Five

Prologue "That's my little love, just rest you head and sleep." A mother softly crooned to her infant child. "Did she finally fall asleep?" the father asked as he entered nursery. "For the moment, are the boys all tucked in for the night?" she smiled over her shoulder at her husband and mate as he approached her. "Yes my love, all four are fast asleep they all were out the minute their heads hit their pillows. They have had a busy day." he chuckled. "That they have, did you have a chance to speak to our darling sons about not using their gifts to play pranks on the staff.." The mother let out a content sigh as she leaned back into her husband's embrace. The father gave a husky chuckle, "We had a long talk and they promised to apologize in the morning. I also asked if they had been playing tricks on their uncle and it looks like my brother was right they had been playing with their gifts at his expense." He brushed a brief kiss to his wife's temple. "Those little imps." She grinned, "Their powers grow with each passing day." "They are adjusting to them very well, and our baby girl's powers will start showing soon as well." That was her one fear, as she watched her baby daughter move in her sleep. The mother's fear increased every time she saw that mark on her little baby's wrist. "Do you think that she will be able to handle her powers and the weight of the responsibility that they bring?" The man peered over his wife's shoulder to look down at the little bundle of pink. His heart swelled with more love than he ever thought possible. He knew his wife's fears for their daughter they mirrored his fears for his children. But while his wife had moments of doubt when, he had no doubts that with their guidance and training their daughter would be able to fully embrace not only her gifts but the legacy she had inherited. All his children had inherited the legacy of the five and would be able to handle their destiny. Since the day his daughter was born and he saw the mark of the anointed one he knew the pressure that he little girl would one day face, that all his children would face, but each of them were strong and would one day handle the burden. Running his hands along his wife's arms soothing her he spoke in a reassuring tone, "She'll be able to handle it, they all will. Don't worry so much we will guide them so when it's time for them to take over the fight, they will be ready." He placed another kiss along his wife's slender neck, "Since our children have been so kind to give us some alone time why don't we take advantage of it." His voice become husky as he continued to kiss his wife. She let out a soft moan and turned in her husband's embrace with a mischievous glint sparkling in her eyes, "That sounds like a splendid idea. As she went up on her toes to pull his head towards her, she heard a faint hissing noise followed by a small pop. The husband felt his wife suddenly tense, and spun around to face the door behind him while pulling his wife closer to his back, shielding her from the intruder he had sensed entering the room. "You are not welcome here, leave this place now or face your death." He commanded. The figured that materialized in the room with a bored look on his face, "I am here for the anointed one, give her to me and I will spare the rest of you." The figure hissed back towards the husband. The desire to protect her children mixed with the need to stand beside her husband not behind him, was stronger then her fear. Distracting the intruder by her moments stepping out from behind her husband with a sudden wave of her hand the satin and lace bassinet vanished from sight. The intruder facial expression changed from bored to anger when his target disappeared from the room surrounded in a silver light. "Bring her back or you are all dead." his spoke menacingly. "You will never lay a hand on any of my children." The woman spit back him with fire sparking in her eyes as she raised her hand towards the intruder, silver light starting to move from her palms. Before the silver beam could reach it's target she felt a blazing fire course through her body and slowly she fell to the floor. Then she was floating above her body looking down at her husband and her empty shell. "No!" her husband yelled as a beam of golden light shot from is hands towards the intruder. A sudden flick of the intruders hand he too felt the blaze of heat before he was floating over his body and facing his love. The intruder had managed to kill both of the parents, but the last blast from the father was enough he would have to retreat. As he popped out he felt that time was on his side. He gave a mocking salute to the now spirits of the anointed one's parents and vanished from sight. "Oh my little ones how will we protect you now," she softly wept, "What will happen to our little loves?" As a father he felt the sorrow that he would not have the joy of watching, teaching, and training his children as they grew and stepped into their shared destiny. Also feeling the anger at the intruder who destroyed their family and caused his love to feel the loss of their children. He took his wife's hand as he spoke. "My brother would have felt our separation from this realm, he and his wife will watching over our babies. They will train them and help them step into their own as they grow, and we will be able to help guide them when the veil is thin. But we must go now love the veil is opening for us." The woman for a moment could not move she refused to take the step to cross, "Not yet our spirits still have magic within we need to use it to keep our babies safe until they are old enough to take up the fight themselves." "We will find a way to help my brother and our children, my love but we must go our ancestors are calling to us." He spoke softly trying again to lead his wife towards the gossamer curtain that was before them. Again the woman refused to move, "There is one thing we can do now that will help them stay safe before we move on my love." Taking his hands she focused and began to chant as she softly whispered the words silver and gold light shimmered around them intertwining than fractured apart. Once the chant had ended, the couple stood before the gossamer curtain, they slowly stepped through the curtain as they moved forward they both wept and mourned for the children that they would not be able to care for themselves. They felt the embrace of their ancestors from beyond the veil the vow they made to watch over and guide their love ones from afar locked into their spirits for eternity.