Trying to not freak her out, I did my best to look past her rather than at her as I tried hard to tap into what made up her most human self. The colors of her soul began swirling through my mind, the spirit of her character becoming tangible. Feeling as if I could almost touch her beating heart, my head began spinning as I felt my own cells beginning to merge with hers. Something was beginning to happen that I wasn't sure was supposed to happen, at least at this very moment. A commotion began quietly as Athen began distracting me, and Arie stood up making the waitress move suddenly, disconnecting our connection. The waitress touching her head, began moving away from our table cautiously.

"Hey, guys. I'm actually due for a break so if there isn't anything else I can get you right now, I'll be back in about ten minutes." She said, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, sure totally no problem." Cyril said, quickly trying to dismiss anything as unusual.

Watching the waitress take off towards the back entrance, I was pretty certain something came over her that I hadn't intended.

"Is she okay?" I murmured.

"She'll be fine. Honestly, I can't believe that just happened." Athen seemed like he was about to jump out of his seat. He was more interested in me than the poor waitress.

"Wasn't that what you guys wanted?" I asked confused.

"We never thought it would go there, Ana. She's a complete stranger. You actually started to experience the shapeshifting. If we hadn't broken it up, I think you would have completed it." Cyril was shaking his head in complete disbelief, and that wouldn't have been the best spectacle in the middle of the pub.

"G.o.d, I'm proud you," Athen said nestling his head into my hair, "You never cease to amaze me."

"Does this mean I don't have to do it to Karen?" I asked hopeful.

"You know, not sure you have to actually. What's the point? Right? Apparently a stranger is just as easy for you."

"Thank G.o.d! Between a room full of chains and blood, flying around a mountain top, and possibly entering into someone else's body, I think I've had enough action on my Whistler trip."

The tension completely left as I relished the idea of a restful and drama-free dinner with Karen tonight before we headed back to Victoria the next morning.

Chapter 26.

The viciousness and frequency of the attacks were getting worse. As soon as we got back to Victoria, we were dealt more of my visions. The last three restless nights left us with no options. An attack was on the horizon, and we had the chance to stop it. My family had begun to decipher the pattern, and we had decided to try to thwart the next one, hopefully sending a message. If it was me that Azazel wanted to fight, then it was me he should fight, not the mortals. They had no chance. The demons were obviously cruel by nature but knowing their true intent had nothing to do with the mortals and made it that much more painful to witness.

Their next attack was going to be this evening at Witty's Lagoon. Again, they chose a park that was covered in Douglas fir trees and maples, providing plenty of shelter for them to hide and pounce on their intended victim or victims. Unfortunately, we were pretty certain that they were planning on attacking several tonight. There was a family reunion picnic planned, and that seemed to be their target.

As we walked along the long trail through the forest, the echoes of the Orange-crowned Warblers filled the air with their beautiful melodies. With spring's arrival, the delighted birds were welcoming the warm weather that would arrive in the months to come. It saddened me to know that such happiness and innocence could be located on the same ground with predators and evil lurking at every turn. I had one vision of this attack the night before, and the images in my dream pointed near a waterfall. As it turned out, Witty's Lagoon contained a waterfall so things were beginning to fall into place.

"So are we heading straight for the falls or are we checking out the other places first?" I asked Athen. He squeezed my hand and put his finger to his lip. He was sensing something that I wasn't. My heart began to patter faster as I realized that a fight could happen at any time. I nodded at him and kept following them all as we made our way down the trail. The birds fell silent, and things became suddenly clear as to why Athen signaled for my silence.

Ahead, where the black boulders were finally showing themselves signaling the waterfall directly behind, I heard squabbling that was in no way any sort of human language. I reached for Athen's hand and squeezed it. Turning back to look at me, his eyes provided the comfort that I needed. The gentle green radiated warmth and reminded me of the strength that I'd been slowly acc.u.mulating and needed to keep building up. He let go of my hand and secured his black knit cap, readying himself for whatever might be on the other side of the boulders. Following his lead, I secured my hair into a ponytail and took a deep breath in.

Cyril and Athen moved slowly up the closest tower of bark and pine needles to spy on our enemies. When they reached the top, I saw them communicating an attack plan. The adrenaline began pumping through my veins. I wasn't sure of what to expect but felt secure in the knowledge that we would be able to conquer this group. Before I realized it, Cyril and Athen were back on the ground behind Arie and myself. Athen wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle hug, rea.s.suring me and helping the doubts that kept appearing to vanish. He let go and began pointing towards the right for him and I to go, and Cyril took Arie to the left. Waving feebly at Arie, I forced myself to buckle up for the impending fight. We were going in for the attack, ready or not.

