It was a strange fire, and behaved as though it was more strands of destructive aura than fire . Kyera felt it trying to mingle and drain her shadows but they were stronger than it .

There was a sense of familiarity with this power . It was as if she knew this person from a long ago time or place . It drew her in, moving closer to the door, wondering who is on the other side . Why did she want to open it and find out? It was clear the spirit was forcing the person out, or the door wouldn't be so badly damaged . This kept Kyera from grasping the handle . However the crack in the door offered her an alternative . A peek couldn't hurt? The shadows were stronger here anyway, no one could harm her spirit here unless she allowed it .

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Kyera knelt down despite the earth Spirits attempts to stop her . She looked through the whole with one golden eye, hoping to see the face on then other side . Instead she saw golden eyes, much like her own but then there was something else as the other golden eyes widened in shock . A connection was struck .

Shock shot through her system as the fire met her shadows . Her spirit felt the flood of emotion and pain before her world went black . It was like traveling through s.p.a.ce, and into another's mind .

The forest around her, the beat of her heart… but it wasn't hers . This was a memory… long ago and not her own . This was another woman, another s.h.i.+fter whose heart and magic was tied to this place . She could feel it clear as day . There was blood on her paws . She stalked forward in the dark, vaguely familiar doorway . It opened, quietly it closed behind her .

A dark room, moon beams through an open window fell on the bed rolls in the center of the room . The shadows hid the faces of the figures in the bed . There was a moment of wavering indecision followed by a choice . A sickening feeling overtook  Kyera as she felt the scene continue . Her spirit struggled to free itself from this memory . Yet, she couldn't the fire held her bound .

Kyera felt her heart shudder as the person approached the first bed roll and leaned down, dragging a jagged claw across the first throat . The person died quietly, not so much as a whimper before the shadows took his soul .

Then the second body was the same way, but the third awoke . A shadow drenched face looked up and made a noise as his throat was cut, adding to the growing pool of blood . A Scratch, a narrow escape . He jerked away, rolling as the door burst open, the body Kyera was in turned and dashed for an open window, casting a look back at the fourth bed before leaping out . The last thing Kyera saw was her own face stirring as Kan burst in the door .

She tried to scream, to stop the misunderstanding that would take her eldest brother from her . The body she shared laughed, a cruel sound as Kyera felt her lungs begin to burn as though filling with water . She tried to breathe only to choke on more water . Tears hot in her eyes as she began to panic . Kyera's spirit ripped from this memory and back through the earth at lightning speed .

Suddenly she was laying naked on the gra.s.s, coughing water out of her lungs, a drenched familiar face looking down at her . A cloak tossed on her body as he sat down beside her, breathing heavily . Kyera turned up on her side looking at him, her eyes dark and accusatory .

"Why . . . didn't you… tell me… . You… were innocent?" Kyera demanded as Kan's eyes widened in shock .