Disclaimer: I gain no profits from this piece and only own the story and my own added two characters. The rest belongs to Christine Feehan, she is soooo lucky.
AN: Sorry for the wait. This chapter was harder for me to write and I couldn't just seem to get it right. I would like to give a special thanks to Lotus Kiss whose is my best friend and now Beta. She helps me a lot with this fic and without her it wouldn't be here. Please enjoy and review!
Chapter 2
Amanda's eyes widened and a smile graced her lips, of course he had figured out her name. She had never intentionally kept her name from him, but at the same time, she realized, he had never asked for hers as she had his. His smile grew and he shook his hand ever so slightly as to put her attention back to the task at hand. Amanda reached out without any hesitation and drew Kayden up and towards her. She embraced him and as time passed her embrace became tighter. A certain relief flooded through her and she was brought down to her knees, her legs could no longer hold her. It wasn't 'til his tiny hands wiped at her face that she felt the tears on her face.
"Do not cry, you made it this far. You made it here to me and I knew you would. You'll get me home Amanda, you will." Kayden verbalized in a comforting manner. "We will need to head to the mountains, not here, but across the waters. That is where my people are, at least that is what my parents would tell me and they would never lie. I honestly don't remember much of my people, the memories of there are distant, but I'm sure that is where we must go."
Amanda noticed the slightest hint of doubt in Kayden, and instantly blamed herself for lack of encouragement on her part. She had come to rely on him instead of allowing it to be the other way around, as it should. Thanks to what he had taught her through their telepathic link she knew how to give him warmth and comfort. From now on she would be as much his anchor as he was hers. So she sucked it up, stilled her tears, and gave him the most honest smile she could. "Then across the seas we will go." And with that they were able to sleep a better sleep than either had had in a long timeā¦
~~~*~~~
The sun would be setting soon was the first thought through her mind. Amanda could still feel Kayden in her embrace, still tightly tucked under her, protected from the sun's irritating rays and the slight chill of the fall afternoon. She knew that their shelter, a box or rather crate with several layers of blankets and the corner of the seemingly always dark alley way, kept enough sun out that Kayden wasn't in any immediate danger. He had told her that the adults of his race slept during the day due to the suns damaging rays, but that his blood was diluted and the sun's effect wasn't nearly as strong. Amanda knew that Kayden was reluctant to go into details on how that could be, but she sensed that the reluctance came from lack of knowledge not the unwillingness to share it. So she didn't press the issue, although she did store it for later thought, and encouraged Kayden to teach her other things about his race. Kayden, though, could not really tell much more. He told her that some were healers and that his parents wanted to get him back soon so that maybe he could be fixed. The word fixed had struck her as odd and was another item she stored for a later time.
Amanda slowly opened her eyes just as the last rays of the day were pulled beyond the horizon. She felt Kayden start to shift in her arms and slowly release her grip giving Kayden more room to stretch as he awoke. Amanda reached out to connect her mind with his. Good evening little one, are you ready to leave this place for good? I know I would feel a lot safer many miles from this place, it gives off to much evil for my likening. And without disappointment he immediately responded with warm impression of yes. Amanda then placed Kayden on the slightly cooler ground and made her way out of their shelter allowing her body to work out all of the kinks and stiffness. She gazed about the alley double checking its security before allowing Kayden to follow her.
"I suppose our first course of action would be securing a way across the waters. Unfortunately I don't have much money on me at the moment, but I do have some saved up, so we will have to stop by a bank." Kayden noticed the slight quivering in Amanda's voice and took her hand. You won't be alone in this Amanda, I will be beside you. All you have to do is squeeze my hand if you get scared. It was the worry in his voice that snapped Amanda out of her past and back to Kayden, back to the present. She was doing it again, relying on him way too much, forgetting his age was too easy. Thank you. You always know just what to say. Amanda smiled down at their linked hands and with that they walked hand in hand into the night. Walking towards a better future for both of them and knowing whatever happened they had each other.
~~~*~~~
The room bustled with noise and people, even giving the late hour, as Amanda and Kayden entered the bank. Their hands still tightly clasped together they slowly made their way to the bank teller line. While waiting Kayden took the chance to observe the people and their odd habits. The way they walked to and fro bumping into each other or just narrowly missing one another. Amanda, on the other hand, located all of the exits and quickly calculated in her head the time it would take to reach each, taking into account the amount of people and their possible actions in case of frantic behavior. Once they finally made it to a teller Amanda withdrew all of her money and closed her account, figuring she wouldn't need it anytime soon. This of course took some time and it was almost eight o'clock by the time they left. Unfortunately, this meant they would have to get passports and plane tickets tonight, but they could still supply shop. They would both need clothes and traveling bags. Other necessities would have to wait until they landed in Europe. Knowing Kayden wouldn't be able to give her more information until they left here, she figured that was their best first stop.
Together they walked in and out of the many stores the local mall had to offer and were able to acquire. Amanda allowed Kayden to pick up his five favorite outfits, allowing him the joy of four year old clothe shopping, and then selected three more practical ones in case of any outdoor excursions they may have to traverse. She then selected five outfits for herself that would work for almost any situation and then they moved on to bags. Kayden was instantly in love when his eyes fell on a spider-man book bag and Amanda didn't have the heart to say no when he asked for it. She then picked out a hiking bag large enough for all of their stuff with a little extra room for later items. After having purchased all the items she felt they needed for the night they left the mall and headed back to their tiny corner of the world only stopping for food along the way. Once there the two of them settled in and placed their new items in a safe place before turning in. They would have to rise a little earlier tomorrow that they could finally leave this place for good.
