Kayden punched his fist. 'We can't have any secrets with you lot of quick-arse whiz kids around.'

Cassie decided to outsmart whiz boy. 'Tcelletni ruoy revo hpmuirt ot yaw a dnif lliw I.'

It took Ethan longer this time and then he chuckled. 'Ah ... a reverse flip. "I will find a way to triumph over your intellect." Very clever, cloud girl but not clever enough.'

'Okay, I give in. Beaten fair and square.'

He looked chuffed, the little shit, she thought as she piled more food on her plate. She decided she'd better up her game and find other ways to beat their clever minds. A challenge! The thrill egged her on. God, was she becoming them now she was linked to them?

'Your games are fun, cloud girl but don't make it so easy next time.' Ethan sat down, grinning as a damn cat would just after eating a mouse and by the looks on the others' faces she knew they had been helping him.

'Ah, now I get it. This is my payback for calling him radar.' She swept her eyes around at all of them. 'Ganging up on the new girl, are we?' she giggled. Catching her eye, Kayden gave her a big grin as well. 'No ... tell me they didn't get you involved.'

Kayden burst out laughing and hugged her. 'Sorry, sweetheart but you did wipe the floor with us all playing cards. We men have to stick together when our pride has been dented and you are such a delightful competitor.'

'Fair enough, boys, this is game on.' She started laughing. 'You are all going down for this.'

Jason kissed the top of her head and sat beside her. After putting the rest of the plates of food in the middle of the table, Woody looked at him, screwing his lips up in a smirk, 'Scoot over man, this is my seat. Moving to the chair opposite Jason attempted a protest only to be shutdown quickly.

Woody put his hand up. 'Not negotiable, Jason. Don't even try.'

Ignoring the show of pecking order, Jason passed around the bacon and they all chatted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He has clearly let them know it is Kayden, me and him, and then the others. After cleaning up Cassie joined the men and stood up on the fence with them watching Jason and Ethan break in Starburst. Cassie however was still curious about Woody and jumped down, following Kayden into the stables to discuss it.

'How come the guys don't backchat Woody?'

'I wondered if you'd pick up on that,' Kayden smirked. 'I guess I should have explained it earlier but I've been overloading you with so much to get you ready for the next trip I didn't want to confuse you with whom to take orders from.' Kayden leaned against the stable door and rubbed his brow: the little habit she'd noticed he had when he was stalling for time while he worked out how to say something. 'I'll try and explain this the best I can. As a team, we power up and share the power between us, always distributing it evenly. I assess each task and only draw from each of them the power required. Drawing too much too quickly can drain our supplies.'

'You mean like I did when I overused mine.'

He nodded. 'Exactly. If we did that and were attacked on our way home or something else came up, we would be helpless. Therefore we share. Now, to answer your question regarding Woody: he is my second in command and is the only other one on my team who can draw power as I do, only he is even more gifted in this area than I am.'

'Woody is like me, isn't he?'

Kayden nodded. 'Very much so. The way you just knew how much power to pull from Zoltan and me before your final strike on our last mission Woody can do the same, only he can use any vessel. Whereas you draw only from the light, he can also draw from the darkness, only it is dangerous and unpredictable and can't be controlled. Innocent souls disappear within that cloud of murky malice. That's why I was so tough on you out there. A Cloud Rider is saintly, a gift from God and whatever the cost, we must survive for the better of all humanity. My only other option out there would have been to allow Woody to draw from the most powerful source known, evil.'

'Wow. So he's like the coolest sorcerer ever, but a good one.'

He nodded. 'Yet, while he is my right-hand man, you and he are equal and he was letting the boys know that. Try not to judge him too harshly for what he did in there. He meant no disrespect. It is a great honour to have Woody sit by you as an equal. In my time I have rarely seen him do this.'

Cassie was stunned. 'That's quite an honour then. I keep forgetting you men have come from an ancient era and many of the rules of old still apply.'

