Chapter 37

[x] indicates inner dialogue

Nyline

Nyline sat in one of the large trees that were by the barracks, her legs going out across the burley branch that she'd found large enough to hold her entire butt and have her legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. In one hand, was her mp3 player, the other handheld one of her headphones as she spun it around her fingers. She scowled at it as if it were the headphones that had irritated her somehow. She'd been sitting in this exact spot for over an hour and it was starting to ride on her nerves. Not a single person had even had the forethought to come out this far to even attempt to find her. They were all chasing their tails and weren't even getting close to where she actually was.

Her fingers stopped spinning the ear bud as she sighed and looked around again, already knowing that there was no one. If she were being honest with herself, she was disappointed, but not just normal upset. She was overly disappointed. Why? Well, mainly because everyone had made it seem like this would be fun and it would be a challenge and if it had been either of those then she wouldn't have been sitting in a damned tree for an hour. Someone, anyone, should have found her by now. Yet, there hadn't even been the slight brush of magic as anyone had tried to attempt to find her by her aether, and them just wildly running around, like many of them were doing now, which seemed pointless to her.

Part of her wondered if they were even trying, and she'd actually believe that if she hadn't heard how cocky most of them had been originally. Now, they seemed out of their depths. Even some of them were grumbling about the Queen giving them too hard of a task, asking how they were even supposed to keep up when she'd just vanished.

Originally, when she'd first used her movement skill and started the whole game, she'd thought that they'd all race after her, or start spreading their aether out in search of where she'd gone. Reasons why she hadn't originally gone very far. Simply landing on the obstacle course, dropping herself into a very light version of her shadow skill that just masked her appearance. However, instead of running around and trying to find her right away, almost no one had moved. Pallsana and Omega had turned and walked away from the crowd as soon as she'd vanished. However, she knew that was more so that they didn't get bombarded by questions. For a long time, there had only been silence as almost every eye in the group had just stared at where she'd been. Then a heartbeat or two later, noise had erupted, inside and out as everyone started exclaiming. The thoughts and questions had ricocheted around in her mind like a pin ball as everyone asked the same questions over and over again, only to and from different minds.

There had been a few sets of mates that were focused on the task at hand and not simply complaining at this point. She'd heard Jason and his mate speaking softly as they tried to come up with ways to find her. She caught snippets of their conversation talking about last night, and how she'd done the exact same thing. However, without Gabriel to at least point them in the right direction they were at a slight loss as to how they could find her.

A soft wave of aether lapped at the sides of her mind and brought her back to the present as she sharpened her senses and listened, feeling her heart rate slowly increase at the thought that someone had finally found her and maybe, just maybe, the real game was going to begin? She'd hoped as she sat up just a tiny bit straighter.

["I found her,"] Nyline slouched as disappointment washed through her as she heard the king's soft inner voice.

["Good, Is she still within the boundaries?"] Alice sighed.

["Yes, over by the barracks."]

["Well, that's something, we were starting to wonder if she'd just left."] Alice spoke sounding annoyed. The tree swayed slightly as Nicholas landed on a branch that was a tad higher than hers and looked down at her as he braced himself on another branch.

"Hey," He said casually as he sat down, so his legs were hanging off one side facing her.

"Hey," She muttered as she started to spin the ear bud in her fingers, so that she didn't have to look at him. "Get tired of stalking Damien?"

"Oh, don't make it sound so bad, we weren't stalking him." He said with a grin on his face and Nyline took just a second to look around, sharpening her thoughts and aether as she listened before turning back into her own mind.

"Ah, I see Beck is still there stalking him." She nodded in understanding.

"Nyline," His voice was less joking and more serious now, "We have to keep an eye on him, and you know why."

"True," She muttered spinning the ear bud around her fingers once again before she let out a long breath, "I just don't understand because I thought I was the one who was in charge of making sure Damien didn't spill your secret? If you guys were just going to stalk him anyways, why put Gabriel up to making sure I agreed?"

"You didn't go with them." He spoke shortly as if that was all the explaining that was needed and Nyline couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Two things," She said holding up her fingers. "If I knew that you were stalking Damien in the city then you should already know that if I concentrate hard enough, I can hear him. Second, I don't need to listen in on him to know that he isn't going to breathe a word of it to anyone." She raised a brow at him, and he scowled at her.

"Why are you so sure about that?" He asked with a hint of annoyance riding his tone.

"Damien isn't stupid," She said shortly, and Nicholas gave a noise of irritation that made her want to roll her eyes at him again, but she resisted. "I'm serious." She said flatly, "He understands the type of situation that he's currently in. Seeing Beck this morning only drove that point home as he realized that you and the queen might not be as open to him knowing as Gabriel is. He understands on an unconscious level of what type of problems spilling your secrets would cause throughout the world and that just isn't something that he wants."

"And what happens when he goes back home, and he changes his mind?" Nyline was shaking her head even before he could finish the sentence.

"That isn't going to happen." She spoke in an exasperated tone. When Nicholas only gave her a raised eyebrow she sighed, looking back down at her headphones. "He's like a kid in a candy store right now, in case you missed that. He would never give up the chance to be able to come back up here for shopping alone. However, that isn't the case. Damien likes it up here. It's so much different than Dunhule that he feels like it's a breath of fresh air. He loves it." She turned to look directly into his eyes and when she saw that his expression hadn't changed her face fell. "Why do you have so much trouble trusting in Gabriel in this situation?"

["Because he's young."] The thought popped into Nicholas' mind as soon as the words had finished leaving her mouth.

"It is true that he isn't of age yet, however, he is your son. You raised him, you taught him everything that he knows, and everyone in Vaccoon knows that he makes solid decisions." There was a pause that made Nyline glance at Nicholas before she pursed her lips, realizing a small rant to late what she'd done. "Sorry, that was rude." She mumbled, rubbing her hand over her face.

"I'm not sure if I would call it rude, but it was a shock to have you responding before I'd even realized that I'd had a thought. It took me a second to understand what you were even talking about." The king laughed softly. "It's not that I don't trust Gabriel, it's just hard to with this specific topic."

"Because of what happened in the past?" Nyline hedged and the king nodded.

"Simply because one single man entered Vaccoon and ran off to Thaul to cry that there were daemons, doesn't mean that the entire world is going to fall apart."

"Did you get that knowledge from Gabriel?" The king asked and Nyline quirked a brow at him.

"What? No. Do you think I was sitting in the library for the amazing smell of the books alone?" She continued, not allowing him to answer that. "You have an entire section on the history of Vaccoon in your library. There are four books alone on the subject, however, the endings differ depending on which scholar you read from. Though I think that the executions of the entire rebellion, their families, and anyone involved is going to be the most likely end goal for that situation. Even if three out of the four scholars like to try and paint a picture of it ending without bloodshed on the royal's side, I find it highly unlikely." The king took a long moment examining her before he continued.

"So, if you know how much blood was shed over this, then how can you even consider letting anyone who knows our secret leave our city limits."

"Because I'm not limiting myself on the fear of bloodshed and looking at the larger picture. According to the records that I found that are kept for each quarterly inspection on the farms, that Gabriel has been in charge of, he repeatedly speaks of a slow decline in the amount of produce that is being grown each year, then couple that with the decrease in the births of livestock, and your growing population. Vaccoon is going to be in trouble in roughly twenty years, when the population exceeds the amount of food that cannot be manufactured within these walls, and it will hit the citizens hard when there isn't enough food being produced in order to sustain everyone."