I followed closely to Athen as we made our way to the top of the waterfall area. The trail was steep and slippery, with exposed stones making every step a precarious effort. The tall rye gra.s.s rustled in the breeze leaving an eerie feel in the air. With every step I took, my fear diminished, and a strength stirred deep within me. Hopefully, the element of surprise would be in our favor as we fought these evil monsters.

Athen slowed his pace and turned back towards me signaling for me to slowdown and creep along the trail as he began. My body began its usual twist as I lowered my body in position ready for a fight. The cackling from the creatures got louder with every step towards their hiding place. The evil that was ringing through the air filled me with the last bit of anger to ensure my success with this battle. I knew they were right around the corner, and I saw a glimpse of Arie down at the fall area, positioned behind one of the large, glistening boulders where the splash from the falls had completely coated. Athen and I were going to initiate the attack, and any stragglers were going to be pushed down the falls towards Cyril and Arie.

Before I knew it, Athen had jumped toward the group of demons, surprising them and flushing them in all directions. The cackles quieted, leaving the rushing sound of the waterfall to reach my ear. Leaping onto the slippery rock, I quickly scanned who to attack first. Finding my target, I flew through the air, landing on the back of the demon who was fleeing the furthest. He crumpled to the rocky floor with a thud, collapsing back on my leg. Not wanting to show any sign of weakness, I wrapped my arm around his neck, snapping his head to the left quicker than he ever saw coming. The weight of his body fell off my leg; his lifeless sh.e.l.l began its black mist ascent into the sky.

A stabbing pain stung my back. As I flipped around to see the cause, I saw a completely distorted female demon staring back at me, smiling with a callousness that I'd seen many times before. Not sure if my mind was seeing how she truly looks or how miserable her inner spirit was, I dismissed the horror that was looking back at me. Lunging towards her, I saw the red glowing metal that she was waving at me, which must have been the source of the pain. Not recognizing what it could be from, I did my best to stay far away from her weapon. Noticing a limb from a maple that dangled right behind her I jumped over her head, grabbing on tightly and spinning my body with all the force I could, shoving my feet into the back of her. Caught off balance, she tumbled towards the rocky falls, falling directly into the crashing water.

Athen was downstream where the majority of the demons were now forming a circle. When I saw Cyril and Arie jumping into the mix, I shot over to the group as fast as I could to help finish off the bunch. Athen's shirt was ripped, and he had a severe scratch on his chin, but I did my best to push my fears away and finish these creatures off. I hadn't wanted to look to see where or who Athen was fighting earlier for fear I'd be distracted.

The ground began trembling with the force of all of our energy gathered so close together. The leaves began fluttering, signaling the last battle was about to begin. Screams began releasing into the air, as I dove toward the female demon who had been staring at me so intently as I flew down the mountain. Cyril had the largest demon by the throat, squeezing with all of his might as Arie had another one pinned down to the earth. Athen wiped at his wound and dove into mess flinging flesh into the atmosphere with every swipe.

I tackled the glaring female, who whipped out a slicing piece of silver chain tearing at my flesh. I yanked on the end piece as hard as I could hoping to dislodge it from whatever it was attached to, unsuccessfully. Grabbing my neck, she began squeezing tightly as I felt my ability to take deep breaths diminished. The harder I pulled on the chain, however, the less power she was able use when squeezing my neck. It was a bit puzzling why one would be connected to the other, but I did my best to continually yank on the metal. My strength was quickly waning. I began kicking her over and over again in any attempt to thwart her efforts. The pain around my neck was getting worse with every breath. I scanned to see where Athen was, and I couldn't place him among any of the figures. Arie was busy with a male demon, and she too, seemed to have figured out to pull on the metal chains that seemed to be dangling from so many of these Legion members. Cyril was shooting right towards Arie's opponent, ready to finish him off. A comforting sight, after the concerns Arie raised up in Whistler.

Whipping me back to the seriousness of my situation, the throbbing pain in my windpipe began to create a hollowness with every breath in. My time was limited if I couldn't figure out a way to defeat this creature. The wetness from my eyes began streaming down my face. The strength in the demon's arms began to lessen just enough for me to crane my head to the left, only to get a little glimpse of Athen overhead.

