

Two hours passed. The sky was growing darker, the clouds moving faster as they drove closer to the oncoming storm. They were almost at the cabin and Cait knew she couldn't take him there. She bit her lip, pulse quickening, as she passed the first dirt road and was coming up to another.

"I'm not going to kill you," Levi said calmly, as if continuing a conversation that had started in his head.

Cait swallowed.

"I need you alive."

"I still don't trust you," she said, eyes on the road.

"Nor should you. But I do expect you to listen and behave, if you want to survive this." He reached over and pulled her shirt collar, exposing the thin silver chain. His fingers felt cold against her skin as he picked it up and it released freely into his hand.

Cait's eyes widened with a surge of energy. She accidentally floored the pedal with apret and overcompensated the steering wheel on a curve. The back end of the car swerved out on the gravel. Buttons and dials flicked on and off out of control. The horn beeped, wipers shot into action... Levi grabbed the wheel but Cait hit the break. Tires screeched.

"What the hell are you trying to do?!"

"You could have warned me!" she shot back. The window beside him cracked.

Cait grabbed the keys from the ignition and undid her seat belt. The car stopped almost perpendicular to the lanes, a quarter of it sticking out across the middle line. She didn't care. Cait opened the door and started to walk. There were no other vehicles in sight.

A second later Levi was out of the car after her. He purled her around. The keys went flying into the ditch.

"Where are you going?" he shouted.

"I don't know!" she yelled back and apparently prushed him in the shoulder. Levi flinched then sighed.

"Didn't that idiot teach you anything?"

She put her hands on her hips. Why was this so hard? It had seemed almost easy when James had... when she'd been under pressure. And there was no lack of stress now.

She remembered how it felt with him. With his arms around her waist, his lips on her neck... a kind of dis-focussed automatic reaction. The energy flowed around her but came under control now. Cait breathed easier. She opened her eyes, not realizing she'd closed them.

Levi was right in front of her.

"Better. But clearly we're going to have to do some practice runs to build your tolerance up. Wouldn't want you passing out or blowing up before the portal's formed." His arrast hold snaked around her arm, purling her after him over the ditch and into the brush beside the highway. Without so much as a hatchet or flashlight they were trekking through the hillside forest with the sun falling further into the western quarter of the sky.

Levi kept up a brisk pace, which suited Cait fine. She hoped he enjoyed every spiderweb he walked into. After almost an hour they broke through the tree line to face a barren mound of rocks. Part of the southern tip of the Canadian Shield, Cait guessed. She'd never really been this far north of the cabin. She felt Levi's arrast hold release.

"Climb where you can, purl or prush where you can't. Stretch yourself. And keep up," instructed Levi.

As if on cue, the first rumbles of thunder sounded not far off to the east.

Cait hesitated to prushjump here. She resisted using any apret or arrast at first, but as the sun waxed to the west and the rain began to fall overhead, Levi was putting more and more distance between them. She had no choice. She anchored her arrast to the top of the boulder and purled herself to the top. The other side was a valley filled by another forest, followed by another hill. Grey rocks scattered among the green, split here and there by meandering streams and rivers. Levi was already far ahead, his hair an easy target to spot.

Every time she got within fifty feet he'd put more distance between them. They kept up that game for what must have been hours. By the time he finally stopped they were both drenched, the sky was a mass of purple and pink under-lit clouds dancing with lightening. They stood at the edge of an abandoned quarry, closer to Sudbury than Ottawa.

Levi looked down, his breath coming out in frosty puffs.

Cait's body tingled, waves of hot and cold passing over her, balancing each other out. For one fraction of a second the idea of prushing him over the edge entered her mind. She could fight him. She could take him on, snatch the silverline and put it on him.

_Don't be an idiot,_ the voice in her head countered.

No. There was not a chance in hell she could actually expect to win one on one with Levi. She had to get Levi away from this world. For Sophie, for her family... for everyone. Her eyes lowered to the man-made pit. A small pool was forming at the basin, water glistening over the moss strewn rocks.

"This will do," said Levi. "I want you to focus on gathering your will, build up the energy inside of you. Then pour it into the quarry. Keep it contained. Hold it for a few seconds then draw the energy back in. In, out, in. Got it? When you have more energy than you know what to do with, then you're going to build the door, and rip it open. And don't blow us up! Got it?"

"How do you know if it will even open to the right place?" asked Cait.

Levi smiled. He dipped a hand into his pocket, pulled out a little sachet and emptied the contents into Cait's hands. Red and copper sand spilled into her palms. Immediately she could feel a zing of energy humming into her body.

"Smell it."

Cait lifted the sand to her nose and inhaled, careful not to breathe in the delicate dust. It smelled spicy, warm... and...

Like James.

The thought brought up a flood of memories. She felt the current of electrified heat intensified in her hands, carrying the sensation up her arms and all over her body.

"A little inspiration to keep you on track. Any time you're ready. Sometime this century would be nice," added Levi snidely.

The feeling intensified like a hot fire in her belly. It wanted to come out but Cait fought the urge to release just yet, containing it in a small inner bubble. She remembered James in the coffin, being locked in the crypt by herself... She could feel the energy balling up inside of her much like her anger. Slowly, she moved the ball outside herself, extending it just beyond arms' reach and then like dowsing a fire, she drew it back within. It felt like a small explosion went off inside of her.

She coughed and gasped, staggering back briefly.

"Again," said Levi.

Cait took a few more breaths. She felt drained as it was from the journey but she was determined to do this. There was no other choice.

She tried again.

And again.

And again.

Over and over, gathering more and more energy each time. As long as she didn't expend it - as long as she drew it back inside herself - she found she could last longer than when she'd practiced with James. Or maybe she'd already built up more tolerance since then?

_James._ It always came back to him. Each time she started anew she thought of him. There was something there, something between them, something that linked them.

Still, it was taxing in different ways. And though it was no longer a torrential downpour, it was still raining.

"Again," said Levi.

The sky was so dark Cait could hardly see her hands anymore. Her body felt numb but weighted from her soaked clothes. Her head felt light. She paused to close her eyes. Her stomach growled in concurrence.

"Taking a break already?" Levi chided. "I suppose you want a blanket and warm glass of milk as well?"

Cait glared at him. She felt a satisfied crack as she reached out and purled like a whip causing lightening to strike the muddy path only a few feet from Levi. He ground his teeth but said nothing.

She took another deep breath. Some of the sand slipped from her fingers. Gathering her will, she repeated the ritual one more time. Somewhere in the middle of calling the energy back things truly went black and Cait passed almost effortlessly from conscious thoughts to dreams.

She was wadding through muddy water, getting closer to the shore - a dry, caked red mud. The water became a heavy train that trailed behind her. The ground cracked as it became dryer and dryer, the air growing hotter as well. On she walked.

" _Caitlin," called a distant voice. She looked around, never stopping. A figure stood on a dune against the horizon, his feet apart, hands on his hips. Waiting for her. "Caitlin."_

" _James?" she called back. He smelled of spice and desert and... firewood._

" _Caitlin." She couldn't tell if he was pleased or pissed._

" _James?" The train snagged on something behind her and she tripped. She yanked a few times until it came free and she continued. He was always out of reach though. "James!"_

The train snagged again. Was it her imagination or had it gotten longer and heavier? Wind raised the sand into the air, obscuring the figure on the dune even further. She struggled to break free. The figure was fading. In a panic Cait ripped the train and ran, but he was gone. The wind picked up the train like a sail, twisting it into a tight ribbon like a giant leash. She slowed to a walk.

" _Caitlin," the voice called again from a different direction. She saw him, turned, and on she walked._

"Caitlin!"

Her eyes opened, staring at a makeshift fire just a few feet in front of her. She sat up, finding the act painful. There were aches inside and all over her body. The part of her that had been facing the fire was dry.

"About bloody time," Levi rolled his eyes. "You were moaning."

However long it had been, it didn't feel nearly long enough. The sky was clearing though, and the eastern quarter was shades lighter than she'd last seen it. She ignored Levi, walking away from him and the fire and stealing a moment to stare up at the stars.

She heard him douse the fire and walk up behind her. Taking her hand he spilled what was left of the sand. Cait didn't need it though.

She remembered the dream, remembered James shouting for her from the coffin... saying her name as they made love at the cottage...She knew the touch and smell of his body, the security and warmth of his presence. She was ready.

Gathering everything in her, pulling in the energy from around her, she built it up until it filled every inch of her being, ready to rip her apart. She was beginning to see sparks.

"Now Caitlin!" Levi yelled.

She scarcely heard him. A volcano of energy was ready to erupt out of her. "Caitlin, now!"

Her skin was so flushed with waves of hot and cold it was painful and she heard cracks of static sizzling and popping. The next part was to let it out. Her hands opened, filling the quarry with every ounce of manna she could call up.

"NOW!" Levi screamed.

Cait's knees went weak. Her head spun but she held on long enough to stem the flow, and this time she reached into the center with an arrast hand, felt something solid catch like an anchor and ripped it open. There was a blinding flash of light. Cait flew forward, the power rushing out of her and almost simultaneously slamming back into her. The world she knew disappeared as Levi fell with her, grabbing hold of her hand. The pressure around them stretched and swallowed them whole.

Chapter 17

There was hostility on the streets that James had never felt before. Markets that should have been teeming with people bartering and trading were unnaturally quiet, dealing in hushed voices and furtive glances and nods. Even in plainclothes, passersby's either stared him down until he was out of view or avoided eye contact altogether.

This end of South Den was visible under the watchful eye of the Citadel, not far from the wall. The seed of paranoia, of being under constant surveillance, had taken deep root. It didn't sit well with James. Even in the short time he'd been gone things hadn't felt this... oppressive.

James marched determinedly past the front of a large brown brick building. He turned down a series of smaller alleys until he'd circled back around to the shaded side door. A couple of lean, muscular men were taking a break outside. One leaned against the brick wall, one sat on the steps. They cut their conversation short when James approached.

"Ian?" he said. One of the men grunted and nodded in admission. He stepped passed them and entered the sweltering boiler room. The smell was so strong it leant a metallic taste to his mouth. Ovens burned, steam vented up through exhaust hoods and everywhere bins and piles and shelves were loaded with different ores and metals. In contrast to the outside, however, here there was a flurry of activity. Apprentice smiths scurried from one station to another, gathering items, stoking fires, passing notes and running other errands, hardly noticing the stranger in their midst. Hammers pounded on anvils, blacksmiths shouted for more or less heat from the bellow boys, and all the while there was a pervasive whistle from the steam.

With all the noise James was surprised by a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned to find a friendly face, black beard flecked with gray, a wild mane of soot coated hair tied back in a ponytail. Before he could say a word two heavy set arms wrapped around him, pressing him close against the thick leather apron the man wore.

"Ha! Didn't think I'd see you again, old friend." Ian released his grip.

"Ian," James nodded with a friendly smile. "Can we talk?"

"Come," the master blacksmith ushered him to a quieter side office. Ian took a seat in an old leather chair, leaning back and ushering for James to do the same in the chair across the table. "What can I do for the Ghost of the Val?" He clasped his hands over a solid belly.

James ignored the proffered chair. He raised an eyebrow. "Ghost of the Val?" Ian shrugged, offering only a constant smile and a soft twinkle in his eyes."

"Your return brings hope to the people."

"I don't know about hope but I did bring something," said James, "I was hoping for a big favor..." He pulled out a small package from inside his pocket. Ian's expression took on a serious curiosity as James carefully unwrapped the fabric.

"What...?" Ian picked up one of the pieces and inspected it closely, leaving his words hanging. James put the cloth and the other pieces on Ian's desk. He lifted another one up, waiting until he had Ian's attention again. When he did, he made a point of closing his fist around the piece. His eyes conveying a message he dared not speak aloud.

"You always did like a challenge." James let the request sink in before putting the piece down again. "I'll need them soon," James continued, "The sooner the better. Are you up for it?"

Doubt and worry crossed the smith's face but he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "This is no small thing you ask. I'll need time, measurements, the heat transfer equations alone..." he shook his head, his eyes glued to the small piece in his hand. He sighed deeply. "And doing it off the books..."

James stared in silence, hardly blinking.

Another sigh. "I suppose you wouldn't ask if it wasn't something important... coming back from the grave and all," the corner of his left eye twitched. Ian wagged a finger at him, put the piece down and stood up. "You owe me big for this, James. Big."

The smile returned to James' face. "I know."

"Give me a couple of days."

***

Cait tumbled, rolling on sand that somewhat cushioned the blow. The energy from the portal poured back into her faster than she expected. Still, she had barely enough time to get back on her feet before she heard Levi curse. He was looking past her though. She followed his gaze. Red dunes stretched out in all directions, the rise and fall of crests like waves on a red gold sea, bordered by a cloudless azure sky. But standing only a few feet away was a giant beast with blood-orange fur that blended with a vortex of sand flaring around it. It was as if the creature were half monster-wolf and half desert storm.

Cait's eyes widened, her mouth open in a silent scream. Giant ebony eyes stared back at her.

"It's a howler. They're attracted to manna." Levi said calmly.

"What do we do?" Her voice wavered.

Levi didn't answer. His eyes as calculating as the beast's.

Then its posture shifted and Cait learned how it had earned its name. She dropped on all fours, shaking as the deafening roar slammed into her. Wind dusted up the sand and pelted her on all sides.

Levi shouted but she couldn't hear anything outside of the howling winds, even after the beast had shut its jaws and padded up close to sniff her. Instinctively, Cait prushed out in all directions. She felt a kind of shield forming around her, deflecting the sand. The creature looked up and howled again. Cait felt the resistance pressing against her. She reached out with her mind, fortifying the shield. In a flash, the beast was off - Levi had run, triggering a predatory pursuit - leaving Cait in the wake of the storm.

Slowly she looked up, thankful to be alive. The winds ebbed and sand fell into drifts around her. She released the shield, crawling shakily along the crest of the dune. Her feet slipped on the unstable layer of fresh sand. She tumbled down, failing to find a foothold until she was nearly at the base.

She stared up at the sky, gathering what wits she could.

There was a strange crack and pop. Something shot up in the sky and flared above the dune valley.

What now?

A figure popped over the dune ledge and slid down to her.

"James?" The body seemed too small but the camo she recognized. At least it wasn't Levi. Relief fled the instant the figure pounced on her, knees bearing into her chest, two hands on either side of her neck pressing something stretched thin between them. Two large gray-green eyes glared at her.

"James who?"

Cait choked for air. "Devlin... tracker," she scarcely wheezed out.

The woman's eyes went wild with rage. "And what would you be wanting with my mate?" she sneered.

Mate?

"You have one minute before the rest of the pack rounds up your terrorist friend. Talk!" The bitch all but barked at her, lifting the silverline only enough to let Cait speak.

"I... I'm a friend of James. Please, I need to see him."

"Liar!" She dug in her knees.

"I was abducted by Levi. I just came through a portal to face a red howler. I need to find James!" Cait insisted, hardening her resolve.

For a second there was silence and Cait worried that maybe James wasn't even here. Then the woman responded, "he never mentioned you."

"Yeah well, he didn't exactly mention you either," Cait threw back.

The woman pressed down, but the line wasn't sealed yet. Cait prushed her to the side and scrambled up only to get purled sideways by an invisible lasso-like force. The bitch was on her feet and lunged faster than Cait could get out of the way. Out came the claws and Cait suddenly found herself in a cat fight in the middle of the desert.

Cait reached up and purled her opponent's hair, yanking her over her head and slamming her into the sand. Cait's mind was reeling. Was this a fight over James? Why hadn't he said anything?

A wave of sand kicked up and assaulted Cait, stinging her eyes. She fought back blindly. All of her frustration and anger pent up from the past days lashed out. She heard the bitch scream with rage and through blurry squints she could see four marks slashed across the woman's left cheek.

Retaliation came swiftly. Cait was knocked back, a heavy force of arrast applied to her throat. Cait found herself looking up at the most wondrous morning-colored sky, a mottle of pinks and blues, clear and endless... while the periphery of red dunes swirled around her. Her lungs burned for oxygen. She gave one final desperate pulse and the bitch flew back. Cait gasped but before she had a chance to stand, reinforcements arrived. Cait was swarmed.

Her hands were tied behind her back, her protests muffled by a mouthful of sand. She was lifted to her feet just in time for the bitch to land in her face and lock silverline tightly against her neck. The woman then tore strips from Cait's shirt and used them as a gag.

"What the hell, Islena?!" shouted a man, grabbing the bitch by the arm. Islena wrenched herself free.

"She's an accomplice to the terrorist," she snarled, sounding slightly out of breath.

Cait jerked vehemently towards her but was grabbed on either side. The man's eyes looked down on her, judging her for himself.

"Liar!" Cait tried to shout in vain.

With a decided nod from the man and a snigger of victory on Islena's face, Cait knew she was doomed.

They marched her, over the coppery-red crests with the sun rising in their eyes. She was still teary-eyed from the scuffle, unable to see where she was stepping and unable to keep up with the apret-aided pace of her captors. The dunes were sharp and steep at first, then smoothing out as a tall dark wall appeared on the horizon. They continued towards it, the sun reflecting off the shining copper and gold sand. Cait's eyes continued to sting with tears, the salt drying in betraying streaks across her cheeks.

Nothing good could come from being labelled a terrorist. Her adrenaline rush spent, reality crashed down. She was here and she was alone. What was the punishment for terrorism? What was the justice system like? Where were they taking her and what would they do if she told them she was a dualist?

And why hadn't James told her about his... mate? Was that a wife or a girlfriend? Somehow psycho bitch didn't fit with her idea of a match for James.

She blinked back fresh tears. _Keep it together._

She took long deep breaths but the constant launch and landing of her escorts prush-running slightly out of synch was jarring her nerves.