He grinned and moved from the wall he leant against, going over to her. Cassie felt his massive arms go round her and leaned into him as she listened to his voice that had gone husky and sexy. 'That's why I hate sharing you, sweetheart. The wait for someone like you to come into my life has taken forever and then some. That being said, I have to stop being so possessive and give Woody the time he needs to show you how to use your powers correctly. We both know your family has squashed your ability to draw on your gift naturally so I believe a session or two with him will sort it out in no time.'

Woody came in a little bit later, embarrassed that he had to interrupt them. They had been mucking around in the hay and he found them in a passionate embrace.

'Oops! Just wondered if you had found the bridle yet.' He coughed, amused.

Kayden stood up, pulling Cassie up with him and brushing her off. 'We were just discussing you.'

A slight grin etched the corners of Woody's mouth.

'My girl here needs to start practising to use her powers without being coaxed. Maybe while we're breaking in her horse you two could take off and get a bit of practising in.'

Woody wasted no time putting his hand out to Cassie. He had been asking for time to help her for weeks, only Kayden was being impossible about sharing her for even an hour or two. He wondered what had changed his mind. 'At last, K man, you've come to your senses. Come on Cassie before he changes his mind.'

She slipped her hand onto his outstretched arm and Kayden winked good-naturedly at his woman as Woody dragged her out. 'I promise to have her back in a couple of hours,' he said, yelling over his shoulder while opening the car door for Cassie to get in. Within minutes they were thrashing through the bush on a red-dirt track, dust blowing around them in a cloud. They drove up onto one of the hills before they stopped for a look. Cassie followed Woody to a spot where the view was spectacular. They sat on an old tree stump overlooking flat land that went for miles. The red earth was habitat to snakes, scorpions and many other smaller insects and bugs that she watched scatter, not only to hide from the sound of their voices but to protect themselves from the scorching sun. Some small lizards ran under grey and black boulders that were shaded by green ferns that gracefully sprouted from black stumps. Large ant mounds stood meters high, dominant over shrubs and bushes. Dried twigs from trees that had weathered too many storms were strewn around, adding to the amazing sight of this outback land now called home. The old tree they sat under had branches that stretched out far beyond them, showing the years it had graced the earth. Everything here was fascinating to her.

Woody gave her a minute to relax and enjoy Mother Nature's vast landscape. Then he turned to her with a slight hint of apology in his eyes for having to disturb her peace. She could tell he was reading her every emotion. 'For me to get to the bottom of this, Cassie I need to know a bit about your power. What age did you notice it and what did your parents do to stop you using it? You can skip over bits you prefer not to relive although all of it will be relevant. Are you okay to talk to me about it?'

'I would prefer never to have to discuss my parents for the rest of time. However, if this is the only way I'm going to learn to use my powers on my own so I can take Starburst on the next trip, I'll try to recall a little of it for you.' She coughed and fidgeted. 'The first experience that comes to mind was at the age of six. I was in the garden playing when a man, one of Dad's friends, came and picked me up and sat me on his lap. He touched me in a weird way that confused me at first and then scared me. His hands were scratchy as he held me far too tightly and I started to cry and threw up my hand to stop him. Next thing I know, I'm flat on my backside. I'd thrown him across the lawn and broken his arm. I was terrified that I had hurt the man and Dad gave me a hell of a spanking, even though I tried to tell him what happened.' Cassie took a deep breath as she shuddered and shook the thought from her mind. She grabbed a stick from the ground and dug into the red dirt, making patterns as she recalled the next time she upset her parents. There were too many times.

'After that, the magic just seemed to happen whenever I put my mind to it. I knew it was bad to use it, but I was just a kid and spent far too much time on my own. My parents freaked out if they caught me so that's when I started to use them secretly. Mainly just to move things around my room-you know, just playing-except I was caught often and was severely punished time. At ten years old I was sick of being locked up with no outdoor activities: Not even allowed to go swimming in our pool. That's when the shit hit the fan, so to speak. Frustrated and angry I eventually broke the lock on the door, going out into the garden where I played. The trouble over that little slip was not worth it as they barred me from roaming the house, ever, even when no one was around. That was when it really was hard to handle. It's just when you get older you understand more and it's hard to deal with the fact your parents don't want you around them at all.'

