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Love, Robin

I woke to the sound of pacing footsteps but they were distant and when I slowly opened my eyes I knew immediately that I was alone. I was lying in a very big, soft bed; surrounded by a very familiar smell. It made me feel safe.

Then I frowned; unable to sense Nathaniel.

Someone was still shielding me, blocking me from sensing the people I'd by now become so familiar with. Finding comfort in the tenuous connections between our minds. Even my bond with Tlanextic was now shielded.

I could tell the bonds were there though, unlike before. Whoever was doing this had stopped hiding it from me; using the energy instead to make the shield stronger. I tried in vain to find my way around it, anxious to see if I could reach Hayden.

Was it Devon and was he really that powerful?

In moments the rest of my memories came rushing back and I was overwhelmed by a sense of despair. Hayden gone, two of my best friends gravely injured and more of Nathaniel's people dead. How had this been allowed to happen? How was this even possible?

Did Nathaniel really leave Hayden so unprotected? With only a handful of warriors and Missy who wasn't the strongest fighter and Elliot; a witch more capable of teleportation than combat. Anger surged through me at that thought. Could he really have been so stupid?

Sitting up I became aware of the pain in my throat, a moment long the room spun around me. Then I managed to focus and I realized I didn't know where I was. This was not our bedroom. Yet it was clearly Nathaniel's.

It was visible in the choice of furniture and the energy of the room. The colors chosen for the walls could only remind me of him and his scent clung to the sheets around me.

Whoever was pacing outside the room however hadn't stopped doing so but hadn't come in either. Did that mean they were unaware that I woke up? Was it Nathaniel?

I stiffly climbed out of the bed and threw open the old, heavy wardrobe situated in the corner. It was filled with my own clothes, someone had taken the care to fold and hang them in neat order. Clearly we would be staying here now on a more permanent basis. I didn't have to guess to know that these were Nathaniel's rooms in his so called stronghold.

I quickly selected a pair of practical jeans and a long-sleeved shirt in a dark, warm brown color that matched my eyes. Getting dressed and washed in the en suite bathroom. I was in a hurry, anxious to get started on the search for Hayden. It was the only thing on my mind now, there wasn't even place to worry about poor Elliot's arm.

I was sure that Nathaniel was also focused with single-minded determination on finding him. In fact he'd probably blame himself for it in the first place. I wanted to go to him and at least reassure him that I knew it wasn't his fault yet somewhere I wasn't sure. If he really hadn't left enough people to guard Hayden...

We'd both known that it was something in Hayden, a talent, that the Demon desired.

I was just making my way to the door, ready to barge down whoever was pacing in front of it and force my way into the search. A sharp pain shot through my body, radiating out from my heart. For a moment I thought I was having a heart attack. Then the pains subsided and I became aware of another sensation.

How did this happen? Only one thing came to mind.

Devon.

It was him that had taken Hayden and it was him that shielded me from the others. I could suddenly feel the simmering anger that had followed the pain, beating and pulsing through my head.

I wasn't sure if that was supposed to happen but it had drawn my attention to the thin but tenuous line between my mind and his. He'd somehow been injured, it had been his heart hurting as if being squeezed by an unseen force.

It was his anger filling me now and I trembled with the intensity of it.

Of course we had to be connected somehow if he were to shield me. A faint hope bloomed inside of me but I was careful to keep it hidden in a corner of my own mind. Drawing up those thick, metal walls around it and my thoughts. The same ones I'd once tried on Nathaniel but that had given me a headache at the time.

Now I felt no pain and the walls slid into place easily. It wasn't hard even to put up some token, distraction thoughts and feelings on the outside. In case Devon was in fact able to see inside my head through that connection. I didn't want to tip him off.

He'd been injured or at least hurt, or I wouldn't have felt that. So something had happened. For a moment I hoped it had been Nathaniel freeing Hayden but then I realized that was foolish. Nathaniel wouldn't leave Devon alive.

I sat down on the bed again, certain I could find out where they were somehow. Closing my eyes I searched carefully from behind the safety of the freshly made walls and soon I'd found what I was looking for.