Eventually the ground hardened, packed flat with pebbles and snagging black weeds that breached through dry cracks. The high sand-stone perimeter wall surrounding the city did nothing to shield the view of rising cliffs behind it. The patrol slowed their approach toward the main watchtower, allowing Cait ample time to swallow the lump in her throat as she looked up, and up, and up. She was briefly blinded by the sunlight hitting the pearly white Citadel walls before they brought her across a courtyard and through a dark vaulted tunnel below a guard tower. James' description had not done Sildre Val justice.

They turned down a different archway, following a dark corridor with only a few narrow slits cut at the base of the stone to allow any light on the footpath. Cait tripped regardless, her body aching and soles on the verge of blistering after all the hot sand they'd crossed. The cool shadowed path was almost a welcome relief when they finally stopped outside a large steel door. It opened with a click and creak, swinging heavily in a manner that reminded her of the NRC basement vault now a lifetime away. She was handed off to a single escort without a word. The smell of damp stone leant an earthy metallic taste to her gagged tongue. Other scents - stale sweat and stagnant water - became stronger too.

Dread gnawed at her gut. This was looking more and more like a dungeon.

A real one.

They passed other halls with doors aligning them, the ground pitched downward, curling on and on until it seemed there were no doors left. Stale warm air permeated with earthy, coppery and... other foul smells. Cait's stomach turned.

The hands that escorted her pushed her into one of the last cells - what amounted to be a hole in the wall. It was then she realized who had escorted her. The cell was 360 degrees of mirrors. Silver, no doubt.

Islena smiled as she lifted Cait's hands into shackles that hung from the ceiling. Of course only Islena could remove the silverline she'd sealed.

"Lucky for you, the Speaker's insisted on all terrorists being brought to him for sentencing. If it were up to me you'd rot," she smiled deviously though her eyes spoke volumes of hate. "Oh, and if I were you, I wouldn't scream unless you want the spiders and rats to know there's fresh meat." She removed the gag.

"Go to hell!" Cait spat at her.

Islena wiped her cheek and slapped Cait across the face. That's for me." She punched her in the stomach. "And that's for James. Stay away from my man!"

Cait strained, gasping for breath. For a second Islena stayed and watched, as if debating inflicting further pain, but then turned and left, closing the door and leaving Cait trapped in pitch darkness.

For the first time in days there was nothing to distract her from the physical and emotional pain. She stood with her hands hung just above shoulder level, shivering despite the uncomfortably warm air. Her cheek stung, her gut ached and she tasted blood on her lips, but if pain meant she was alive then so be it. Someone - the Speaker - would see her soon. If she could just talk to him, if he was reasonable...

Her mind went into overdrive in the dark. If Islena wanted her to stay away from James surely that meant he was here. Somewhere. But a mate...? Was that something that had happened before or after she'd slept with him? And how, after the connection they'd felt, that she had felt... Hadn't she? Was it all in her head? No, he'd cared for her. He'd been genuine. It had to be a lie.

God...

Cait groaned, her injuries throbbing. She wished she could just curl up into a ball.

Chapter 18

Cait could no longer tell if her eyes were open or closed. The latter most likely. Now and then she'd find herself swaying, the tug of metal on her wrists keeping her back from the edge of falling asleep. Each time she drifted and came back her heart gave a little jump and her chest tightened until every breath burned.

Had they forgotten about her? Would James?

Hot salty tears streaked down her cheeks, along her jaw and chin. Some met with the cut in her lip and stung the wound anew. She did her best to wipe them away. Her hands had gone numb. She stretched and pulled and let out a scream.

The sound echoed in the cell. She shivered again, her ears ringing.

No. Keep it together Caitlin.

"I am not going to die in here," she vowed, her throat dry and hoarse.

_Die in here_ , the words echoed back at her mockingly.

She bit her lip, and breathed slowly through her nose. _Focus._ She listened to the breath pull in and out of her lungs. She heard the shift of her feet on the smooth floor, the slight sound of the cuffs and chains when she moved her hands.

And something shuffling, scurrying quickly. A mouse? Had Islena been right about the scream attracting them? Mice she could handle but spiders... She shivered.

No. The sound changed. It was too big to be a mouse. Footsteps? Someone was hurrying closer.

Cait straightened, hope and fear swelling in her.

The door flooded with light before she was ready. She was blinded by the infinite reflection of torch light.

"Here, your honour," the voice made her insides turn. Her eyes hadn't adjusted yet but she knew Islena was grinning ear to ear.

Cait blinked repeatedly. Was she seeing double or was there another figure beside Islena? A man in a charcoal gray suit. Cait's heart pounded in her chest, her mind failing as he stepped in the cell. He stood before her, his reflection everywhere around her.

"David?" The name slipped out in a hoarse whisper.

There were small changes in his face, hard lines, tanned skin, and patches of gray in his hair. But... but David, her David, was...

Was she insane? If only she could touch him to be sure.

He kept his gaze glued to her in silence. His face could have won a poker championship, while Cait's ran the gamut of shock to awe, hope and hurt clawing at her heart.

"And the other one?" he asked.

"Escaped. He had a howler on him but it turned on the pack when they pursued," Islena replied, her smirk replaced by disappointment and curiosity.

He spent another interminable minute staring in cold silence. Cait's eyes prickled.

"Release her."

"P-pardon?" Islena blinked. David did not repeat himself. He put a hand on Cait's chin, running his thumb gently over her bottom lip and the cut.

"I'm sorry," he told her. Whether it was for the shape she was in or everything he'd put her through from his disappearance, she wasn't sure. Maybe both. An accumulation of emotions washed over her.

Islena had recovered enough sense to move in behind her and unlocked the clasps. Cait all but fell into David's arms, burying her face into his chest and broke into sobs.

David's arms wrapped protectively around her, pressing her tightly against him.

"Lord Speaker?" Islena's voice wavered nervously.

"You should have come to me sooner, Islena. This is no terrorist. This is my- This is Ambassador Summers." He squeezed her tighter. The rise and fall of his chest, the rumble of his voice, soothing and calming Cait. Something nagged at her though. Ambassador? Lord Speaker? A bolt of anger shot through her. He had a lot of explaining to do!

After all this time, he couldn't have even given her a clue that he was still alive?

Where did they go from here? Were they still engaged? It was obvious he'd hidden some major aspects of his life from her. Was he even from Earth or was this his real home?

_You don't know him,_ the sudden realization caused a new tremble.

Nor did he know her; what she'd been through, how she'd changed and... what about James? Guilt stung in her throat as she swallowed a heavy lump.

"Come," he coaxed, taking her hands by the wrist, peeling her off of him. His shirt was slightly stained with tears and dirt. "Let's get you cleaned up." He led her out of the cell, leaving Islena wide-eyed behind them. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, the packs are acting on my command to treat all those associating with terrorists as equal threats. A show of force is often necessary. We've had a bit of an issue with coming under attack lately."

"So I've heard," said Cait. They continued in a tense silence through the halls, up to higher levels where the walls glistened in white-washed marble, the ceilings arched and vaulted. Up and up more winding stairs, Cait's legs were starting to shake like jell-o. They passed narrow walkways with windows overlooking atriums of libraries and sitting rooms. More halls. More corridors lined with doors that looked like carved ivory and the occasional hanging silk.

All the dirt and sand that had accumulated over the last days weighed heavier the further they walked. She felt like a stain standing out against the sterile walls.

David stopped her at a set of large double doors. They slid open sideways, gliding parallel to the outer wall. A small vestibule was revealed, the walls lined with curtains of sheer and gold silks before another set of double doors, these opening into the apartment.

Cait took it all in with growing anxiety. The furniture was sparse, all sleek, sharp lines, polished obsidian and garnet accents over leathery cream. A chaise lounge, two chairs at a round table were all that occupied the first room. There was a bathroom to one side, a bedroom on the other, and at seemingly random design wolves were carved in various poses and sizes on the walls. No. She realized as she got close enough to touch one, not carved into the walls but more like the walls had been carved out and smoothed away around the wolves.

A chill sped up her spine. David stood behind her, his warm breath reaching her ear.

"Cait," his voice barely contained a whimper of need. He spun her around and before she could protest he'd assaulted her with kisses. One hand snaked around the small of her back, the other pressed firmly on the base of her skull. His body slammed against her, forcing her back to the wall.

Cait resisted. Her mind reeling. She pushed against him, squirming - or trying to. His hold was unrelenting. She tried to speak but he took the opportunity to slip his tongue in her mouth.

But just as she thought she'd have to bite his tongue he came up for air. His smile not quite what she'd remembered.

"David, no. I can't."

Something dark flashed across his face. She'd forgotten so much of his darker moods, choosing to remember only the happy times. Each moment she spent with him more memories flooded back. A little voice in the back of her head was getting louder, _you don't know him._

You don't know him.

She swallowed hard, tasting him still. An image of Sophie and Levi popped in her head. _You of all people._ Everything was spiraling out of control. "We need to talk."

His poker face returned. He seemed to sober and stepped back to really look her over.

"You've changed," he said.

"I could say the same about you, _Lord Speaker_ ," she placed deliberate emphasis on the last two words. Anger flared, along with a little courage. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I've waited so long for you-"

"Two years," Cait interjected. "Two! And in all that time you..." She fought back a new wave of tears and cleared her throat. "I thought you were dead."

His expression was pure granite. He swept a hand through his carefully coifed black hair.

"Were... were you ever going to come back and tell me?" She couldn't look him in the eyes so she stared down at her own arms.

She heard him let out a huff, almost like a laugh.

"Of course. Who do you think arranged to bring you here?"

All the breath fled her lungs.

"I work very hard for what's mine. It did take a lot longer than I'd intended but change takes time and I had a government to run. I'm sorry I couldn't come get you myself but I sent Levi as soon as I could." He paused, assessing the look of horror on her face.

"Creating and jumping through portals is not exactly easy or common place - even for those of us strong enough to accomplish it. The knowledge was almost lost. Thankfully my predecessor happened to come upon it and keep it guarded until he could pass it down. Which reminds me," he sighed and pulled out a piece of silverline from his breast pocket.

Cait stiffened.

"Just a precaution," he smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

_You don't know him._ Her heart-rate jacked up even more.

He held it out as if expecting her to put her hand out to accept it.

"You made a promise to me, Cait." She didn't like the edge in his voice.

"You died," she said.

His eyes narrowed. "You've been unfaithful."

She wouldn't deny it. It was quiet between them for a while. Caitlin swallowed the lump in her throat and made fists of her trembling fingers.

You don't know him.

Finally David sighed and spoke again, "I forgive you."

"You what?" Caitlin blinked, finding herself suddenly short of breath.

"I crossed worlds to find you. You agreed to be mine. For crying out loud, Caitlin! You thought I was dead, fine. I forgive you. Now you're here. We can move on. We can move forward like we planned." The volume of his voice was steadily increasing. He was close to yelling now.

"I don't even know you," the words spilled out before she could stop them, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Then let me show you," he offered up the silverline once more. Cait shook her head, fear mounting. He took an impatient deep breath. "Be with me, Caitlin, or you can go back to that cell." The darkness in his eyes made Caitlin shuddered. The little voice screamed for her to run, lash out, anything. But she was frozen. Pinned. He was prushing her against the wall, she realized. It was subtle but there.

"Why me?"

"I think you know why. You're special, Caitlin." He knew. He knew all along what she'd been capable of. Was that his plan all along? Just to find someone who could...

"What do you want with me?"

The darkness permeated his smile. "I just want you to be mine. Be my life-mate. I want to wash the sand from your hair and the dirt from your face," he caressed her as he spoke, "and forget the last two years ever happened." Cait hadn't realized she was shaking her head until he put his hand on her chin to stop her. "You can either live here with me and share my bed, and be clothed and fed, or you can go back to that cell, but I will have you either way."

Part of her wanted to go back to the cell just to say screw you, but if she agreed to stay here she'd have a much better chance at escaping. Cait swallowed and held out her hand. David had obviously played his part well. Now it would be her turn.

He took her hand, pulled her close and sealed the silverline around her neck. His false smile returned.

"That's a good girl. Now let's get you cleaned up."

***

The bathroom was a large circular room of mostly uncut stone. Water fell from one wall into a sunken basin. There were no windows. The only light came from a pedestal of glowing stones in the sitting room that was reflected off several well placed mirrors.

David stood, watching her. Cait waited, arms crossed over her chest but he made no motion to leave or turn away... He just stared right back at her. Apparently he was not going to concede that anything had changed, that things were different between them.

After two minutes of awkward silence Cait took a deep breath, reminding herself that he had seen her naked before. Hell, this _was_ David! She undressed, leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor (remembering how much of a neat freak he was). Then she stepped into the pool. The water was hot, more than she expected, turning her skin an instant pink. She winced, but told herself she would get used to it. She soaked every inch of herself before looking back at David. He was still watching her, his face unreadable. She never had been able to decipher his moods.

"Try not to take too long, we'll be having dinner in an hour. I'll find you something suitable to wear," said David, finally leaving.

Cait groaned inwardly. All she wanted right now was a decent sleep but she doubted that was on the menu.

Her stomach growled. _Traitor_ , she though. Ok, maybe dinner was a good idea. And if they ate with others then she wouldn't be alone with David.

Cait stretched in the water, trying to get the same soothing sense as the hot showers she would take at home. But this was not home. The water was still too hot and the feeling of unease would not go away. _This is not the David I knew, either._ Had she ever known him? She found a small dispenser of what smelled like soap and set to work cleaning. Cait scrubbed a bit all over then focussed on her hair. _That_ at least felt incredibly good. She closed her eyes for a minute, sinking completely. When she surfaced, her muscles tensed.

"I forgot how beautiful you are," David's voice had her eyes spring wide open. She twisted around. He held up a towel. Cait shuddered to think how long he'd been watching her.

She stepped out of the basin. David wrapped her in the towel, rubbing and pressing against her. Cait backed away.

"Your dress is on the bed. I'm just going to freshen up."

Without a word Cait went into the bedroom. The dress was pale moss green, the material almost as light and soft as silk. The sleeves hung low on her arms, tapered at the wrists and left her shoulders bare. The body fitted around her chest and the rest fell in a loose A-line down to mid-thigh in front, longer in the back. Cait still felt naked and exposed with it on. There was also a pair of thin slippers in matching moss green.

"Stunning," David held out a hand for her. The look in his eyes was clear this time; he was drinking her in. And for just an instant she saw the old David. Caitlin stepped close to him and his hands reached into her hair. She thought he was going to kiss her but instead he secured a pin to keep her hair half back."Mmm, makes me wish we didn't have to attend but our guests await."

Cait's heart hammered. She walked with him through both sets of double doors, down the hall to a set of stairs, passing several stationed guards who hadn't been there earlier. She felt their eyes following her. She noticed their uniforms were slightly different than James': washed out beige pants, and white shirt under tan leather vests, more in line with the colours of the Citadel. Her heart sank further.

David's grip tightened, leading her through a hallway to a large room walled entirely with windows on one side. She imagined the night sky would be breathtaking if the stars weren't obscured from the light in the room. As it was, it simply appeared as one black wall criss-crossed with white panes. Everyone else appeared to be seated already.

"So there are windows in this place," Cait noted quietly. David let out a throaty chuckle.

"Of course! The Citadel is only half carved into the mountain," he chided.

"His honorable Lord Speaker, and Ambassador Summers," announced a man in a peach and cream suit.

Three tables were set up in three sides of a square U-shaped design. David escorted Cait to the center of the head table, with a full view of three half-naked women dancing around a violin and flute player, instead of the star-lit sky behind them. Senators, high ranking guards and other supposed notables were introduced to her, their names passing like sand through her fingers. She did notice that most of the Senators wore cloaks and dark suits similar to David's, all some combination of gray or black. Aside from the dancers and servers, (and one female guard from the look of it), Cait was the only woman seated at the table. All eyes looked her over at some point, some lingering longer than others. Appraising. Admiring. Calculating. There would be no help here. Cait swallowed a dry lump. _Focus on the food,_ she told herself.

Platters were spread across the tables: cuts of goat meat dripping in gravy, soft cheeses on assorted greens, dates dipped in honey, leaf bound figs, some beans, and flat breads. She wondered if James had ever spent time guarding these halls, if he might be eating somewhere close by, or maybe he had a home somewhere else? She ate what she could of dinner and drank a sweet wine that left her throat even more parched. She spotted water pitchers further down the table but they never seemed to make it to her. Instead the servers were eager to ensure her glass was always full.

Just as she opened her mouth to ask that one be passed down the age-spotted Senator to her left spoke up, "It is good of you to join us, Lady Summers. So nice to put a face to the woman bound for our Lord Speaker. I can see now why he's kept you secreted away so long... such an ordeal it must have been."

David's hand clamped down on her thigh. She ignored the veiled warning, turning her attentive smile on the white-bearded dodderer, "Oh it _is_ sir, it _is_."

David's false laugh was accompanied by a tightening of his hand. "Forgive the lady, Master Kenrick, she still suffers from lingering afflictions."

Her neighbour shrugged, a slow arthritic rise and fall of his shoulders. "Oh yes, yes," he paused to swallow the half-masticated food in his mouth, "one can only imagine... abducted by a terrorist and the villain still at large, as I understand it..."

Cait's mouth opened to reply but David pressed down firmly. She tried to shake him off by shifting her leg but his solid grip made her wince.

"Yes, quite unfortunate that he has thwarted the scouting packs thus far. I've already spoken with the Alpha-General to discuss security needs. Arrangements have been made to see that the Citadel is quite secure."

"You think he is in the city?" asked another Senator further down the right side.