'So what actual age did you stop using your powers? Was it around ten years old?'

'Yes, pretty much. I'd stopped using my powers altogether by eleven, thinking they might even trust me again one day but they never did. Then it all went pear-shaped and I ended up here. I'd been locked up for so many years by the time they tossed me out that I had even lost the sensation of how grass felt beneath my feet.'

'Pear-shaped, what do you mean?'

Cassie threw away the stick she'd been playing with and sighed. 'Mum and Dad went away on business and while they were gone the nanny threw a pool party. She said to stay in my room or she'd tell my folks that I organised it. She was very kind to me but she did have a mean side so I did as instructed. The music was loud so I only glanced out my window for a minute to see what a party looked like and a boy saw me and waved. I ducked away from the window but he must have been inquisitive and came and found me. The stupid nanny left the door unlocked and he barged in. With beer on his breath, he made a grab for me, wanting a kiss. As he forced himself on me he said I wouldn't have been spying on him if I did not want some of him. I had no experience with boys and tried to explain that I was just looking, but not at anything in particular. He said, "bullshit", got angry and came at me again but before he even reached me, I had smashed him through the bedroom door. The nanny heard the crash and the boy was taken to hospital suffering a concussion and whiplash. He had to wear a neck brace.'

Tears ran down her face as she recalled this story. It had struck deep; it had been the final straw and the last time she ever saw home. She knew she was a bad person but she had started to confess her sins to Woody now and like her tears, they just kept pouring out, so she let them. 'Mum and Dad were furious when they found out what I'd done to that poor boy. They had to pay the parents a huge sum to keep it quiet and then I heard them fighting and Dad was saying I was evil and I was too dangerous to keep around any longer. He said I would kill them in their sleep given half a chance and he wanted me gone. I cried myself to sleep that night and when I woke I'd been blindfolded and crammed into a box. That's when I busted out and found that I was somewhere between Perth and Mt Newman. Checking my watch, I'd lost two days so assumed I must have travelled for that amount of time. I swore to myself that if I survived I'd never use my powers again. Well, that was until Jason ...' Cassie stopped, realising she'd gone too far and had said enough.

'What happened with Jason? You have to tell me everything, Cassie. Holding on to all this hurt's not going to heal what you've been through.'

More tears sprung into her eyes. 'It's a secret and if I tell, you might get angry.'

'Cassie, he didn't.' He seemed to guess, his voice almost a whisper.

She shook her head. 'No, he didn't get a chance to go too far. I threw him against the wall and nearly put him through it. That's how Kayden guessed about my powers.'

'K was there? Shit, Cassie. The rotten bastards. How can you stand being around them?'

'Woody, let me explain. They had only seen me all dirty and thought I was a whore from the brothel down the road or maybe a plant to infiltrate your group. I'd been locked in that box for over two days and then was caught in a dust storm. I smelt bad and was covered in red dirt from head to foot. The kidnappers had been rough when transporting me so on top of that I was all bruised from banging around in that stupid container. He just thought ... it was a mistake and he has apologised heaps.'

Woody sat very quietly and she could tell he was fighting back anger.

Cassie burst into tears, stood and walked away, hiding her face so he couldn't see her face screwed up with emotion. How embarrassing this all was. Why did I tell him so much? Shit, shit, shit! She was annoyed with herself.

Woody was at her side in seconds, pulling her in for a hug. 'Stop running, Cassie and face this mess with me. It's the only way to get through it,' he growled at her and she cried more. He sat back down on the log, cuddling her until she calmed down. He handed her a hanky to wipe her face. 'That is the last time you ever cry because you think something is your fault, Cassie,' he said softly. 'None of this was your fault and you have to start believing that. I wasn't angry for one particular thing-I was mad at all of them. The dirty old man that needed castrating, not just a broken arm, your stupid uneducated parents and the nanny who should have been the one packed in a box. And yes, Jason for not knowing what a treasure you were,' he said, kissing her forehead. 'You have been treated appallingly for most of your life and it is remarkable you have stayed so sweet and kind. You've had every reason to go off the rails and maybe even use your talent for evil, just to get what you wanted. Instead you stayed the course and kept love in your heart. So from this day forward there will be no more blaming yourself, Cassie Wyatt,' he said, holding her shoulders and looking deeply into her eyes. 'No more, Cassie. It stops here now.'