There, the connection. Faint and small, concealed and camouflaged but definitely there. Once I'd found it it wasn't difficult to follow; I felt like a bloodhound on a trail as I raced along the thin line of energy. Jumping from mind to mind almost, as if he'd tried very hard to hide his trail.

It was red hot to me though, glowing and alive and so clear now that the image of it seemed burned into my memory. It was seething and red, anger and pain. Whoever had hurt Devon had made finding him easy.

Then I hit a wall, shielded like my own mind had carefully been: Devon's mind.

I couldn't see into his head, didn't even know how to exactly. I'd never done anything like this before and I'd certainly never heard anyone talk in detail about it either.

I 'circled' the shields, it wasn't really circling because there was no clear mental picture of the shape and size of it yet it felt like I was walking around the edges of his mind. Making several loops to make certain I didn't miss a thing.

There were no cracks and fissures. I didn't give up though but tried again and again to find a weakness, a glimpse, anything.

Suddenly the walls flashed red, then that same pain from before seemed to crush my heart again. I felt my body crumble onto the bed but at the same time the walls of Devon's mind flickered.

I had no time to hesitate and, through the red haze of pain I hurriedly slipped through. Immediately vision not my own assaulted me and the pain seemed to intensify tenfold, it was painful to move, to breath and even to think!

I was looking at a hardwood floor, covered with dirt and I was leaning on my hands, panting out breaths between clenched teeth. They were big hands, male hands and I knew instantly that they were Devon's.

My vision swam and my ears were ringing, the pain was only getting worse and it was so very hard to focus. I heard myself curse in Devon's voice: 'You little son of a bitch! Cut that out!'

My head tilted upwards to show me the image of a rusty cage, big enough to hold a decent sized dog or a small child. Hayden, dirt-streaked and scared, his chubby face tearstained looked out at me. It was clear he was in intense pain yet he also looked extremely focussed.

I wanted to scan him for injuries but my vision moved again. I was getting to my feet now and the pain was although still intense, slowly subsiding. Standing up was still a task and I stumbled multiple times as I made my way towards the door. Swerving as if I was drunk.

'It's that Raim want's you alive!' I grated out, 'Or I'd have long since killed you. Spoiled brat!' With those parting words I swung open the door and stepped outside. As it banged shut behind me I breathed in deeply.

Immediately the pain abated, slowly fading away and this time it seemed without leaving that red hot trace behind. No burning in my veins that made moving an agony or breathing a task.

For a fraction of a second I was still Devon; staring out across a forest with in the distance the village of Riverwood. Home to Riverwood high and the Flynn Residence. Then my mind was disconnected and I was myself again; rapidly being pulled away and shut out by the shields that were slamming into place around Devon's mind.

Where were they? I hadn't been able to see enough landmarks to know in which direction around the village the cabin had been located.

The knowledge surfaced, like before when I searched the minds of the dead bodies of that crony; of Thornten and the mind of Chimalli. A cottage, build on a rocky outcrop with a single access road. Devon knew the forest so well that he needed no roads to escape if necessary. In the forest he'd be anything but trapped.

I slammed into my own body with such force that for a moment every single nerve ending seemed to scream with awareness. Then my throat burned so violently that my stomach rebelled.

I tumbled out of the bed but hadn't staggered more than two steps towards the bathroom when I gagged. My knees gave way and I crashed to the floor, puking and gagging until my body heaved over and over again yet nothing came.

My midriff was so cramped up that the pain, although located differently, almost came close to the heart attack feeling of before. The room was spinning around me so rapidly that I feared I'd get dizzy from it and start throwing up all over again.

My forehead was touched with something cool, a wet wash cloth and I felt a big male hand running up and down my back in a soothing manner. For a moment I thought it was Nathaniel but as I blinked and looked up through eyes, blurry with tears, I came face to face with Lysander.

I nearly screamed in surprise but only a shocked gasp escaped my laboring throat.

His ever so aristocratic face had been softened by compassion now and it made for a weird combination. This man was anything but compassionate as far as I'd been aware but it seemed I had been wrong.