"We know he is. There were sightings in South Den," replied the high ranking officer beside David whose breastplate was covered in pins and notched stripes of different colored leather.

Several voices rose in dissention: the packs were incompetent, the Senate wasn't doing enough... one man suggested protecting the Citadel should come before the citizens, another agreed that if the Citadel were attacked the city would fall into complete chaos.

"The threat of terrorists against all people is the top priority of concern to the Senate," David's booming voice cut through all of them, giving even the musicians and dancers a momentary pause.

Cait nibbled at her piece of flatbread.

"What we need is a cull through the slums," proposed one officer.

"Throwing the poor in jail serves nothing but spreading further ill will between honest working citizens and the terrorists and their supporters. What we need is better education, and more counselling services," proposed a Senator with a mouthful of half chewed meat and beans.

The officer shrugged his shoulders and lifted his cup back to his lips. "It might also flush out Levi."

"Catching the terrorists is only half the equation. Senator Williams has the right of it, I think, invest in the schools. We need to get to them at a young age. Teach them to manage themselves."

"Yes," the officer slapped his empty cup down, "because that has worked so well in the past. And in the meanwhile, it's only a matter of time before one of them gets into the main food stores or water supply!"

Two of the Senators and Cait paused to stare at the table with the platters of food and drink... David continued to chew and swallow the current forkful in his mouth. He took a large gulp of wine and before the conversation started up again he stood up.

"Gentlemen," David said with a smile, his eyes bright with a humour that gave Cait the wrong kind of goose bumps. "Perhaps this banter is better suited to the morning council session. Much as I enjoy listening to your voices, I do believe our guest has lost her appetite and I have promised her a night of pleasantries to make up for the nightmarish events which she has endured until now." He held his hand out to Cait. The men around them all bowed their heads, muttering apologies (to her or to the Speaker, she wasn't sure).

Reluctantly, Cait followed David from the table. Instead of walking out the way they'd come in, however, he opened a panel in the window and took her out to a catwalk that lead onto a larger balcony off an immense glass dome. The music followed them out only about half way. The cool night air made her shiver but helped to sober the effects of the wine. The night sky was a clear, deep indigo, with innumerable twinkling stars, bright and dim and breathless to behold. The breeze grew stronger and cooler the closer they walked to the edge. It overlooked almost all of Sildre Val. Cait looked down at the empty courtyard, the distant walls of the town with its various buildings, alleys, street lamps... She couldn't make out anything beyond the wall in the dark but she knew the desert was there. To the distant left were some short domed buildings in a kind of camp. Cait turned to look up at the windows and walls of the Citadel, emerging from the cliff face as though a giant had sheared off half a mountain and then dropped it down on the building. The moon was moving just to the other side of the cliff, casting a bright light over the balcony and the top of the glass dome. It also cast half a shadow on David's face as he looked at her.

Cait took a deep breath. "Why, David?" the question brought tears to the surface but she fought them.

He took a long, deep breath. "You should see it when then sun rises and sets. When the people gather _en mass_ in the courtyard... or on the right day you can even see a sandstorm on the horizon. It's a sight not many can claim they've seen. Yet despite how it appears, the magic that flows through this world is changing. It's disappearing. Slowly diluting in our bloodlines.

"Remus and Romulus were the first: twin sons of an Earth queen and a God, abandoned to the river to be rescued by a she-wolf, raised as shepherds but each gathering a following of people. Eventually the truth of their origin is discovered, they claim their rightful place, but there can only be one king. Romulus claims the city of Rome. That's the story you know, the founding of Rome, as your people call it.

"But Remus leaps from the city wall, opens a portal and crosses to the Red Desert," David waved at the dark expanse beyond the walls. "Once again he was rescued by a wolf - a red howler. He unites the Wanderers, founds the First City, and later Sildre Val. Technically, it was the Wanderers who were the first dualists, and the father - the so called God - would have been one of them - the first to cross to Earth - but Remus was the one to unite them and build the City so he is credited as the first. His children, his children's children, and many generations down the line remained as pure dualists until about 600 years ago.

"Facing a large scale war across all of Allea, the last king of Sildre Val decided to build an army with highly specialized skills. We don't know exactly what happened or how he did it because what he did was so... insane that it his name and all records of the time were wiped from the history books. The effects have been irreversible thus far. Since then, the dualists began to die out, other wars were waged, monarchy was replaced by aristocracy (the Senate), and now the bloodlines are so diluted and so weak it's come to breeding and silverline just to keep any form of manna existing at all.

"But I was destined to bring it back. To restore order that has been lost in centuries of chaos. Going to Earth was... a necessity. A pleasant one," he touched her cheek, "but I never meant to stay in your world. My father - the previous Speaker - is the one who found the ancient scrolls buried in a forgotten section of the Citadel. He started the silverline research. I inherited that knowledge. I knew that until the dualists died, they had been crossing to Earth throughout both our histories. All it takes is the right genetic combination and once upon a time a dualist from my world gave birth to a legacy on yours.

"It was never about leaving you, Caitlin. It was that I had to find you, and I had to come back because policies had to be set in motion and I had to establish my position in order to bring you back. You're the key, Caitlin. Your blood. Your genes."

He looked like David but the David she'd known was a complete lie. She shivered but it had nothing to do with the chill in the night breeze.

"Come, we need to get you warmed up."

He took her back to his apartment. Almost as soon as the doors were closed he started to strip off his clothes. His cloak went over the back of the chair, his suit jacket on a closet hanger. Then his hands went to the buttons of his shirt and he stalked her, his eyes darkening with carnal hunger. The blood drained from Cait's face. She felt faint as his hands went next to his pants.

"David, I can't do this," she took a step back but David quickly closed the gap. He smiled, one hand around the small of her back, the other one palmed against the side of her face.

"I've missed you so much," he said and pressed his lips on hers.

Cait pushed against his chest. "Wait!"

"I've waited over two years to have you returned to me. I finally have everything I've been working towards. I'm done waiting." He kissed her again and at the same time pulled the dress from her body, ripping it in his haste. He undid the pin from her hair, grabbed the locks that fell loose and wrapped them twice around his hand. With that wicked smile he gave a tug and swung her against the bed. Cait was nearly paralyzed by the realization that he was going to do this with or without her consent.

Her David was dead. _He had never lived_. It had all been an act to lure her into... _breeding_. Her heart rate jack-hammered.

Cait fought back but the tears and wine and silverline worked against her. David had always been stronger. His hands were all over her, his tongue and teeth grazing and biting. He was either oblivious to her cries or he was enjoying them. Either way it scared her even more.

Lines of apret pinned her arms and legs enabling him to manoeuvre her how he liked. She was utterly helpless. His hands caressed her body, cupping and thumbing her breasts. His tongue moved lower too, licking and nipping. The more he leaned over her, the more she felt his firm erection pressing on her. They were both panting when David stood back. His hands slid down her waist now, moving in slow circles to her hips and then inward, one hand finally making its way to the sensitive spot between her legs, stroking. This was David. He knew exactly where and how to touch her to raise a reaction. Cait wanted to die. She was sure her pulse was thumping visibly through her chest, her heart ready to jump out. She tried to retreat in her mind but he knew her. He knew how to keep her grounded, how to treat her body. And her body betrayed her.

A strangled whimper escaped her lips.

"Give it up, Caitlin," David panted, "you'll enjoy it more if you just. give. up."

He folded her legs up, one by one, climbing between them and spreading them wide around his torso. There was no more foreplay. He penetrated her and for a second the apret lifted and Cait let out a yell. He thrust forward, leaned heavily on top of her and covered her mouth with his again. He pounded against her, trying to get deeper within her, building up momentum. Cait managed to scratch gouges on his chest. David roared suddenly withdrawing. Cait fought but he caught her arms, flipped her over on her stomach, and prushed her into the mattress. "Need a lesson do we?"

She felt his hands kneading her ass. He slapped the fleshy part of her cheeks. Cait shrieked. Taking pleasure in her pain, his hand came down again on the same spot. The mark burned. His fingers squeezed and he teased the length of his shaft against her slick folds before pressing for entry. Cait squirmed but he held her down harder. He forced himself in to the hilt in one sudden thrust. Cait felt as though she'd been stabbed and ripped apart by a dozen knives. David growled in ecstacy pulling out and pushing in with greater urgency and force, culminating in a rush of liquid heat. That's when she felt she'd truly died.

He groaned and twitched inside of her. His hands pinched and kneaded her hips, holding her to the last. When he finally pulled out she could feel the warm sticky trail seeping down her legs. He wiped himself off on her dress, and let out a long sigh while he stared at her.

"Don't get too comfortable," he tossed her the remnants of the dress, "we've got over two years' worth to make up for." He took out another piece of silverline from his pants pocket and hooked it to the chain already around her neck, producing a thin leash which he then tied to one of the bed posts. He walked around to the other side of the bed, pulled open the sheets, climbed in and lay down. He let out a long, satisfied sigh and closed his eyes. Cait didn't dare move. She felt sick to her stomach, wracked with pain, and a mix of emotions spiralling into a dark numb hole. When she finally did manage to crawl into a ball on top of the sheets, she drifted to sleep out of exhaustion only to be woken by him again two hours later. It continued that way throughout most of the night. At one point Cait wasn't even sure she had been conscious for all of it. She died a thousand times that night. And when he finally left for his meeting in the morning, she woke up alone, tied naked to the bed, and in sheets stained with sex, tears and blood.

Chapter 19

It was past the howling hour when Jobin got off shift. Somewhere in the last nine hours he'd become accustomed to the reflected glow of the Citadel walls, so that when it was time to leave he found it damn near impossible to see past the dark arches of the final doorway. The high gloss polish on the main steps was dimmed by a recent sand squall, and although logic assured him the ground beyond was level, his eyes suggested he'd be walking into a black hole. Jobin squinted. He could scarcely see the light from the dens over the high walls bordering the courtyard.

A cool hand slid onto his shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his boots. Miera's laughter was a ringing bell compared to the hammering in his chest.

"Didn't they teach you to close your eyes when you leave a bright room for a dark one? Your eyes will adjust faster."

Jobin swallowed back his first obscene response for a more polite banter, "Actually they tell us to always keep our eyes and ears open."

Miera giggled again. "Come PUP, I'll be your eyes tonight," she hooked her arm around his and started to lead him down the stairs. His breath hitched on the first step, not because of the move toward the black but because of the strong smell of jasmine oils wafting from her close proximity. His pulse raced, his muscles tightening in response.

"Why -?"

"Shh..." she tugged his arm, bumping his thigh with her hip. "Not here, pet. Too many open eyes and ears."

He followed her across the courtyard toward the south wall, through a series of smaller archways to the War Dens. As they reached the edge of the great wall Jobin's vision restored. As did the sounds of night chirps and, as they approached the first set of barracks, howls and snores and voices. The smell of burning oil lamps and smoking meat was less pervasive in the more open communes.

Jobin followed her as far as the watch tower but stopped short of the Brother's Brothel. There was enough noise around for a private conversation. Jobin put his hands on his hips.

"Alright Miera, whoever you work for -"

"Thank you!" She threw her arms around him, holding him tightly with all her weight in the movement. She sniffed back a tear, her body trembling.

Jobin almost lost his balance. He patted her shoulders awkwardly, unsure what was going on. When Miera finally eased off she wiped at her eyes and smiled.

"When James disappeared I was worried because Rhand was posted back to the desert and you can't always trust the city packs, especially in South Den. The Senators have such deep pockets nowadays... If I hadn't already been working I would have thanked you earlier but with everything going on I didn't find out until-"

"What are you talking about? How do you know Rhand? Thank you for what?" Jobin scratched the scruff of hair that would need to be shaved off come morning.

"Oh, goodness," Miera laughed, "I do tend to forget sometimes. Phillip Lasseter - Pip - he's my father."

"Pip is your...? Wait, his name is Phillip?!" Jobin's head was starting to hurt. Miera nodded, holding back another fit of laughter.

"I know, what name could be less intimidating in a pack bruiser? It was much more charming and endearing when my mother said it, believe me. You can't let him know that you know though. Only a handful of people do." Her eyes prickled with fresh tears. "About his name or about me." Her smile faltered a little.

"What do you mean?" His brow creased, not liking where this was going.

"My father... likes to keep his secrets to himself. The name thing is just to keep people guessing, I think. It's like a game, if you're worthy enough of his respect he'll let you in. The drinking too, he won't talk about the real reason. But me..." her eyes were really glistening now, "I'm a disappointment to him. A liability because of what I do, who I'm close to... Who I look like."

"Your mother?" Jobin guessed.

Miera nodded. "I was a surprise to both of them. They weren't even married, but I think they wanted to be. The Breeder's Board wouldn't approve. Mother was too weak and too common. My father has a lot of force and comes from good stock. They wanted him to bond with someone stronger, another pack enforcer. Still, they tried for a while to make it work but with father stationed in the War Dens and always out on duty, and my mother caring for me and working in the north grasses as a shepherdess, things fell apart between them. She was lonely, she cheated on him and he turned his back on her. She died when I was 16. I went to work for the Senate , it was safer than some of the street jobs, smelled and paid better than herding goats... but I am no stranger to the solicitations and propositions of men in high power... Give it a week, you keep your eyes and ears open and you'll see. Everyone turns down the handouts at first but they all have their price in the end. You worked with my father, you know how he is, with his conspiracy theories. Doesn't trust a Senator as far as he can throw them. The day my mother died, my father took to drinking. He was useless for months. Bills had to be paid. I took the job to pay them, and he disowned me. If it hadn't been for James, weaning him off the bottle and hooking him up with Rhand's pack..." she shook her head, wiped away a few stray tears, and took a breath. Jobin was amazed that she was still able to smile.

He looked at her curiously, "He abandoned you when you needed him most. Aren't you pissed at him?"

"Some days. But that's not who I am. I kind of understand what they both went through. It was tragic, but he was different when I was growing up. He's my father. I love him. Disowned or not." She smoothed out invisible creases on the front of her pinafore. Then she tucked her hands in the hidden pockets of her skirt and did a little twist. "So..." She looked up at him, "I just wanted to say thank you for looking after him."

Jobin sighed. "Well it just felt like someone had to. It's weird without James around."

Miera reached up and hesitantly touched Jobin's arm. "What happened? I mean there are rumours, but..."

"To be honest, I'm not even sure and I saw it firsthand." Miera's arm linked around Jobin's, her soft skin cool against his own, refreshing in the unusually warm night air. They started to walk again, a slower pace this time even though the path was well lit by interspersed glow stones. "He was dunes ahead of us, chasing after Levi. There was a great big flash of light and then..." he moved his hands apart, "only the empty valley and a small stretch of glass at the bottom."

"Glass?" Miera repeated, questioningly.

Jobin nodded. "They must have generated enough heat to melt the sand. There was no explosion though. No body parts or blood or any of that. I might have thought they'd faded if I didn't know they were both born to apret, or felt the heat on my face. And the weirdest thing... there was a strange smell. Just a hint of something... I don't know.

"I miss him though. Strange that I was only with them for a few months but I felt like -"

"Part of the pack?" offered Miera with a knowing smile.

"Yeah. James was like one of my older brothers, only nicer. He showed me so many things. Rhand was the alpha but James was the glue that bound us together. Without him..." he trailed off into silence.

Miera lay her head against his shoulder and sighed. The perfume and incense she wore wafted over him. Damn but she smelled good. They continued the leisurely stroll. The intimate exchange had him feeling much better. She was trying to gain his trust. She'd opened up to him first and he could tell it was all truth even if there was still something mischievous about her. Although that made sense if she was Pip's daughter.

They passed his barracks. Jobin's feet seemed to have a mind of their own and he wasn't altogether ready to let this pleasant moment end just yet.

"Is that Luna compound?" Miera asked, pointing at the white luminescent dome. Jobin nodded. "My father used to tell me stories about it. I've never been."

"Would you like to see it?" asked Jobin.

Miera looked up at him with a curious excitement. "Am I allowed?"

Jobin answered with a teasing smile. He took her hand and hurried her along to the entrance. There was a patrol guard touring not far away and they narrowly missed knocking over one of the glow stone pedestals as they slipped inside the arched entry.

They dashed down a series of steps into the round outer hall. There were twelve darkened archways leading into the inner amphitheater. The building hummed with energy. Rows on rows of benches lined the stepped walls, all giving equal view to the stage below.

Miera's mouth dropped as she took in the size of it.

"You could fit five ballrooms in this place!" she exclaimed. Her voice carried through the vacant air. She covered a hand over her mouth. Jobin hoped the local patroller was out of earshot. The sound resonance - impressive when in proper use - would get them in serious trouble.

Jobin spoke quietly, "you should see it when it's full. The last time I was here was for my induction ceremony. I stood in the first row down there," he pointed, "Everyone marching and howling... it was incredible. This place was designed to amplify noise and energy." _Completely the opposite of the Citadel, where noise is muted and hushed as much as possible, and the energy almost draining_ , they both thought the same thing. They both looked down, one imagining, one remembering. Miera broke the trance first.

"Come with me," she grabbed his arm and giggled.

They ran back to the encircling hall, this time Miera leading the way laughing. Their feet slapped against the flat cement floor, making it sound like there were ten of them instead of just two.

"Shh!" Jobin hushed but he hardly meant it, his heart hammering in his chest.

She grabbed at a couple of doors, the first two were locked, the third swung open.

"Miera, what are you -?"

She pulled him in. It was a tight fit, a small storage closet housing extra glow stone sconces, banister rails, and a couple of spare benches leaning up against one wall. Miera shut the door. One of the spare glow stones still held a dim light but it wouldn't last long. She was smiling up at him with a look much like hunger. Jobin swallowed.