He was fighting one of the last remaining demons that we all had our hands full with. I was truly on my own. I closed my eyes and thought of Lilith. I'd use her to my advantage. Remembering seeing her hand brush against Athen's began the stir of hatred that I needed to build the strength to destroy this creature. I took the largest breath in that my weakened lungs could handle, raising my chest enough to create a gap for my hand to slip through and twist the demon's grasp away from me. Surprising her was to my advantage, and I immediately wrapped her dangling chain around my hand several times and yanked it down to the ground, slamming her entire body onto the boulder. Quickly placing my foot on the chain, I released it from my hands freeing them to go in for the kill. Athen jumped down from the rock above, finishing her off as I let the anger of Lilith escape, along with the evilness of the creature now laying before me. I was exhausted, but it looked like we were finished. There would be no more cougar attacks for now.

Sitting at the base of the falls, I let my hands hang into the swirls of water, wondering if I'd been as close to defeat as I felt inside. The coolness of the water began to stabilize my thoughts and bring me back to the discussion of my family.

"What did you notice about all of those demons?" Cyril asked.

"Besides their ridiculous clothing?" I chuckled.

"No, actually that was exactly it!" Cyril exclaimed. "They all had those silver chains dangling from them. What's up with that?" He asked, shaking his head.

"You know, I didn't even think about it at first, but that was weird. Even the one female who I thought didn't have a chain, actually did; it was tucked in her jeans. I saw a piece of it shining under her shirt right before I flipped her on her back." I announced, a bit proud of myself. Thankful that a tiny bit of confidence began to show itself.

"Huh. Yeah, I didn't really think about it, but you're right. They all had metal on them." Athen said, coming over to walk with me back up the trail.

"Well, with every yank, I think some sort of pain or something must have shot through them, because their grasp lessened, or the fighting capabilities slowed a bit, unless it was in my mind."

"No, I noticed it too. I didn't want to announce it in case I'd made it up too." Arie said, instantly making me feel better.

"Another thing to file away, I guess." Arie said, as she climbed over the last of the sh.e.l.ls who hadn't disintegrated yet.

"Guys, I'd kind of like to see the family who the demons had targeted. I think it would make me feel better knowing they are all intact and everything. That okay with you?" I asked not exactly sure why I wanted to see the family.

Looking as disheveled and beat up as we all did, we shuffled along the forest line on the way back to civilization, hoping to run into no one, making certain to avoid the spattering of picnic benches with beach views, and hikers spread along the sandy beaches scavenging for purple star fish or whatever exciting find they might spot. The confidence and strength from this last win between good and evil created a sensation that I enjoyed. I took pleasure in destroying the demons, the evilness that they embodied. Everything about the process created a delight deep within my soul. My fear was beginning to be replaced with absolution. Certain that I could play a vital role in the battles to come, I vowed to channel my anger properly and make certain that human casualties were at a minimum regardless of what they meant.

Feeling a warm trickle puddle in the base of my ear, I reached up quickly to rid myself of the sweat or whatever had acc.u.mulated. Once my fingertip touched the warm, thick substance, I realized it wasn't sweat at all, but blood. I was bleeding and had no idea where from. Suddenly feeling like I was in a lot worse shape than I knew, I quickened my step to get the spying over with so we could get back to our place.

Once we reached the outskirts of the forest that was overhanging against the slight cliffs, I peered down to see the picnic area confiscated by what I suspected was the family reunion. Children were playing alongside their older family members, while the parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles were spread out setting up food station after food station and laughing and enjoying each others' company. Even though there was a slight chill in the air, the warmth from seeing the love below was enough to warm us all up. Thankful for what I was seeing and for what we stopped, I knew I was coming into my own. Nothing could compare to this feeling, knowing the family was now going to be alright.

Athen came up behind me and whispered something so quietly that I had to spin around to hear him repeat it. Cyril and Arie had started back towards our car, and I appreciated the alone time the two of us were able to share over a moment like this.

"I'm really proud of you." He whispered again, feeling his lips press against mine, I let my thoughts of the family below vanish, leaving me to enjoy Athen's affections.

Chapter 27.

With the message sent to Azazel and an attack thwarted, the point was bound to get across to him. The message was as clear as we could send to him. Hopefully, Azazel would begin to play fair and involve us and not the mortals.