"Where are you getting these facts?" Nicholas said in a controlled tone that made Nyline grunt in indignation.

"As I said the records in the library. There are copies dating back to when Vaccoon was first founded and the original farm was established. I took the records of the last several years and predicted the growth of the food production. After realizing that it was on a decreasing slope, I asked Omega to get me data on what the death and birth rates were from the same years that I was getting the other data from. After completing the graph, it shows that for the next estimated twenty years, that the food will continue to decrease while the population continues to increase. I even went as far as to add an additional farm to the mix to see if it would end up producing enough food for the population and whereas it did help, only the addition of two farms would solve this problem. However, the even bigger problem came to where exactly would Vaccoon be able to devote another plot of land to another farm, let alone two. You are already out of space here as it is, and it is necessary to leave enough open space for the darkling's to run off their extra energy. So, that wasn't a viable solution.

"Another solution that I came up with is expanding the barrier to encompass Thaul's lands and take over their old farms. However, Pallsana and Omega were really dead set that Vaccoon would never even think of moving onto Thaul's land." She let out a long sigh, "So the alternative is setting up a trade route where the craftsmen of this town are able to make more of a profit than they are able to make here in Vaccoon alone, and bringing more food in from kingdoms that have more space for farming."

"Did you really do all of this research just to back up Gabriel's wish to open a trade route?" Nicholas sounded slightly shocked at this knowledge and again Nyline could only raise her brow at him.

"Actually, no, I didn't. I started looking into this because I wanted to understand why Gabriel was so dead set on having a trade route. As I know nothing of this world, I started research. That's when I found that your economy dropped and Vaccoon fell into such a deep depression when Thaul vanished that the entire city was on rations for years. After that I started looking into things more. However, the production of the additional farms, still didn't come close to how much imported goods that Vaccoon was receiving when Thaul acted as the hub for all of their trade routes."

["I don't know every detail to what she's saying, however I do know that the additional two farms that we added to make up for our loss of our trade routes were never projected to sustain the population extendedly."] Alice spoke softly, sounding sure of herself but also slightly distracted. ["They were projected to fix the problem and we were going to figure out better solutions. However, over the years there has been so many other pressing problems that it got pushed to the back burner. Gabriel and I had an in-depth discussion about the decrease of production from each of the farms during the last inspections. We came up slightly blank on how to solve it. He's supposed to be going to the farms this week or next, and we were going to sit down and see if we could figure it out."] Nyline perked at this information.

"The most likely problem with your livestock is that you need fresh blood," Nyline spoke off handedly. "From the looks of it, the last intake of new livestock was when Thaul fell and people were sent out to see what they could gather from the farms. However, sixteen years can lead to a lot of interbreeding which can cause offspring to be sterile. Then, a female only has so many years when they can be used for breeding and if they are continued to be used after that, then it would put the life of the female at risk and if she dies, then your down a female as well as a calf. However, at this point, you'd need life stock from outside of Vaccoon. I know that the farmers are aware of interbreeding problems, as they were in Gabriel's report as well, however, it was mentioned several times that even the exchanging of livestock between the farms here that the situation wasn't getting better. All of the agricultural techniques that I know are from the modern era. They require machinery that doesn't exist here, and science that might not even be valid." She raked her hands over her face once more in irritation. She had a basic understanding of historic farming; however, it was all things that were simply learned in passing such as rotating crops, plowing, flooding and burning land. Which were all things that they were already doing. Maybe different types of crops? Seeds? Maybe just doing something different than what they have been doing? Nyline sighed shaking her head and turning her attention back to Nicholas.

"So, why don't you trust Gabriel's judgement when it comes to this?" She asked steering the conversation back onto the original topic "You are fully aware that the trade routes will open, whether it be while you sit on the throne or the high council. So, I don't understand why you wouldn't want a hand in it."

["Gabriel hasn't set out the facts quite like you have. The data that you are telling us exists is something that we hadn't taken into account and honestly it wouldn't have been something that is on our radar for several more years. Your estimating this happening twenty years out, the problem wouldn't have come to the surface for at least five more before it became a problem. When Gabriel speaks about it, he brings to the table about how it could benefit the people of Vaccoon and let our people live better lives."] Alice spoke sounding more than contemplative, but also considering.

"Which he isn't wrong," Nyline commented and Nicholas only let a small sigh escape from his lips.

"No, but nevertheless, comfort items just never seemed as important as keeping our people safe."

"Which your also not wrong, although, there is a thin line between surviving and actually living. To me it sounds like your people are on the high end of surviving and the low end of living right now."

"The chances of an all-out war are just to pressing of a problem. War's cost much more money than simply surviving does and the way we are now, we cannot fund a war." Nyline paused as she thought on his words.

"So, make Dunhule your new Thaul." Nicholas' brows scrunched at that. "Neither Gabriel or I are saying that you should open trade routes with every kingdom and have people flock to Vaccoon. However, one kingdom that acts like hub like Thaul used to do for you, is a good alternative."

"Thaul was different." He said immediately.

"Yup, and now they're gone." She said shortly. "So, you can extend an olive branch and see what will come out of it with Damien. Or you can sit back and wait for the issue to become a serious problem, then scramble to pick up the pieces, again." There was a long drawn out pause where Nyline could near the gears and cogs working in the king's mind.

"Fine," He said eventually in a begrudging tone. "We'll look into it."

"Good, there is no reason for you to continue to stalk Damien and his scouts."

"What about Damien's mate?" He growled and Nyline couldn't resist the eye roll this time.

"They aren't going to breathe a word." She said trying to keep the annoyance from her tone

"Do you know who Damien's mate is?" Nyline chuckled at this.

"I have a guess, but then again that isn't my secret to tell, now is it." Nyline gave the king a look as his face turned into a glare. "Simply because I can hear everyone's inner thoughts doesn't mean that I'm going to blurt everything out whenever someone asks. There is a certain amount of responsibility when it comes to this ability and just as much as you guys don't want me spouting your secrets to everyone, I hold myself to that standard for everyone and I don't make exceptions."

["That sounds familiar."] Alice spoke in a soft voice. The king made a noise that indicated that he agreed but he also sighed. Taking a few seconds to regain himself before he locked his eyes onto her.

"So, why are you sitting in this tree and not out there with everyone else?" Nyline glanced at him waiting for the 'young lady' that seemed to end that sentence with the tone he was using, but to her surprise it didn't come. Though her face scrunched at the comment.

"Aren't they supposed to find me? When Uncle John and I used to play games like this, I'd hide, and he'd find me, but it seems like none of them even have the slightest idea as to where I might be." She sighed, her eyes going back to the trail. "Queen Alice said that these people could match me." She said softly with a slight hint of sadness.

"I don't think that either of us thought that you'd play so seriously." He confessed and she just drew her brows together looking down at her hands as she opened and closed them a couple of times.

"But I'm not. I'm still within distance of them that if I shouted then they'd be able to hear. My music is still up full volume, I don't have my shadow skill up, I haven't placed a single barrier." She shook her head. "I couldn't be even more obvious if I just started running around and waited for people to find me… I'm. just. Sitting. here." She heard Alice laughing softly from Nicholas's direction.

