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"Then do it."

"As of this moment, 8:23 p.m., you have twenty-four hours to meet me where this began. Bring Caelan and the others with you. You will need them to enter, and you will need them to save this one."

"How do I know you haven't already done something to him?" I almost choked on tears and the words.

"Why, Ms. Mitchell," he sounded surprised, "you heard him speak only moments ago, and beyond that, you have my word."

"Your word?" A hysterical bark of laughter escaped from me.

"You're a complete nut job–your word doesn't mean anything."

"It means your brother's life for now," he said. "I trust I do not need to remind you that I have no compunction against killing him."

"No." Tears rolled down my cheeks.

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"If I sense hesitation in your compliance, I have no qualms with injuring him, perhaps permanently," he said. "Your society looks down so on physical disfigurement. I'm sure the transition to that kind of half-life would be difficult for someone, particularly if he knows it might have been prevented."

"I'll do what you want, but please just leave him alone until I get there."

"Very good, Ms. Mitchell," he said. "Please understand this is not my preferred way of handling such matters, but I have been left little choice. This method of manipulation is trite and rarely done well, but it seems to work, and that has to be my primary concern at the moment. All must be returned to order before these circumstances give rise to too much scrutiny, you understand, don't you?"

"No."

In the background, Scott screamed.

"Yes, yes, I understand," I shouted. "Leave him alone."

"Very good. We shall you see in a matter of hours." The phone beeped in my ear, then he was gone.

Still clutching the phone, I looked to Caelan. "We're out of time. Nevan has Scott. I have to go now."

"You can't go," he said. "It's a trap."

"Thank you for the newsflash," I shouted. "But he has Scott and he'll kill him if I'm not there in time." I thought of those screams. "He may already be dead." I couldn't think about that now, I needed to go. I started for the door.

Caelan didn't move from the doorway. "Nevan will not kill him before you arrive. There is no advantage to his death, only the threat of it. Once he is dead or once you suspect he is, Nevan no longer holds any power over you."

"Get out of my way," I said.

"He seeks to control you–and consequently, us–by this action."

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I stared up at him, a horrible trembling beginning somewhere deep inside of me. "You're going to try to keep me here."

"It is dangerous to risk a confrontation when Asha will not accompany us."

"And that hasn't changed," Asha spoke up from behind him. Caelan shifted to let her, followed closely by Namere and Thane, into the room.

"Fine." I grabbed my coat off the wingback chair. "I'll go alone."

"You will not survive." Asha strolled into the room, her arms folded across her chest.

"Well, that ought to make your day then, huh?" I pushed past her.

"If you die, Caelan will most likely die as well, due to the bond between you." Asha's sharp voice stopped me a few feet from the door. She wanted something.

My skin crawling in forewarning, I turned slowly to face her.
What do you suggest then?

She strode up to me, her face inches from mine. Even knowing the power I had access to, it took a lot of effort not to flinch.
Give me back what it is rightfully mine.
Leader.

You do not want it anyway, do you, human?
She backed off a bit, giving me a knowing smile.

I looked over my shoulder at all the faces, worried faces, watching me. I couldn't lie.
I'm not sure I'm qualified
.
I haven't
been doing such a great job.

I am qualified. Relinquish control to me, and I will go with
you and the others to confront Nevan.
She was back in my face again, her intensity raising the warning hairs on the back of my neck.

"Zara, no," Caelan said.

I looked over at him. I knew what he was thinking...the 199

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prophecy. I was supposed to lead them against Nevan, not Asha.

"Well, her presence is part of it too. I told you, there are things I'm not willing to sacrifice."

I turned back to face Asha. "Fine. The position is yours after you accompany us to confront Nevan and if you promise to protect them with your life as you have done in the past, without," I stepped up closer, so I was now in her face, "retribution for past loyalties."

"You demand many things," she said, her mouth tight with displeasure.

"If you want it, these are the rules." I shrugged. "Otherwise, I'll challenge you, hope I don't kill you or Caelan in the process, and drag your limp body with me."

"You wouldn't risk it," she snarled. I smiled at her, letting the hardness show in my eyes. "Try me."

She stood there a moment, her chest heaving and her fists clenched. Finally, she said, "Very well." Then she turned abruptly and left.

I waited a second until I heard her footsteps on the stairs. "If she messes with you, any of you, over this, that power transfer is invalid. I'll take leadership back from her, whether she lives to regret her actions or not. Understand?"

Namere, her mouth pulling down into a frown, nodded. Thane, his expression grumpy as usual, did the same. I turned to Caelan.

"You do not know what you have done," he said quietly.

"I got her to come with us, and I made sure she would keep you protected. That's what I did."

He shook his head. "You've disrupted the balance, tried to manipulate destiny for your own needs."

And what the hell did he think he'd been doing this whole time? Besides, nothing said that this couldn't be the confrontation 200

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that he'd witnessed in his vision. I fought the urge to scream at him and shrugged. "I think destiny's a big girl. If she wants something to go another way, she'll work it out. It's not worth getting her metaphysical panties in a bunch, not yet, at least. Besides," I pushed through them into the hallway, "you said I was meant to be in charge. So, if I just screwed it up, isn't that part fated too?" No one had an answer for that question, including me. 201

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Chapter 18

The plan was simple. Nevan believed I was in control of this group and could bring them to him. So, we would go, and once inside, I would use my new highly-charged powers to free Scott, get whatever questions we wanted answered and get us all out.

"We're running out of time." I pushed back from the dining room table, which had become command central. "And I don't know how I'm going to get all of you, or me for that matter, onto an airplane unnoticed..." I trailed off as I noticed them all staring at me.

He said to meet him where this began, but Texas is where it
began only for you,
Caelan said.

