Radof stepped into the small, dreary room and peered around. It pleased him that there were so many people ready to take a stand. Now all he needed to figure out was how to get a message to Orion. As he strode toward the center of the room, a sudden hush swept over the crowd. He looked at all the familiar faces and felt an unexpected surge of pride.We will really do this. Our town will be our own again, he thought to himself.“Thank you all for coming. I know that each one of you is taking a monumental risk in being here, and I praise you for that. We are all here for the same reason, and I can say with confidence that better days will soon come. Before I get started, do any of you have questions or concerns?”A small, middle-aged woman stood up. The grin on her face was so dazzling, the dreary room appeared to brighten. Radof had to look twice because he had known this lady for many years and had never once experienced her smile. Her name was Alana.“I have found my son. He is not

Alizeh was talking to Zeek and watching them out of the corner of her eye. As they walked closer, Dixon could sense her vitality. It vibrated all around her. He could not believe one person could hold so much raw intensity and not even be aware of it.Sheeshan noticed it, too, because it seemed to influence the energy and vibration of the universe. He had felt nothing like this before. He looked at her, wide-eyed, trying to hide his amazement.“Hi Alizeh, I just wanted to start this conversation by letting you know that your mother is doing quite well. She is up and will be ready for you to see her once we are done here. Dixon will give you a small amount of information about the powers you possess.”Dixon smiled and added, “I know that you have been dabbling in your powers since you met Orion, but I don’t think you understand them at all. Am I correct in this assumption?”He finally had Alizeh’s full attention. She looked straight into his eyes and answered, “Honestly, I don't have a

Zeek walked over to the group. After learning about their powers, they were in a quite state of disbelief. He motioned for the others to follow. Sheeshan turned toward Zeek, and the rest followed suit."Radof has sent a message. We have an army bigger than we could have ever dreamed possible. Most of them are untrained, but they are ours to command. Sheeshan, you must lead us. I wish we would have had more of a chance to develop our powers, but there is something big looming. If we win this fight, then we will have the chance to train everyone properly. We would be fools to believe that this will end with just one victory. But we must go now. They are all gathered and waiting.”Sheeshan met his friend’s gaze. “It’s more than that, Zeek. There is something major brewing. Something that has never happened before. There is no chance to explain. Genève’s army is on the march, and we are about to run out of time, my friend. Everyone gathered around. We must leave now.”Zeek handed them eac

Genève woke up again in a soft bed. She looked over, and Talon was next to her fast asleep. She got up to find the bathroom and freshen up.She tried to collect her thoughts. Talon was such an honorable man with a pure soul. She was afraid that when he found out who she had become and all the terrible things she had done, he would turn and run as quickly as he could. She knew she could not change her past, but she vowed to herself that she would spend every waking moment turning herself into someone he would be proud of. To start, she would do as the queen had requested. She would forget her pride and beg for help from her enemies.The world seemed to tilt, and her image in the mirror shook. She reached out her hands to steady herself on the sink and turned toward the closed door. She had a feeling of foreboding as she walked on trembling legs to the exit. It only took a moment, but it seemed like an eternity. The ground swayed back and forth, and she felt as if she was about to be si

Orion made certain all exits were secure and that a guard was posted at each gate. They took turns surveying the crowd to make sure no one could slip through.Looking over at Dane, he shook his head with concern. It was understood that Dane was not a fan of his father and mother working together. Hell, Orion wasn't thrilled with the idea himself, but there had to be something else going on. Dane was acting weird–even for him. He would not make eye contact with anyone. All he did was stand with his back against the wall, staring blankly into the crowd as if he were desperately searching for someone.Orion did not have time to think any more about the situation, because just as quickly as Zeek, Genève, and Trixie had disappeared earlier, they reappeared as four without Geneve. Alizeh, her mother, and Isabella all stood together. Alizeh looked both pissed and confused, and Trixie was crying.As the tears rolled down her face, she said, "Genève is gone. She sacrificed herself so that Aliz