We flew through the night, finally landing just outside a human village near the southeastern coast of the Isle. Then, we continued on foot for about another hour, the forest thinning the closer we got to the shore. I pulled my dressing gown closer, trying to ward off the cold of the moonlit winter night and trying to not let the worry I felt at seeing Father limping from the wound I could see on his left leg overwhelm me.

"Please," I could not help but desperately pray, "Please don't let me lose him too!"

As I struggled to control my anxiety, we finally arrived at the gates of a good-sized estate, just before dawn. The estate was nowhere the size of our now destroyed castle, but large enough to be imposing. Father hid the ivory box containing the Heart in a pocket inside his cloak, before approaching the gates.

"Father," I breathed, overcome by relief when I realized where we were, "Is it safe to be here? What if he come after them?"

Father paused and looked back at me.

"It will be alright," he replied, coming back to me, placing his arm around my shoulders, and we walked toward the gates together, "We need help if we are to get away and it will up to them if they want to help."

I nodded, trusting his judgement, and followed him up to the gates. Just before we reached them we were stopped by a stern voice.

"Who goes there?" It called out.

Before Father or I could respond, several heavily armed guards stepped out of the shadows of the gates. Father and I stepped closer to the gates so that the light from the lanterns fell over us. Upon recognizing us the guard that called out stopped in surprise and lowered his sword.

"L… Lord Thomas," he stammered in shock, "You're here… You're alright."

"Yes, Captain," Father replied recognizing the Captain of the guard, "Please inform your Lord and Lady that we are here."

"Yes, My Lord," the Captain responded, gesturing to one of the other guards who left on a run.

We were then lead inside to a comfortable drawing room to warm ourselves by the fire as we waited. However, it turned out, we did not have long to wait. As less than two minutes after we were lead inside, running footsteps could be heard outside in the hall. I clung to Father's side as the door was suddenly thrown open and in rushed a man and a woman. Though both were still dressed in bed clothes two things were obvious: They had both been awake for hours and they were the Lord and Lady of this estate. The man was around medium height, with a slight build, clean shaven face, chin length, light brown hair, brown eyes and pale skin. His overall appearance was of a scholar, someone who would not look out of place in a library pouring over dusty volumes.

The woman was tiny, delicate to the point of fragility, with long, white-blonde, hair, ice blue eyes, and skin so pale it was almost translucent. As she turned her head to look at us, an almost overlooked feature became noticeable. White scales, that reflected all the colors of the rainbow when the light hit them, ran down both sides of her face marking her as a dragon.

"Aunt Colleen!" I cried upon seeing her, tears starting to form in my eyes.

Aunt Colleen placed a hand over her mouth, before we both ran the rest of the distance left between us and I was enveloped in a hug so fierce it belied her fragile appearance then, a minute later, Father joined us, his strong arms wrapping around us both.

"Oh, my dear girl," Aunt Colleen whispered, holding me tight against her, "My dear brother. You're safe… you're safe."

It was the tears in her voice that finally broke me. In that moment, the knowledge that we were finally safe opened the flood gates and the sense of loss, the knowledge that Mother, Patrick, and Colin were indeed never coming back, and the pain and confusion that came with it overwhelmed me. I sagged down between them and sobbed.

"You're alright," Aunt Colleen whispered in a comforting tone, reaching up to stroke my hair without letting go of Father, as I leaned down to lay my head on her shoulder, as I was at least half a foot taller than her.

Finally, the three of us broke apart, but only to allow Uncle Sean to join us. He embraced me just as fiercely as Aunt Colleen while grasping Father arm. Several minutes later all four of us parted, with Aunt Colleen and I wiping our tears while Father and Uncle Sean cleared their throats and blinked their suspiciously wet eyes. After this outburst of emotion, I was left shaking with exhaustion.

"My dear," Aunt Colleen said, seeing my exhaustion and the state of my clothes, singed and stained with blood, "You need rest."

"Take my niece upstairs," she then ordered a nearby maid.

I turned to Father for a second, looking for his word.

"Go," he said, "Get cleaned up and rest. I need to talk with your Aunt and Uncle."

I nodded and followed the maid out. Once upstairs, cleaned up and in bed, it did not take long for exhaustion to overwhelm me and I fell asleep.

***Thomas POV***

Thomas watched as Mary was lead out and, when the door closed behind her, sagged back against a wall as the strong façade he had put up to support his daughter finally crumbled. He leaned against the wall, to take his weight off his injured leg, and placed a hand over his eyes, trying to control the heart wrenching anguish that threatened to overwhelm him. After a minute a gentle hand was laid on his arm and he lowered his hand to look down into his sister's pale, blue, eyes. Looking at her it was almost difficult to believe that she was the older of the two siblings.

