Aon

Chapter Fourteen

I strapped on the gear I was given earlier that morning and fastened the holster at my hip. Inside the holster was a freshly loaded pistol, with extra ammunition that was strapped over my chest beneath my jacket. I didn’t know how to use a firearm, but I had a pretty good idea how it works. I was given a pair of black heavy boots, a black jacket with multiple pockets, and a pair of black trousers. I didn’t know whether it was a fashion statement, or if they let Sam pick out the options.

I adjusted the strap in irritation and struggled with the belt as it twisted and knotted. I growled in irritation and yanked on it until a pair of hands bumped mine out of the way. I jumped in surprise and glowered at him as he easily fixed the twisted strap and adjusted it at my hip.

“Do you find it amusing sneaking up on people?”

“No, you’re just not aware of your surroundings.” He mumbled.

He tucked a dagger into a small loop below my armpit and tightened the strap behind my back.

“Is this necessary?” I muttered as he pulled the pistol from the holster and checked the cartridge.

“Yes, it’s a precaution.” Eli insisted. “We can’t have you dying, now can we?”

I shot him a glare as he spun the cartridge and clicked it shut.

“Turn.”

“What?”

“Just turn, we don’t have much time.”

I awkwardly turned, he grabbed my right hand and put the silver pistol in it.

“Now, you need to know how to hold a gun. It’s very important, one little flaw could either harm you or someone else.”

His arms snaked around me and I stiffened as he brought my hands together to hold the firearm in front of me. His chest pressed to my back as his breath ghosted against the nape of my neck. I fidgeted and attempted to shrug him off, but he continued to position my hands carefully without seeming to realize I was uncomfortable. He pushed my fingers to wrap around the handle of the gun, keeping them from touching the cool metal at the barrel and cartridge.

“Keep your hands away from the barrel, once fired that piece will become hot. It’s like driving, keep your hands at one and two.”

“I don’t know how to drive.” I said honestly.

“Seriously?” He chuckled, his chest rumbling against my back.

“I never saw the need for it, I always took the bus.” I mumbled as he rearranged my fingers again.

“I’ll teach you some time.” He murmured in concentration before stopping and tightening his hands around mine. “There. Now, always keep your hands like this, even if you’re only shooting with one hand.”

“Are you planning on me shooting someone anytime soon?”

“Like I said, it’s a precaution. If we are ever to get separated, you need to know how to defend yourself. –And by the way, I need to teach you self-defense skills and fighting techniques. I’m sure you don’t know any.”

“I know how to kick someone where the Sun-Don’t-Shine.” I tried to shrug him off. “I also know how to invert a nose and poke an eyeball out.”

“It’s more than that.” He chuckled. “You need to learn to defend yourself. Say someone is about to punch you, what do you do?”

“Duck?”

“No,” he groaned. “There’s a technique.”

He took the pistol from my hands and walked around me while polishing the silver object with his black T-shirt. He turned to me and pulled the strap up onto my shoulder further, he met my gaze quietly and dropped the pistol into the holster.

“Keep this with you, it will be your lifeline.” He said in earnest. “Remember, hands at one and two.”

I nodded as he grabbed my jacket to pull up on the zipper, when he suddenly froze and his body stiffened. I glanced down in confusion as he slowly pulled down on the zipper to follow the chain around my neck until the Pendant fell free and dangled before his eyes. He seemed to stare at it in horror and fascination as he held his breath. His fingers slowly traced the Pendant before jerking back as if it had electrocuted him.

“Where did you get this?” He whispered as he scanned it.

I quickly pulled back from his hand and zipped up the zipper myself.

“My mother,” I said quickly. “Come on, you said we needed to get going.”

I grabbed my boots and sat down to jerk them on before tying the laces.

“There’s more to it.” He said unconvinced. “That’s a Legion Pendant, it was given to Eleanor Adela Chappell when she married a Legion. Don’t tell me… it can’t be…” He sputtered as he ran his hands over his shaved head.

“What? It’s not a Legion Pendant, it’s an Aon’s. Thomas said so himself, he told me my mother wanted me to have it.”

He avoided my gaze and rubbed his jaw as if it ached.

“Never mind, you’re right.” He mumbled.