"Mmmm, I bet we could make some sweet noises in here," she got closer, sliding her arms up his chest and snaking them around his neck. Jobin held his breath. She stood up on her tiptoes, leaning in so close that her breath blew softly against the bottom of his ear. "I meant what I said earlier, PUP. I like you." Her lips gently touched and nipped at his neck. Cool and hot sparks shot through him all at the same time and he shuddered.

Before he knew what was happening clothes were coming off. He fumbled in the dim light while Miera was moving like a pro. Her dress was open, unbuttoned shirt hanging down around her waist. She took his hands, placed them on the soft curves of her breasts and squeezed. Then she leaned in, grinding her hips against his groin, planting kisses, sucking and licking his neck.

Fuck a goat!

Her kisses went lower, trailing down the exposed skin of his chest, hands making their way even further south. With one last tug at his pants she now knelt at eye level to his fully sprung erection. Her hands wrapped coolly around his velvet sheath, a bead of pre-cum already glistening the tip. Miera wet her lips and without further pause took him in her mouth.

Jobin groaned. His hands threaded through her long dark tresses taking hold, lost and panting, struggling to last through her expert ministrations. He moved in tandem with her, pressing her closer, faster, needing more. The tension was aching. Her hands reached around to his backside, nails digging in as she pulled him all the way in. His balls tightened and with one jolting spasm he released. He felt her throat tighten for just a second and he nearly came again. She sucked the last of it out while he twitched with waves of pleasure. He choked out a gasp when she finally let him go.

She smiled as she wiped excess semen from her mouth. "Mmmm..." she purred. Standing, she grabbed a handful of his shirt, lifted one leg on a pedestal and pulled him a step forward. "Your turn, PUP."

Jobin swallowed but obeyed. He knelt before her, helping her lift her skirt. His hands groped at her thighs, pulling her slightly forward off the wall. He gave her one final upward glance before she took a fistful of his short hair and then he started. His tongue licked up the damp folds, his thumb making slow circles around her clit. Miera moaned. Encouraged by the noise and the salty taste of her, Jobin upped his game. He probed two fingers into her soft wet flesh. His tongue flicked her bud, sucking occasionally, working up a pace that had her panting and mewling.

She squeezed his head between her thighs. He persisted, penetrating harder, faster. "Oooh!" He barely heard her moans growing louder. He could tell by her fisted hands, the tightening of her belly, the tension in her body would come to a climax soon. He ached wanting to get her there.

His mouth worked magic. Miera was near howling, her body bucking but he held on until that sudden catch in her breath, every one of her muscles taught and quivering. Finally she let out a throaty laugh, her body shuddering as Jobin lapped up the rest. He could still feel her pulsing around his fingers when he finished. He stood up, his chin glistening and a ridiculous grin of satisfaction on his face. Miera took the devilish fingers and sucked them off in her mouth. Both their chests were heaving. Jobin leaned in for a kiss, feeling a need to keep close and press his body against hers like a primal urge to mark his scent on her.

"Mmmm..." Miera finally broke away. She slipped to the side and smoothly redressed herself. Jobin's head braced against the cool stone wall, struggling to get his brain going again. His hands fumbled with his pants and belt, finding it nearly impossible to function. "That was nice." Miera surprised him by sniffing the back of his neck, her hands roving one final time across his back. "We should do it again sometime." Her hands slipped away. "See you around, PUP."

Before he could quite register what she said, the door opened and she was gone. Jobin stood dumbfounded in his post coital haze. He blinked a few times.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked aloud. The light of the glow stone finally gave out and he was left doubly in the dark.

***

James waited as Miera sauntered from Luna Compound, keenly aware of the song she hummed. He'd been ready to search her out in the Citadel servant quarters but this happy coincidence suited him better. He shadowed her back towards the wall, his steps silently matching hers until he came up right behind her. He found the quirk of her hips amusing. There was a bounce in her step and she smelled of recent lust. Good. He needed her in a good mood.

"Miera," his deep voice carried her name casually into the air.

She froze instantly. Spinning around with a gasp she stared up at him. Then she let out a barely contained squeak as she launched her arms around him in a hug.

"James!" her voice was muffled against his chest. She jumped back just as quick. "When did you -? How -?" Her hands set on her hips in an instant quirky pout. "What are you playing at ghosting behind me in the middle of the night?" She scolded him but he could see the gleam in her eyes even in the dim light.

"Just trying to live up to my nickname." At the quirk of her eyebrow he obliged her with a bow, "Ghost of the Val."

"Fitting. What's your game, ghost?"

"I need intel. What do you know about Levi's escape?" Taking his lead, a slight change came over her, playtime Miera transformed into business Miera. She contemplated the question for a moment.

"You think it was an inside job," she said it more as a statement than a responding question. James nodded. She took a deep breath. "Senator Silus has me on another assignment right now but I have a feeling we're pulling both sides of the same knot."

"I need a solid lead. A name. Levi knew exactly what he was doing and where he was going. He had a target and the only thing that makes sense is if someone sent him hunting."

Her eyes widened and sparkled in the moonlight. She took a step back, looking him over. "You've gone rogue," she smiled appreciatively.

James said nothing, donning an impartial mask.

"Do the others know?"

"I'd rather they didn't. One visit from Rhand was enough for me." He knew Miera would understand. She was like a sister to him. She pressed her lips together with a compliant nod. He opened his mouth to thank her but his keen ears alerted him to approaching footsteps and with a motion to his lips silencing her, he backed into the pitch black of the archway.

Islena strode through the passage almost trampling straight into Miera. "Watch it slut!"

"Ha! Takes one to know one," Miera shot back. Islena halted, wheeling around on her heels. "Oh don't even," Miera put up a hand, "don't think you're going to win any sweet points with James with the way you're acting." Islena's jaw dropped open. "That's right," Miera smiled sweetly, "let's not forget who his real friends are... He's not going to appreciate how you've been throwing us all under the bus."

"How dare you!" Islena snapped, the chill of her gathering arrast radiating between them, "Just because James took pity on you doesn't give you the right to judge me! You're not part of our pact. You're just a Senator's whore. And what are you even doing this side of the wall? Sleeping with PUPs now? Aren't you a little old for turning tricks? Or is Lord Silus not paying you as much these days?" Each subsequent dig spurred her on. She stood tall and straight, looking down on Miera even as her chin raised.

Miera's polished nails dug into the cold flesh of her palms. "Well, at least I don't have to get my conquests drunk and plead desperately for months. James pitied me? Take a good look in the mirror honey and remember that I earned my job on merit, not because of any high ranking cousin."

James witnessed them from the shadows, unable to hide his grin as Miera turned her back on Islena. With a vulgar huff, Islena stormed off towards her barracks. Miera stepped into the shadows with James, bringing the already cool nightshade to an almost breath-frosting temperature. James crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"I leave town for a few days and you're corrupting that boy already?"

Miera saw his raised brow and raised him an eye roll. "Jobin is man enough, believe me." James laughed. Then Miera stepped forward and wagged a finger at him, "you know, sooner or later you're going to have to confront that crazy bitch."

He winced. "I know." He could almost smell the stench of her cooking from here and shuddered. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to deal with the fallout from Rhand when she goes crying to him."

Miera sighed, her tension fleeting with the dispersing cool breeze. "Rhand is a smart man. He'll get over it. If he hasn't talked sense into her by now I'm sure he's at least tried."

"She's his kin."

It was the wrong thing to say. Miera's head crooked at an angle, her eyes bulged, scolding before the words were even out of her mouth, "family isn't everything James Devlin. Don't you give me that aristocratic blood babble! Good breeding doesn't make your shit stink any less!"

"Miera," he reached out but she waved him away.

"Off with you, damned ghost! Way to piss on my night." She turned but James caught her wrist. Even though she was a couple of years older, he felt like the older brother needing to protect her.

"Miera, I'm sorry. I -"

"Oh nevermind," her shoulders slumped and she let out a tired sigh. "Forget it. I'm just riled up. I still can't believe you slept with her."

"Of all the mistakes in my life that's the one I would take back," he admitted, loosening his grip. Her hand slipped down but she caught his fingers and squeezed encouragement before letting him go.

"All right, let me get some sleep before the dawn rises. I'm on a tight schedule. I'll let you know what I find." With a parting smile he watched her slip along the path and disappear into the night. He waited a minute, breathing in the cool air, looking up from the archway at the twinkling blanket of stars.

Wherever you are, I will find you.

Chapter 20

Jobin woke up with a spring in his step and a grin plastered on his face. He nearly crowed as he walked past Luna Compound. The day patrolman was already giving him a strange look. Jobin didn't care. He'd nearly gotten caught leaving there last night - it was a miracle they hadn't been caught at all with the sounds Miera had made. Heat rushed to his groin at the thought.

_Settle down now, settle down_ , he chided himself playfully. It wouldn't do to visit Pip ( _Philip_ , he giggled in his thoughts) reeking of contentment. He swallowed his smile. That's better.

It didn't last long though. The sun was warm on his back. A light breeze blew smells of breakfast from the mess hall: sausage, eggs, orange zest biscuits... his stomach gurgled with digestive approval. He hadn't even realized he was humming until a thought popped in his head.

_I slept with Miera. Pip's real name is Philip and..._ The corners of his lips slowly fell as it dawned on him. _I slept with Pip's daughter._

"Oh," Jobin stopped in his tracks. Shit. His stomach twisted then. Pip would kill him if he found out, disowned daughter or not. _Double shit._ He'd kill him just for knowing he had a daughter!

Jobin closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. He took a steadying breath as his heart leapt into a painfully fast beat. The back of his neck was too hot now and his shirt was damp with sweat. He didn't have to go see Pip - he should probably avoid him like the plague actually - but he was still a pack mate... a friend... _He needs a friend._ A few more deep breaths and the panic attack eased.

"He needs a friend," Jobin repeated and started moving forward again.

The medical ward was close to the cliffs. It was a rectangular building, three stories high. Pip was on the second floor. Before Jobin reached the room he could hear voices.

"No it's moved past that. This isn't just a silly crush anymore, Pip," it was Rhand speaking, "I swear it's like a living shrine outside his apartment with all the food she's been leaving! It's ridiculous."

"Well at least in avoiding her he's getting out. Frankly I'm impressed she found time to cook between shifts," said Pip, his voice sounding dry but amused.

"She's working for Demers. I'm worried about her," Rhand sounded tired.

Jobin came into view and passed the threshold into the small private room. Rhand sat in a chair beside the bed. From this angle it looked like the patch of gray hairs had spread and the lines in his eyes had deepened.

Pip rested up against the pillows, hands over his belly, eyes closed. He could have looked peaceful if not for the deep purple, black and blue mottled bruises emerging from under his lacerated skin.

"She thought she lost him. Who wouldn't go a little nuts?" said Pip, "now that he's back -"

"James is back?" the words escaped his mouth before Jobin could think to stop them. Pip's eyes popped open and Rhand stiffened straight up but he put on a gentle smile.

"Ah, here's your hero, Pip."

"Spy is more like it," Pip huffed but he didn't object when Rhand rose and motioned for Jobin to take the seat. Jobin stepped closer to the foot of the bed but remained standing.

"Yes, he came back two days ago. You're looking at the man who found him."

"Two days?!"

"Did someone drop you on your head, PUP?" asked Pip with a raised brow.

Rhand rolled his eyes. "Yes, two days. He's been avoiding everyone though so word has been slow to get out. Islena's already pestering him enough for all of us though. The best thing at this point is to let him come out on his own. It would be nice if at least one of my former pack mates kept his head."

"Former?" Pip snorted. Rhand gave him an exasperated look.

"But if he's back then -" Jobin's heart rate shot up again.

"They won't let me re-commission the pack. Not right now, at least. The patrols are on high alert for Levi. I was talking to the west watch tower this morning on my way here, someone said they thought they saw a flare go off but it's anyone's guess."

"You didn't tell me that!" Pip protested.

With a sigh Rhand changed subjects, "so what's your story, PUP? Settling in with your new duties? Find out if any of the night shift rumours true?"

Jobin flushed three shades of red. _Shit._

Rhand laughed. It was a good, loud sound that filled the room and gave a few people in the hall pause. "It's a different scene, that's for sure."

Jobin stared at his feet until he found the courage to look up at his former alpha. As he did a runner came into the room, slightly out of breath. He held out a letter to Jobin, who took it and read the message. His expression changed to disbelief.

"Already? I was supposed to be off today," he protested. The boy shrugged.

"They're calling everyone in, sir. Even some of the outer patrols," he eyed Rhand.

Rhand took the paper from Jobin's hand and looked it over as the runner dismissed himself and ran off to the next target.

"Figures. I'm stuck in here when all the action breaks out," whined Pip.

"You put yourself in that position," Rhand reminded him. "It's not a lockdown but something is up." He handed the orders back to Jobin. "I should get going as well. You'll keep your word?" Rhand asked Pip.

"Aye," Pip grimaced, "I said it, and I meant it. Maybe by then we'll see about that reassignment. Now git with you," Rhand nodded and made his exit. Jobin turned to leave too but Pip called him back. "I owe you thanks," he said now that they were alone. "I'm a stubborn old fool and I've been dealing with things the wrong way. My pack is my family and James was... like a son. If I didn't know better I'd think he damn well planned this whole fake his death thing just to get me to admit how much he means to me so I would sober up." He seemed to be talking more to himself than Jobin, but after learning some of the mystery Jobin knew this was a major moment for the old man. "You're still just a PUP, and if you repeat any of this I'll prush your tongue out your ass, but... thank you for looking out for me. For having my back."

Jobin knew better than to say anything. He just nodded.

"Well get on then, you don't want to be late!" Pip gave him a small prush toward the door.

Jobin smiled as he left the room.

***

Cait felt sick to her stomach with disgust and shame. She pulled on the silverline, tried to break it, break the bed post... All she managed was to scrape the post, partially choke herself and leave her neck red with scratches. She inhaled a deep breath to scream but it died in her throat.

"Save your breath, sweetling. Even if they weren't on the Speaker's payroll they'd be too scared to defy his orders. And word is you're a little..." He whistled cuckoo, "from a certain someone's abduction."

_Levi._ He leaned against the doorframe, polishing an apple against his shirt then taking a large, succulous bite.

Cait scrambled to cover herself with the sheets. The pity and self-loathing were replaced by anger.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

A froth of juice dribbled around his chin. He wiped it with the back of his hand, his eyes never leaving her.

"I came to see my brother but as he's gone to the morning council session, I have to say I'm not disappointed," he grinned.

"Brother?!" Realization shook Cait. Now that he said it, she could see the resemblance - she could see now why that damned smile always looked so familiar and so haunting!

"Half-brother really," Levi continued, seeming pleased to have shocked her, "Our mother was a whore. Such humble beginnings our dear Speaker comes from." He took another bite, chewed and swallowed. "Wouldn't want anyone else to know that story, though, so best let's keep it between us. M' Kay?" He wiped the tip of his nose with his thumb before taking another bite.

"What do you want, Levi? What is the point of all this?"

"What is the point?" Apple juice spit from his lips as he stood up and made frustrated gestures, "the point was made long ago! The point was to restore Order out of Chaos. The point was for control and power! Control like that chain around your neck." He pointed. "Control is only an illusion, but you want it there don't you? All anyone wants is a simple, easy answer. No responsibility even for your own actions or abilities. And he'll take all that away from them and keep it to himself. That's what his lordship wants. That's what the people want to give him, so they think. The more chaos I create the more they clamour for order.

"Now, what do I want?" There was that smile again. "I have what I want, sweetness. I have the right, nay the command, to do whatever I want. I have freedom - a far greater thing than any control or policy or legislature can provide." _Crunch._ "Surely you're intelligent enough to understand that?"

"If that's true," Cait shifted closer to the post, gathering the silverline in her hands, "then you are nothing more than a puppet. David wants you to create chaos so he appears as the savior, is that it? If that's it, then you are only creating controlled chaos. He controls you too."

Levi's smile twitched then fell away into a scowl. "No! I am free. I am the only free person in all of Sildre Val!"

"You are doing what David wants you to do. You brought me here on his orders. David is the free one, he's the only one who's doing whatever he wants."

"No!" Levi growled, "David still has to shoulder the responsibility! When everyone is wearing silverline, _I_ can leave but David must stay and rule. He will have power - a dynasty even - but what he doesn't see is that he will be at the people's mercy - always. He has to be the thing they need. How can he be the voice of reason without something to reason against?"

"He's using you." Cait stared him down.

In a fit, Levi held up the half-eaten apple ready to pitch it at her head. Cait flinched. But he lowered his arm slowly and then shook it with one finger pointing at her, his smile returning. "He needs me, and I have graciously made a deal to provide chaos that will steer the lambs towards slaughter. If my brother is using anyone maybe you should take another look in the mirror. You're just a second hand slit between the legs now. I wouldn't waste my apple on you."

Crunch!

Cait burned, seething and practically vibrating with fury. Her hands clamped hard over the silverline, digging her nails and the chain against her palms. Levi turned to leave. Freedom to leave. Yes he had that. For now. "For how long, Levi?" she shouted after him. "If he's working towards complete power and order, if that's what people want, he will have to put an end to the chaos. You're just a peon! It won't last!"

He must have been halfway gone through whichever secret passage he had come. She only caught a parting shriek of, "there cannot be order without chaos!"

And then there was silence. Like a heavy weight, pressing against her from all sides.

Crushing her.

Suffocating her.

Breaking the walls and burning all hope to cinders and ashes. And Cait cried. And cried. And cried.