My eyes flicked to the windows at the end of the dining room, in the direction of the Awakening Chamber–that is where everything had started, at least from Nevan's perspective. "You mean he's coming here?"

Caelan nodded.

"Why'd he give us so much time then?"
He does not know where we are, so he cannot accurately
predict our travel time,
Namere said.

"Good thing you weren't hiding out in Hawaii," I muttered.

"So we have the advantage of surprise is what you're telling me?"
Yes, although we do not know Nevan's location or when he
will arrive here either,
Namere said.
It is likely he planned his communication with you to allow
him first arrival,
Thane said.

"Then we better get moving," I said. But a clothes change was necessary for them before heading out. Half-hour later, the four of them trooped down the stairs to meet me in the lounge. Under heavy exterior coats still unzipped, 202

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they wore tight black leather pants and a form-fitting jacket. I found myself staring at Caelan, who'd dressed like the rest of them for the first time since I'd known him. The change somehow made him seem more alien. He caught my eye, but I looked away. I wasn't ready to deal with him just yet.

Once we got outside, they closed their coats and fell into formation around me. Asha and Caelan in front of me, and Thane and Namere behind.

Wait a minute,
I said. They stopped, and I darted to the front to face Asha.
If Nevan's supposed to believe I'm running the show
here, then I would be in the front.

You would be in the middle to protect your safety because you
are the weakest of us,
she paused, turning her head in Caelan's direction,
in theory, at least.

I ignored that jab for the moment, though it infuriated me every time she made reference to his new weakened state like it was my fault. Maybe part of it was, but I hadn't even been given the information to make the decision...whatever.
I'm telling you
that if I were in charge–

What difference does this make?
Thane sounded impatient to move on.

If we go in there like you're calling the shots, doing things I
would never do, then he's going to know you're running things, not
me.

All the better to surprise him with your gift,
Asha said.
Yeah, except then there's no point in keeping my br...Scott
alive,
I pointed out.

I knew Asha was dying to push past me, but she'd made a deal. Now she'd have to find a way to live with it. I was.
Very well, if you insist on leading.
She remained next to Caelan and gestured for me to move ahead. I stared into the dark woods ahead of me, my stomach clenched tight. Suddenly the idea of leading this charge didn't seem like such a great one, but I 203

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couldn't take it back now.

I started forward. At some signal from Asha that I didn't quite catch, Namere moved up to the front, though still behind me, and lit fire from her hand in a large burst, illuminating the night and banishing shadows from our path.

That's not really necessary is it?
I asked.
The moonlight is
enough–

Caelan stumbled over something the rest of us had missed.
God, help me.
I looked up at the sky to keep from looking back to check on Caelan. I knew if I did, I wouldn't be able to go forward.

The woods closed around us and even then, the light from the fire wasn't enough to make it feel safe. I couldn't help but feel that we were being watched. It was paranoia, I suppose, but how does that old saying go? Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not...

An Observer stepped out from behind one of the trees, about five feet in front of us.

I sucked in a breath.
I thought you said Nevan worked alone,
that he didn't involve anyone else.

Block your thoughts, Zara. He might be able to hear you,
Caelan said.

He has never involved any other up to this point. It was a
reasonable conclusion that he would come alone,
Thane said.
But he has never pursued us before, always the other way,
Namere reminded us.

Zara, block your thoughts until we know his capabilities,
Caelan interrupted again.

I don't know how,
I shouted.

Y
ou are aware that we do not travel alone or even in pairs,
Asha said.

I know, I know. There are probably another three around
here somewhere, right?
The supposed research teams were usually 204

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four Observers or more. I looked around, searching the woods for further signs of activity and caught a glimpse of silver eyes reflecting the moonlight. Panic set my nerves on a fine trembling edge. My hands began to shake.
Let's get out of here now.
Do you think he will let us?
Asha sounded amused. I hesitated, my adrenaline pumping, preparing for flight. But she had a point.

No. He'll signal to the others and to Nevan, who will kill Scott
if he's still alive, and then these guys out here will finish us off.
I felt the weight of the truth settle on my shoulders.
Oh, lead on, human, you're doing so well,
Asha said.
Shut up,
I said.

Zara, I can no longer hear anyone but you,
Caelan said. He still sounded relatively calm, but the tension was there in his voice, just barely hidden, like a metal spring poking up through a mattress.

I turned to face him. He was pale and unsteady on his feet. I felt blood trickle down from my nose onto my chin. I wiped at it–the rapid-fire conversation must also be using Caelan's energy.
Everything's okay, Caelan. They're just arguing over what I've
done wrong now.

Hurry up, human, you don't have much time.
Asha gripped Caelan's arm to help him keep his balance.

Oh, God, please don't do this to me.
But God didn't choose to respond, at least not directly.

I approached the new alien with caution. He was tall, of course, but slimmer than any in Caelan's group. His reddish brown hair was slicked back from his forehead, making his silver and green eyes even more striking. But something about him, an aura of superiority, made me think he was like Asha, the leader of whatever pack was prowling the woods at this moment.
So what exactly does one say in this situation?
I wondered. I was tempted, just out of sheer perversity to say, take me to your 205

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leader. But no one would get the joke and plus, he might actually do what I asked and right now, I was looking to stall, stall, stall, until we could come up with a new plan. Of course, we couldn't put it off indefinitely. I looked down at my hand and the blood smeared there–worse consequences might result.

"So, hey, how are you?" My voice sounded odd to me after speaking inside my head for so long. "Nevan told me to meet him around here. He has my...he has Scott, and I'm here to get him back." Might as well be upfront about the goals–you know, manage the expectation that he was going to get his ass kicked. I hoped.