"Eb," I heard in the distance. "Eb, come back to me."

I could hear a voice in the background of my head like the sound of a TV playing in the next room, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't speak or move, I couldn't even open my eyes, but I could see everyone around me in my head. I could see Jake kneeling over me with his blonde hair falling on his face. I could see Faith standing to my left talking to one of the other witches about something that was of great concern to her, and I could see some well-built guy with almost perfectly white short hair and crystal clear light blue eyes staring at me as he knelt to my right. He was almost studying me like I was completely strange to him. I could feel his eyes staring into mine, and I almost got lost in them as he smiled at me, lying on the ground. He was a stranger to me, yet he felt so familiar. It almost felt like a part of me was staring back at me.

"Eb, sweetheart wake up. I need you to wake up and look at me." Jake said, muffled. "Please."

"It is ok, Ebony Summers, you can wake up now. It's time." The deep gravelly voice said in my head as the stranger smiled and nodded at me. "The world needs you now. Open your eyes."

I felt the same pressure as before surround my body, and suddenly a bright light flashed nearly blinding me.

"Eb, are you ok?" I heard Jake's voice again, but I couldn't see him, all I could see is the light shining brightly in front of me.

"Open your eyes now," The voice commanded.

I sat up with a gasp of air and opened my eyes.

"Oh, thank god," Jake yelled as I felt his hand on my face. "Eb, are you ok? You scared the shit out of me."

I looked over at his face as I gasped in the air. My lungs felt tight like I had never had air in them before. I grabbed onto my throat and tried to slow my breathing down.

"Help, please." I heard Jake yell. "She can't breathe."

I felt someone suddenly behind me, and then I heard Jake's voice in my ear. "It's ok, just breathe, sweetheart. Everything is ok. Just calm down, I got you."

My body started to relax as I took slow deep breaths.

"That's it. It's ok, just like that." He said calmly in my ear. "Don't leave me with the witches. I need you." I smiled softly as I felt his mouth smile against my cheek. His dark stubble tickled my skin as I lay against his chest. "That was epic, by the way. I'll be telling this story for generations to come. Congratulations, you just made the awesome story list."

"My life is finally complete," I whispered out.

"Ebony, are you ok?" I heard Faith's soft voice above me. "I'm so sorry you were caught up in the crossfire."

"Is that what you call that? She was struck by fucken lightning and lifted off the ground. What did you do to her?" Jake demanded.

"I didn't do anything. I don't understand what happened. It should have worked?" Faith looked so disappointed and confused. "I don't understand."

"We need to get her back inside before they arrive." Jake lifted me off the ground.

"No, Jacob, you don't understand. The spell did not work, and therefore we have no defence against him. Our protection spell will only last so long before they break through. We must leave immediately and find safety." Faith said as calmly as ever. "We must leave and go to the mountains to join our sisters."

"What?" I said, suddenly feeling my body tense up again. "You can't just run from him. Trust me, we tried. We have to fight." I sat up in Jake's arms. "We need to fight with everything we have and defend our..." I stopped talking when I saw the big blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy standing next to Faith. He was looking around at everyone like it was all completely new to him, yet no one was looking at him.

"What are you doing here? Who are you?" I demanded staring at this stranger who nobody seemed to notice.

Everyone looked at me, puzzled.

"What do you want?" I jumped out of Jake's arms and walked over to him. I was literally half his size as he looked down at me. Once again, I was lost in his light blue eyes, and my body started to tingle as he touched my cheek with his finger.

"You are perfect." The stranger said in my head again.

"Ebony, what are you doing? Do you need to lie down or something?" Jake said, suddenly breaking my trance on the stranger.

"What? No. I just want to know who this guy is and why no one is reacting to him. I mean seriously." I pointed to the stranger who just smiled at me.

"Sweetheart, there's no one there," Jake said in my ear. "I think you may have hit your head."

"What are you talking about? He's right here. How can you miss him? He is the size of a house!" I yelled, almost laughing. "Tell them," I said looking back at this man.

"Ebony, there is no one there," Jake said looking a little worried.

"You can see him, can't you?" Faith said, walking towards me. "He's here, isn't he?" Her face lit up as she touched my arm.

"You mean blonde mountain man? Yeah, he's literally right in front of me. How can you not see him?" I pointed to the stranger who just smiled gently at me.

"I knew he would come to us. I knew he would save us. Tell me, what does he look like?" She was really excited right now.

"Um, big, blonde and tanned. You're telling me you can't see him?"

"Only the chosen one can see me, Ebony." He said in my head without moving his lips.

"Only the chosen one can see him, Ebony." Faith began to say before I cut her off.

"Yeah, I know. Only the chosen one can see him." I said, not even looking at her. "Who are you?"

He smiled. "My name is Ariel, and I am the angel of protection. I was summoned here to help you defeat the great darkness of this world. I am here to serve you." He bowed at me, and I raised my eyebrow sharply at him.

"Ariel?" I said nervously.

"Ariel is here," Faith yelled, raising her hands in the air suddenly. "We are safe sisters." The other witches called out in celebration at the mere mention of his name.

"Ebony, what is going on right now?" Jake said in my ear.

"You tell me." I shrugged.