One hundred years older than him, Colleen was actually first born of all three siblings, older than Ciaran by only twenty minutes being his older twin. Colleen, however, had been small and sickly upon birth. So small, in fact, that the physician was not sure she would survive. But, survive she did, though she never grew to be a very strong demon, taking about twice as long as usual to achieve her true dragon form. Since a son had been born, Colleen was not expected to be subjected to the trials and because of her poor health no one really expected her to do much other than become a spinster in her father's house, as no one expected her to find anyone who would want to mate such a small, weak, demoness some of the courtiers would sneer behind her back.

As much as Ciaran was praised, almost worshipped, for his power, good looks, and rare black dragon form, Colleen was scorned for size, lack of power and color. Therefore, it was a joyful day when Sean, the youngest, more scholarly, son of a local lesser shifter demon lord, came and asked for permission to court Colleen. He turned out to be just the sort of protective, gentle, and quiet demon she needed and it was not long before Sean asked to take Colleen as his mate. After the mating ceremony, Sean had moved his new mate out to his family's southern estate as the warmer weather was better for her health.

Because of Colleen's health, she had never been able to bear Sean any young, so they both loved and treated Thomas' children and the children of Sean's brothers and sisters as their own, as Thomas' mate was also third cousin to Sean and it was through Sean that she and Thomas had met.

"Thomas," Colleen said, drawing him out of his thoughts and anguish, "You need to be seen to as well. Then we will talk."

Thomas looked at his older sister and knew it would be useless to argue, because, despite of her frail appearance, she had a will of iron.

About an hour later, all three sat in an upstairs salon with strong tea and food. Thomas' leg had been tended to and provided with clean clothes, having decided to allow Mary to sleep as long as possible so they could talk.

"So, he's returned?" Colleen asked rhetorically, "I am so sorry about Catherine and the boys."

Thomas swallowed hard, memories of seeing Patrick's lifeless body being carried from the castle like a trophy and seeing Colin and Catherine on the floor of the guard room flooding his mind. He took a deep breath as Sean, his own emotions showing in his eyes, reached out to take Colleen's hand as she fought her emotions as well.

"What will you do?" Colleen asked once she had regained control.

"Leave the Isle," Thomas responded

Colleen and Sen looked at Thomas, aghast.

"Thomas," Sean questioned, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he responded in a tone that brokered no argument, "I must protect my daughter. She is all I have left. Not only that but she is also now the Key. Though I worry for her, this is not the life she has been raised for. But, this what the Heart is leading me to do."

Colleen nodded, having grown up learning about the Heart. She closed her eyes, trying to swallow the anguish that she felt at the thought of Thomas and Mary leaving the Isle, most likely not to return for a long time, when a distinct feeling of peace fell over her.

"It's alright," she heard a whisper that almost sounded like her father, "Let them go… help them."

Thomas, feeling the power of the Heart surge suddenly, looked up to see an odd look on Colleen's face.

"Was that…" Colleen questioned in awe.

"The Heart," Thomas affirmed.

"All my life," Colleen whispered, "I always have wanted… dreamed…"

Colleen shook off the awe that swept through her as a new determination flooded through her. She knew what they needed to do.

"We will help," Colleen affirmed, before turning to her mate, "We need to help them."

Sean, seeing the look on his mate's face, nodded. He knew that many people only saw her physical weakness and missed the incredible intelligence she possessed.

"You two must leave with us," Thomas suggested, "We will head east, you two should head north to Sean's family."

"No," Sean replied, knowing that Ciaran's men would catch up to Thomas and Mary of someone did not delay them, "We will see you safely away first."

"He will come here once he realizes that Mary and I are not in the castle," Thomas replied, "And he will not be reasoned with. I have tried."

"Don't you worry about us, we will be alright," Colleen reassured him with confidence in her tone, "And don't you worry about my girl, she may be a Shifter like her mother, but she has the fortitude and disposition of a dragon!"

Thomas nodded, taking comfort from his older sister's words.

"Come now," Colleen said raising to her feet, "You need to rest."

***Colleen POV***

That night, Colleen and Sean watched as Thomas and Mary prepared to leave with some servants. The plan being that they would travel in disguise the rest of the way to the coast before leaving the company, transforming to fly to the neighboring isle of Britannia. They provided the two with clothes and several purses of gold and silver to hopefully see them through. Colleen hugged her brother and niece one last time before watching them disappear into the darkness and a terrible feeling came over her in that moment, and she knew, somehow, that it was the last time she would ever see them.

Colleen shook off the feeling, thinking it was just melancholy over their leaving, and headed back to the house to prepare for her and Sean's departure. It was about two hours later, when they were about to leave, when a guard came flying in the upstairs room.

"The estate is under attack!" the guard shouted.

"What!" Colleen gasped, shocked that Ciaran's men could have approached so swiftly.

Suddenly there was a loud roar outside and the door to the lower hall flew off its hinges as a large boulder flew in.