["To be fair this would be an open book for anyone of Jonathan's skill level. I guess taking their shadow forms made it a little to uneven. If they'd been able to shift, I'm sure that they would have least picked up on your scent by now."] She confessed.

"We could have the rules adjusted?" Nicholas suggested as Nyline stood up looking towards the training grounds.

"Or I could just go back to the library…" She muttered crossing her arms, turning her body in the direction of the castle.

"How about no." Nicholas spoke in a sharp tone that indicated that there was no room for argument. He paused before he lifted his hand into the air and Nyline glanced up right as the ball of aether shot from his hand, flew up into the sky before it exploded, marking the sky above her with a deep blue color.

"Did you just use the flair skill?" Nyline asked in confusion as she slid her eyes to him, but he was already gone, and her lips turned into a thin line as she realized that she'd been officially marked.

Turning, she sprinted to the end of the branch before she jumped onto another one from a different tree and continued to run until she was several trees away from the obviously marked spot. Dropping into a light shadow skill. Her body still slightly visible, only masking her enough so that it wasn't blaring obvious that she was standing there watching them.

After watching several stupid pairs rush directly to the tree and then realize that she wasn't there they turned and started sprinting in different directions. Her mouth pulled up on the side at the same time a twinge of sadness stabbed through her chest. At least they were trying to find her at this point. They just weren't doing it intelligently or the easy way. As more people poured into the area, the voices started getting a tad to much for her mind and she shoved the earbud back into her ear. With one glance over her shoulder she turned in the opposite direction of the flair and started making her way away.

After she'd jumped between several trees, she used her movement skill to launch herself out of the high canopy and land with a soft roll onto the ground. Her eyes taking in the expanse that is the training grounds.

["Spotted her."] Pallsana's soft voice spoke, ["She just walked out of the trees over by the equipment shed."] Omega whooped.

["Knew it."] She said eagerly and Nyline turned as she glanced around, wondering exactly where Pallsana was hiding. She turned and started walking along the edge of the trees, just inside the first row as she tapped her foot on the ground and sent out a wave of aether into the ground. It came back negative, so she wasn't directly on the ground. Nyline smiled as she tapped her foot again, sending her aether out as she scanned the trees as well as the buildings that were nearby. Nyline couldn't help but grin as her aether told her that Pallsana was in the trees, hiding behind the large trunks as she trailed her.

["Do you think she knows your there?"] Omega laughed softly and Nyline smile grew.

["Oh, she knows I'm here, somewhere. The where exactly is what I'm hoping to catch her off guard with, right my lady?"] Nyline continued to weave in and out of the trees as she ignored that little comment, the smile on her lips growing just slightly.

A very soft wave of aether lapped against her feet and Nyline just glanced down looking at her shoes as if she'd be able to see the aether. It was so soft, so gentle, that if she didn't directly know how someone's senses felt being extended then she would have completely missed it.

["Target is directly due north."] The female voice that belonged to Jason's mate spoke in a sure voice. ["She's on the ground, doesn't seem to be moving. Here are the coordinates."]

["Got it."] Jason muttered back and Nyline couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she just knew that Jason was sprinting over here at full speed. The logical part of her that Jonathan had trained, wanted her to use her movement skill and avoid being caught by him. However, a very small part of her, told her to stay. The small part of herself won out as she stood her ground and waited for Jason.

["What's she doing?"] Omega asked softly and Nyline knew that she was looking through Pallsana's eyes in that moment.

["I'm not sure. It's like she just froze?"] Nyline counted to ten as she felt Jason coming closer and closer. Right when he put on a burst of speed as if he were just going to tackle her. She used her movement and shot back several feet landing with her hands in her pockets.

"Oh, look who finally decided to join the game." He taunted as he skidded to a halt in front of her. Nyline's eyes shimmered with amusement.

"It's not my fault that all of you guys suck so much that you can't find me without the help of the king." She taunted right back.

["The king gave up her location?"] His mate exclaimed sounding slightly shocked. Nyline bit back on the retort for her, knowing that she was becoming too comfortable simply talking to the inner mates' conversations. This wasn't the time for it.

"Sucks to suck," Jason growled, "That you got shoved back into the game by someone instead of just playing." Nyline rolled her eyes dramatically at him.

"I've been sitting in a tree for the last hour," She said exasperated, "Not my fault that you guys didn't even come close to finding me."

["We're sorry Lady Nyline,"] She heard Pallsana and Omega say at the same time as if they'd disappointed her somehow, but she could only laugh. At that it seemed like Jason was done talking as he jumped towards her, and she jumped backwards using her movement. They did it again, and again.

"Just going to play cat and mouse then?" Jason growled and Nyline raised a brow.

"Isn't that what this game is?" She asked cautiously, not for the first time today wondering if she may have gotten the rules wrong.

"You're not wrong," Pallsana said as she jumped from her tree and smiled. "However, your making this game extremely difficult." She put her hands on her hips and pouted slightly, but Nyline could still see the playful smile on her lips, her orange eyes lighting up.

"Well, then I guess you guys are just going to have to try harder." Nyline grinned as she used her movement skill twice and landed further back into the training ground. Pallsana and Jason glanced at each other. Something silent passed between them before Jason dead sprinted at her and Pallsana darted to the left.

["Circle around back!"] Jason shouted to his mate. Whereas Pallsana took a mental image and shoved it at Omega. Nyline smiled as she caught a glimpse of the exchange. She waited until they almost had her surrounded then she bent her knees and used her movement shooting herself straight up into the air as the four of them stopped short of slamming into each other. Their eyes following her trajectory. Right as she used her movement to push her momentum to the side and she landed, now looking at all four of them, hands still in her pockets.

Her eyes instantly landed on Jason's mate and taking a quick stock of her small nose, and auburn hair that was currently pulled up on the back of her head, the wispy bands half falling into her light purple eyes.

A soft popping noise made her look up as another flair went up right above her head and she glanced over to see Sargis holding his hand up, directed at her. She only gave him an incredulous look, her mouth opening slightly.

"I'm pretty sure that's cheating." She hissed between her teeth, but he only grinned his deep ruby eyes glinting in the sun light as a small smile played on his lips. There was a second that she only looked at him with her brow raised before she used her movement and shot across the training grounds. Her feet landed on top of the obstacle course and she glanced back at the original four then to the horde of candidates who were rushing out of the trees like ants. Nyline's mouth fell open slightly as someone shouted and pointed at her. Every eye in the clearing zeroed in on her location, then they were all full out sprinting at her.

In a brief moment, she glanced to Alice who had her eyes on only Nyline, a smile playing on her lips as she watched the interactions with rapped attention. As if the game had just really started and she was excited to see what would happen. Nyline couldn't help but feel dread at wondering what exactly she was expecting to happen. Although before she could really give herself time to think on that, she knew she needed to move and so she jumped using her movement skill towards the tree line.