Things had been quiet for several days from all of the other families. The attacks had stopped. The Legions were obviously planning something, but we were hoping that whatever it was, it would be directed at us and not the humans. My premonition of the attack on us at our Victoria home still had yet to occur, making me on edge. It was something we had to be on the lookout for, but nothing had happened. Only time would tell, however. The tension in the house had eased a bit. Cyril seemed back to his old self to me, and Arie seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his attention. I was even able to catch up on reading too, for which I felt incredibly grateful. The little things in life that I'd become so accustomed to up in Whistler, before my entire reintroduction process, seemed to have gotten put on hold for awhile between learning my new world and chasing down Athen and preparing for attacks. It was like the normalcy of life was completely out the window, except for the last few days.

Athen came jogging into the living room where Matilda was sprawled out in front of the fireplace, with her quiet snores drifting in and out of range with each breath, and I was laying out on the couch, book in hand. Seeing his energy light up the room made me feel like the love I felt for him was going to lift me off the couch.

He came rushing over to the couch, sitting next to me and looking so amazingly gorgeous; it was hard to think of anything but what I want to do to him.

"What's got you so excited?" I teased him.

"Seeing you and everyone's gone." He murmured, as he hugged me tightly.

"I love you, Athen." I whispered in his ear. "I'll never stop loving you."

"I love you more, my angel." He scooped me up from where I was sitting on the couch, carrying me into our bedroom. Laying me down gently on our bed, I couldn't wait for what was in store for me. He began unb.u.t.toning my shirt slowly while I grabbed his black leather belt, pulling him towards me with all of the strength I could muster. His lips met mine, his body slid onto mine as he quickly finished unb.u.t.toning my shirt. I grabbed his grey t-shirt and pulled it over his head, kissing every inch of his chest as his shirt fell to the floor. He moved me up against the top of our bed, securing pillows around us both. His skin was warm against mine, his breath reaching new areas of my body, as I thought about how lucky I was that he was here with me, so soon. The time away from each other only made this moment more special. Bringing his lips near mine again, I looked deeply into his eyes, searching for answers.

As much as I enjoyed what I was experiencing with Athen, I couldn't help but wonder if she'd gotten to him in this way as well. The sweat of the moment quickly turned chilling as that last thought popped in my head. Athen caught my shiver pulling back slowly.

"Something's wrong. What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm sorry. I can't. I ..." He rolled onto his side, grabbing my chin.

"You think that the time apart led to things?" His eyes finding all of the questions buried deep inside that I was afraid to ask aloud, in case they were true. "You saw the images during the Awakening. You still think we did?"

I nodded, completely unsure of myself.

"Nothing happened. It didn't." He held me, pulling the covers over us. "I'd tell you, and it didn't."

I turned on my side to face him, burying my head into his chest.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. She's been plaguing me for so long in all of my nightmares. The grin that I'd see cross her lips has made me ill in my dreams so many times I kind of a.s.sumed that ..."

"Don't a.s.sume. Much to her disgust, I wasn't as easy of a target as she hoped. I didn't know what was going on. I really had no clue, actually, but seeing you in the library that day, I realized something bigger than I could ever imagine was taking place. I'd a pretty good idea whose side I wanted to be on and an even better notion that I needed to watch myself with that woman. I've loved you for thousands of years, Ana. Nothing has ever taken us away from each other's heart, and nothing will. You have to trust. You have to be brave in the face of us - what we represent. We have a love that no one can break, but you have to believe that too. You used to know that beyond anything. I know you will again someday."

"Thanks. I needed to hear it one more time. Everyday it was like a piece of me eroded bit by bit while you were gone, and only fear replaced the hole. I feel like I'm closer to filling it. I promise."

"I know, honey." He said, kissing me gently on my shoulder.

"On a different note, you're saying the library incident was a good thing? You have no idea the turmoil I caused myself - catching your glance. I thought that I'd ruined everything. Especially with you bolting out of there the way you did."

"Actually, I was pretty freaked. I won't lie. I didn't go home that day though. I rode around and stayed at a place where I didn't think she could find me for the night. I needed time to figure things out. In hindsight, I never could have figured this out," His smirk was reappearing, "without the memsors. But seeing your gaze in the library told me what I wanted to be near again, and it was you."

"Wow, you're incredible." I told him, letting the evening unfold into a brilliant memory that I would cherish for eternity.