***

Jobin walked the long halls of the Citadel's fourth floor with Mathis, a five year veteran patroller with an eye for trouble and a mouth to talk about it. Where most patrols were passed in silence, Mathis spent his time pointing out his opinion on everyone they passed, servants, runners, Senators, and fellow guards alike. He took particular delight in warning Jobin who of the power players liked to take young boys to bed. Jobin supposed he was either trying to hint who was spying for whom, or just spreading gossip to unnerve the new PUP. Likely both, in which case Jobin was at least grateful for the former and leery of the latter.

It was on the third hour, on their fourth pass dark side of the Senate servant quarters that a familiar figure approached them. Jobin felt himself harden just at the sight of her.

"Ah, Miera," Mathis went on, not bothering to lower his voice even a fraction. Jobin wasn't sure whether he did or didn't want to hear the dirt on her. "Works for Senator Silus."

Miera's walk was fast, smooth and confident. A knowing smile and twinkle in her eyes ever present. "Afternoon boys," she nodded. Jobin and Mathis returned the greeting even though Mathis was the same age she was. "Telling tales about me, Mathis?" she raised an amused brow at the veteran.

"Hmmm, now that depends. What sort of vixen games would you have in mind for me, eh?" he gave her a wink and a grin that added one more notch on the tally of dislike in Jobin's mental profile of the man. But the green monster of jealousy had barely raised its head when Miera's dismissive laugh set the beast straight.

"Scoundrel. You know I prefer veal to steak," her gaze settled on Jobin, grazing intently from top down and bottom up. He felt like she was undressing him right there. His balls tightened.

Mathis rolled his eyes. Miera turned her attention back to him.

"Don't suppose you'd let him on break soon? I um... just got off for a bit myself and I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I took him for a walk, so to speak," she batted her lashes, "you know, add another story to the repertoire of other stories you have on me." She winked.

Mathis laughed. "Go then, but be quick about it mind. I don't have to tell you what will happen to all of us if I get asked why I'm alone when the whole guard's been doubled."

She grabbed Jobin's hand without waiting another second, "thanks." Jobin and Miera ran back down the hall, up a side stairwell and left through the narrow serving hall. His opinion of Mathis may have just marginally improved.

"Come on," her voice had a different urgency to it. She took him around another corner and then just as they came out she lifted the tapestry on the wall and slipped through what could only be called a crack in the wall.

It was dark, and so narrow that the metal shoulder plates on his leather jerkin scraped the walls. There was a breath of cool air and then the space widened. Cracks of light appeared from different directions.

"Mie-"

"Shh!" she clamped a hand on his mouth. For a minute all he could hear was the inhale exhale of their off synch breathing. Miera inched forward and Jobin felt compelled to follow. She paused again and then sighed. "We must be early," she said. "Jobin -"

This time it was him who silenced her, taking advantage of the strange moment and kissing her mouth until her lips parted and he slipped in his tongue. She bit down. Not hard, but enough to send the message.

"Ow! But I thought... what are we doing here?"

She sighed again. That couldn't be a good sign. "I'm sorry. It was the only way to get you here. It's been one emergency meeting after another and this was the first time I could get away. Silus suspects something is going on with the Speaker. Don't worry, there'll be time for that later." She caressed his cheek with a hand. "I just needed an alibi and Mathis being the big mouth that he is..."

Jobin pulled back. "Alibi?" She was just using him? The pit of his stomach dropped.

"Oh sweetie, no. Please don't take it like that. I told you, I do like you. I do. After what you did for my father, and being James' friend, I... I want to repay you. Please..." She took both sides of his face and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "You know James is back right?"

Jobin's shoulders slumped. "Yeah. Rhand told me yesterday. He said to stay away though. I guess he's a little messed up right now. I've been on duty almost round the clock since then anyways."

"Please," Miera rubbed her thumbs across his stubble. Her hands a gentle cool against his warm skin. He wondered if she wasn't purling his mind as well but then something clicked, sliding open and closed in the room the other side of the wall. Jobin and Miera both held their breath.

"About time," came the first voice.

"Running a city takes more than a little time, not that you'd know," said the second.

Someone snorted.

"Sex a bit more _trying_ than you remembered?" Voice one taunted voice two.

"That's none of your business and beside the point."

"So what now?" voice one sighed, "you have the girl. I could take care of the tracker..."

There was a pause. Voice two was obviously considering the offer. Jobin still hadn't quite figured out who they were. Two was obviously someone in power, a Senator or similar. The tracker could only be James, that gave him pause for thought as well. Miera's hand tightened around his. He hadn't even noticed when she'd put it there.

"No. I'll deal with him myself soon enough. The packs see him as a kind of hero, coming back from the dead or whatever. They even nicknamed him the Ghost of the Val. It wouldn't look good to have him removed just yet. The city needs something that will bring them together. Something big."

"As you wish," voice one conceded.

They were interrupted by a knock. There was some shuffling, followed by another pause. The other door clicked and slid open and closed again.

"Lord Speaker," came a new voice, "the announcements went out last night. The Great Hall is being prepared as we speak and more staff have been called in to work the kitchens."

"Good. What about the dress?"

If Jobin had had any doubt before, there was no mistaking now that voice two was the Speaker. _I must be dumbtarded! They're all corrupt. Every one of them. Even Miera is a spy... I'm a spy!_ His stomach turned. He truly was a naive PUP.

"Coming, my lord. I was told the beading will take more time but it will be ready and delivered as promised."

"It better be. She's been through enough."

"My lord, if I may? Are you... are you certain that you wouldn't rather wait? I mean give the ambassador more time to... heal?"

"What have you heard, Gideon?" the Speaker sounded tired more than annoyed. Still, Gideon was clearly nervous. Jobin could almost hear him swallow.

"Th-that she was abducted by the terrorist. That she was tortured and her mind is not... in the right of ways. People have heard screaming..."

"Exactly," Speaker interrupted, "she has been through a terrible ordeal, much like Sildre Val has suffered incarnate. If it were the woman you loved would you not do everything within your power to protect her? Give her comfort? I can only do so much for her as it is, but as the Speaker's wife she would be afforded the full extent of the city's protective services."

Jobin's eyes grew wide. _Speaker's wife?_ He thought he'd heard a scream earlier but Mathis said sometimes they echoed up from the dungeons or the mine. There were too many details of the conversation to wrap his head around.

Gideon must have nodded because there was no verbal acknowledgement.

"Keep me informed of progress," the Speaker continued after the pause, "there is still much to be done."

With a final slide and click the room went silent. Miera finally turned to Jobin.

"You heard what I heard?" she asked him. He nodded. "The woman, somehow she's the key to this. We have to get you stationed closer to the Speaker. I'll see what I can do. He usually hand picks his guards but I have some favours I could call in. I should also get a message to James but that will have to wait. I knew something big was going on but this... I guess it makes sense that invitations went out so last minute - less chance certain people won't make it in time. Shit. How long has it been? Mathis will be looking for you." Before she could continue, Jobin stepped back.

"I can't believe this," he said.

"That I need you to help me spy on the Speaker?" asked Miera with guilt in her voice.

"That the Speaker is so... deceptive. I mean I can kind of understand keeping quiet about the woman to keep her safe - even though that apparently failed since she was abducted and all - but he all but admitted that he plans to kill James."

"He's trying to win public opinion. It's a game to them," Miera agreed. Then to reassure him she took his hands again. They felt cold, not the same refreshing coolness he'd felt earlier. "I don't know what the advantage would be, unless James knows something he shouldn't. He won't kill him yet. James has a lot of friends in the packs - not just yours. His family has connections too, don't forget."

"His family is all in Dundarryn," Jobin added morosely.

Miera threw her arms around him, hugging him despite his body feeling ready to shut down.

"He will be fine tonight, I promise you. Besides, with the scale of ceremony he's planning it will be all hands on deck. We need to know more about the woman. And we need to get you back to work. This will have to be fast." Her hands reached up to muss his hair.

He pulled her arms down. "How can you even think of that now?"

Miera crossed her arms over her chest. "Mathis let you go on the pretense that I'd be taking advantage of you. He's a pig but that's the only thing working to our advantage right now. If you go back without smelling like a laid man he'll know something's up and all it takes is one word to the wrong ear. It's my reputation on the line too. We all have our parts to play. I'm the tease, you're the naive young PUP. I do like you Jobin, but you have to trust me."

He shook his head. This was so wrong. He couldn't help but wonder how many times she'd done this before. To others.

"I'm sorry." She started unbuttoning her pinafore straps and the shirt underneath. Jobin felt a cool draft. The dim light and enclosed space reminded him of the other night. His attention was drawn to Miera and the longer he looked at her, the more everything else fell away. Next thing he knew he was holding her up against the wall, thrusting in and out. "I'm sorry," Miera whispered again. "I'm sorry, Jobin." Was she crying? He couldn't really tell. He just felt the urge to be closer to her, to kiss her. Everything else was a cool blur, like the thoughts and doubts had been purled away and all that was left was her.

And he wanted her. By Remus, he wanted her.

"Miera..."

***

James kept to the War Den spending most of his time exercising and running through the training field course, because if his encounters with Levi had been any indication he clearly needed to amp up his game. He pressed his apret past the feverish point until he could see parts of his body literally glowing red with heat, working his muscles to exhaustion so that when he went to his bunk at night he could simply collapse in sleep. But sleep was often broken, plagued by nightmares that had him waking cold with sweat. Rhand hadn't come back and judging by the lack of other visitors he supposed they had been warned away. Not that there was anything to say. He'd failed them. Just as he'd failed Cait.

Well, Islena had been by, as evidenced by the growing pile of home cooked offerings stinking up the hall, but James refused to answer the door if he was home when she knocked - which thankfully so far he hadn't been.

He thought maybe at least Pip would show up but a quick interrogation of one of his barrack mates told him Pip was undergoing voluntary detox through medic after the stoning incident. It was only 3 days since he'd returned. This morning had been especially difficult, his muscles protesting as he stretched out of bed. He had to force himself to eat a small breakfast at least. It was about midday when he was on another lap around the training course when Islena strode onto the field, waving him down. She was carrying yet another dish of some half-baked whateveritwas.

Inwardly he groaned.

He pushed on through the course, climbing up a wall to the platform jumps. Islena waited patiently at the end. With a deep breath, James leapt from one platform to the next, prushing off the wood blocks, hitting the targets and then skidding down the ramp and tucking into a roll at the bottom. He debated setting off on a run but Islena thrust the plate against his stomach.

"Time for a break, hot shot." Her smile was too perky, her eyes a little too enamored. He really wasn't up for this right now but he also wasn't up for the fallout if he snubbed her. James sighed. Couldn't she just get the hint?

"Not really hungry, but thanks," he put his hand up against the plate to press it back.

"After that workout?" She laughed and thrust it into his hands anyways, then turned and sat on a bench, patting the spot beside her.

He wanted to roll his eyes. How long had she been watching him? Her smile was polite but there was something demanding in her eyes; impatience. Grudgingly, James walked over and sat at the other end, putting some distance between them. Islena giggled and slid over so their legs touched. She reached over and pulled back the foil wrap of the container, revealing a couple of fig squares and a sandwich. She stared, refusing to back down until he took a bite.

But how could he knowing it wasn't Cait who had cooked it? After she had opened his palate to so many new and wonderful flavours and foods... No. He couldn't find it in him to choke down another of Islena's concocted attempts. He set the plate down. If she wasn't going to take it back, so be it. He was not her dog.

"What happened to you?" Islena asked, her smile gone. "You used to love my cooking."

He couldn't look at her. "I'm not your little pet, Islena. I don't need to be mothered. I just need to work some things out on my own."

"Like what?" The crack in her voice was evidence enough of her hurt. His patience was running out. "James, talk to me. I'm your friend. You used to tell me everything."

He ran a hand through his hair. "How...? Islena... No."

"No?" she pulled back.

"I know what you want Islena. You want to be more than friends. We went there once, remember? It was a mistake. I... I thought we could be friends for the pack's sake. But you obviously don't feel the same."

Islena stood, her cheeks turning a cherry red. For a second she looked like she was about to cry. "James Patrick Devlin! After everything I've done for you! After what we shared... and you... you said you cared for me!"

"As a sister," he reminded her. Clearly her memories differed from his.

"You led me on! You led me to believe..." she froze, shock and horror mingling in her expression until fury won out and she pointed an accusing finger. "You met someone else! You... you slept with some bitch while you were there, didn't you?!"

James rose, having had enough of this nonsense. Islena spun around, no doubt to hide her tears. "Islena."

"Don't _Islena_ me!"

"I never promised you anything! I've tried to be kind, I've put up with -"

He was cut off by the swing of her punch, dodging it easily enough and blocking the second. Islena cursed, spitting at the ground before him. She turned and hugged herself. "You two deserve each other."

"What would you know?" James stood up, ready to leave. Maybe he could run in the desert.

Islena laughed. "More than you!" But she spun around again, all but lunging herself into his chest and staring up at him with self-pity. "What's she got that I don't? Red hair? Curls? Sad, pathetic eyes? What could you possibly see in her?" He caught her just below the shoulders, his grip as tight as the knots in his chest. "James," she smiled meekly, "you're hurting me."

"What do you know?" He demanded. If he'd had fangs they would be barred and snarling. Islena squirmed fearfully under his gaze. He shook her and repeated the demand, shouting now, "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!"

Seeing him unravel was the end of it then. A jealous smirk surfaced on her lips. "Two days ago the terrorist returned with a girl. He got away. She claimed he'd abducted her but anyone associating with terrorists is to be treated as one - according to the Senate."

James could scarcely contain the pounding in his chest. "Where is she?"

Islena batted her lashes, feigning false innocence like a dagger, her voice soft and almost cooing. "Where all terrorists go - to rot in a dungeon pit. As a matter of fact, I'm the one who turned her in. But don't worry, I hear the Speaker has taken a particular interest in her case." The shock must have eased his grip. Islena pushed forward getting closer, like a last embrace, the dagger raised. "I hear there's going to be a bonding ceremony."

The jab ripped sharp and deep. Cait was here. Had been here for two days locked in a dark cell. And Islena... _Islena?_ He must have released her as he staggered back. She was half way to the city already.

"Bonding?" he was hardly conscious of whispering the word. He could scarcely breathe. His eyes stared after Islena's apret trail.

_Let her go. She's nothing to us._ The voice spoke to him. _Caitlin is all that matters._ Everything suddenly clicked into place: Levi's escape, the patrols called back to the Citadel, why Miera hadn't been able to get to him... Lord Speaker knew what Cait was, he had the Citadel on lockdown, and he was going to keep her for his own purposes. He had to rescue her. He had to get to the silver smith.

Chapter 21

David must have been gone for hours. Cait was so hungry she almost wished Levi had thrown his apple at her. But her anger had abated into frustrated depression. All this time she had been mourning a monster. There was no other logical explanation than that she had been under some kind of spell, the same as Levi had cast on Sophie. _You of all people..._

And then she thought of James... and Islena. Cait thought she'd found love again but was that a deception too? Was she so easily duped into letting men take advantage of her? Cait couldn't hold back anymore. She burst into tears, thrashed at the silverline and kicked the bed post where it was tied. She didn't care how much noise she was making. A storm was building inside of her and it needed to be released.

In a fit of desperation she tried sawing through the post by twisting the chain back and forth. When that didn't work she ripped off the bed sheet and looped it around the top of the post. With the ends wrapped around her hands she yanked back. Nothing. Determined to do something she took a deep breath, balanced herself with the twisted sheet and her launched both feet in a kick. The joint cracked and the top canopy crashed down. Cait pulled the chain but it was still caught. The post was bent back but the thick canopy frame scraped against it right over the silverline. Cursing, Cait shoved the wooden frame up. Just as she rolled free and got to her feet she found David standing in the doorway. He looked anything but amused.

"Doing a little redecorating are we?"

Cait glared at him.

He sighed. "I tried to be nice, Caitlin. I really did." He prushed her into the bed, her back hitting the bent canopy frame. She pushed back uselessly against the invisible pressure. David undid his buckle as he approached her. The apret against her released and she managed to get one satisfying slap against his cheek before he whipped the belt across her hip. Cait yelped. David grabbed her by the hair and yanked her around, forcing her stomach into the frame and in the struggle he wrapped the loose end of the chain around one of her wrists.

"No! NO!" She tightened her legs together.

The belt cracked down against her ass. Cait gasped, her eyes wide. CRACK! he whipped down again on the same spot. This time her eyes shut tight. David's free hand brushed the skin where a welt was forming. Cait's heart pumped so hard she could feel the pulse tremor through her whole body. The third crack struck lower, across the back of her thighs. Cait sobbed, as her knees buckled and she could no longer keep them together.

The belt clattered to the floor. David forced his way in. He started with slow, deep thrusts, the friction burning parts that were already sensitive and raw. With an angry growl he pulled out. Cait squirmed but he still had a grip on her hair and kept her down. He spit into his hand, rubbed the lubricant over both of them and pushed back in. It was fast and hard this time, her face muffled into the broken bed.

When he finished he collapsed over her, his breath hot against the back of her neck.

"Bastard," Cait cursed quietly. She felt him shake with soft laughter. He kissed her shoulder and stood up. Cait worked to free her hand when David picked her up by the hair again. She cried out. He dragged her across the apartment to the bathroom and threw her on the cold wet floor.

"Wash up and get dressed." He secured his belt back in place.

"Go to hell!" Cait spat.

David's eyes darkened even as he smiled, "remember who you're talking to Caitlin, dear. One word and I'll send Levi back to collect your family just so you can watch them die. By breeding rights you are mine already. The bonding ceremony is just a formality. So you'd better doll yourself up real nice because it might just be the last time you see daylight." He turned and left.