Then, she was sprinting full kilt as she heard people behind her start to shout directions to other people, but it seemed as if there were to many of them trying to lead and not enough people following. Jason's voice rose above everyone else's as he called for silence with a single growl and everyone shut up instantly. He started shouting orders to people, using their names, and giving them directions. She felt several mated pairs start to shift and run in different directions all around her. She dodged one person, ducked under another's arm, and hooked her arm in a tree forcing her movement to shift in a different direction instantly as people started popping up in her path. She skidded on her knees as someone dropped from the trees, her nose skimming the pants the guy was wearing before she rolled. After spending a few more minutes playing dodge the candidates in the trees she headed directly towards a large tree. Planting her foot on it she used the trunk to shoot herself up and above the canopy. Glancing around she saw all the people.

In a maneuver that had her flipping backwards, she used her movement, forcing herself forward as if she were diving directly for the ground headfirst. Right as she was about to go splat on the ground, she tucked, taking the impact of the fall on the back of her shoulders, rolling, and landing on her feet.

There was a moment that she slowed; several people were standing staring at her with their mouths opened before she grinned. Jason and his mate were giving orders as the chaotic mess of a group of people turned into the calculating military personnel that she'd been promised that she'd get a chance to play with today. One person took her by surprise, and she had to roll her body to the side, feeling their fingers trying to find purchase in her clothing as she simply slipped away from them like water.

The smile that was plastered to her face only got better when she shot straight up once more and shot off to the side. However, It seems like that trick wasn't going to work again. She chocked it up to them being taken by surprise the first time and now they knew what she was capable of, they wouldn't fall for it again.

With a quick movement, she shot forward and up into the trees as she started running along the canopy. She took a breath as she tapped her shoulder slightly, the soft shadow skill falling over her being as she took a moment to look around and take in her surroundings, noting the locations of the candidates that were scattered around her. Jason was about two hundred feet to her right with four others. Turning she looked down at another small group of people that Omega was a part of, Pallsana being part of a third group that were moving around in a large circle towards the end of the boundaries. Oh, they were going to try and trap her in the thicket of the trees where the canopy was too thick for her to break through. With another breathe, she could hear the few people as they moved silently through the treetops, just like she was doing. She moved her body slightly to the right as one walked right next to her, almost brushing her arm, and it took everything not just laugh at that.

Her face lit up in a grin as she decided that she would trail Jason and his group, landing in behind them at some point just to have a little fun. Grinning she turned to move but paused as a voice reached right up, through her music, and directly into her mind, forcing all of her focus onto it.

["As promised…."] Her ears perked as the voice faded in and out like a dying radio. ["…See her."] As if possessed she felt as though she had to find this voice. She had no idea why, but her body and mind were wheeling with how much she had to find that voice, and now.

["…No, she just…"] That voice was female, and she knew it as she jumped across several trees and ran across another branch, keeping her body low as she maneuvered with the grace of a flying squirl. "…Recall spell…" A pressure built up in Nyline's ears making her pause and move closer to the trunk of the tree she was currently standing in. The pressure built until she felt like her ear drums were going to crack, then there was a loud popping noise and the pressure drained away.

["No, you only get to see her. No speaking and it is far too soon for either of you to be touching each other. I don't even want to deal with that."] Pulling herself away from the trunk she walked a few trees over before she dropped her body out of the canopy and started to look around. Her eyes skimmed over everything in the dimly lit area. She could feel eyes on her. She knew that someone, or something was here, and that it was important that she find out what.

With a soft tap of the toe of her heal, her aether shot out around the area in all directions for about two hundred feet as she searched for what she was starting to think her eyes couldn't see. The aether lapped at the shoes of two people who were standing directly to her right and when she turned to look at the spot, a different voice spoke, one that she knew. Though, it was a voice that she hadn't heard in a very long time, some long lost dream that she just almost couldn't remember.

["Oh my, she looks exactly like Stephaney… but that's impossible. Why is the spell broken? You told me she was only sixteen."] She felt her heart clench as she rotated that voice around and around in her mind.

["She's stronger than you would expect and causes more problems than you could even imagine, I'm sure."] The woman replied sounding far more displeased with the subject than her previous tone had expressed.

["How?"] The male voice spoke once more, and Nyline turned her wide eyes onto the spot that she knew that they were standing.

"There's no way," Nyline whispered as she took a step towards them, reaching her hand out and coming back with nothing. There was a moment where she just looked down at her empty hand as if it had offended her before she looked back up at the empty space. For whatever reason, she knew that they were both holding their breaths. She tapped her foot on the ground again, only this time she focused her aether onto the two people that she knew were standing directly in front of her. Her aether attached itself to their clothing as it climbed up like mist and clung to it showing her the outline of the two people in her mind.

Only this time when she reached out her hand caught onto a sleeve. She felt the warmth of skin only inches away from her own fingers. She knew that all she had to do was brush the exposed skin on the tips of her fingers to figure out exactly who was standing directly in front of her. She hesitated, not wanting to violate someone's mind, and that hesitation cost her as a bright light was illuminated directly in front of her and a hand shoved her directly in the chest, throwing her several feet back.

"What the hell?" She yelled and she felt herself panic as she felt as if the two people were somehow leaving, they were slipping away as if they'd simply opened up the fabric of the universes and were just stepping inside, never to be seen again. Something in her chest screamed and it reached her mouth as the words burst from her lips. "Wait!" Aether revibrated around her thick as it moved onto the people that were attempting to escape. She could tell that it was clinging to them and it held them long enough for her to lift her shoe and make a single mark in the forest ground. The aether shimmered around her as the barrier solidified, closing them off from whatever they were doing. She took the extra two seconds to shove more and more aether into the barrier. Closing it off from everything, including sound, as she tightened the holds on the space around her.

"I know your there." She said in a short-angered voice as she took another step towards them. When nothing happened, she felt her aether responding to her as she opened her mouth once more. "Show yourselves, you are currently standing in the kingdom of Vaccoon and if you are hiding. Then, it means that you are not here in accords to the laws that govern this land." She waited and when still nothing happened, she felt anger bubble up inside of her. "Show your appearances now." More aether seeped into the air around her and she was positive if she had Jonathan's knife in her grasp, she could pull it out and simply cut the air with it. "Step out from whatever magic is masking your presence and show yourself." She could physically feel the aether turn onto the invisible people and launch itself at it like a starved dog to a piece of steak. Anger bubbled up inside of her as she realized that they were still resisting. "Show yourself!" She finally shouted, her anxiety about the voices, the topics that she'd overheard, and that voice that she just couldn't remember for whatever reason.

A hand landed onto her forearm, over her glove and grasped tight. She was suddenly aware of a large body standing next to her. She felt warmth coming from him and a fierce protectiveness that she didn't understand seemed to be engrain in each and every one of his taught muscles.

"Ms. Nyline. I'm assuming that you are not aware that you are currently attacking a reaper." The deep voice spoke, and she felt her head cock, her eyes never leaving the spot that she knew the people were. "As much as I would advise against straight out attacking a reaper in broad daylight. I will stand with you if this is truly the action that you wish to take." She knew without looking that it was one of the candidates. She'd recognized his voice the second that he'd spoken. However, she didn't respond to him, his hand still firmly gripping her arm as if he were planning on throwing himself in before her.

"Show yourselves," Nyline breathed, the hand on her wrist holding her in place, the anger that had started to bubble was now simmering in her chest as she stared at the blank air. "Tell me who you are, and how you know my mother." With one final push of aether a voice responded right as he seemed to step out from a vail in the universe and glare at her with a scowl that she could only connect with the warring emotions of a parent.