It was a lie, I could tell by the sudden tang in the air around me. The doors to the study flung open and Emma came strolling in straightening her jacket before I could question him.

“We talked about this, Emma. You aren’t going with.” Eli sighed as he kneaded his forehead.

“Foster’s going.”

“She’s in charge.”

Her nostrils flared as she flopped down into a chair and jutted out her chin.

“Come on, seriously?”

“You’re needed here anyway.” He mumbled as she shot me a glance of puzzlement. “Come on, kid. They won’t be waiting long, Garrett will leave without us if we don’t get going.”

I stood quickly and tucked my hair into my hood as I pulled it up. He scanned me and nodded in approval.

“Good, come on.”

As I passed Emma, she frowned and stared after me as she stuck her dagger back into her holster. She snorted to herself and crossed her thin arms over her chest, then kicked her feet up to rest on top of the coffee table.

“We’ll see…” She mumbled and eyed me. “I’ll get my taste of revenge on them pests soon enough.”

Her eyes were fixed on my face as she slipped a small army knife out from her pocket and cleaned the blade on her shirt. She seemed amused as I hesitated in the doorway, studying me as if expecting me to allow her to come with.

“Eli’s right, Emma. You’re needed here.”

She frowned in shock and her eyes flashed with rage as I shut the doors behind me. I knew that look in her eyes, it was the same edge Sam and Garrett held against the Legions, and this frightened me. Who knows what they were capable of. I followed behind Eli until we reached the lobby and lifted my chin as soon as Garrett was in sight. He glowered at me shortly and I simply nodded to him before turning to the rest of the group.

Blake sat on the bottom step, hunched over to peer into the glistening pillar as he used his dagger to shave his jaw. Eli approached him and crouched down to speak with him in earnest. Blake listened in silence, scrapping away the hair in concentration before irritably dropping his arms onto his knees and glowering at him.

“Does it look like I give a damn?”

“You should.” Eli growled. “Do you know what this means?”

“So? What does it matter?”

“This could affect everything.”

“I have to agree with Blake on this.” Christian mumbled with a sly glance towards me. “Although, I’m a bit disappointed on the option. I do have to admit, it makes sense.”

I was puzzled by the conversation and who it was geared towards. What were they implying about me? It appeared it wasn’t of importance when Garrett intervened.

“What are you two love-birds talking about?” Garrett snapped as he combed back the greys of hair with his fingers.

Eli’s eyes snapped up, flickering to me before meeting Garrett’s possessive gaze.

“Nothing important, Garrett. Just a little chat.” He clapped Blake’s shoulder as he stood and approached him.

Blake let out a string of curses, quickly lifting the collar of his shirt to wipe his jaw. He glowered at him, wiping away the blood from a thin gash in his flesh. Christian chuckled and quickly danced away from Blake’s wielding blade, spinning some sort of silver object between his fingers all the while.

“Prancer –Grumpy –get off your asses and get yourselves together.” He growled with a jerk of his thumb towards the door. “We’re burning daylight.”

“What daylight?” I mumbled to myself, which seemed to have escaped all their ears.

We set out on foot a little passed five a.m., the sun hadn’t even come out yet and the morning air was yet cool and thick. Garrett jogged down the steps with Eli, Christian, and Blake tagging along behind him. I would be the only female in this group, Sam, Kaden, and Emma would be heading out later to do exactly what we were doing now.

I scanned around the area slowly and placidly, the street lamps were still on and the sky was yet dark with the moon hesitating in the horizon. A thin fog covered the ground and moistened the atmosphere, bringing a spring feel to the late May morning. The streets were bare and silent surprisingly for New York City; I suppose I expected blaring horns and early risers at this time of day.

As we began down the sidewalk, only two blocks from the Manor, I was already annoyed with Christian and Blake’s conversation.

Christian was all for blood and gore, plotting his revenge if we were to run into a Legion along the way. Blake was all for it, adding in pointers and ideas to his delusional plan. I listened for two more blocks, trying to ignore them the best I could without intervening.

“Immature.” I finally interjected at last.

They both stopped in mid-conversation and looked back at me.

“What?” They said in a union of confusion.

“Your plan is immature, you’re only thinking about spilling blood and asking questions later. That will not resolve our conflict, it will only worsen the situation. I say we take precautions and avoid the conflict. If necessary, we happen to come across Legions, we should take them as prisoners, so we can learn as much as we can. It seems useless ending a life if we can gain the necessary information we need from the enemy.”

