“No!

” I screamed at the retreating figure, wishing nothing more than for him to
come back with my brother. “Cade!” I screamed running after them. You won’t
take him from me again, not again. I swore to my parents I would protect him
with my life and I’d lost him again. How could I ever face them when I had let my
little brother get taken away, again? The answer? I couldn’t, no I wouldn’t. “stop!”
I yelled completely out of breath. I could see Cade right in front of me, if I
reached out I could touch him, yet when I did all I caught was air. I stopped
running thinking of a plan, immediately one came to me and before the man even
had a chance to register the fact that I was no longer behind them, I had grabbed
my brother and ran. I held him tight shielding him from the stray branches that
managed to cut deep into my skin even though I took extra care to avoid them.
Cade was crying and shaking in my arms and I looked around for a safe place to
hide before settling for a cave by a small stream. The water was beautiful and the
moonlight only added to its glory, but I didn’t have time to admire the scenery,
not when my little four year old brother was still shaking in my embrace. “Cade
honey, it’s me Zari” I said in a soft voice while wiping his tears. He stopped
shaking and crying instantly as realization clouded his adorable blue eyes and he
stared at me. “Zari?” He repeated and I nodded. We sat there for what seemed like
an eternity as I let everything sink in. I had him, my baby brother, I’d found him.
We could go see mother and father, they wouldn’t blame me any longer and I had
Cade back. I gave him a small smile as he hugged me and started crying again,
this time tears of happiness and relief, I hoped. “Shh its okay, I’m here now.
You’re safe Cade. I missed you so much sweetheart, I’m so happy I found you!” I
told him laughing as he grinned wiping away my tears this time. Our reunion
was cut short however when I heard a twig snap behind me. I looked at Cade
with fear in my eyes and he instantly understood putting a finger to his lips like
our mother had taught him before he was taken. I smiled at that, although sadly
and ushered him onto my back ready to make a run for it. “Oh Zariana, where
are you?” He cooed and I froze. I knew that voice, that very voice had haunted me
my entire life. Every nightmare, every daydream, it was always him speaking of
the misfortunes I would experience if I didn’t give myself up to him. No way in
heaven or he** was that happening I thought as I held tight to Cade’s little arms
which were wound around my neck, and ran. I ran as fast as I could, pushing
myself way past my limit but not caring the slightest bit, I had to protect Cade. No
matter what he would be going home to our parents one way or another and
nothing would stop me from making sure of that. Both my legs and chest burned
in protest as I ran faster fearing that we would be caught but not daring to look
back. “Cade honey is he behind us?” I asked my little brother hoping he
understood. He was smart for his age but there’s only so much you can expect
from a four year old. “Ahhh! Zari!” He screamed just as he was yanked off my
back. I managed to grab a hold of his arm just as he was grabbed and turned
around determined not to let go. The figure, who come to think of it never told
me his name, let go of Cade looking behind me with an unreadable expression. I
positioned Cade behind me before turning to see what had him so frightened. I
screamed, a loud blood curdling scream as a thick black smoke covered the entire
forest and two dark claws reached out towards us. I dodged them but I was too
slow and let out another pain-filled scream as it dug it’s claws into my skin,
piercing deep as I ran away with Cade still screaming in my arms. Blood poured
from the cuts staining the ground a deep red and I fell desperately holding on to
Cade who was now screaming at the darkness that was slowly covering my body.
I could feel it creeping under my skin leaving me numb of any and all feeling and
I welcomed it. Everything around me became dim and I supposed that was
because of the loss of blood I was currently experiencing, until the only thing I
could hear was the distant cries of my brother and my own slowing heart.
Suddenly there was a bright light surrounding Cade and everything came back to
me. ‘Cade.’ Was my only thought as I picked myself up and started running in the
only direction I could see, away from the darkness. After only a few minutes of
running I became dizzy trying desperately to hold on for Cade but I couldn’t. I
didn’t. My last thought before the darkness consumed me was ‘I failed, again’ and
then it all went black.