"Aurea," He said in a tight controlled voice, "This is not how you use your abilities. Now stop it this instant." Nyline was forced to step back as the volley of energy that had just slammed into her, forcing her to release her hold on the influence. None the less, none of that mattered. All that mattered was the man standing directly in front of her, emotions flickering across his face so quickly that it was making her sick. Shock, concern, hope, anger, anxiety, and happiness all battled for dominance in her mind as she tried to process what the fuck was going on in this situation.

The person standing in front of her was exactly how he looked in her memories. His short black hair that was cut close to his scalp, the strong jaw that she was positive she wore a slightly more feminine version of. His same thin lips that she'd only seen smiling were currently pulled down as anger radiated off of his being in waves. Then finally, those bright green, slightly glowing eyes that matched hers, only with more glow. The emotions in her chest seemed to silence as her anger rose.

He was here, standing in front of her and yet, where had he been all of her life? If he were alive, then why had he not been around to see her grow. Not come or sent wishes for her birthday? Never spoke with her. Then, realization hit her like a physical blow that forced the air from her lungs, and she breathed the words that were flying around her mind like some type of chant just a slight roar over the emotions.

"Your alive." It came out more of a growl as the confusion, anxiety, concern, and hope all turned stale before they lit on fire with a strength of a sun and anger burst from her. He looked slightly taken aback by her reaction. The frown on his thin lips stopped turning downward as he cocked his head only slightly to the side, a v forming between his dark eyebrows.

"Of course, I'm alive, why wouldn't I be?" His words were strong, and she could feel the truth in his omission; he'd never acted as if he were dead. Red flashed in front of her eyes as he basically admitted to simply ditching her.

"All this time, you've been alive, and I've never seen you once?! No birthdays, or graduations. No hugs or love, nothing. Where have you been?" The angry words left her mouth with spite and she almost didn't recognize her own voice as she watched her father visibly flinch from her tone. He pressed his eyes together for just a tick, before he swallowed as if he were trying to consume his hurt, so it didn't show further.

"Things aren't that easy Aurea," His tone was soft as if those words hurt him just by saying them. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, the long robes of his off white kimono swished with the movement and she only took a second to take in that he was also wearing sandals that were made from wood with a single leather strap.

"Then why don't you try explaining it to me." Her voice was hard and flat as she straightened and pulled her shoulders back. There was a long moment where his eyes zoned out before he could only shake his head and let out a huff.

"I can't tell you the things you want to know." His voice was a resigned whisper.

"Oh, I'm fully aware that you can't say a thing about that stupid blood oath." His eyebrows shot towards his dark hairline, as his eyes rose from the ground and reconnected to hers. "I want other answers. Answers that matter to me a whole hell of a lot more than what the fuck you did to abandon me."

"Nore, now is not the time for this. We must leave." The woman that Nyline hadn't even noticed, spoke next to him. She wore a long black cloak, held a staff, and had violet irises that were trained on her, her face set in deep lines of unhappiness.

"Leave?!" Nyline took a step towards them her voice deep and annoyed. "I deserve answers, you owe me that much."

"Child, you are not owed anything from anyone. Now stop being a self-entitled little brat and drop your barrier before I break it." The woman's voice was smooth as if she were simply speaking about weather on a mild day.

"Lady," Nyline spoke and tried to take a step forward but the hand around her arm forced her to stop. She ended up in facing them sideways so that she was still pointing her finger at the old woman in a threatening manor, but unable to get any closer. "I don't give a shit who, or what you are. I will fight you tooth and nail to get to talk to him for five damned minutes at this point." The women's eyes widened with the ferocity in her tone. "I will not give up a chance to learn knowledge about my families fucked up abilities directly from the source, and if you get in my way, then I will move you from my path with force." She pulled her arm with more force trying to break from the man's grip. The muscles in his hand flexed but she still couldn't get any closer.

"Ms. Nyline, I beg you to calm yourself and look at this rationally," The voice spoke as he slowly pulled her back a few feet.

"You will not hold me back if that is what it comes to." She shot back without looking at him.

"No ma'am, I will fight next to you, but until blows have been exchanged, I suggest you stay over here." Nyline only gritted her teeth, not responding as she continued her staring contest with those terrifying violet eyes. The old woman breathed power and she could feel what deep shit she'd be in if it came to it, but she wouldn't let this opportunity slip through her grasp.

The staring contest was suddenly blocked as her father turned her back on her and looked directly into the women's eyes. Shifting one foot to the side she saw how her eyes had hardened as her father simply looked down at her.

"Let's not start a fight with my daughter today," He said flatly.

"Nore, we are not doing this. You are not supposed to be speaking to her at this point. You are fully aware of what could happen if you get to close to her. You are simply putting yourself and her at risk." She hisses through clenched teeth and those words made her ears prick, but the adrenalin in her system took the knowledge and punt kicked it the fuck from her focus with a promise that she would examine it later.

With deep exhale, Nyline lifted her foot and drew one, two, three, more lines in the dirt as she started to layer the barrier with more and more aether. The old lady might escape but it was going to be a challenge and she wasn't going to make it easy.

"I know," He sighed crossing his arms. "Just let me have a little time." When the old lady didn't respond and just continued to glare up at him, he continued. "How would Ary feel if I told her how you were acting in this situation."

"Do not bring my grand baby into this." The woman's eyes grew darker as she angered.

"I will if I have to. I'll even go as far as to send her a quick emergency summons to us, just so she can weigh her voice in on this subject." Nore's voice was thick with emotions.

"Oh, for the sake of all of lost souls, don't you dare. I don't want to deal with those buffoon's that insist on hanging around her like leaches." There was a moment where Nyline was pretty sure that her father was simply raising a brow at her, his arms crossed. Taking that moment Nyline drew several more lines in the dirt and slowly, as if she could feel it, the old woman turned her stony gaze onto her.

"No," she said flatly her eyes roaming over Nyline from her hair to her feet, arms crossed. Nyline and the old woman's staring contest started again, and she was positive that the old lady was sizing her up. Nyline couldn't care less. She'd been serious when she said that she would fight her for a chance to speak with her father. Even if he abandoned her, he still had answers that she needed. Although, after a minute or two, it seemed as if the old lady wasn't going to continue speaking and so her father started.

"Now what questions do you have?" Her eyes turned to the bright green ones as he tried to make his tone casual. When Nyline went to open her mouth, she felt his aether build and expand. It passed through her barrier as if it were looking at something and the words died in her chest as she focused on it. Wondering what the hell he was doing. What would be distracting him in this moment, the moment that was weighing so heavily on her chest that she felt like she was suffocating.

["Oh, thank the stars Nic, I was hoping you were here."] Her father's inner voice spoke, and her attention snapped to outside the barrier were her eyes connect with the yellow ones that she was starting to recognize as the kings. She felt her body tighten in anger as she saw that his eyes were wide and looking directly at her father just like the ghost that he. There was a brief second where it seemed like he snapped out of whatever had just clouded his mind. His yellow eyes flicked to hers. They connected and she watched his eyes widen as he took in a deep breath before his eyes shot back to her father, panic welling in their depths. "Mind filling me in on-"

["She can hear you."] Nicholas just about screamed cutting him off before he could finish anything. Nyline moved her angry eyes back to her father who was looking at her with amusement. ["I'd bet money that's why she wants to speak with you so badly."] His voice was almost a whisper. Nyline allowed her eyes to flick to his again and she felt slightly floored at the broken look on his face. She didn't have time to examine his emotions, or the thoughts that she knew that she could hear but wasn't focused on them.