He held the wash cloth in slender fingers and without hesitation wiped my mouth with it, dabbing until he was certain I was clean. Then the cloth simply disappeared and so did the evidence of my upset stomach. Not even leaving a stain on the pristine, cream colored carpet.

The next second he held a crystal clear glass filled to the brim with sparkling water, offering it to me so I could wash the foul taste from my mouth. I swallowed greedily and was just about to offer him my thanks when it hit me.

The name of the rocky outcrop the cottage had been built on: Shadowpeak.

***

I didn't know the way but already my feet were propelling me out the door. Thankfully Lysander seemed to understand what I wanted and grabbed my elbow to steer me in the right direction. He walked so fast that I nearly had to run to keep up with him but not once did I ask him to slow down for me.

Although I'd never been here before I hardly paid any attention to the new surroundings. They were a vague blur. I was sure the decorations were as exquisite as the ones in the house in Riverwood yet they were completely lost on me right now.

Then two big wooden doors appeared in front of me and they slammed open by an unseen force; banging loudly against the walls. Inside I found Nathaniel pacing a groove into the floor and Seratin talking to him in an unfamiliar language. The words a long stream that seemed to have no spaces or ends.

My Mate seemed to understand and barked back orders in Gaelic, his voice harsher than I'd ever heard him before. Not even when that vampire had once nearly bitten me; the incident now seemed like ages ago.

As Nathaniel turned on the spot furthest away from me and started pacing back the way he'd come he spotted me. In a flash he was next to me, gathering me in his arms and crushing me to his strong chest with arms like bands of iron.

'Oh Ams!' he groaned and I didn't even need our bond to sense the pain, guilt and despair. He was desperate and scared and it made fear a live thing skittering around inside my gut.

'Shadowpeak,' I said into his chest, my voice slightly muffled but still clear to everyone present. 'That's were Hayden is right now!'

For a moment there was silence, then Nathaniel asked: 'You are certain? How do you know?' He sounded incredibly hopeful now but over his shoulder I got see Seratin, a disbelieving look on his features.

'Devon is still shielding me suppressing our bond. I followed him back to his mind and gleamed the information from him,' I explained. 'He was in extreme pain at the time, it left him vulnerable.'

Surprisingly Lysander added: 'It's true, I could feel the mind surge through the door.' He passed me a look that told me he knew I'd been in great pain too but he didn't mention it. For a moment there I thought there was even a flicker of respect in those black eyes of his.

Nathaniel let go of me and stepped back, then hurriedly slipped his weapons back into their sheaths. He was still wearing the exact same armor from before, in fact he was still covered in the blood and grime and blue paint. Clearly he hadn't taken a single moment since to freshen up.

'Seratin, gather a force and meet me there.' He swung around to Lysander, 'You stay here and guard Amelia.'

He was out the door before anyone could utter a word. Yet in passing me he brushed his fingers softly across my cheek.

Then it sunk in that he wasn't taking me, that he'd left me here while he risked his life all alone to save Hayden.

'Damn it!' I exclaimed angrily, whirling around I punched the desk with my fist. Surprised when a dent actually formed in the hard wood and drinking in the sharp pain that shot up my arm.

Seratin just bowed to me once and then also left the room, moving off to gather a backup force for Nathaniel. I had to go with them! I had to, it was my only chance to help free Hayden. He'd be terrified all alone and wasn't going to sit still and do nothing.

I stopped Seratin by calling out his name and he froze in his tracks. 'Take me with you when you leave to join Nathaniel.' The dark man seemed to consider this for a moment but then slowly shook his head. 'No, he wants you to stay here.'

'He only said Lysander had to protect me!' I argued but the scarred warrior shook his head again and left without another word.

Another curse escaped me as I turned to look at my guard, the dragon that I knew had come to my rescue when I'd been captured yet that seemed to have despised me from the start. Simply because I was human.

The Greek man raised his hands defensively and said: 'Oh no Amelia. He told me to stay HERE and protect you. I'm not taking you anywhere, Nate would have my skin if you got hurt.'