They turned ahead, this time silent as they shot each other glances. Eli shot me a smug glance, his plump mouth curling up the slightest bit in amusement.

“This is why it’s good to have a woman’s opinion, you both should take notes.” He stuffed his hands into his jacket and flashed me a toothy grin. “Good job, kid.”

Garrett suddenly bumped shoulders with him in agitation and shot him a lethal glare.

“Remember your place, Elijah.” He growled. “You aren’t becoming a patsy, are you? Better not be, or I’ll have you de-ranked faster than you can object. You’ll be sorry…”

Eli became silent and I found myself puzzled. Why wasn’t he putting this old man in his place? If I had spoken like that to him, he would have automatically put me back into my place.

“I would rather have a man that would have enough guts to un-callus himself,” I intervened with a sharp glance to Garrett, “than to have a man that doesn’t care for anything but the gun in his hand. I would rather have the soft-hearted man that helps others, than what you believe is a well form of a rugged cold-hearted man.”

Garrett stopped and looked at me with a glower, which I returned with a placid expression. Eli peered at me solemnly, silently, without a supportive word before turning forward and walking again. Garrett smirked and clapped Blake on the shoulder as he passed him, and I glared up at him as he walked along side me.

“Doesn’t look like he agrees, Foster. What will you do when you realize who’s in charge here?”

I patted his arm in mock of sympathy. “Oh, I’m sorry? You think you are the leader of the Aons? You poor –helpless –pathetic, little soul, I hate to knock you down a few pegs… but I will.” I flashed him a sarcastic smile and stopped in front of him, continuing in a low calm voice. “I will lock you in the brig if you think twice about rebelling against your superior, in which is myself. What you don’t realize, Garrett, is that I may not be what you believe a ‘leader’ is to be, but I am what you all need. If I wasn’t, then I would not be here, now would I? Someone once told me, ‘You were made for great. No matter what happens, don’t forget who you are.’

“I hadn’t known what he meant then, it wasn’t until recently that I realized how much his words would count. I have my father and my mother’s blood running through my veins. I know what I am here for and what I need to do. You can throw a fit all you want, but that won’t change the past, present, or future. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

I turned and was about to continue forward, when I stopped and waved a finger at him. I had one more thing to add on…

“By the way, Garrett… Eli is a rank above you –technically, he is my Second in Command as of now. And if you think again of committing mutiny, I will personally kill you, or I will have your own men do it for me.”

All had stopped and looked at me, and Eli seemed the most surprised as I lifted my chin and walked passed them all. At first, none followed. I stopped and looked at them expectantly until they unfroze to begin again. Eli quickly caught up to my side and paced in long strides as the rest reluctantly followed.

“Gees, for a midget you pack a punch.” He chuckled quietly as he ran a hand over his head. “I thought he was going to knock you down a few more inches, as if you need that. Your how tall? Four-ten?”

“Five foot.” I mumbled irritably.

He seemed to shake his head at me again, in surprise and fascination. After a moment of trying to get over the oddity of it, he finally caught on to something.

“Wait… are you sure about this, kid? Garrett was your parents Second in Command. He knows what he’s doing.”

I stopped and looked at him sternly.

“As do I, Eli.”

He peered at me in silence before nodding and placing a firm hand on my shoulder.

“I am willing to die for my people.”

“I know.”

We walked the streets, stopping in alleys to talk to Aons who were warned of the meeting a day prior. Some we met by chance, and others were gang members that knew Kaden quite well. They flocked us, giving the men a nod and looking to me with knowing glances. It seemed everyone that we met knew we were coming. Word was spreading like wild fire, and people were walking up to us as we passed to inquire whether the rumors was true. It would be only a matter of time before the Legions catch on.

Was the rebellion beginning?

They looked to me for the answer and I met their gaze sternly.

“It is our time to arise from the ashes.” I told them. “Our embers are being stirred, and the ashes are catching light, even if slowly, we are creating flames. We are no longer the smoldering fuse, we are the flames that destroy. It is our time –it is our place –it is our destiny. We have been in a one-sided war, it is now our turn to plan a counter-offense.”