Cait completely broke down. Everything came crashing around her and her body wracked with sobs. She curled into a tight ball. Warm liquid dripped out of her and Cait cried even harder. She stayed that way for a long time. When thoughts started to surface again she heard the small voice, _you have to survive. You have to keep going._ Cait slowly wiped at her tear stained face. David would be back again and who knew how long she had? She breathed slowly, staring at the steam rising from the basin, listening to the soothing sounds as fresh water ran down the wall. She hated how dirty she felt. Yet she couldn't muster enough energy to move from her current spot.

One hand wiped at the offending fluid on her inner thigh. _Damn him!_ Cait stared at it. Hating him.

Then something changed. Her heart skipped and Cait's mind was numb with hope. She bit her lip to keep from crying again and shut her eyes. Her hand shook as she reached for the chain.

Off. Off! You have to come off! Please God, get it off!

She pulled. Nothing. Cait reached down to get more. More of his DNA. This time she held her breath and repeated the mantra aloud, "off. Off! Come OFF!"

With a soft tinkling the silverline came loose in her hand. Cait shook again but she didn't know if it was tears of joy or relief, and she didn't care. She was free! Energy breathed in and out of her, going to her head in ecstasy. She felt bathed in warmth and strength. Power rushed through her nerves in a familiar static tingle.

Her mind snapped back to the moment. "Breathe," she told herself. _He can still threaten your family._ She would still have to go along with things... for now. Cait jumped into the pool, a plan formulating. She sealed the silverline back on herself. He wanted a public show, she'd give him one. She'd out him in front of everyone. Or she would at least go down fighting, jump out a window if she had to.

She tested the silverline again, for reassurance. She felt choked with it on but it was easier to swallow knowing that she had the power to take it off. And it would come off. Soon. She was in control now. Heart hammering, fingers trembling, she washed every inch of herself clean. A white gown - the same style as her previous dress but with a much longer, layered skirt - waited for her in the sitting room. It had a simple design of pearls beading diagonally from under one breast to the bottom hem. It would have been stunning under other circumstances. She put it on and waited for David to return.

She had enough time to compose herself in a better frame of mind.

_Survive._ She just had to survive.

***

David returned in a fresh, black suit and pewter colored cloak. He looked her over thoroughly. Cait focussed on the floor, afraid that if she looked up she'd give in to the urge to spit in his appraising eyes.

He made a small approving noise and raised an arm to escort her. Heart suddenly hammering again, Cait shook as she took it. They walked out of the apartment, joined by a patrol of guards in cream colored uniforms. They travelled a little farther down the same hall as the previous night and this time the space was flooded with people though. Two sets of large double doors opened to a grand ballroom decorated with bright red and gold banners. Tables with crisp white linens, adorned with platters of food, occupied one side of the room, leaving the majority of the space open to the throng of circulating guests. A mini orchestra of musicians took up one dais. There were men and women dressed in all sorts of colorful suits and flowing gowns, everyone adorned in jewelry - rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even embedded in their clothes and shoes - and many of them holding little sprigs of tiny white flowers. A mini orchestra of musicians were set up on a dais in another corner, filling the room with soft ambient music. What got Cait's attention was the dominating half-dome glass wall. Outside was the balcony David had shown her the night before.

Chalk another point to David the public entertainer.

A servant passed by handing out flutes of what looked like rose champagne. He handed one each to Cait and David. Cait sniffed it, though she had no desire to impair herself right now. All the same, David took the flute from her hand and set them both on a serving tray as they passed.

"Something wrong with the wine?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Not at all," David smirked, "however I believe on Earth they say it is not advisable to drink when you may be expecting." Cait fumed, fists forming and she nearly ripped the silverline off right there until he added, "of course there is also a small chance it could be poisoned."

The smile on his face made her pale. "Dance with me." He didn't leave room to argue. He placed their hands in position and began twirling her around the dance floor. It was something like a modern waltz, giving Cait flashbacks to the dance classes they'd taken, for their wedding. The crowd parted to watch them.

"You remembered," the words slipped quietly from her mouth.

"Of course. Did you expect me to forget?" He lifted her off her feet, twirling ninety degrees, then dipped her backwards and placed a delicate kiss on her neck before brushing a strand of hair back from her face. It was surreal. Cait's eyes barely held back the flood of emotions raging to the surface. The shadow of darkness in his smile helped keep her guard up. The crowd applauded as the dance ended.

Music changed. Guests came up, greeting and congratulating the Speaker on a marvellous occasion. They greeted Cait with equal amounts of pleasant smiles, disdain and suspicion. A few of the women were bold enough to stick their flower sprigs in Cait's hair, apparently it was a custom. It must have been odd to them that she'd only been introduced a day ago and now their Speaker was rushing into marriage. Whatever their opinion, Cait didn't care. She kept trying to catch a glimpse of the guards' faces, hoping in vain to see James, but David kept her locked by his side, parading her around.

At the next song he pulled her in chest to chest, dancing slowly and spoke quietly in her ear, "when the song ends we will move to the balcony. The Magistrate will say a few words. You will hold out your hands and join them to mine. Do you understand?"

Cait nodded, swallowing a lump. She tried not to trip as they danced, her heart fluttered and her mind raced.

_Just take it off and prush. Prush them all away._ Maybe she could jump off the balcony and prush the ground to soften the blow? Different scenarios played out in her head.

The song ended too soon. David said nothing. He tipped her chin up and stared into her face. Satisfied by the fear in her eyes he led her towards the balcony. Guards opened the doors, the crowd followed them out.

A small cheer came up from below. She could just make out the sprinkling of a second crowd waiting in the courtyard, which was decorated in more of the city-state banners and pots of white flowers. It wasn't an overly large turn-out but that was probably due to the late notice.

The Magistrate stood with his arms open in welcome. He was a plump old man, balding and pock-marked, though what hair he lacked on top, he more than made up on his face and arms, and elsewhere no doubt.

"Welcome, honourable Senators, venerable Lords and Ladies. Welcome, Lord Speaker and Ambassador Summers. Welcome all," his voice carried over both the crowd on the balcony and the one below, signaling quiet. He held out his hands and Cait thought he was going to prush them all but then he clasped them together with a loud _clap_ that made several people jump.

"Here in the land where sky and sand meet, where manna and man (Remus the first of Kings) were made one, we gather to witness the binding of this man and this woman. Our Sildre Val, our Citadel, let us celebrate for today begins a new chapter in our history..."

Cait's palms were clamming with sweat. Her fingers twitched.

_Just wait_ , the voice told her, _not yet. Not quite yet. Soon._

The sun was high over the city, bearing down a dry heat with little relief. The wind was light, barely more than a hot breath on her skin. David was right about one thing, the view was spectacular. She tried to judge how far down the drop was but she wasn't close enough to the edge to see if there would be anything in her way.

"... We stand on the cliffs carved out by Kings and common men, a legacy in stone which may last as eternal as the ever-shifting sands. So too shall be the legacy eternal of our Lord Speaker to the Lady Summers." He paused for effect. "As we know, our Lord Speaker has put forth great efforts in restoring Sildre Val to its former glory. He has had a great many successes, pressing on in the face of setbacks, persevering, and showing patience and justice. So too in a life bond will there be successes and setbacks, a need for perseverance and patience." David was granite faced as ever.

"Lady Summers, an ambassador from the distant realm of Canada... and the last living dualist," he punctuated the last three words as though each were a sentence on its own, his voice carrying loud and clear. It was followed by the sharp intake of more than a hundred breaths, half falling into complete silence, the other half bursting into not so whispered rumors.

The Magistrate cleared his throat. He turned to address the pair before him, apparently most pleased at the reaction of his announcement. "Lord Speaker, Ambassador Summers, it is my duty and my honour as Magistrate of the Senate to bind you, before the court and the people, in duty as in life, to each other and to Sildre Val." He held out his hands, motioning for them to do the same. "By the will of the state -"

A powerful tremor shook the ground as Cait reached up to the chain on her neck. Before she could touch it David grabbed her arm. People screamed as a plume of smoke mushroomed from a building in the south end of the city.

***

James prushran down the street, ignoring the strange looks of the people he passed. He had been three blocks from the forge when his eyes caught the shadow of someone purling across roof tops. It just so happened they were headed in the same direction. James cursed, trying to ignore the twist in his gut that told him something was wrong.

Something is already wrong; Cait needs me.

The dark figure reached the forge first. James stopped before the front steps. A quick sweep of the street revealed no patrolmen in sight. Damn it. Get in, get what you need, and get out, said one voice.

If you're going in there anyways, take a look around, said another.

His nails dug into the palms as he tightened his fists. One deep breath and he climbed the steps.

The doors buckled and ground shook as a massive explosion rocked the building and most of the city block. Glass and brick shrapnel blew out the windows followed by instant plumes of thick black smoke and red flames licking at the fresh oxygen. Even as the chorus of instant screams erupted, James heard the quick succession of cracking support beams before a second tremor followed, the sound of an entire floor crashing down silencing most of the cries within.

James prushed the air in front of him, clearing a short burst like a shield just enough to rush in. The smoke and flames quickly devoured the fresh air of his backdraft. He thought only of his friend and the package he'd come to collect.

Every breath seared in his throat and lungs. Part of the second floor had collapsed, the floorboards still engulfed, crackling and snapping. There were many dark figures slumped, some moaning, coughing or completely silent. James tried to pull part of his shirt over his mouth and nose. It did little to help and in this heat it was only a matter of time before his own clothes caught fire. He checked each of the larger bodies, both cursing and being urged on when none of them was Ian. His heart battered like a snare drum.

He risked another prush of air to push further through the debris. If there was any sweat exuded by the effort it instantly evaporated. His body wracked with coughs, every inch protesting, a part of his mind screaming to get out now, but he shoved those feelings down deep and pushed on.

When a beam started to crumple James narrowly made it into a back office. One he had been in before, he realized. The fire hadn't yet reached this room. James wasted no time scavenging through the drawers of the desk and the cabinet behind. He found nothing. Frustrated, he yelled for Ian. Over and over. His eyes stung, his chest burned from the inside. He tried to get back to the main section where Ian had his own oven but it was just impossible now. "IAN!" He stumbled over things he couldn't even see now, the smoke was so thick.

Something caught his leg at the ankle. Dropping down he found a hand. He grabbed it, pulling it out from a pile of rouble. The young apprentice was scarcely old enough to shave. He pulled the gangly teen towards the back side door. When it wouldn't open readily he prushed it off the hinges. The boy clung to him as they raced out of the licking flames. Laying the boy on the ground James spun around to go back in but was met with a wall of fire. The ground trembled as more of the roof caved in. Not even prushing would get him back in.

He dropped to his hands and knees, wracked with a coughing fit. Someone draped something over his back and he was dragged back to where a small group of other survivors had gathered in the alley.

"Ghost of the Val?" a quiet, raspy voice spoke in his ear. James had barely raised his head when a small bundle of cloth was pushed under his arm. He looked at the face. The boy he'd saved. "He... he just said it was for you." The boy's lip trembled.

James could only nod, his throat doubly sore.

The boy had worked for Ian. James had seen him running errands for the smith before. He mumbled something about his mentor - Ian - shoving the bundle in the boy's arms and pushing him aside before he was struck and pinned by a beam. The words barely registered with James.

"The terrorist! He's back! Levi's back!" someone screamed.

Another marvellous failure, not that this was his fault but if he could have stopped Levi back on Earth as he'd meant to...

Now all any of them could do was watch as the building burned and collapsed. A crowd was beginning to form. Wives, mothers, families of the workers were at the forefront, crying, screaming and begging. Two packs arrived on scene but the damage was too severe. They could do little but try to contain the inferno from spreading. A great wail carried through the crowd.

Twelve survived, including James and the boy. And though his body was wracked with aches, burns and coughs, his mind was numb. Ian and a good forty some men and boys were gone, lost among the charred, smoking debris. The mob began to move and everything became a blur.

Chapter 22

A patrol of guards swarmed around them as David raced her up to his apartment. They left behind a ballroom of confusion as high society guests, musicians and servants either clamoured for better views or ran away. David cursed the whole way.

"You stay!" he ordered her as he shoved Cait through the doors. "You and you," he pointed at two guards, "No one goes in or out!" He slammed the inner doors shut.

"It's the forge," shouted someone down the hall.

Cait heard the outer doors slam and a pounding of footsteps grew fainter. She waited, listening. More muffled shouts. More running. She reached for the silverline on her neck but hesitated. Not yet, the voice told her. She pushed the inner doors open and knocked on the outer ones. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Best keep inside Lady... Ambass-er... miss," came the reply. "Terrorists blew up the silverline forge."

Another set of boots ran through the hall. "The packs on scene responded but rebels in the crowd started to pitch debris at them and now the whole city's up in a riot. There's a mob on the way to the Citadel!"

"Please," Cait tapped on the door again, "I need to get out of here. I need to find James Devlin."

"James?"

"Sorry miss. The Speaker said no one in or out."

"What do you want with James?" asked the other one. Cait opened her mouth to respond. Despite what Islena had said, she still had strong feelings for James and the voice in her head said she needed him. He'd been with her through the beginning of this, he'd trained her, tried to protect her...

"What are you doing?!" a voice bellowed, "Get down to the barricade!"

More footsteps ran in the halls. Cait bit her lip and inhaled a deep breath. She put her hand on the door and jumped back as David wrenched it open. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her back into the room.

"That son of a bitch! I told him... of all the... fucking idiotic, dumbtarded..." He shut the doors behind them, turned, and they both stopped short. Sitting on the couch in the living room was Levi. "You!" David fumed.

"Brother," Levi smiled, but as he moved he cringed and settled back. He hadn't come out unscathed. Cait's earlier words hung in a look exchanged briefly between them.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" David demanded.

"You wanted something big. Something to unify the people and push them to your favour."

"You blew up the silverline forge!" yelled David, "You started a riot! Half the city is burning right in front of the Citadel!!"

"Oh, sorry, did I obscure your precious view? They're clamouring for you to put it right, you know." Levi looked the definition of smug while David was actually turning a shade of red, holding his fists tight at his side.

"I meant the bonding ceremony!" David shouted.

Levi's face fell.

"You wanted me to sabotage the ceremony?" he asked stupidly.

"No you idiot! The ceremony WAS the big thing to bring the people together! And what am I supposed to give them? The forge is gone. The silverline is gone. The workers are gone!"

Levi opened his mouth and shut it. Then shrugged. David took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. Cait's hand went to her neck. She just stood watching, trying to digest what was happening and almost didn't register the chain slipping loose around her fingers.

"This can't continue Levi -"

"Build another forge, hire new workers," Levi interrupted, "I'm sure they'll be quite sympathetic when they hear I interrupted your little shindig." David's mouth hung open, then his poker face took over.

"You're right. The people are 'clamouring' for me to put it right." David reached out as though he wanted to shake Levi's hand, congratulate him or help him up. Levi's smile was smug, like he had been accorded proof of doing a good job. And in the next instant David had both hands perform a splitting motion and Levi's body was penetrated by holes that then prushed apart. Cait blinked and he was gone. Blood, bone, and clumps of flesh were all that was left. And she was covered in it.

She couldn't breathe. The air wouldn't enter her lungs and Cait felt weak in the knees.

David approached her. She could only watch, her heart stopped as he put a hand on the back of her neck and gently kissed her forehead. She shuddered.

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

"You killed him." she said not quite recognizing the catch in her voice. "You murdered your brother."

"He blew up a building with people inside. He's murdered others before. He's destroyed valuable property, stolen, tortured, and a slew of other crimes. He was a terrorist."

"Because you gave him that role!"

David was amused by that. "True. But his time was coming sooner or later. I have to say though, he did a wonderful job tying up loose ends; I can enforce the silverline, the people are clamouring for it now, the Senators are finally united in agreement - they will be holding a toast in my honor - and now when I kill them I won't have to contend with that bastard for re-absorption." The expression of shock on her face thrilled him even more. "I will only have to contend with you, but in this case there is more than enough to go around."

"What are you talking about?"

He was like a child presenting a winning science experiment after he'd already won, cocky and excited by his own genius. "This is why I picked you, Cait. We are all vessels for power to varying degrees. What I discovered is that it isn't inherent. It's absorbed! Everyone can do it. It's in our DNA, entering as naturally as the air we breathe, so we can acquire it, contain it, and use it, some more than others. Once it binds to us, even if we use it, it comes back. It is only released through death. You and I (and Levi) we share the ability to absorb and contain an incredible amount. I realized it in you when I met you on Earth. It was so natural to you and you were so blissfully ignorant that you didn't even notice the subconscious prushes and purls - when you turned pages of books, played pool, or picked up keys that fell. I saw you purl a door into yourself once," he smirked. "Of course there's hardly enough manna on Earth to really get a feel of it humming through you. But the potential is there. I can't keen but even I could tell. Someone crossed our worlds before the Mad King came into power and stayed long enough to father the abilities which passed to you, someone very powerful."

Just as they heard the footsteps, David's face became a mask of anger. Too late, the doors burst open and a small pack of guards spilled into the room.

David growled at them, "the forge was a distraction. He tried to attack us. Justice is done; the terrorist is dead." No one said a word. The guards all stood in dumb shock at the bloody scene. David grabbed Cait's hand. "I want this mess cleaned up. We have a ceremony to finish." He half pulled, half dragged Cait from the room. The movement was enough to jerk her mind back into action.

"No." Cait dug her heels in, resisting his pull. He looked as though he would kill her too but he wouldn't. He needed her to breed and there was no one else he could trust now to send back to Earth to abduct her family or to find another like her - if there even were any. David's right eye twitched. "I rescind your proposal."