"He's right. How did she do it? How did mom stand in front of all of her people and address them without being in so much pain that she couldn't even stand? How did she not break her mind? How was she able to have friends? How was she able to be so normal?" Nyline was breathing hard as she word vomited all of the questions that had kept her up at night since she was small. "Tell me."

Nyline wasn't sure when she'd done it, but she'd move forward so that the man was holding her at her furthest length that she could go. She could feel her shoulder pulling from the effort that she was extending to try and run over to him and just shake the answers out of him.

"You can hear them?" He said sounding slightly dumb founded and when she only hardened her features, he ran his hand down his face. [Scouts. She has to have scouts. Jonathan wouldn't have raised her without them. There is still a way to salvage this situation. This can't be as bad as it looks]. It sounded like a prayer that made her ears prick as he continued. His eyes flicked to the person standing behind her as he seemed to chant the words to himself over and over again. Like if he said them enough times to himself that they would just simply have to be true.

"Don't fool yourself, I have no scouts." Nyline growled, and his face fell further as he placed a hand over his eyes. Then as if a whistle on a kettle he turned and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Jonathan!" Then he paused looking around as if Uncle John would simply step out from behind a tree and everything would be hunky dory.

"Tad late to be yelling for him, he won't be coming." Nyline surprised herself with how even her voice sounded.

"Why?" Her father's face grew stormier, if that were even possible at this point.

"Because he got tired of me too and left as well." She shot back, all of her anger at the situation filling her tone.

["Nyline that is not what happened."] Nicholas spoke and she glanced at him. Her anger at this situation only growing as she knew that she'd sealed all of the sound inside of the barrier and because he was outside of her barrier, he shouldn't be able to hear a thing.

["What do you mean?"] Her father responded and it dawned on her that Nicholas was hearing the conversation through her father as they seemed to be conversing like a mate bond.

"Oh, you know the usual," Nyline bit out. "We got attacked when we were fleeing Thaul and had a general class daemon knock his ass off a cliff. Seems a little extreme just to get away from me." Her eyes went to Nicholas as if she were daring him to try and contradict what she had just said. She watched as he swallowed.

["Is this true?"] Her father shot back, sending her sideways glances as if he thought that she was being slightly dramatic.

["Yes, in a very shortened version, that's what happened in a nutshell."] Her father's shoulders tightened.

"Child, you have no idea what your speaking of." The old woman spoke surprising not only Nyline but her father as well as he turned his slightly wide eyes onto her. The women turned her violet iris' up towards her father. "More than one deal was brokered for the safety of your little ticking time bomb." Her father's face scrunched up and Nyline looked at her as well. Little ticking time bomb? What the hell was she on about?

"Are you positive?" The lady only nodded which seemed to distress her father more and there was another beat of silence before he looked back up at her. "Why haven't you asked your mother since your arrival back in the aether world." Nyline's face went completely blank.

"Oh, you mean when I was dropped through a recall spell and dumped out into the throne room in Thaul? That might have worked if anyone still inhabited our kingdom, however now it's a ghost town, only even the ghosts don't want to be there."

"What do you mean?" Nyline took the time to examine his face before it dawned on her that he actually had no clue what had happened. Anger welled inside of her once more.

"You truly have no idea? You're so clueless that you simply ditched out on everything? You abandoned mom as well when she probably needed you most?" She clicked her tongue at him. Her arms crossing, well as best she could with one still being held onto by the man, as she glowered at him as his face paled.

"What do you mean?" His voice was still strong, and he took one single step towards her but was stopped by the wooden staff that the old woman had as she maneuvered herself slightly in front of him so that he could not go to her.

"Thaul fell and everyone is gone." She said flatly and then watched as horror and shocked covered his face. He took the step back, one hand gripping at his chest as he just shook his head.

"There is no way." He breathed.

"Oh yes there is," Nyline sneered right back. His face shot up at her tone and he only looked at her.

"No, she's still alive." He said in a solid tone. "We're mated. I would feel it if she died." She thought on that before she shrugged, she could feel her heart hardening at the news that not only her father was alive, but her mother was somewhere too and they'd both abandoned her. She forcefully pulled her mind away from those thoughts, shoving them deep into a box and moved her eyes back onto his green orbs, making a loud huffing noise.

"How does that even work? I thought darkling's couldn't mate with anyone other than a darkling of their same power level. How can you be mates with a human?"

"I'm not a darkling," he said very evenly, "I'm a daemon, with a tad bit of the other." Nyline could only stare at him.

"Other?" He only raised his brows at her, apparently keeping that part to himself.

"So then, what the hell am I?" Something crossed his face quick as lightening and she tried to focus on it but, it was already gone.

"Some human, some daemon," he said finally, and she could tell that he was keeping his face completely blank forcefully.

"And a lot of other," the old lady muttered as she glared daggers at her father. Nyline's eyes went wide as she looked back at him. Something snapped inside of her as she felt her emotions try and bubble over.

"What the fuck happened?" She half screamed at him. "Spill it already. Give me the answers I want and then you can go back to acting as if I don't exist. I don't care, I've lived this long without you, I certainly don't need you now- so keep your secrets, take them to the damned grave with the rest of your blood oath buddies, but answer my questions before you walk out of my life again." His chest seemed to collapse onto itself as her words finished.

"I've always wanted you in my life." He said softly and Nyline only shook her head.

"If that were the case, you would have been. Don't lie to my face just because I'm here to confront you about this now." He seemed to grow smaller and the old woman stepped forward as if she were going to speak, but he placed a hand on her shoulder, and she stopped.

"I will tell her." He whispered before those bright green eyes turned towards to the ground, then back up to hers. His gaze wavered as if he was having a hard time holding it. "I brokered a deal with the reapers in order to ensure that you, Stephaney, and our kingdom would be safe."

"From what?" She shot back without missing a beat and her father looked as if he were searching for the words to answer her questions and, she let him. Deep down she knew that he had to word this correctly and that knowledge along was able to dampen her anger long enough to keep her from demanding more. He searched, and searched, then dug down deeper as if he were trying to find the exact words that he could speak without problem.

"We," He cleared his throat, his eyes turning back up towards her with resolve shining in them. "Stole something from a group of beings. We thought that it would be easy, in, out, none would be the wiser, but just like all good plans, it failed. We ran into far more problems than we could have even fathomed. We tried to roll with the punches, but it ended up being too much. The beings found out what we'd done and were furious. They came after us, and I brokered a deal with the head of a clan of reapers in order to try and ensure our safety." Nyline felt her eyes go wide, Alice's words floating back into her mind on a breeze, her words matching his so closely that it was slightly creepy.

"You ruined everything just to steal something?" Her voice started off as a whisper, but it rose as she started yelling. "You risked your mate, my mother, your people," her eyes flicked to the side to see not only Nicholas but also Alice now, "your friends, and me all for this item? Thaul was rich! They traded with more kingdoms than anyone else in the aether world because they traded for two kingdoms and had twice as many goods. You could have just bought it, but you risked everything and came out with nothing." Her voice ended flat as she continued just to look at him, her arms snaking around her body as the realization started to really sink in of how little her father cared for anyone other than himself.