It was if I sparked a fire inside of them, their eyes filled with light and their energy grew until I felt it course through my own veins. The courage, the support, the fearlessness, the strength they welded constantly pulsed and stirred my own inner Aon, until a steady pulse beat inside of my own chest.

I was the one to talk to them, encouraging them and telling them all I knew and what my goal was. They all murmured in agreement and agreed they’d lay down their lives for me. In this, I didn’t feel fear from their words, it sparked something in me that shifted something internally. I didn’t look for approval and I didn’t search for advice of how to lead. I didn’t care if they approved, my mind was set before the words could leave my lips. I didn’t want their advice, it suddenly came naturally, as if I knew these people and I honored them with the highest respect for what they were willing to do.

I was greeted the same way Rosy was greeted the day she arrived at the Manor. They spoke respectfully and fondly, speaking in low voices and meeting my gaze when they addressed me. The women knelt in front of me and put their hands in mine in greeting, where the men kissed my hand and kept their heads bowed until I told them to rise. I told them to gather as many as they could and head towards down town at midnight, but only at midnight. There they are to gather on the other side of the street, across from the abandoned building in the middle of the block. They were only to enter the Manor if there is a candle lit on the porches rail, if it was not lit, then they were to not enter in precaution. If two nights pass like this, then they are to meet me where we first initially met.

As the sun arose and noon began to roll around, Garrett geared us towards a cafeteria for those who were homeless and couldn’t afford a decent meal. The building was a bit worn down, but a strong energy pulsed from within. When we entered, a few mortals glanced to us in wary before looking away to remain uninvolved.

My eyes swept the room cautiously and caught sight of a man. He looked like a mortal, but a thin vibrating field surrounded him and engulfed the room with energy. His hood was up, but matted black hair fell out and drizzled down his cheeks. His green eyes were down cast, and his squared jaw was locked as he peered almost blindly. A light scruff covered his chin and pronounced his hollow cheeks and thin mouth, giving the appearance of a younger version of himself. His face was thin and his body slender, his posture forced his shoulders forward in a hunch as he fidgeted.

We approached the man, he was maybe in his early fifties. He sat alone at one of the bench tables. He was hunched over his bowl of porridge, blowing on it as it steamed and shaded his pale cheeks red. His green eyes lifted as we neared, and he leaned back into the bench with arms open. His jacket fell open to reveal his tattered shirt and his fingers were bare except for the grey dingy gloves on his palms.

“Ah, Eli –Garrett. –What could I do you for? I’m afraid I don’t have any information on anything you might be interested in…” He lifted a brow and tilted his head down.

“I doubt that, old man.” Garrett crossed his arms over his broad chest as he jutted out his chin.

“We aren’t here for information, Anthony. We’re here to ask a favor.” Eli said firmly.

“Favor?” He eyed us carefully, his mouth pursed. “What kind of favor?”

“We need you to spread word of the rising of the Aons.”

“Rising?” He almost shouted before quickly quieting and looking around alarmed. “How do you suppose we do that? We have no leader, nor any army. Don’t you remember? Or are you young folks not taught the history of our kind?”

“Anthony, can’t you just spread the word?”

“Not unless you give me a good reason why I should. I don’t want to start something and realize it was all for nothing.”

“Anthony?” I inquired and gained his attention, he eyed me as I stepped forward. “I am trying to recruit Allies to form an Army to defeat the Legions. It has been far too long that the Aons have had to endure being called The Fallen Ones.”

“And who are you?” He tilted his head back curiously and scanned me slowly.

“Eleanor Foster, I have come to set everything straight and right the wrong.”

“Foster!” He mouthed in shock. “The Foster? My, my, my, it is happening. The rebellion has begun!” He leaned forward and waved me to sit. “Come, I have much to tell you.”

Garret snorted. “And you don’t have any information for us.” He said wryly.

Anthony ignored him and bore into my eyes intently as I slowly seated myself across from him. He grasped my hands quickly and almost trembled with excitement as he grinned. An electric current flowed off him, one that was familiar to me, but I didn’t know where from.

“Watch out for Michael Killian. He is on the move.” He warned.

Michael Killian, the name sent a shudder down my spine and he seemed to sense this. He tightened his grip and peered into my eyes, watching my reaction to the name.