"Get Lady Colleen to a safe place!" Sean ordered.

"Sean!" Colleen cried, fear flooding for her mate flooding through her.

Sean was a scholar not a warrior, this she knew, it was one of the things she loved about him.

"On my life, I will keep you safe!" Sean declared, coming to embrace her.

Colleen nodded before standing on her tip toes to kiss him.

"Be careful, my love," Colleen whispered to him, "And come back to me."

"I love you," Sean replied, knowing that he could not promise to return.

For hours Colleen waited in a room deep in the estate, surrounded by her guards. She could hear the distant sounds of the battle and prayed. She prayed for the men fighting to protect their home and her. But she prayed the most for Sean, as she so wanted to see him again. Suddenly, the sounds of the battle quieted and Colleen looked toward the door, hoping to hear Sean's coded knock telling them that all was safe. Everyone in the room was tense in that moment, when suddenly the door flew open and a flood of men in black armor ran into the room. The battle was short and brutal, when it was all over her guards lay dead. Two men came forward, towering over her, and grabbed her by the arms.

"What should we do with this one?' one asked.

"The Lady of the Manor," the other replied, fingering the edge of her sleeve, "The General will want to talk to her."

With that they hauled her from the room and down the hall. She turned her head, trying to unsee the dead men lining the hall, men who had died protecting her as guilt rose up in her. Finally, they forced me through the doors to the receiving room where she and Sean would greet important visitors. There, sitting in a large chair next to a window, as if he were a king, was Ciaran. Though they were twins, Ciaran was her opposite in every way with his jet-black hair, blood red eyes and tanned skin.

Ciaran turned and smiled at Colleen as if he were just there for a pleasant visit.

"Hello, sister," he greeted her in a friendly tone, "Long time."

Colleen, however, was not fooled as she knew just how cruel and vicious Ciaran could be.

"Where is Sean?" she demanded and Ciaran's smile turned cruel as he looked at something in his hand.

"Poor Colleen," he practically purred, "You should have chosen a stronger mate."

Colleen started to shake.

"No," Colleen thought, anguish and denial flooding through her, "Please no!"

"But, then again," Ciaran continued, taking pleasure in Colleen reaction, "Someone stronger wouldn't have even noticed you."

Ciaran tossed what was in his hand at Colleen, who caught it out of reflex. She looked at it and gasped, as pain stabbed her heart. There in her hand was a ring she had given Sean for his last birthday, he never took it off and now it was covered in blood.

"How could you?" Colleen said, trying to hide her sorrow knowing that Ciaran would just enjoy it, "What do you want?"

"Come on, Colleen," Ciaran crooned, rolling his eyes at her, "Your weak but not stupid."

Colleen looked at him, trying to look like she had no idea what he was about, while rejoicing at the fact that Ciaran and his men had not figured out which way Thomas and Mary had gone.

"Where has our dear little brother gone?" Ciaran sneered, "I know he and one of his children survived. A daughter, right?"

Colleen was not surprised at what Ciaran knew, he would not have mounted such an attack without full knowledge. He was cruel but not stupid.

"I have no idea," Colleen answered, lifting her chin, knowing that the longer she stalled him the farther away Thomas and Mary would get.

Ciaran's look changed in a heartbeat, no longer keeping up the façade of friendliness, and closed the distance between them before Colleen could blink. He suddenly backhanded her across the face, sending her tumbling to the floor.

"Do not lie to me, Colleen, you two have always been as thick as thieves," Ciaran snarled, "As my twin you should have been on my side. You should have supported ME!"

"Supported you?" Colleen replied, getting back to her feet, spitting out some blood that now flowed from her split lip, "Thomas was chosen by the Heart to be Keeper! YOU should have supported HIM! He's your brother!"

"It should have been ME!" Ciaran raged at her, insanity burning in his eyes, "I am the first-born son! I should have been chosen! I am stronger, better, than him! He could not even protect his own family!"

"You may have been the firstborn son," Colleen snarled back, clenching her small fists, "But I am the FIRSTBORN! I know who I am supposed to support! The Heart spoke to ME! You are nothing but a fool!"

Ciaran glared at Colleen before drawing his sword.

"Let me tell you what should have happened to you," he growled, looking down at his sword before suddenly lunging forward and stabbing her through the chest, "You should have been killed as a babe like the pathetic runt you are!"

Colleen gasped and slumped down as Ciaran pulled his sword out of her chest.

"Search the estate and the surrounding grounds, then burn it to the ground!" Ciaran ordered, stepping over his dying sister to stomp out of the room

Colleen opened her hand and looked at the ring in her hand, knowing that she would be joining her beloved mate soon and as her vision darkened her sent one last prayer.

"Please protect Thomas and Mary," she prayed as her breaths became short, "Let them have gotten away."

Colleen gasped one last time and then breathed no more, her half open eyes still looking toward the ring in her hand.