"You can really see a dude in front of you right now?"

"Yep."

"That's not right."

"I know, but what do I do?"

"I told you this would end badly. Chanting only ever brings out the crazy shit." Jake whispered.

"I can see that." I nodded, watching Ariel study me. "Why does he keep looking at me?"

"Because you are my light, Ebony. You are my vessel into this world."

"Vessel? What does that mean?"

"You are the chosen one to carry me into this world. You are my greatest weapon to defeat the enemy."

"Vessel? Oh, hell, no. Get out of here, you son of a bitch. No way. Nope." Jake bellowed angrily into the air.

"Do I have your permission, Ebony?"

"My permission? For what?"

"To enter your body."

"You want to enter me?"

"No one is entering her. Nope. No fucken way. Nice to meet you, but we are out of here." Jake grabbed my hand and pulled me away from a confused-looking Ariel.

"Jake, wait. It's ok. I trust him." I suddenly felt my body feel cold and weak. The further we walked from Ariel, the weaker I became until I dropped to the ground almost out of air.

"Ebony, what is it? What is going on?" Jake said on his knees next to me.

"Please, Ebony, I will not harm you. You are the chosen one, and this world needs you." Ariel said in my head.

"Jake, I have to stay. I have to help."

"No. This is ridiculous. You can't give yourself to the invisible man. Carter will kill me if he enters you."

"He is the angel of protection, Jake. He is here to help. I can feel him inside me already. I can't seem to be away from him. He is calling to me, pulling me back to him. I need him." I gasped out, trying to breathe. "I trust him."

"Well, I don't, but I can't risk you getting hurt anymore. Fine, but before you accept. I want answers." Jake said, helping me off the ground.

"You are lucky to have such a great friend by your side, Ebony. He is right to question me and my motives. I accept his terms."

"He accepts your terms," I said, grabbing Jake's body to stand. "He wants to talk to us."

"Good, because I have lots of questions for him." Jake helped me walk back towards Ariel, and once again, Ariel bowed to me.

"I mean, you no harm. You are my chosen vessel, Ebony, because the light is greatest in you. You call to me, and I know you can feel it too. I know you can feel the light inside you call for me. I will protect you with my very life if I need to. You are my chosen one."

"What happens when all this is over? Do you just leave? Do you stay? Do I die without you? I can't seem to move one foot away from you without feeling like I'm going to die, Ariel. So what does that mean?"

"We are connected, Ebony. Your lungs are my lungs. Your eyes are my eyes. I need you just as much as you need me. We are one bonded soul right now. When the mission is done, I will leave you." I felt a warmth inside me like something was glowing. "That is our strength, Ebony. Together we are unstoppable. You can feel it too." I felt the pressure around me again, pulling me towards him. "Together, we can stop this."

"What is happening? Ebony, what is he saying to you? Why are you moving towards him?" I heard Jake's voice, but Ariel's power over me was too secure, and I could feel myself letting him in.

"Together, we are unstoppable." Ariel kept whispering in my head. "You are my chosen one."

I felt my body being lifted off the ground slightly, and then my body started to tingle as the light filled my head again.

"Say, yes." He whispered. "Let me in."

I felt my body start to heat up from the inside like I was standing close to the sun. I could still hear his deep voice in my head. "Say yes, Ebony."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't. I froze as the warm glow inside me suddenly turned cold, and the light started to become less as I saw the darkness coming through the cracks of the light. I no longer felt Ariel's warm pullover me. I just felt cold darkness around me.

"Who are you? I demand to know who you are?" Ariel hissed in my head. "You have no right to be here."

I suddenly dropped to the ground and looked up to see Ariel with his eyes closed and anger on his handsome face.

"You have no right to tell me no. Only Ebony can refuse me. Leave before I make you." Ariel yelled, shaking his head. "I will kill you if you interfere with my business here."

"Ebony, are you okay? What happened? One minute you were glowing like a star, and the next, you drop to the ground. What is going on?" Jake said with his arms around me.

I looked up at Ariel, who was still arguing with the dark stranger in his head.

"Something has gone wrong. Someone is trying to stop Ariel."

"No one can stop Ariel. That is impossible." Faith said, shaking her head.

"Well, something is trying," I said nervously as I watched Ariel. "I can't hear him in my head anymore. Something is breaking the connection."

I watched as Ariel glowed like he was on fire. His anger was taking over his once calm body.

"ENOUGH," I heard Ariel bellow in my head, nearly causing my eardrum to burst. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked right at me, making me shiver. "Who is this?" He demanded. He went silent as he stared at me with his fists clenched. The air around me went still as I watched Ariel's face drop.

"What? Who is it?" I called to him.

He shook his head and closed his eyes again. "Who is Carter?" Ariel said, staring at me.

I felt my body freeze at the mere sound of his name. "Carter? That was Carter?"

"Who is he?" Ariel demanded again loudly.

"He is..."

"Here," Ariel whispered, looking into the distance.

I suddenly felt a cold burst of wind blow right past me, nearly knocking me over. I watched as Ariel went flying back towards the ground and landed with a thump. The air was suddenly filled with dust as the dark figure wrestled with him on the ground.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER," I heard Carter's voice bellow through the dust.