“Killian?” Garrett almost sounded shocked. “What about him?”

“There is word he has been spotted around Time Square numerous times this past week.” He shot him a quick glance. “He is searching for something, but it is unclear what it is he seeks.”

“How do you know this?” I said puzzled.

“He is a half-blood.” Eli mumbled. “His father was an Aon and mother a mortal. He can pick up on dreams or events that will take place just like an Aon can.”

Anthony remained silent and peered at me silently as if in mourning. His eyes dropped as he stroked the backs of my hands with his callused thumbs. The energy around him was intoxicating, it made my mind buzz and my heart hammer. It was if he were draining my energy the longer he held my hands. I suddenly felt exhausted.

“Something will happen to you, Eleanor. –Someone you care about will enter and tear the fabric of your sanity.” He murmured in deep thought. “This person seeks you out strongly, it will only be a matter of time before it shows up. This person feeds your fear and pain, it will come to find you. But it won’t be pleasant, I fear.”

At his words an electric shock left his hands and fled into mine…

His dark chocolate eyes glowed in the darkness and peered at me from his hiding place. He stood in the shadows, his head bowed, and his form slouched in almost defeat as he leaned back against the stone wall. There was a wall of bars dividing us and he seemed to stare at them solemnly as his husky voice echoed through the halls.

Come my flesh and come my heart,

Follow me across the wood.

Put your eyes upon the blaze,

Stretch your hand and grasp for me.

Come my flesh and come my heart,

Come step closer to the flames.

Look towards the fire that swallow’s life,

That is where ye will find me.

Come my flesh and come my heart,

We will watch them tie the ropes.

Their voices shall rise and cry,

Our backs shall face the stake as we die.

Come my flesh and come my heart,

Come and follow me towards the light,

We will breathe in the fire,

Let’s lock hands and stay ablaze.

Come my flesh and come my heart,

We shall say we have peace.

Do not fear the pain,

It all will soon fade.

Come my flesh and come my heart,

We will soon arise and see,

No fire and water can hurt us now,

Our souls shall sail free.

Come my flesh and come my heart,

We will both be spread by ash.

Our souls will dance by the trees,

They shall know we forever haunt.

His head lifted as he approached the gate and grasped the cool metal bars. The light was faint across his face as he began to repeat the song as if a hypnotic melody. It was taunting, the way his eyes danced like flames and his face expressed grief. The song looped until it became haunting and bone chilling to hear, but he continued, his voice growing lower and gruffer.

His hand reached out through the bars and slid against my cheek as he murmured the last verse. He wrapped his fingers around the nape of my neck and pulled me until my face was pressed to the bars. An electric pulse began between our bodies, as if our souls were like an unseen heartbeat that hummed in the air.

“Will you haunt with me?” He breathed as the callused pads of his fingers traced my throat. “Or will I burn alone, sweetie?”

“Why would we burn?” I whispered as he traced my jaw to my chin.

His mouth curled up, but not in humor or sarcasm. It was in sorrow and pity, and it frothed off him in waves. His forehead crumbled as his brows knit and his features became almost tormented.

“We are forbidden.”

“Why? Who are you?”

His eyes fell as he silently traced his thumb over my lips, his fingers slowly curled around my jaw. He met my gaze and leaned back until I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

“Burn with me.” He murmured. “We’ll be the torch that never dies. We’ll burn until forever is not enough. –Please, burn with me.”

“I don’t know you. I don’t even know your name.”

I pulled from his fingers and he grimaced as his head bowed. He ran a hand through his brown locks as he slowly turned from me, his body swaying and his shoulders ridged.

“It is in our D. N. A., sweetie.” He murmured. “Please, stop torturing me, just the sight of you makes my soul ache. Unbind yourself, let me see your naked soul as you see mine. I don’t care if your soul is black and charred like mine. I would love it no matter if it was in flames and burning in Hell.”

He looked at me with a shake of his head.

“You are my nightmare.”

He came to the bars and grabbed them as he pressed his face through the narrow slits. His warm breath fanned my cheeks as his eyes became hooded and his body trembled.

“I love you, –even if I never find you.” He exhaled as his lips whispered to trace my frozen lips.