"It didn't belong to them. It belonged to you and I did it, we all did, because we knew it was wrong. Even if I had to redo everything, I'd never change my mind, I know your mother would too. We'd do it over in a heartbeat, no questions asked." he simply said his eyes only focused on her

"The most fucked up thing about this entire situation is that I don't even have anything." She shook her head, her arms flying around like crazy as she tried to express her anger with not only her voice but also her body. "Every single material thing I have ever owned is back in the human world." She paused, the fight fleeing from her system in an instant. "You burned everything and came out with nothing." Out of all of the emotions that she expected to see on his face in that moment, a loving sadness wasn't one of them. It was as if his eyes were trying to convey how much he loved her, but his face was telling the story of loss.

"You could lose everything: your hair, clothing, any material item that you could ever buy or hold in your hands and you still would not be able to lose it. It wasn't something that could simply be bought. It was an item that are plenty but are one of a kind, just like a snowflake. Even when they are split, they are still one of the same and will never lose their base qualities even when reflected from different surfaces. I didn't waist anything by doing the things that I did. Not the theft, not the deal, not even forcing myself to stay away from you for all of these years. Staying away from Stephaney, my kingdom, my family, my friends. All of it was worth it. I'd do it all over again, no questions asked." They stared at each other for a long moment as Nyline wanted to chuck a rock at him for his cryptic words. Her heart fell further as it registered what he'd said.

"You left before everything happened," She whispered, "You have no idea what your decision's ripple effect and how it ruined everything. Everyone involved got their own punishments. The fall of Thaul was mom's punishment. Gabriel was Alice and Nic's. Not to mention the years it took to get their kingdom back on its feet. To stop its citizens from starving after the trades that kept Vaccoon alive were no longer around." The breath she took in rattled her chest.

["What?"] The single word was directed at Nic as he looked towards the edge of the barrier where Nic was standing with Alice next to him. They both looked at each other, resolve falling over their faces like armor.

["We were punished, our kingdom was punished, Gabriel was punished. Other's that were involved were punished. No matter how many miles separated us from them, they found every single one of us and made sure that we suffered."] Nic's face fell slightly as he looked at Alice and she looked up at him.

["We survived. Our people grew stronger. Gabriel is an amazing kid; I can't wait for you to meet him. He's just happy to finally get to meet his mate when Nyline was transported back. This wasn't just your decision, we agreed to, all of us and none of us regret a single thing."] Alice spoke in a strong voice.

There was agreeing noises as all of their scouts put in their two cents but Nyline could only look at them. Emotion crossed her father's face as he turned his eyes back Nyline and she saw his pain and hurt over what had happened, and what he'd missed out on. He took a long breath that expanded his lungs to their full capacity and then held onto it before he just let it all rush out. His eyes went up to the trees as he tightened his arms across his chest. His mind was going at a rapid pace and Nyline could tell that with her aether usage and the number of minds that were around that her mind was starting to strain.

"Tell me how to make them stop, or at least quiet them, so I can function." Her words were a whisper, but they sounded loud in the tense atmosphere. When she looked back up, she was surprised to see that he was staring directly at her. His mouth set in a determined line as he observed her with interest.

"What other problems do you have?" He asked in a stern tone that she knew wasn't directed at her, but it still made her heart bleed none the less.

"Any amount of skin contact and I can steal memories." She said bluntly and she felt the hand tighten on her arm just ever so slightly as if saying 'I'm here and I don't care.' "If I'm sleeping any type of contact, through clothing or not. I steal everything." He examined her for a long beat.

"Nore." The woman spoke and smacked him with her staff lightly in his chest. "Its because of that half state you left her in." Her words sunk into Nyline's soul as she looked to the old woman and then up at the glowing green eyes.

"Is your father still alive?" She half shouted with her realization, making her father jump. He looked at her slightly shell shocked before he seemed to shake it away.

"Yes, my father and his wife live in the daemon world."

"Madam Yukie?" She breathed and he looked even more shocked and at a loss for words. She felt herself fuming. Her damned grandfather had invaded her dreams, attacked her, stolen her memories, and then kicked her out of her own memory. What. The. Hell.

"Well, yes." He said shortly as if he finally found his voice. "His name is Einosuke. Did he come here and visit you?" She turned her incredulous eyes onto him.

"No." She said shortly and then stopped as if that were all she was going to say on the matter. She could tell that he wanted to ask more questions as he licked his lips before thinning them into a line and repeating the process. He broke the contact as he turned away from her.

"You said half state?" He asked looking at the women and she nodded. He made a humming noise before he turned back to her and looked at her. Like really looked at her and into her soul. He looked through her, around her, and inside of her as if he could simply jump inside of her own mind and rummage around. "Your right. Has there ever been a time where it has dimmed or dulled?" He muttered.

"Sometimes when I'm with Gabriel and he touches my skin it's like the volume gets turned down, but that's it." He nodded several times as if he were understanding something, but then he paused and pressed a finger to his lips. He started pacing in short two step motions before turning and going back.

"It's because your body does not possess power." He said finally, his eyes going to Alice as he spoke.

"Power?" She repeated as if it would give her insight on what he was talking about, and it did only it was from a really old memory from Uncle John. "Are you talking about the energy that Daemons use?"

"Yes." He said shortly his eyes still on Alice. "You are half daemon and yet you have no daemon energy. I can only assume because it is causing your daemon skills to be in a constant on switch, which is also why your body just seems to consume aether from this world now that you are no longer bound. It's trying to compensate."

"How am I half daemon but I'm missing my daemon energy." There was a very long, very tense silence as her father seemed to be having a staring contest with Alice. They were trying to have a silent conversation with their eyes and not use their minds and she wasn't sure if it were succeeding or not. Though, when she started to feel like no one was going to actually answer her question she started to get annoyed again. "How do I fix it?" the words burst from her chest and her father looked at her.

"That I'm not sure of honestly." He said truthfully looking slightly lost.

"Alice," Nyline spoke aloud knowing that she would be able to hear and when she turned to look at her he continued. "How does a body absorb power, is it the same as the aether world?" She shook her head.

["Power comes from within the being. It is a very heavy substance that we are all born with, it comes with our blood. The fact that your body is simply missing it doesn't make any since."] Nyline looked at her for a long moment feeling as if she needed to be anywhere in this moment, then it dawned on her. She needed to be in the library.

Her eyes turned back to her father, only with finally having this answer she wasn't sure what to say to him. He'd left her, her mother, and their kingdom, when a decision that he made backfired on everything. She didn't know how, probably a memory that her uncle stole back from her, but she somehow knew that he was the one who originally proposed the plan, had the idea, and was the first to start all of this.

"Aurea," His voice was soft as a whisper. "I didn't abandon you; I swear. If I could have been with you, I would have. My energy signature was how they were tracing everyone. If you'd been anywhere near me, you'd be at an even greater risk than you already were." His voice trailed off and Nyline focused on the ground. Her emotions about what she'd learned today and his words not resonating within her own mind. It was as if sandpaper were rubbing itself all over her brain and she could feel the chaffing. After several moments of just staring off into the distance, trying to figure out what her own feelings were on the matter she finally spoke.