I burst into the room searching desperately for the girl. My eyes landed on a
puddle of blood and quickly called my family tell them it was an emergency. I
spotted her curled up into a ball on the far side of the room and ran to her. She
was covered in sweat, tears and blood, her body violently shaking as she spoke in
only a whisper ‘I failed’ over and over again. “Zariana?!” I heard my mother
address her instantly appearing at her side. “What happened?” My father
demanded, appearing beside my mom, but no one spoke. No one knew. The smell
of blood was thick in the air we all knew it would take a lot of self control not to
harm the girl. Luckily we, the royals had been trained for this very situation and
could handle ourselves. The nurses my brother had called however could not.
Their eyes turned just as I lunged for them. My sisters quickly caught on and took
them out of the room so they could calm down as I made my way back to the girl
who was now lying in the bed while the family doctor, Dr. Aiden Dareri
examined her. She was cut from her shoulder all the way down her arm and
loosing blood at an entirely unhealthy pace. Suddenly she screamed, probably
shattering the last of the windows in the house as she shot up. She looked at us
terrified before her eyes caught sight of something behind me and she threw
herself off of the bed while we all stood there shocked at her movements. She
acted as if she wasn’t in any pain like she had not a care in the world. And that’s
when we heard it, crying. She had her back to us as she kneeled on the ground
and cradled the crying creature in her arms. My first instinct was to separate
them as I was sure she was the only one we had brought into the palace and I
quickly appeared beside her grabbing the thing by its shirt. It cried as I held it in
the air and I threw it onto the bed to cover my ears when the girl let out another
scream punching me square in the face. She moved quickly to its side and it
lunged itself into her arms as I recovered from her hit. “Shhh Cade honey it’s okay
your safe. I’m here” She told him rubbing circles on his back. I felt horrible as I
realized who it was she was holding so dearly, she looked so young, but quickly
pushed those thoughts away when I saw her sway on her feet and then collapse.
Instantly her son started screaming again yelling at her to wake up and save him.
I used my speed and had her in the bed with Aiden hovering over her in only
seconds. The boy stayed by her, his gaze never leaving her body as he cried. If it
was possible I would have had a searing headache after all of his sobbing. Luckily
for me I couldn’t get sick in that way but it was seriously annoying I thought
picking up the kid and taking him to the kitchen. Maybe if he ate he would stop
crying so dam much? He screamed in my arms kicking and yelling for Zari.
Weird I thought, shouldn’t he be calling her mommy? “uh Cade?” I said in a soft
voice hoping not to scare the kid anymore than he already was. He looked up at
me, studying me before poking me in the eye. “Ow!” I yelled dropping him. He
ran away and I smelled the air to see which direction before following him. If
someone else found him, they might eat him, then Zariana would never help us. I
moved silently through the halls tracking him, I found him back inside the room
with his mother, curled up beside her body and fast asleep. Aiden returned a
moment later with a file and gestured for me to sit. We sat on the couch and he
shoved some papers on the table in front of us. “what’s this?” I asked skimming
the pages, they looked like medical reports, but I couldn’t be sure. “her test results,
this girl is a special human you say? Well that’s not what these results say, in fact
I don’t know what to even make of them. Her blood is not human nor is her DNA,
it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Her powers could be unimaginable, more
than the council & all of the Saeions put together. There’s no telling what she’s
capable of seeing as she brought her brother back here from a nightmare.” My
head instantly shot up. “her brother? I thought that was her son, and a nightmare,
you mean to tell me she has the power to project her dreams?” “hmm I’m not sure
Aireron but I can tell you this, she has many more powers than just that and I
think we will be seeing them quite soon. Another thing, that brother of hers, I
wouldn’t touch him again if I were you she very well could kill you” I smirked “I
doubt that” He hesitated before looking at the girl curled up with her brother and
replied. “I don’t”