Hello, I've concocted a new story for you to read. As I've stated in all my stories, I do not own anything aside from new characters and ideas. I make no money from writing and all rights go to the rightful owners. Leave me a review, they're always read and appreciated.

It was a hot night, even for mid-July in central Alabama. Astraea Williams had automatically adjusted her habits to the weather, taking it easy, either doing her chores early in the morning or putting them off until late afternoon. She had been up at sunrise, hoeing the weeds out of her small vegetable garden, feeding the geese, washing her car. When the temperature soared into the nineties she moved inside and put a load of clothes in the washer, then settled down for a few hours of research and planning for the Nursing course she had agreed to teach at night in ASU when the fall quarter began. With the ceiling fan whirring serenely overhead, her dark hair pinned on top of her head, and wearing only a tank top and an old pair of shorts, Astraea was comfortable despite the heat. A glass of iced tea sat constantly beside her elbow, and she sipped at it as she read.

Astraea's point of view…

I worked intermittently on my third book, feeling no great pressure to finish it, since my deadline wasn't until Christmas and as normal was well ahead of schedule. My energy was deceptive, because I managed to accomplish so much without ever seeming to hurry. This was my life now, Layla was still in Maxville married to her high school sweetheart William, a match made from heaven.

I was at home here, our family roots deep in the sandy soil. The house I now lived in had been our grandfather's, and the land had been in the family for a hundred and fifty years. The house had been remodeled in the fifties and no longer resembled the original frame structure. When I had moved in I had renovated the inside, but the place still gave me a sense of permanency. We knew the house and the land surrounding it as well as Layla and I knew our own face in the mirror. Probably better, because I wasn't given to staring at myself. I knew the tall pine thicket in front of me and the rolling grassland at my back, every hill and tree and bush. A path wound through the pines and down to the beach where the Gulf waters rolled in. The beach was undeveloped here, partly because of the unusual roughness of the shore, partly because the beachfront property was owned by people who had had it for generations and weren't inclined to see condominiums and motels rise in their faces. This was prime cattle country; my property was almost surrounded by a huge ranch, owned by Kevin Michaels, and Michaels was as reluctant as I to sell any land for development.

The beach was our special haven, a place for walking and thinking and finding peace in the relentless, eternal surge of the water. It was called Halo Bay because of the way the light splintered on the waves as they crashed over the underwater boulders that lined the mouth of the little bay. The water shimmied and glittered like thousands of light rays as it rolled to shore. Our grandfather had taught us girls to swim in Halo Bay; sometimes it seemed as if our life had begun in the turquoise water.

Certainly, the bay had been the center of the golden days of our childhood, when a visit to Gramps's had been the most fun two young girls could imagine. Then mother died when we turned twelve, and the bay became our permanent home. There was something about the ocean that had eased the sharpness of my grief and taught me acceptance. Together we had Gramps, too, and even now the thought of him brought a smile to my face. What a wonderful old man he'd been.

He had never been too busy or too embarrassed to answer the sometimes awkward questions twin adolescent girls could ask, and had given both of us the freedom to test our wings while still keeping our feet solidly grounded in common sense. He had died the year we'd finished college. Even death had met him on his own terms. He had been tired and ill and ready to die, and he'd done it with such humor and acceptance that I had even felt a sort of peace at his going. I had grieved, yes, but the grief had been tempered by the knowledge that it was what he had wanted.

The old house had stood empty then, while I pursued a career as a Nurse and Layla moving an hour away to our home town and our high school to become a Veterinarian like our mother. I think about high school, it was a great time. I refused to date and just study and have a good time with our friends, Magenta was happy with Lash in Maxville and for that I was happy.

Another more painful memory sprouted, I was living and working in Robertsville, Alabama when I met a man, he was charming and our relationship was far from perfection. But my god, I loved him and by his and my own twentieth birthday he was gone, a mugging gone wrong but then again he was a Hero and I a Heroine, we had so many enemies. It was my fault it was one of my own vengeful, unforgiving enemies who came for him.

I quit my job and retired from duty a fact that hurt our cities, and returned here to the bay, once again finding solace in the unending sea. For some time I had been crippled emotionally, but time and the peaceful life had healed me. Still, feeling no urge to return to the fast-paced life I led before. This was home, and I was happy with what I was doing now.

The heat and humidity were almost stifling, and some days feeling like doing nothing more strenuous than lying in the hammock and fanning myself. Sundown brought some relief, but even that was relative. The night brought a light breeze from the Gulf to cool my heated skin, but it was still too hot to sleep. I had already taken a cool shower, and now I sat on the front porch swing in the dark, lazily keeping the swing moving with occasional movements of my foot. The chains squeaked in time with the chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs; Hades lay on the porch in front of the screen door, dozing and dreaming his doggy dreams. Closing my eyes, enjoying the breeze on my face and thinking of what I could do the next day: pretty much what I had done today, and the day before, but didn't mind the repetition. I had enjoyed the old days of excitement, filled with the peculiar seductive power of danger, yet now I also enjoyed the peace of my present life.

I was one of the best when I played an active role in being a Super, my picture hung with my mothers and one day my sisters would be there too. My friend Honey was a sidekick in the year behind me but hell she was a good friend, she was the only veterinarian here and spent some time on Kevin Michaels farm tending to his animals and maybe him for all I knew.

My long dark hair now hanging lose, my darker green eyes roaming throughout the darkness seeing nothing just the calm breeze.

I spoke, "Hades, think I will go for a walk." all he did was flick an ear at me not even opening an eye. I hadn't really expected him to join me; Hades wasn't a friendly dog, not even with me. He was independent and antisocial, backing away from an outstretched hand with his hackles raised and teeth showing. I had thought he must have been mistreated before he'd shown up in my yard a few years before, but we had formed a truce. I fed him, and he filled the role of guard dog. He still wouldn't allow me to pet him, but he would come instantly to my side if a stranger drove up, and stand there glaring at the intruder until he either decided there was no danger, or the stranger left. When I worked in the garden, Hades was usually close by. It was a partnership based on mutual respect, and both were satisfied with it.

I cut across the yard and took the path that wound down through the tall pines to the beach. Hades wasn't often called on as a guard; few people came to her house, except for the postman. I was at the dead end of an unpaved road that cut through Kevin's property and hers was the only house.

But other than that, I was pretty much left alone, which was one reason she felt comfortable roaming around at night wearing only her underwear and a shirt. My home phone blared sending me back up the front porch steps, few people knew this number, so it was someone important.

A male voice came over the line as soon as I picked it up, "I am looking for Astraea Williams."

I sighed, "This is her and whom am I speaking to?"

"My name is Kellen, I work with The Mantle. As you know we are a league of Hero's and Villains who are determined to not have our planet fall. Your sister and brother in law have gone missing we have tried to locate through com's and it seems they had been left near Port Andrew. We need your help." every nerve was alive racing with power hearing she was gone, missing.

"How long ago did my sister disappear?" I fumed hearing his gulp over the line.

"twenty-four hours."

I snapped, "You will pay for not alerting me within the first thirty of her absence. I will be at Cuppa in the next two hours, be there or I will hunt you down and murder you." each word spat in hate before I slammed the receiver down. My feet pounded the wooden stairs taking the right hall to my room, within five minutes a suitcase and bathroom bag are packed and I am still in a fury flying down the stairs.

Hades had to come, it was never a choice to leave him.

He was no to fond of long car rides but nothing could be done to sooth him, Layla was gone and I was going to get her back.