'But if I didn't have this power my life would have been so different.'

'Yes, that is true. However you have powers and they led you to us and we are all so glad they did.'

She smiled weakly. 'Me too.'

'You were a gifted child, Cassie that's all. Your parents were idiots and should have asked for help from others like yourself. Instead they tried to slap it out of you and kept you imprisoned in your bedroom. Their actions were criminal and I can't believe you had nobody around you to let you know how truly clever you are or how your talent, later in life, would be used for something as incredible as we do now. Cassie, you are now involved in an organisation whose primary job is to save the world, sometimes weekly. You are one of the most important souls in the universe.' He lifted her hands. 'These are the hands of a very exceptional and powerful woman: a gift from the gods. You will find that in time, others will bow down to you for the lives you save. Never let me hear you say anything is your fault again.'

Cassie felt his sincerity and it gave her confidence that she got it all wrong. 'Is that what you had, someone who understood?'

He grinned. 'My whole life I was being prepared for greatness. My grandma always told me that a power like mine was not given to just anyone. I was selected from millions to one day do something that would be beyond any of my wildest dreams. I just wish she were still around to see how great my life is now. You too have been selected from millions to carry a gift that is so incredibly special and I want you to feel as happy as I do, Cassie but until we can open up all the wounds of the past and then heal them, the future will stay foggy for you. Come, walk with me, we'll have a bit of a stretch,' he said, pulling her to her feet. Taking her arm, he put it through his like the old-time gentleman she felt he was. 'When you were in your room and used to move things around, did you have to be angry to do that?'

'No, I just did it for something to do.'

'And you say you were around eleven years old when you stopped practicing.'

'About then. I just felt really upset that everyone hated me so I stopped experimenting.'

They had come to another big tree that was lovely and shady, with a mat of grass beneath it. Woody stopped and pulled Cassie down. She giggled at his quick movement. He laughed with her, saying it was all part of his plan to clear her head. He asked her to trust him; by now Cassie found trusting this sweet man very easy.

'On your back, woman,' he joked as he laid her down onto the grass.

They rested quietly on the soft ground. Woody leaned on his elbow, watching her. Finally when he began to speak, the soft of his voice made her feel dizzy. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on the words he spoke, already knowing he was using strong magic to calm her.

'Cassie, I have to see what this session has uncovered and need you to work with me. Open your eyes, sweetie and look directly up towards the sky through the trees and tell me what you see.'

'Nothing. Mainly just leaves are in the way,' she answered, looking from the leaves back to him.

He smiled. 'Relax your mind and look again. Move the leaves out of the way and feel the sun on your face.'

Cassie frowned, looking again. She thought about how nice it would be to have a little sun on her skin. She closed her eyes again and could almost feel the heat. She blinked against the blinding light. Her eyes popped open and she wanted that image in front of her, so using the determination of that thought, she parted the leaves slightly, feeling a little of the sunshine. Excited that her old gift was returning with ease, she moved the whole branch. The rays shone down and the sun was so strong it stunned her. A little blinded by the light and shocked that she had accomplished her task, she flipped the branch back.

She sat up, astounded, staring at Woody. 'I did that, hey? I wasn't just imagining it?'

He grinned. 'Yes, you did it. Now lie back down, I haven't finished with you yet.'

Cassie lay back down but was breathing heavily, still thrilled with her efforts. Woody could feel her emotions drum through him and stroked her head gently to relax her. 'This time I want you to look up at the sky and seek out the joy of the sun. How nice it would be for both of us. Try to softly float us both out into the sunlight. Lay us where we can both relax and enjoy it together.'