He pressed his mouth firmly against mine, grasping the nape of my neck before I could jerk back. An electric shock shot between our lips, as if a match was struck and a small flame lapped between our lips. His eyes brightened and glowed, he grabbed my waist and pulled me against the bars forcefully. I panicked and tried pushing back, when something in his eyes caught my attention in startle.

It was like looking through glass, seeing passed his orbs and searching into another dimension. Someone stared back at me, a red electric being that had blazing dark eyes and a human’s form. The being was placed behind invisible bars and peered at me with a face that was unlike anything I have ever seen. It was not male, it was not female –it just simply was. Flames trickled down its forehead, flickering behind it as if the flames were hair.

I was no longer in this earthly world. I was standing in a sea of darkness with this being staring back at me. Slowly it moved towards me, but it didn’t walk like a human. It moved like water and slithered like a liquid. It outstretched a glowing hand, with its five fingers extended and its form shaking and shimmering with an electric current. A hum filled my ears and the air sung a single graceful note as it neared, its dark eyes staring back at me in almost awe.

In those dark –almost black- orbs, I saw my own reflection and lifted my hand in fascination. My skin pulsed and flexed, moving like water beneath its thin surface. I was not a body, but an electric form that had limbs, fingers, and toes. I lifted my hand in front of my eyes and found my blazing green eyes peering back at me from my own violet face. Maroon static frothed out from my head like hair beneath water as it floated slowly in the air.

Red slowly covered my hand and the hum grew louder as my hand began to burn. When I looked up, his dark eyes peered down at me in a way I have never been looked at before. They weren’t gentle, they weren’t even kind; it was far deeper than any of those. Love or passion could hardly scrape the surface of how he looked back at me. His lids drooped over his dark glowing eyes and his face was smooth as he grabbed my wrist. His red fingers stung my skin and sent our electric currents flooding into each other’s beings. Violet began to flood up his arms, running through like invisible veins, as red slowly crawled up my own arm towards my chest.

He turned my hand palm out and brought it to his chest as his eyes fell. As my palm pressed against the thin electric current surrounding him, his eyes shut as a spark ignited and his head tilted back. I felt it pulse, as if I were pulsing energy through him and his soul seemed to sing. In the next second he opened his eyes and lifted his other hand and put it to my chest. It was as if something was plunged into me and I gasped in shock. It felt as if he took a dagger and was tearing through my soul and forcing something dark into me.

I whimpered in pain and he seemed to grimace as his face crumbled to mirror my own. His head bowed towards me and his eyes glistened like coal as he released my wrist and put a hand to my cheek. I held my breath as his touch stung and burned my electric flesh, crawling through my jaw and trickling down my throat. His face seemed to twitch in pain as he left out a throaty grunt and wrapped his electric fingers around the nape of my neck. My mouth fell open in pain as if he were setting flames to my skin.

“Come my flesh and come my heart, come and follow me towards the light. We will breathe in the fire, let’s lock hands and stay ablaze.” The wind whispered.

His body trembled as he pulled my hand from my chest and grasped my cheeks. He pulled my face up to his and his mouth hovered over mine as he stared at me from hooded eyes. It were as if these were our souls and as their lips met, it tied our souls physically beneath a bind unbreakable by all. -

I gasped, my eyes flashing open as his lips pulled back from mine. He seemed in awe and weak as he leaned his forehead against mine. I was myself again. There were no electrical beings. We were divided by bars once more. We were no longer in a world of darkness.

“Your soul is beautiful.” He murmured. “I would give my all to see it again.”

My eyes seemed to open again, as if somehow, they had fallen shut in the midst of the vision and I sat back with a gasp. It was as if he brought my nightmares to life and it made me flinch back. In instinct I yanked my hands away from Anthony and stood quickly as if his words were a curse he was speaking over me. The vision was too much, it left me weak inside, as if he drained every nightmare and brought it to life. I didn’t know why I feared this vision, or why I suddenly felt the urge to cry… It felt as if the man in the vision was yanked out of my soul and placed somewhere else again. An empty pit was placed there instead, and it felt as if I was suddenly turned hollow.

Anthony’s head snapped up and he frowned at my reaction.

“It will be a person you know…” He whispered gravely.

“What was that?” I demanded. “Who was that? What did you just show me?”

He shook his head at me.