'Hayden will need me!' I tried to reason with him but I knew it was useless. So I changed tack: 'How are Missy and Elliot doing?'

Lysander looked relieved by my question and answered in a rush: 'Missy is fine. She's working hard on repairs and healing in the infirmary. She's unable to sit still and watch Tlanextic work on Elliot's arm.'

He paused and then added: 'Tlanextic says he can't give him back his old arm but with time he'll be able to make a proper prothesis.'

Feeling a momentary stab of guilt about the injuries and the pain many had to endure, including my friends for my sake and that of Hayden. I knew it was inevitable, that this was the way things went when others jockeyed for power, like Thornten and his son and the demon Raim.

I gently asked him how many had been injured or killed in the past fights. The question made Lysander frown, 'All the warriors that remained with Hayden have been killed and two at the house at which you were held.'

There was a pause before he added ever so softly: 'One that died for Hayden was a cousin of mine. Also a dragon although not Drakos. Nathaniel did not leave your brother without proper protection. Elliot was supposed to teleport the boy here, the stronghold, but a spell prevented them from doing so and cut them off from the outside world.'

That was one of the longest things I'd ever heard him say and a sudden spike of warmth suffused me for the regal Drakos. He'd been an ass before but he was trying hard to be nice now and he even seemed somewhat on my side. Showing a sense of empathy and insight.

It had been clear from the moment he'd showed up at my side after I woke up that he'd been trying to help. Bringing me towards Nathaniel without my asking and backing me up when it seemed for a moment they didn't believe me when I explained how I'd gotten the information.

Reaching up I softly stroked his slightly stubbled cheek, remembering that shifters were very tactile creatures. For a moment his eyelids closed, creating black crescents on his cheeks with their long dark lashes.

'You're a good man Lysander,' I whispered softly. His lips quirked and then he smiled gently, 'I'll take you to see Elliot, Mrs. Flynn.' A smirk told me he was teasing and then he took hold of my elbow and dragged me through the building.

A plan was slowly forming in my head at the same time. If only I knew for certain it would work, yet too much still depended on variables I couldn't account for.

Lysander soon paused in front of a door and knocked softly; there was no reply yet he swung open the door anyway. It was very dark in the room except for a candle burning beside a bed. There were no windows.

Elliot was lying on the bed, looking like a smug spoiled prince enthroned on pillows and covered beneath blankets. Food piled up on a platter beside him and just in reach of his hand. He smiled the moment he saw me but I could tell he was in great pain.

The real light came from Tlanextic however. The Arch Angel stood beside Elliot, his hands hovering above the space where the Witch's arm should have been. A golden shimmering was visible beneath his hands.

His wings he'd spread out behind him like a great wall of light, the single candle in the room turning his wings the color of dawn. It was a stunning sight and it had to be even more impressive from where Elliot was sitting. He was nearly surrounded by the light.

'Amy!' Elliot exclaimed, he sounded cheerful but I could tell it was forced. Tlanextic gave no sign that he'd seen us, remaining utterly focused on what he was doing. Then the Witch, having found his voice, yelled: 'God damn it! That hurts!'

Tlanextic's face remained impassive but then the golden shimmer disappeared and he folded his hands together. 'I think I have all the measurements and information I need now.'

Elliot shifted his body around on the pillows and said very fervently: 'Thank the heavens.'

'Seratin informed me that you found the location of my grandson,' the Arch Angel stated while folding his wings tightly along his body. For a moment I saw a flash again of Tlanextic strapped down to that black granite pole and naked, his wings cut from his body and the white feathers a bloody mass scattered around him.

Then the image was gone again and I focused on his words, anxiously nodding, 'Yes, Nathaniel went off half-cocked on his own to save him.' I knew I would have done the same had I been able to yet now it seemed like a very foolish move. I didn't know if Devon was there alone with Hayden or if there was more troops waiting outside...

I had to get there and quick! Was Nathaniel already there now? Fighting? Bleeding? Injured or maybe victorious? Did he have someone else who could Teleport him or did he have to run there? Or drive? How far was the stronghold even from Riverwood?