She closed her eyes as she imagined the sun. Her face twitched with the effort of moving them into the warmth. This time when she snapped her eyes open the shade covered them like a dark cloud and she used everything she had to take them from within it. As if in a dream, both of their bodies lifted and floated gracefully as if they were held together on a feather-down bed, light and comfortable. She relaxed, feeling the air flowing under her. Then there was the sensation of slowing and settling when the earth met their bodies again. The ground was warm and the bright glare made her squint. She looked into Woody's kind green eyes. It was only when his red locks caught her attention, glistening in the sunshine, that she realised she had definitely completed her task. She ginned and he smiled back.

'You have exceeded all my expectations, little one. No more for today. Just relax now and enjoy the sun that you have just worked so hard to get us into.' He bent and kissed her forehead before closing her eyes by placing his hand over them. As if by magic she felt herself going into a world of peace as she drifted off to sleep. When she woke, he was still watching her and grinned. 'Feel better now?'

Cassie nodded. 'How did you do that? I feel like I've just had my batteries recharged; that I could get up and run home.'

'I have a little magic up my sleeve that I keep for very special angels when they need a little healing. I made you experience some terrible memories that have now been dissolved, not removed. They are just in a place now where they won't harm you anymore.' He stood up, put out his hand and helped her up off the ground. 'We'll need a few more sessions, Cassie, are you okay with that?' he asked.

She nodded and laughed as he ran with her down the hill to the car. When they stopped at the bottom, she was still giggling as she breathed heavily from the quick jog. 'What was all that about?'

'I filled you with magic. Running should tame it down. The effects can be tricky sometimes but I'll be around you for the next few hours. Don't worry, you're in good hands.'

He opened the car door for her before getting in himself. Another courteous gesture that made her grin at his sweetness. As if in a hurry, he switched on the ignition and kicked life into the motor. Within seconds the vehicle was sliding slightly before it bumped roughly along the exposed track. 'Sorry I rushed you, sweetie but it took me long enough to get this session with you. Be blowed if I want to piss off your man on the first one.'

Kayden was waiting with a big smile when they pulled up. Cassie ran and jumped into his arms. He swung her around. 'Hi, beautiful.' Putting her down, he tucked her under his arm and leant against the car so he could talk to Woody. 'How did she do?'

Woody pushed his hair back and crossed his arms. 'Better than I expected for her first time. Broke through a couple of layers. However there's a way to go before I get her relaxed enough to use her gifts naturally. She's been through a lot, K. It's not going to happen overnight.'

Kayden nodded. 'I thought as much.' He gave her a quick glance of concern and then hid it with a smile. 'You're in good hands, sweetheart. If anyone can break through your wall of pain it will be this big lug. In the meantime, your horse is ready to go. Do you want to come and have a look?'

They went over to the enclosure where Jason and Ethan were still with Starburst. There was another man there wearing a brimmed hat. He looked like a real farmer and stood talking to Conor. Cassie couldn't help thinking how similar their physics were.

'Tremaine, this is Cassie. Cass, this is my brother Tremaine,' Conor introduced them.

Tremaine took his hat off and shook her hand. Cassie wasn't surprised to hear they were related although he did have hair, even though it was very short and dark. His nose was also flatter and wider and his lips were thinner. He smiled and that was when she saw Conor in him: his eyes shone golden-brown and he had the same cheek structure when his face lit up.

'Hi, Cassie. Me bro ain't shut up about you so it's damned nice to finally put a face there to your name. I look after them there horses for me man K when he needs me. Today but I'm just here to observe. Stoked to have been able see how this little one stacks up. They tell me he's your ride now.'

'Yes, Starburst stole my heart the second I saw him, shaking and wobbling around like a drunk trying to stand up,' she giggled, remembering. She walked closer to Tremaine as they both turned towards Starburst. 'Fascinating how quickly he found his legs and then walked around like a real pro. Jeez, and we call ourselves the smarter race.'

He laughed and nudged Conor. 'Yeah okay, she's all that and cute as a button and she's right. Those darn horses of yours are way more intelligent than a man like me's ever seen.'

Conor slapped his back. 'Just keep that on the down low, bro, we don't want no one stealing any of them.'