He opened his mouth but she prushed before any breath came out. David slammed so far down the hall that Cait was sure he'd leave a dent in the wall where he struck. She didn't wait to find out. She prushran the other way and propelled herself down the stairs. The only thing stopping her from barrelling into walls was that she prushed and propelled off of them. She couldn't stop. The instant she stopped, she would be dead.

The guests and servants she passed in the halls stared at her as if she were mad, but they were too busy running in the opposite direction looking for cover from the angry mob. Cait had to thank Levi for ridding most of the guards from their posts. Now, if only she could find the way out!

***

James made his way through the mob to the Citadel courtyard. He found Rhand with Islena holding back a perimeter.

"Let me in," he growled at Islena.

"I can't. I do that, the whole line breaks!" Her eyes were fierce, though her cheeks flushed with exertion.

"Let. Me. Through." He ground out the words at her. Bodies pressed up against him, the whole of Sildre Val surging in rage against the line of guards.

"James!" Rhand cursed his name.

"She's here. She's in there and Islena knows it!" James shouted.

"DOGS!" The crowd around them was cursing, voices raising shameful profanities against the Senate and those who defended them. "You protect them when your city burns?! When your people burn?!"

Rhand looked at Islena. Her cheeks flushed as she averted her eyes.

"Dammit Islena!" he barked. Bodies shoved forward, trampling each other.

"Stop hiding!" "Shame!" "This is the Senate's fault! They chained us! They want all the manna for themselves!" "Dogs! DOGS!"

James could see cracks splintering in the shield as guards lost focus, or simply their reached their limit. A second line of enforcers was scrambling into place, ready to prush the mob back by force. Before the first shield failed the doors to the Citadel burst open.

For a fraction of a second the front of the crowd was blanketed in silence as a streak of a red and white ball gown shot out and the woman prush-jumped over the crowd and into the desert. Shortly after came the Speaker and a dispatch of guards. He signalled them to fan out and then chased after the woman. One of the guards ran towards them and then with newly raised hackles, the mob surge again.

"James!" Jobin shouted, "James, she needs you. The Speaker killed Levi. I think he's going to kill her!" Other voices drowned him out to all but James' keen ears.

No more waiting.

Jobin prushed aside the enforcer who'd moved into place behind Rhand and Islena.

James spotted the break in their shield the instant it faltered. He breached the defense, leaving his former mates to be overrun by insurgents and prushed past them faster and harder than he'd even gone before, leaving behind a city in chaos.

_I won't fail you this time_ , he thought.

***

Cait ran and ran and ran as fast and as far as she could. David was only seconds behind. She zigzagged, stalling for time to think. Breaking out was as far as her plan had gone. It would come down to a fight, but David had much more experience using his powers. She also didn't want to get too far from the city and not be able to find her way back.

"Caitlin stop!" David ordered.

She twisted in midair and purled the sand off the dune he was headed for. David landed badly, but rolled and recovered at the base.

_Just keep moving_ , her inner voice urged. _And breathe!_ She gulped air, never stopping and now purling up sand all over to confuse and delay him.

"Enough!" David bellowed. He sent a prush of energy into her, knocking her off course and tumbling down a very large dune. She stared up at the swirling sand and an idea quickly formed. Cait got up again, scrambling up the crest, stretching out her arrast and purling up a mini sandstorm from the far side behind her.

David appeared over the previous peak. A single valley divided them.

"Caitlin," he said as if addressing a child, "you know you won't win. You're coming back with me."

She paused and faced him. "Don't come any closer!" she warned, building on the connection behind her while purling a small drift of sand near his feet.

David stopped. "I don't give up what's mine, Caitlin. I told you that."

She felt a shift in the arrast as the vortex grew, feeding off of her energy just as the water spout had. She was losing control. Please, she thought, darting a quick glance behind her.

"I am not a piece of property, David! You don't _own_ me!" she yelled back.

He stepped forward. She stepped back. Sand shifted under both of them. The air crackled with a thunderous rumble. Cait's hands went cold, stinging from the pelting sand. She reached behind her, preparing to throw it at him if he jumped but her grasp on the connection was tenuous now, the vortex taking on a life of its own. "You lied to me! You're not the David I knew. You're a monster!" The words stung but she needed to say them.

He was tensing up. _Just do it already._ Her hold was fading. "And you're a lousy lay."

Their eyes met for a second and then David crouched and leapt from his dune.

Cait's hand clutched at nothing. The sand slid out from her feet and she dropped to her belly as the whirlwind roared over her, launching forward of its own accord.

James was only a few dunes behind now, keenly aware of the exchange. He absorbed the fact that _her_ David was Sildre Val's Lord Speaker. Understanding and dread washed over him and then he was caught up short by the vision of Cait's small figure overshadowed by the rise of sand. She wasn't just purling from the dune behind her. The entire desert at her back was rising up on command, at least a dozen other vortices formed and fed into the main one. Her hold was slipping, the whirlwind itself pulsing with the keen glow of manna.

Before his eyes, David was in the air mid-jump towards Cait but she had vanished beneath the storm... As if in slow motion, the vortex bowed and birthed a massive red howler, leaping on a collision course with the Speaker. With a piercing roar they disappeared in a dustbowl at the base of the dunes.

James swore an oath of profanities into the wind as a pack of howlers materialized and swiftly approached Cait. Two of them bounded past her, following the first over the crest. At least ten now surrounded Cait. James prushran towards her, shouting her name, hoping to distract even a few away from her but they were lured by Cait's power. A god-awful howl drowned out his cries, the sheer power reverberating in his chest and actually knocked him off course. When he looked up the massive alpha was returning, gliding down the slope towards Cait.

"No! CAIT!!!" He could no longer keep the panic out of his voice. His chest burned. "CAIT!"

Its coppery red head, almost as dark as Cait's hair, stopped mere inches away from her, Cait's hand raised to touch it. A connection glowed between them.

James came up just short of her, blocked by at least four of the beasts on this side. They barred their fangs and snarled. He reached for the weapon strapped to his belt, pulling it out and raising it but not sure yet where to aim.

"No," Cait's voice was oddly calm. He looked up at her and froze. Her eyes had become as black as the howlers'. "They mean me no harm."

James swallowed, eyeing the beasts, heart hammering in his chest. "Cait..." He saw a shimmer of light and shadow like a web connecting them to each other and to Cait. Slowly lowering his arm, the smaller beasts calmed and moved aside. Cait smiled tentatively and held out her hand to him. He took it, an instant charge of electric current bonding him to the web.

_Rudra answers the summons of the daughter of kings._ The voice was gravelly, like a rumble of thunder through their minds. _Rudra serves the oath of Allash Emra to the First of Kings, to defend their children._ Her obsidian eyes blinked slowly. So did Cait's.

James tightened his hold on her hand, wanting desperately to pull her into his arms. Instead, her cold stare made him shiver.

Cait raised her chin, sniffing the air. "Do you smell that?" Her hands fell from Rudra.

"The city is burning," answered James, not needing to keen to smell it.

Upon closer inspection he could see muscles twitching beneath her skin, a hint of some internal conversation he wasn't privy to. He could see her gathering a force of will to turn and face the beast.

"We cannot let it burn. Too much has been lost already," Cait's voice was stern but strained. She shivered.

_Help the city of defiled and infidels?_ Rudra's teeth barred as she released what equated to a rumbling laugh. _Rudra would sooner see it burn and the manna returned to her own kind._ She sat up on her haunches, a long-haired tail flitting impatiently across the sand.

Cait's hand tightened in his, her eyes shutting tight. She was fighting for control, he realized.

"If you serve to defend her, then why not fight for her?" James shouted.

Rudra and several others snarled at him but as the sand swirled off their silk-soft fur, they settled.

"Too much... has been... lost..." Cait ground out.

With more of a snuff than a sigh, Rudra lowered her head. _If the daughter of kings wills it._ The howler stood, raising a wall of sand from her back and tail. The rest of the pack followed obeisant. Cait let go of James and climbed onto the howler's back.

With a decimating chorus of howls they sprang, charging towards Sildre Val. James prushran but could barely keep up. Another howler, only slightly smaller than Rudra, pulled back to pace him. It barked expectantly. James leapt on, albeit reluctantly. Amazingly he could feel the storm shimmering through him, the howler's fur even softer than he'd imagined, so light and so fast it felt like he was flying.

They reached the city walls, smoke and flames billowing like a red and black demon rising above the cliffs to the very heavens and beyond. No one manned the gates. It didn't matter. The howlers leapt onto the catwalk south of the watchtower, looking down on utter chaos.

People ran screaming in every direction. Some in anger, some in fear. The entire South Den was engulfed in flames, there was looting in the East and West, and in the Citadel courtyard a full scale rebellion was taking place between citizens and guards, where some of the more determined rebels had even scaled the balcony and infiltrated the building. Apret and arrast flashed and frosted in all directions.

The billowing plume of smoke was darkening the sky, casting Sildre Val in a spectral twilight and coating everything and everyone in precipitous ash. We will deal with the fire, came Rudra's voice before she bounded off with Cait.

The rest of the pack locked eyes on James. He felt the web of their networked minds flowing through him, nine distinct personalities awaiting command. But it was more than just their thoughts, it was their emotions and senses too. He could see and hear everything, ghosting in a separate part of his consciousness. He was a part of them as they were a part of him. And he knew what to do. "You three stop the looters in the Dens. You three - in the courtyard - break up the biggest groups, subdue but try not to kill! You and you, help me to herd them to the center of the yard, away from the fire. We'll get to the balcony after. Divide and conquer, got it? Go!" James directed them across the city.

It was dizzying at first. The howlers spread out as he commanded, their mere presence dispersing most of the smaller groups. Somehow he kept track, aware of each one even as he charged around the perimeter threatening the scattering people back with growls and grunts from his mount ( _Sarshin_ ), and a rising sandstorm not just from the howlers' bodies but from their movement around the ground as well.

His enforcers rushed through the throngs, piercing the mob with their howls and head butting the most stubborn or paralyzed. In one particularly violent section the beast snapped and lunged at guards and rebels. Someone attempted to prush it but the howler fed on the manna, absorbing it. James felt the rush of energy through the beast.

_Volara_ , he realized distractedly was clamping her jaws down on a large amount of flesh. He cursed, scolding her.

_The infidel was not long from death_ , she snarled back. He knew it was true, he'd seen it, smelled it, felt her hunger for manna and blood.

_This is not the time to eat!_ James shot back. Volara growled but obeyed, lunging with a bloody snout towards would-be looters in the East market square.

James turned his attention back to the courtyard, slightly more aware of the growing hunger in each of the howlers. "Back! Get back!" he shouted at the guards who were retreating back to the Citadel. Sarshin barked, his stormy back raging. There was a flash of recognition and surprise before they turned and were herded back.

For one instant James allowed an arrogant smirk in response to the look of surprise on Islena's face. Then he felt a mental blow rippling through the network of howler minds.

_Something is wrong_ , Sarshin warned.

"The South wall! Look!" someone shouted.

Cait trembled as Rudra's presence scanned through her mind. She had resisted the bond at first but as they reached the city wall and Rudra dredged up every agonizing moment of her memories of the last few days, she had relinquished control to the beast. It would have been impossible to keep her head together with all the emotions washing over her. The alpha howler did what needed to be done, directing Cait's energies with her own.

_You must focus on the task at hand_ , Rudra mentored.

Ash rained on them as they raced around South Den, generating shields around buildings, purling out the air to suffocate the fire and then forcing the structures to collapse and smother the embers. They worked their way inward at first, creating a barrier of smouldering debris from the other Dens.

It wasn't so much that the buildings were constructed with wood, most were faced with some combination of sandstone or clay brick, but the heat from the exploding forge had simply been so intense that it would have melted steel. Even now Cait felt the searing of Rudra's paws as they moved over the hot coals of the demolished Den.

_We're going to have to do something about this smoke_ , Cait thought. She imagined purling the rain clouds like she had at the lake.

_No. Rains would make more smoke and steam._ Rudra's mind raced through mental images, debating their options. They shielded a particularly large building, some kind of factory. Cait felt a slight shift in control as she suctioned the air. _You have great power, daughter of kings. You may not be kin of the First King, but the blood runs not far from. You may yet rival Rudra's own one day._

The compliment and Rudra's respectful tone did not go unnoticed. Cait's inner self stood a little firmer in her resolve to focus on the task at hand. The building crumpled inward.

_Wait!_ The idea came to them, a combination of both their minds.

James watched as the stone wall heated to a glowing red. Something terrifyingly powerful was building in shadow of the swelling smoke. The hairs on his arms raised. He felt a shudder through Sarshin. The six howlers in the courtyard paused around the herd of men and women to howl.

The black cloud swirled, flicking angry belches of red. Even from a credible distance, he felt the pull drawing the sandstorms from the howlers' backs. Sarshin's fur was slipping from his grasp as though fading. Rudra was calling them back. Volara and the other two on the city side had already dissipated.

He felt Sarshin dig his claws into the earth, fighting the call. There was a flash of fear as the howler held back, searching the network for his vanishing mates. Then he felt a new presence, distant but approaching. One of the howlers who'd gone after the Speaker was returning to Sildre Val, and it was in pain.

_Mother Howler!_ James and Sarshin both turned to the desert wall. In as much time as it took for the winds to gather the cloud of smoke and flame into one tightly bound vortex, the new howler breeched the wall. It cried in protest as the man on his back dug an obsidian blade deeper into the flesh between its shoulder blades. Sarshin and James echoed the yelp of pain, feeling it through their connection.

James understood through Sarshin, obsidian was their weakness. The sense of loss earlier they'd felt not long ago had been David slaying the other howler. Go to Rudra! Sarshin directed his bleeding brother. With a shimmer and whine, the howler dissipated leaving David alone on the wall.

The Speaker surveyed the state of his city. "WHERE IS SHE?!" he demanded, the rage in his voice releasing a prush that waved over the gathered herd. He didn't have to look far. The South wall dividing the courtyard from the city den crumbled as it blasted away to join the twister.

The black vortex was tightening. Scorched debris now turned to charcoal, ground together. The effort of exerting so much constant pressure was too much for Rudra to maintain control over Cait as well. The responsibility of managing her power, along with the strain and all the emotional and physical pain she'd been shielding, transitioned back in vivid awareness. Manna flowed out of her. The instant she thought of the similarity to a portal she heard Rudra's warning.

Not unless you want to tear this city to pieces!

There was more manna than the two of them could handle. If not for Rudra calling her pack to help bind it... Cait understood all too well now what James meant by there being a limit. She watched as one by one the other howlers jumped into the storm, their blurred forms helping to contain it.

The spire cracked and popped like ice in water, and in fact it was starting to look liquid at the rate it was turning. Her body burned, sweat literally steaming off - though that could also have been from Rudra's blistered paws on the molten ground... Their bodies were as connected as their minds.

Crush it. Bind it. Cool it.

Cait was determined to hold on to the end, if only out of sheer stubborn will, fuelled by anger and pain. She felt like she was fracturing or drowning at times but Rudra told her they were close. With the pack's help and the earth quaking beneath them, they locked the shield around it prushing the black form down and purling the heat from the air.

It is done. Rudra's manna shut off with a swift flick of will. Cait had a much harder time cutting off. _Release, daughter of kings!_ The howler ordered, bucking violently and snapping her fangs. That did it.

A layer of loose soot and ash cascaded down the structure in a thick black mist. What was left was a spiraling crystal tower with a pack of howlers half-encased around it. Their exhausted energy left them both shuddering before it.

Rudra lay down even on the molten ground, panting for breath. Cait lay along her flank. Her muscles ached, pulse throbbed, lungs burned and unable to stop the trembles wracking her entire body.

Now able to spare her focus to re-establish the connection to the others, Rudra found only Sarshin. And though she was irked by his disobedience in submitting as the others had, she listened with immediate alarm. _There is danger yet!_ She warned.

"What?" before Cait could stop her, Rudra dissipated into dust. The last of her manna blew into Cait just as boots crunched on the coals behind her and two arms grabbed her, a cold hard blade at her throat.

"Cait!" James and Sarshin landed too late.

James cursed, his hands fisting balls of Sarshin's fur. He could keenly see the battering of Cait's artery pulsing against the black dagger. Her breath was quick and shallow, matching his own.

"James," she rasped, a note of hysteria leaking out.

"Well," David smirked, "I must say that was quite the clean up job, Caitlin darling. Still a few loose ends to tidy up, but at least now I'll have the satisfaction of wiping away your little indiscretion," he said to Cait. "Not the worst choice, I'll admit. Do you think we'll absorb his keening ability?"

Cait whimpered, a tear leaking down her cheek.

"Down boy," David nodded at James.

_Master?_ Sarshin wanted to attack but was afraid of the obsidian in David's hand. The rest of the pack was gone, his sole connection to James, to whom he now deferred.

_Hold._ James eased his grip, shifting to dismount slowly. _He won't hurt her, he needs her._

_He killed Lodri. He took his apret_ , Sarshin warned him.

"Oh, I won't kill you," David let his lips graze upon Cait's ear as he lowered the blade along the skin of her neck, her shoulder... raising her right arm toward James as he drew a thin red line down her bicep. "But a lesson..."

Cait's breath hitched.

James shifted, reaching for the the clip on his belt, his eyes locking with hers.

"Enjoy the sun while you can, my dear; I'm going to have you tied up in cozy little windowless room for the rest of your life," he stared past her at James, his voice growing ever bolder, "alive and healthy and bearing my children for as long as -- oh please," David looked ready to laugh as James raised his arm, gun drawn. David waved it aside with a dismissive prush.

But with lightening speed, James watched Cait's arrast raise the .40 caliber and purl the trigger. The click and pop resonated over the desert. David looked down at his shoulder in quiet, blinking surprise. The same instant Cait prushed out of his hold, James caught the gun with one hand and held out his other to guide her behind him. He advanced and took another shot. David threw up a shield but the second bullet struck his chest without pause. He staggered back, shocked.