There was a faint rustle in the blackberries. I prayed it was an animal - maybe a racc.o.o.n or something harmless like that. Matilda had finished her business and was already standing at the door for me to let her back in, but I wanted to check out the movement. I shined my flashlight towards the intimidating, th.o.r.n.y bushes seeing nothing. A low hiss began, one that I recognized all too well. It couldn't be her. Why now? The house was only a few seconds away back behind me. I could reach it with a quick sprint.

Knowing that I didn't want to turn my back to the thicket of hisses, I slowly walked backwards towards the porch, hoping I would make it to the steps before she began her approach. I had no idea which form I should be expecting, slithering or walking. It didn't matter; they were both as despicable as the other. I tried my best to communicate to Athen in the house. Hoping that I was getting skilled enough to channel who I was talking to rather than broadcasting it to anyone in our particular radius, I concentrated as hard as I could without losing track of her. Not turning around to look behind me, I realized someone inside must have turned on the living room light as the glow bounced off the shrubs on the left side of the house. My spirits began to lift a bit at thought of strength in numbers. I had no idea what her intention was. She knew fully that Athen was back with us. There was no chance of turning him onto her dark side. She had another reason for being here.

Our front door sc.r.a.ped the bottom of the floor as it was swung open, letting me know that my family was now with me.

"What seems to be the problem?" Cyril's voice booming as ever.

"We have a visitor. I just don't know if she's slithering or crouching." I yelled back to him.

Athen stepped to my side, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.

"My guess is she's slithering around. She never really made a great-looking human." Athen said, making my heart sing.

Athen reached down and grabbed a handful of rocks.

"Check this out." He said, as he was tossing one after the other into the thicket of thorns, taunting her beyond belief. I tried getting outside of myself but was loving every second of this torment. Eventually, her anger would get the better of her, and she would appear.

Arie and Cyril were directly behind us, waiting like we were for Lilith to show her face, and she didn't let us down. The thorn-bearing branches were thrown to the side as she stood up quickly, glaring at us all. Stepping forward, her hissing became more constant, making her look especially ridiculous.

Letting go of Athen's hand, I took a step forward.

"Is there something you wanted or did you just miss us?" I asked her.

"Azazel got your message. He wanted me to tell you myself, since we have such a connection." She said, her lip curling over her gruesome smile, with her sharp tongue ready for anything I was going to throw at it. "You and I."

"There is no connection, Lilith. Don't flatter yourself. Athen and I have always been and always will be."

"What makes you think that's the connection I was referring to?" Her serpent eyes were glaring at me as if the others didn't exist.

"That's the one that came to mind, I guess, whatever." I refused to show any curiosity whatsoever as she waited for my reaction.

"Well, it's good you have each other because you'll need each other's strength as the fun begins. In fact, it's starting right now. Look, see off in the distance? Isn't it beautiful? By the way, Azazel feels it is far more intriguing to keep the humans involved regardless of your wishes." In that instant, she was gone, leaving us looking towards the harbor where her eyes had last been, leaving us to deal with a horror we weren't prepared for.

The flames were shooting straight up from the ferry. Smoke was creating a low, covering cloud, hovering right over the doomed vessel. The screams for help were shaking me to my core. In the sky, the large black creatures, with wingspans twice the length of their bodies, were circling around their victory. The creatures were swooping down onto the ferry picking up the people and dumping them into the water as if they were ragdolls. The fury was building inside of me. Those were innocent people, and the demons were destroying countless lives and families. We had to stop them. I knew it was the demon's direct invitation to us. The humans were the bait, but we were the target.

The black soulless creatures continued taunting us with each dive-bomb onto the ferry or mortal who they captured. We had no time to deliberate. These winged-beasts couldn't be seen by humans for now, but it was only a matter of time before that would change. The demons in this form were not visible to mortals, unless the humans were evil themselves and death was upon them. Otherwise humans couldn't see them.

I looked up at Athen unsure of my abilities, but I knew that didn't matter. It was a trap that the demons had set for us, and we had to partic.i.p.ate. I knew this going into it, but I couldn't let innocent people perish because I was worried about my own safety and Athen's. The fear began building as I thought about the lack of training or anything, really, that Athen had since he came back to us. I also knew he wasn't going to be on the sidelines.

"I love you, sweetheart." I whispered into his ear.

"I love you too." He whispered back, kissing my neck as he backed away.

"Now's the time, Ana. You've practiced enough. I know you can make it to the ferry."