'Gotcha, bro. Anyways I have to get back to me farm there, boy. Can't go dilly-dallying here all day with a bunch of misfit cowboys. Bad for me image.' He tipped his hat to Cassie. 'Ma'am, nice to finally meet you. If you get sick of these hard heads, call over for dinner one night. Let me show you what a real home-cooked meal tastes like. You can bring the K man too if you have to bring 'im.' He grinned cheeky-like at Kayden before looking back at Cassie. 'Just stirring up your man there. Offer is there though. You're both welcome for sure.'

Kayden put his arm around her. 'We'd love to, Tremaine. I'll give you a ring.'

Conor pulled Tremaine's hat off him playfully. 'Hey, what about the rest of us, bro?'

Tremaine snatched his hat back off him, laughing. 'I told your young lady, a real home-cooked meal. Me ovens not big enough to put the whole dang cow in to feed you lot,' he said, getting on his horse. He tipped his hat. 'Ma'am, K.' He trotted off down the path.

After he left, Conor continued grumbling about Tremaine trying to steal his girl with a roast. Kayden reminded him Cassie was really his girl, which made him grumble more. They all laughed when he stomped off, saying he was going to cook her a better home-cooked dinner, not like his dopey brother would make.

'Now the dramatics are over,' Ethan said, still smiling. He opened the gate for Cassie to join them. 'Shall we?' He gestured for her to follow him inside the pen. She jumped down off the fence and went through the gate. Jason slid easily off her horse and stood beside Starburst, waiting for her. Cassie went over to her horse and patted his stressed features.

'What've they done to you, handsome?' She clucked over him as she ran her hand down his legs and over his back the way she had seen Kayden do many times to the horses. She could feel he was sweaty and a little shaken but other than that he seemed to settle at her touch. She stood in front of him, patting the softness of his nose and watching his eyes. 'Got anything left?' she asked him and he got a wild look in his eyes like the one he had when he wanted her to chase him. She laughed and shook her head. 'Not to play! To take me for a ride, silly,' she grinned.

He nodded and snorted. With Jason's help she put her foot in the stirrup and swung herself up on him. She lent over near his ear. 'You're a big boy to get up on. We might have to practice that.' She chuckled. 'Now be gentle, boy, I've never ridden by myself before so this is new to both of us.'

Ethan led Starburst around slowly at first while Cassie settled into the trotting pace.

'Just feel him beneath you, Cass. It'll help you relax into him and him with you.' She closed her eyes and could feel his rhythm and his strength. He was gorgeous and as if he could feel her too, he started to trot, then almost to glide. Cassie opened her eyes and realised they were both enjoying each other so much that they were actually off the ground. He never even needed wings. He flew using his own magic combined with hers. They eased back onto the ground and came to a stop.

Cassie looked around. There was total silence. The men had shocked expressions. 'He's a little miracle. He knows how to tap into my power.' She patted him, very proud of her clever horse. 'You won't even need those wings, will you, boy?'

Kayden came through the gate. 'I knew I had to save him for a reason. He wanted to be with you all along,' he said, lifting her off him. 'That was surreal, very clever.'

'He's a dream to ride but I think he's had enough for one day.'

Ethan agreed and took Starburst to clean him up and give him a well-deserved drink and a feed.

After a long, hot shower, Cassie ambled out into the kitchen. Conor was stirring gravy and still looking glum. She could smell the aroma of a well-cooked dinner filling the air. Slipping her arm around Conor's waist, she hated the vibe of rejection he was feeling from his brother. He put his arm over her shoulder, still stirring the pan.

'Want me to go sort him out for stirring you up or go give him a little zap, knocking him right off that horse of his, flat on his butt?'

Conor chuckled. 'It's okay, Cassie. He just knows you're special to me and is trying to push my buttons to make me angry enough to talk to him. I get it really. He has to work his butt off and all he sees me do is party and get with the girls. He's told me he knows something big is going on and it frustrates him that I keep it hidden.'

'You know I would never go hang with him without you. When Kayden makes a day, I'll get him to tell just you, okay? The three of us will sneak off and go eat his dinner and then I'll help you beat him at cards. Then if you still feel unhappy I'll just have to make good on that threat and zap his hiney anyway. How's that sound?'