“I can’t tell you anymore. The rest you must learn for yourself. It is not my job to tell you what happens next.”

I wanted to growl in frustration and rip his head from his shoulders. He must have sensed this, because he suddenly leaned back and watched me warily. It was as if he killed the man in the vision, ripping him out of my soul… Was that what it was? In the vision, was that our souls connecting? What has this man done to me!

“What about Killian?” Garrett interjected in irritation of the scene. “What else do you know about him?”

I stood reeling, my mind splitting into two different directions. Who was he? What was he showing me? Why was the man behind bars? How do I know him? Does he mean I know him by dream and a chance meeting?

And then there’s Killian, a Legion on the hunt for me. I instantly feared him and what he could do if he disturbed our climb. Kill was literally in his name, Killian, what says he isn’t hunting me down right now?

My stomach churned at the thought as Anthony reluctantly broke from my gaze and sighed.

“He was last spotted in Central Park by a young girl just a week ago. I believe he is searching for someone, and not something, but I fear of who that person is.” His eyes swept to me as he spoke.

He didn’t have to speak it aloud, I already knew by his tone. They looked to me and I stood motionless as I tried to gather my thoughts. My mind raced until it pounded like a heartbeat and I was forced to excuse myself.

“I’m going to go stand outside.” I mumbled as I kneaded my temple. “Come out when you’re finished.”

I escorted myself out and breathed in the fresh air eagerly as I walked out the doors. I needed to get away from his overwhelming energy, he practically sent me spinning. It was refreshing being away from him. I could finally breathe and concentrate. I leaned against the brick wall and closed my eyes as I rethought over everything. It was all still a mystery to me, I didn’t have any answers to the new welding questions. But here, away from Anthony, it calmed me on a different level. I no longer felt panic, but I suppose I only felt his panic and it fed my own.

When they came back out, I immediately joined them calmly and inquired what else they gained from him. It wasn’t much, he practically repeated himself until they finally gained the nerve to leave. We decided it was best to head out and start again. I was all for it, but this time we were more cautious of our surroundings. We didn’t want to run into Killian without armed forces, and from their chatter, Killian is a sought-out agent of the Legions. He and Caleb Jackson are two men to fear when it comes to Legions, they are like bounty Legions, sniffing out the Aons and killing them in cold blood. The more I heard, the less I wanted to run into either of them.

Before three p.m. we headed back to the Manor, with sore legs and stomachs that ached from lack of food. Most of them were bickering by the time we arrived. Thomas luckily had a meal prepared for us, although the chicken and salads were cold, and the water was warm and bitter, it was eaten heartily. I was glad to rid my weapons and drop them on my father’s desk. It was a relief to lock the study door and slump behind the desk to relax for fifteen minutes or more.

Those few minutes were like heaven, where no nightmares flocked me and no worries could haunt me. I used them wisely and shut my eyes until I was interrupted for dinner with the rest of them. Of course, it was never silent at the table now. Either someone was bickering, or they were planning diverse ways to slice a Legion’s head off. I listened in silence and shot Rosy and Thomas a few glances. They were hard to see from my view, but they wavered behind the doorway, stealing kisses and tender embraces until they decided against coming in entirely.

I hated to say it, but I was glad they moved out of sight. The way they looked at each other, it only reminded me of him. He haunts me more than ever, I feel such a yearning to search the crowds for his face and an impulse to stand and run towards him. Yet, I couldn’t. I have a responsibility here, I can’t afford to be caught by Michael Killian or Caleb Jackson. Even though it turns my insides out and makes me ache until I feel mad, I will not seek him out… I will wait.

But I do have to say, it was a fascinating sight to see, Thomas and Rosy. Yet, I still couldn’t understand why she kept pushing him away. I know right now I would not be able to do that if I saw him. Did she like the chase? Or had he done something unforgivable? I could never ask, we were rarely together after the first night.

At midnight they began to flock in, Aons every five minutes were slipping in through the front door. They greeted me as they had before, and I assigned them to different rooms on the second floor. Fifteen men and women came in the first hour, then ten more in the next two hours. Up until three in the morning, thirty people arrived and headed straight for their assigned rooms after greeting me. I myself was drained and glad when I could close the studies doors and put down my cot for the night.

I hoped for a dreamless sleep, but I was never guaranteed any of those…