Chapter 12

In the quiet of her room, Reyna took out the envelope she had placed under her bed. The soft light of dawn streamed in from the windows together with the sounds of the morning. She sat on the floor, her legs crossed and poured out the contents of the envelope in front of her. No matter how far she ran from everything that was going on she still found herself right in the middle all over again.

A stack of photos, a letter and an amethyst necklace. Those were what her mother had left. She picked up the letter first and as she saw the tidy script, a wave of nostalgia gripped her refusing to let go. The words gave way to her mother's voice.

My Reyna, if you ever get to read this letter just know that I failed in keeping you safe and because of my mistake, I fear that from now on you will have to move on without me. In all my life no other moments have given me joy than the days I got to spend with you, few as they may be. You were the first to call me mother and have loved me so unconditionally that it pains me to know what is coming.

I know by now, Carina has already told I am not your birth mother but I don't care that I'm not, in my heart you will always be my daughter. She wouldn't have known how I found you but then I never had time to tell her. The day I received the message from your mother saying she needed my help, I couldn't believe it. It had been eons since I last saw the other spirits and only the doubt that maybe what she said was true brought me to her aid.

Even with the evidence of the powers she held I still couldn't let myself hope. I arrived too late. Your mother had already been captured and she had hidden you in a small secret room under the house. If it wasn't for the strong pulses of energy you were sending out, I would have never found you.

Even as a child you never got scared easily and you only cried if I was too far away from you. In that dark room you didn't make a single sounds and when you saw me you reached out and wanted me to hold you. For the four years we have been together, know that I had always loved with all my being.

As a spirit, I had too much confidence in myself. I thought I could defeat the demon all on my own but I was wrong. He is more cunning than I thought. He sent out small evils that I could handle, made sure I underestimated his power. I was tired of fighting them every single day and the fear that one of them would get to you if I wasn't careful made me angry, made me careless.

I opened a doorway to his realm with the intention of taking the fight to him and ending him once and for all. It was the only way I could close my eyes and not see some demon taking away what I loved. I admit it now, I was a fool. The door way opened and he was waiting. He came in and I couldn't stop him no matter how hard I tried. I don't even know what I was thinking, if it took all the spirits losing their forms just to defeat him once how could I have made it on my own.

He knows he can't stay in this realm for long and that is how I have time to write down everything. I know he is just bidding his time. One day he is going to come but I have prepared for that day. If he wants you, he is going to have to come through me. My baby please don't be sad when I'm gone, I will find a way back to you. He can't end me neither can he break me.

If you ever need my help use the crystal to call to me and I will rise and burn your opponents to the pits of hell. Be careful using it because I am not sure what awaits us. Together with it I give you pictures of the happy moments we have had together. I leave these things in Carina's hands, she is the only one I trust.

My baby, you have been through too much. I hope from now on you can leave in peace.

**

Live in peace, the irony of it all made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. She could do neither. All that was left of her was anger, raging as hot as her heart was cold. The pictures only served as fuel to it, every single one showing something she had lost and couldn't even remember having. The rage was clouding her mind, blocking her judgement. She needed to think clearly and her body needed the discipline that only training seemed to offer.

Though her room was big, she was afraid of breaking the expensive furniture and would certainly anger Serena. A house as big as the one she was in couldn't miss a gym or an empty room she could use to let off steam. After going out the previous night she wasn't sure if Serena would allow her to practice outside the house.

With directions given to her by the kind butler she found the training room in the basement. He was there, Miran, pounding a punching bag with all his might. So she wasn't the only one battling fury on such a bright morning. The man was so far gone that he didn't seem to notice her presence in the room and wasn't the only thing he was doing wrong.

On the side was an extensive rack of throwing blades ranging from all shapes and sizes. After testing them out in her hand, she found the perfect one for close distances. Miran didn't even hear all the clumsy noise she was making on purpose. Taking aim, she let the blade fly out and land on the punching bag, just an inch away from Miran's face.

" What was that for?"

His hair was plastered on his face and as he looked at her Reyna saw that his eyes lacked the usual warmth and mischief that she was used to. Instead they had a cold haunted look, clearly the man was fighting his own set of demons.

"I'm sure one more injury wouldn't make a big difference. With the broken arm you are about to get, you wouldn't even notice it there."

Reyna was excellent at demons, the secret was to purge them. She knew she was looking for a fight and that was what she craved. A good fist fight would definitely let out the extra energy that coursed through her.

Not giving him a chance to think, she attacked. He was fast but not fast enough, dodging only some of her punches but not all. She noticed that he didn't throw of his own. Even in his anger he still held some semblance of the composure she had witnessed in Carina's cottage. Only his eyes and mouth had been sealed yet still he remained calm and played along.

Reyna knew she was disadvantaged when it came to weight and strength but her skills were better and her reactions faster. He fought fairly, giving and expecting honest moves not the foul play she had been taught. A jab to the kidney here, dodge a right hook there, trip him and apply pressure on the kidney you jabbed.

"You are too nice for your own good."

She knew he wouldn't throw her off, he was a Guardian after all, the lived and breathed good manners. Surprised, she felt his hands at her waist and the next thing she knew he was on top of her and her hands were secured above her head.

"When have I ever been too nice?"

His eyes shone with a familiar mischief and not for a second did they move away from her own. Reyna was too proud to struggle against him and for some reason she didn't want to. Those dark obsidian pools held her attention to them and she didn't even hear when another person entered the.

"So this is what has been keeping you here?"

Miran looked up and the tension he had before they started spurring returned.

"Grandmother,"