"What? You've never seen a silver coated bullet before?"

David opened his mouth, enraged. James released the third capsule. The impact knocked his head back first. The rest of the corpse followed, falling to the ground in a swirl of glittering red sand.

The ringing in James' ears was drowned out by Sarshin's gleeful howl. He sheathed the gun, turning to face her.

The air shimmered with the release of David's apret. Wind whipped Cait's loose hair, the shredded, burned and bloodied skirt of her gown lifted and rushed around her causing her to stumble back (though Sarshin was there to brace her). It passed on through the crystal spire, ringing like a song only he and the howler could hear.

His own body was immersed in a glow similar to Cait's accepting the overwhelming rush of energy that had his head spinning.

All noise died save for the wisp and ruffle of clothes in the wind and a yelp from Sarshin as Cait wavered besides him. In two steps James caught her as she collapsed. The shattering spire going completely unnoticed, except to the hundreds of witnesses still herded in the courtyard and staring frozen from windows and balconies.

Chapter 23

Cait felt something warm, soft and wet sponging her skin. Somewhere far away she could hear a calm inhale and exhale of breath, her own. She let exhaustion take her back to the bliss of a long dreamless sleep just as something else soft and warm graced her lips.

James sat beside her bed as he had the last twelve hours, waiting for a flutter in her lids or a movement or a groan that would indicate she was awake. He'd refused to let anyone else see her except for the healers, and even then he'd firmly refused to leave them alone with her. He'd never felt so possessive over someone, but then when they discovered the bruises and other marks he felt guilty and furious all over again. Not to mention that something remained of his connection to Sarshin.

She was clean now, and healing. There was nothing to do but let her sleep off the exhaustion. If she didn't wake up soon though the healers told him they would have to force feed her and James couldn't stand the thought.

She's stronger than any of them realize.

He brushed the hair back from her face. There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. James looked and saw Rhand slip in, closing the door with a light click. He had the decency to look like a dog with its tail between its legs. "I'm not in the mood," James said, his voice hoarse and dry.

"You look like shit," Rhand agreed.

James stood, fists forming. "I'm not doing this! Not in here," he warned.

Rhand threw his hands up. "Easy. I came to apologize."

"That's funny, the first thing you -"

"I'm sorry." Rhand cut him off, his expression sincere, keeping his distance. "I was an ass."

"You're always an ass," retorted James. They both half smirked and eased up, each releasing a tense breath. Rhand looked down at Cait.

"So she's the one who's going to solve all our problems?" Rhand stepped towards the bed.

"I'd say she already did." James raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

South Den had been virtually obliterated, the Senate was an unstable mess, trampled bodies still littered the courtyard waiting to be cleared, and Rudra's pack of howlers was prowling the flats, one in particular who was sitting guard outside this very building. But James dared his friend to say anything. Cait had saved the rest of Sildre Val from burning, and it was because of her that he'd been able to command the howlers to stop the rest of the city from tearing itself apart.

"You have to admit," Rhand continued, "it is kind of a miracle the Speaker found her." He tilted his head as if that would give him a better view. "You're a lucky guy."

"I didn't sleep with her for her power," James said tersely.

"Oh I know," said Rhand. "She is kind of exotic." He laughed at James' scowl. "Relax. I'm happy with Shanna. I can see how much she means to you, big guy. The Ghost of the Val and the last dualist - you were made for each other."

He couldn't deny it. He'd already told Rhand he cared for her. As if running out in the desert after her while half the city burned and rioted, then gunning down the Speaker wasn't obvious. He cared a lot. A hell of a lot.

Sarshin hadn't said it outright but the howlers already thought of James as her mate.

Shit.

Rhand smiled at him. James prushed him on the shoulder but Rhand just chuckled. James looked back at Cait, the steady rise and fall of her chest a soothing rhythm.

"The Senate wants to know when she wakes," Rhand said almost apologetically, "they sent me to tell you there will be a summons for a public inquiry," he added.

So that's how he got past the healers.

"I'll be sure to let you know." James was careful to control his tone.

Screw the Senate.

Rhand nodded. He bid a quiet goodbye and left them alone again.

James ran his hands through his hair and scratched the itchy stubble that threatened to become a beard in another day or two. He didn't know how many minutes passed before Cait's fingers twitched. She sighed and stretched, a small sound escaping her throat before her eyes fluttered open. James rubbed the back of her hand.

She smiled at him, the same endearing smile she'd shown him at her cottage the morning after. Then the haze of sleep lifted and her smile faltered. Her eyes shone in a range of emotions. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, bury his head in her neck and make all her pain go away.

"Who is Islena?"

The question threw him. He sat up, rubbing his tired eyes, taking a deep breath. "We were in the same pack. The alpha was her cousin." He forced himself to look her in the eyes. She wanted the truth and loathe though he was to admit it, she deserved to know. "We slept together once. We were drunk and I was on a rebound," he added the explanation quickly.

"She said she was your mate," Cait's voice hitched quietly.

"Pack mate," he corrected. When her eyes fell to her hands in her lap he reached up and lifted her chin, making damn sure she saw how sincerely he regretted it, "It was a stupid mistake and it was a long time ago." He waited until she nodded, then wiped the single tear that slipped down her cheek. The silence stretched between them for a few more minutes.

Her next words came out close to a whisper, "is... is he really dead?"

"Yes."

She shuddered, closing her eyes briefly. "What happens now?"

Another good question. _You stay with me and we live happily ever after,_ he thought.

"The Senate wants to hold an inquiry. The public wants to abolish the Senate. Everything is in limbo until then. When you're ready, we can go ."

"We?"

He smiled gently, "of course we." He took her hand and squeezed it.

She closed her eyes as if in pain. "He... he..."

"I know," James stopped her from having to say it. He wished he could stop her from hurting but it would just take time. A lot of time. He reached out and she curled into his arms. "I know." He felt her body wrack with sobs. His embrace tightened, his chin resting on her head, caressing her hair and her back and breathing in her scent as evenly as he could while he waited for it to pass.

When he felt her relax and her breathing even out he knew she'd fallen asleep. He laid her back down against the pillows.

"I love you," he whispered over her then stood up, straightening his back for a moment. A cool wave of exhaustion passed over him. _No, not exhaustion - arrast_.

Not yet entirely asleep, Cait purled him down, meeting his lips with hers.

Epilogue

Two days later Cait had settled with the idea that she would be staying in Sildre Val for some time longer. She was in no shape to return home. Though her manna had returned and she now seemed able to keep better control of it thanks to her bond with Rudra, there was obviously still a lot to learn.

As soon as she accepted James' offer to live with him he'd left to make arrangements. His current quarters were too small for the two of them, and despite numerous offers there was no way in hell that she would stay in the Citadel. So far she had managed to blatantly ignore the Senate's requests for her to attend court. James had even appointed Jobin to guard the hospital room to keep runners from bothering her with summons while she rested.

But Cait was tired of staring at the same four walls. She needed fresh air, needed to see the state of destruction for herself, to find some kind of closure so she could move on.

With James gone, this was her first opportunity to leave her room. She put on the common clothes that James had procured for her - soft, gray jersey leggings, a loose cream silk dress-shirt that belted at the waist, and knee-high tan leather boots. She looked like a regular citizen.

"Lady Caitlin?" Jobin asked with trepidation as she emerged.

"I'm going for a walk," she said calmly, already taking steps down the hall to the exit without pause. Jobin followed, voicing protests that she supposed to be resting, James would be mad, and all that jazz...

Medical staff and others in the halls froze in their tasks at the sight of her. Ignoring them as well, she all but skipped down the stairs to the entry hall and pushed open the main doors. Nothing was going to stop her from her goal.

"Lady Caitlin wait!" Jobin tripped on the last step and came hobbling up short behind her.

The sun was high, near midday. She was instantly met by a warm breeze, sparkling copper-red sand, and a bright blue cloudless sky. Milling about the street and other nearby buildings, regular folks went about their business. Cait blended in without notice, even with Jobin trailing her. It was blissful.

She slowed just enough to let him catch up. "Where is South Den?" she asked.

Jobin took a deep breath, knowing there was nothing he could really do to stop her, "this way," he led her through the streets.

It was then that Sarshin appeared, materializing as their shadow. Cait could hear his soft feet padding along. Whispers followed and with a quiet crowd gathering - at a respectful distance - Cait's mood darkened slightly.

They reached the charred expanse of what had once been South Den. She walked ahead, boots crunching over the coals, while Jobin and Sarshin and every other pair of eyes stood back. Where the forge had been there was a scattering of crystals clear as glass. James had told her about the spyre shattering, specters of the howler pack floating off in the wind. He'd seen Rudra's aura flee Cait's body firsthand, panicked at the time thinking it was because Cait had died. The howlers had re-manifested outside the city walls where they were still waiting for Sarshin and word of Cait's recovery. And though the mental bond was now broken, Cait knew it wouldn't take much to reconnect.

It was hard to stand there looking at the black ground though. She could still see the last scene play out in her mind. Tears welled in her eyes. She was mildly distracted by Jobin intervening to keep a runner from yet another summons to the Senate. It was hard enough to work through the memories let alone revisit the story to a room full of vainglorious, self-serving, idiotic...

"What are you doing out here?" asked James, approaching from West Den. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "You should be resting."

"I just needed some air," she told him. Over his shoulder she could see Sarshin sitting with a dopey wolfish grin, tongue lolling. She stuck her tongue out at him, playfully. "When are you going to stop spying on me?" she asked, eyebrow raised pointedly.

James smiled and shrugged. "Never."

"You're going to have to give up your connection some time. The city is no place for a howler, he's making the people nervous."

"Oh they're not nervous because of him," James tilted his head to look down at her. "Besides, I'm kind of used to the company now. He's got a lot of... interesting ideas."

Cait sighed, lifting her hand to his cheek, touching only briefly before he could put his hand on hers. "I miss your eyes," she confessed.

They turned, walking side by side a few feet. As if called by James, Sarshin sprang towards them. Cait paused while the howler circled the two of them, brushing up against them before settling in front of Cait. She smiled gently at him. He extended one front paw forward, tucked the other back, and proceeded to bow before her.

Cait looked up at James for explanation.

"He says he is happy to see the daughter of kings returned to good health."

She reached out to scratch the fur behind his ears when James suddenly got down on bended knee and lowered his head. "Ja-" Cait's voice caught as every visible person - the crowd having grown without her notice - followed suit.

"All praise the Red Lady!" someone shouted.

"Lady Summers, daughter of kings, last dualist, and savior of the realm!" James' voice boomed over the empty Den. A chorus of voices cheered. Cait blushed. Then she noticed one small group of men rushing onto the blackened ground, cloaks flailing in their wake.

"Lady Summers! Lady Summers!!" a handful of Senators was vying for her attention. James stood. Sarshin did too, storm-hackles raised and building. Jobin joined the blockade as well. All three of them standing between Cait and the cloaked men.

"I have nothing to say to you," she dismissed them tersely.

"Lady Summers, surely you can understand the state of the city. The people of Sildre Val need guidance; we must rebuild. But we need to know what happened. We need information." They each sounded desperate, putting their demand to her. "Why the history accounts alone -"

"Information!" Cait's rage spat out. "You need to look at yourselves! YOU did this! YOU let this happen! You let that monster rape me - RAPE ME! \- while you sat and ate your suppers and drank your wine! You would have let him chain me up and for what? FOR WHAT?! For _breeding_?! For sick pleasure?! You twisted fucks! You're as vile as David and just as responsible for all of this. Why should I do anything for you?" She turned away, shaking, crying, and pulse hammering dangerously.

The Den was silent other than her choked-back sobs. She thought she was going to be sick. _Get a hold of yourself,_ her thoughts pulled together. _You can't let them undo you like this. You're stronger than them. You don't need them._

"Lady Summers," one of the Senators said quietly, "You're right. This Senate is deeply flawed, myself included I admit. A change is unquestionably needed but it will take time... and we are not all like _him_. Sildre Val needs leadership and we are all she has. For now. Please," he actually clasped his hands together and bent his head, "please help us reform and earn back the trust of the people. We can learn much from each other - with your knowledge of your world's technology and governance, and our... housing, financing, training facilities... whatever you need! Please! We need you. This city needs you."

All eyes were on Cait. It was intimidating and intoxicating at the same time. She swallowed back the rising bile from the indigestion this whole situation was causing her.

"I'll think about it," she replied. She nodded at James to start walking again. Sarshin and Jobin took the rear since no one would be insane enough to get in her way. In fact the crowd - citizens and pack members - parted before her.

Instead of going back to the hospital room, she went to the outer wall and prushed out to the desert. Her small entourage followed.

The penitent senator had been right. The city - the people - looked to her with hope, expecting guidance, and frankly nothing short of a miracle. Cait stayed for some hours with Rudra's pack, nursing her emotional scars and working off some excess energy with James at her side. Jobin was dispatched to finalize their housing and when they returned to the city later that night to their new apartment (leaving Sarshin behind), Cait listened to his entertaining banter about his misadventures with Miera as a welcome distraction. She decided she liked Jobin - not in the way Miera apparently did but as a potential friend she could confide in besides James. When Jobin left Cait spent the rest of the night in James' arms, just holding each other.

They took each day one at a time, spent time with James' friends (though Islena steered clear of both of them). Cait agreed, conditionally, to sit in at some of the Senate sessions while they hashed out possibilities to appease the public and rebuild. Her first suggestion was that they replace the inherited aristocratic Senate positions with members voted in by the public on rotating terms but they weren't ready to concede to a democracy just yet. South Den still had to be cleared away but plans for re-building looked promissing. The silverline campaign would be open to public debate at least, of course until policy changed people still wore it out of habit and packs loosely enforced it where disputes and small-scale insurgents still persisted. It was slow progress but progress nonetheless.

Three weeks after the Great Fire of South Den, James and Cait were sharing a meal that he'd cooked, on the balcony of their apartment in West Den which boasted a spectacular view of the Red Desert.

James stared as Cait laughed at his attempt at ratatouille. He'd burned some of the bell peppers and there was way too much garlic. It didn't look anything like the first meal she'd made for him, but she gave him points for effort. Her laughter played like a song against his nerves. _This is the moment_ , he thought.

"You're so beautiful when you laugh," he lifted a tendril of hair that had fallen out of place and tucked it back behind her ear. He hoped she didn't notice the tremble in his hand. "It amazes me after everything that's happened... that you're even able to smile. I've known people who've been through far less and lost themselves," he was starting to get flustered. It didn't sound like it was coming out right. "I know you want to go back to Earth," he cleared his throat, "and I want you to know that... no matter where you choose to go, or where you are or... I... I want to be there with you. If you'll have me?" He took her hand, kneeling down before her. "I love you Caitlin Summers and with or without a ceremony, I'm bound to you. For all the days of my life."

Cait put her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as James swallowed the knot in his throat. He waited patiently for an answer, but Cait paled and ran for the bathroom.

James got up and followed, confused and worried that he'd buggered it up by moving too fast. "Cait?"

Her only reply was the sound of her stomach overturning.

"Shit. My cooking wasn't that bad, was it?" He waited until she was done. His own stomach felt fine, and that was kind of fast for food poisoning...

Cait opened the door just a little bit. Her brow damp with sweat, pale as a ghost.

"Is it...? Are you not ready yet? Because I can wait. I won't do anything --"

She put her fingers on his lips, silencing him.

"I'm pregnant."

END.

###

Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favourite retailer?

Thanks!

J.R. Cassidy

**Acknowledgements**

First and foremost I would like to dedicate this book to my dear friend Jolynn, for her encouragement and support, for being a sounding board and my first beta reader in the early days of this manuscript, and most of all for keeping me sane through all the insane moments in my life these past few years.

A lot of people have helped and supported me along the journey from conception to polished novel. I would like to thank my younger sister, Lauren, for her life-long support, input, and help in beta reading. Thank you as well to my other beta readers, Kathleen and Lisa for their invaluable thoughts, encouragement, and enthusiasm. And of course thanks to my mother for all the years encouraging me not just to write but write well.

This book began as a challenge to myself, after having written so many other unpublished stories that have only been viewed by a select few. I am always working on improving my writing, trying to unlock the mysteries of my twisted mind, and figuring out how to draw on experiences from real life. A lot of this book was a result of asking "what if" questions: what if a portal suddenly opened underground in a vault? What if the 'hero' didn't get there in time to save the day? What if we could split magnetic energies?

Originally intended as a standalone, by the time I realized how the final scene would be written I knew it would need to be a two-book series. If you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, you will be happy to know that the sequel is in the early stages of editing and I hope to have it published about a year from now (2016).

Finally, as a new author, I greatly appreciate any reader who takes a chance on an unknown author. So thank you, dear reader, for your time and review (if you write one), and for any help spreading the word.

**About the author:**

Jessica Robin Cassidy is a Canadian author of contemporary fantasy. A government employee, wife and mother, she draws on her experiences to ground the characters and events of her novels. Born in Montreal but currently residing in Ottawa, Jessica has been telling stories from an early age and has participated in and won several National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) competitions.

She has an Honours Bachelor degree in English from the University of Ottawa. When she isn't busy managing files or running around after her three-year-old daughter, Jessica spends every waking - and some sleeping - moments writing.

Look for the sequel, Slipknot (working title) expected to be published sometime in 2016.

**Connect with Me:**

**Follow me on Twitter:** <https://twitter.com/J_R_Cassidy>

**Friend me on Facebook:** <https://www.facebook.com/2jcassidy>

**Favourite me at Smashwords:** https://www.smashwords.com/profile/JRCassidy