"You can tell yourself whatever you want, but at the end of the day you gave up my childhood, you gave up on raising me. No matter what the reasonings, you decided to walk away and that was your decision, even if it was for my safety. I didn't have to believe that you were dead this entire time." She paused and tried to bite back the tears, "You could have at least sent me a card on my birthday." She turned her eyes onto him and watched as something in him broke at what he saw in her eyes. "Now, your telling me that not only you chose to walk away, but mom is somewhere alive? How can you expect me to just be excited to see you? Were you wishing that I would have just ran and jumped into your arms?" She scoffed making a harsh noise in her throat. "I've spent my entire life secluded, covering all of my skin, avoiding people, listening to music so I don't go insane. You held those answers, and yet you decided to stay away, when you could have helped." She shook her head and looked over at the reaper. The reaper only looked at her once before she nodded.

"Come on Nore, we have business elsewhere." She reached over and grabbed his arm, but he resisted.

"I didn't know that any of that was a problem." He tried to defend himself, but she could tell that even he knew it was weak.

"That's because you chose to walk away. You want to tell me that you'd make all of your decisions all over again? Well, here's one that you're going to have to swallow. You weren't there when I needed you most and you were there before mom vanished. You failed me and her." The last part was a whisper and she felt the pain and sadness resonate in her chest.

"Aurea," he started but when Nyline looked at him he stopped. The pain, hurt and confusion flashing in her eyes.

"If you want to do anything for me, then you should see if you can find Uncle John. Everyone knows he isn't dead." She paused as she searched her mind. "Tell him thanks for raising me. Tell him I'm sorry that I wasn't the easiest kid, and that I never listened. Tell him that I miss him." She whispered and then she turned her back on him.

Nyline looked up into the man's face that had been standing with her this entire time. He was a bear of a man, only slightly smaller than Jason but still built like a truck. He had brown wavy hair that fell around his shoulders and bounced with every movement that he made. The dark lashes around his turquoise eyes made them seem like they were glowing more than they probably were. His strong jaw was covered by a beard that seemed as though it was just as curly as his hair and despite trying his best to take care of it, it just seemed to do what it wanted.

"What's your name?" She asked in a shaky voice and emotion filled his eyes. He moved as if he were going to place his off hand on her shoulder but then stopped himself. He'd heard that she could steal memories, so of course he wouldn't want to touch her. No one ever did, she just wasn't sure why it suddenly bothered her in this moment.

"Aaron, ma'am." His voice was soft as he responded.

"Well Aaron, do me a favor and keep this between me and the two of you." He inclined his head.

"I wouldn't dream of anything else." He placed a fist on his shoulder and bowed slightly in a formal gesture.

"Good," she let go of the aether that held the barrier in place and she felt the fresh air woosh in around her.

There was just a moment and then the pressure of her father and the woman's energies just seemed to vanish, and she knew that they'd left. Her emotions raged inside of her as she tried to get over the fact that he hadn't chosen to stay, to walk over to her and wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. Just like a father should but no, he's done exactly what she'd told him to do and it caused sadness to wash over it, followed by confusion. Why did it bother her so much that he hadn't decided to just stay with her, regardless of the consequences? She felt tiny in this moment and as if her chest were caving in. She was at high sea and a storm was rolling in. Drowning in the emotions that were about to capsize her boat and drag her into its depths.

Her eyes went to the queen who looked as if she were about to pounce on her, holding her in that tight hug like that she'd wanted from her father. There was a beat before she realized that every single candidate was in the clearing, and they all are staring at her. Every single scout on both the king and queens' team were scattered around everywhere. The pain blead off of each of them and the feeling of their suffering seemed to call to hers and draw it out of her chest even more. Agony filled her and she worked to control it, to force those emotions away.

Alice took a couple steps towards her, and it was what she needed, the push the drive to shove those emotions down deep. She pulled on her trusty old mask and the expression on her face smoothed out as she focused on putting a calm, bored expression on her face. Those emotions could be dealt with when she wasn't standing in a clearing with the king, queen, all their scouts, and all these strangers. All she had to do was keep her shit together long enough to get away, and then it wouldn't matter how hard she broke. She just needed to escape. Her mind grasped at straws before landed on Aaron's hand on her arm. Her face hooked up one side of her face as she realized what silver platter scape goat she had within her fingertips.

"Well your majesty, it seems we have a winner. Aaron and his mate have caught me and now that you are here, they have fulfilled the objective." Confusion flicked across her face before it dawned on her. Then Nyline held up the arm that was still attached firmly to her forearm. He let out a loud gasp and pulled his it back to his own body. Before anyone could say a single thing on that subject, she turned around to the large grouping of people and raised her voice.

"I think that now is a good time to end it. I would like to thank you all for coming out today and spending this time with me. I appreciate the time and effort that was expended, and I hope that the rest of your day goes smoothly." She turned back to the king and queen. "If you will excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be." She gave a deep bow with one hand crossed over her chest before she turned towards the castle and walked away.

Refusing to look at anyone she kept her eyes focused firmly straight ahead, slightly unfocused so that no one would catch her gaze. She could feel the confusion and concern that radiated off of every single person. The eyes followed her until there was no one left. The emotions that they were exuding seemed to lift. Then, she finally made it back up the incline and on the other side of the gate, she finally allowed herself to use her movement and vanish into thin air.

Scout Skill

Lesson Six

The Barrier Skill

The barrier skill can be broken into several different subcategories however all of them are still considered to be the same skill. This skill is also one of the most pliable skills in the scout's arsenal with its ability to mix and blend with other skills as needed, however they are also very aether consuming as well as difficult to use.

The notification barrier is generally set up when the scout wants to know when either a certain person or just a person crosses a certain line and enters into the area. This can be used in several different ways, however the most common is that it acts as a trip wire.

The protection barrier is one of the harder parts of the barrier skill. It keeps the outside out, and the inside in. Anything that is within the barrier is able to be protected until the barrier is broken. This can withstand physical as well as aether based attacks. This branch of the barrier skill is generally more draining because it is required to put more aether into the skill over a larger surface area. Then the larger the surface area it covers, the more aether must be put into the skill for it to continue to work.

The silencing barrier is vastly unused because of how unreliable it can often be as well as the complexity of the skill. Overall, it causes the sound vibrations to stay within the barrier therefore not allowing it to flow past the boundary and enter into waiting ears. The biggest problem that scouts find when attempting this skill is that the sound vibrations end up rebounding back onto the scout instead of the barrier absorbing it, causing it to grow louder until the skill is released. However, when correctly cast the person(s) inside are able to have a conversation that cannot be heard from outsiders. This barrier uses the most aether and can easily drain a scout in minutes if they are not careful. Due to the fact that the barrier is required to absorb sound, it has to stay strong but also be mailable. It takes a great deal of concentration and energy.

There are several other subdivisions, however these three are the most commonly used among scouts.

Most scouts will learn how to cast the protection barrier, however depending on how well the scout excels at this skill it could either end there or continue. Scouts with exceptional aether and skill with this ability are able to blend other skills into the barrier, sometimes even two or three, causing the barrier to have more affects and do more depending on what is being used together.