I own none of the original.
Harmony's POV
I shook with fear and frustration as I gazed at my newest opponent. For a dream, my subconscious had created an arena of sorts that targeted any and all of my weaknesses. I was up against the last fighter, which showed how much I could battle and not get too hurt. Like I said, though, my subconscious targeted each of my weaknesses. This last one was especially hard.
Sizing him up, I lunged. Abruptly, the scene changed, and I slammed into what seemed to be a glass wall. A viewing room, I thought, my eyes sweeping over the landscape. It was a manmade garden, the pots of fake plants placed beside the holders of real. The garden shriveled and died – even the fake. The wyldwood replaced it, but still I was in that glass prison. Kierran? I wondered, tracking his every move. He mirrored his father perfectly.
If this was a hunt, he would have weapons. No, he was searching for something else, I decided.
Before I could find out what the dream could mean, I woke up. Kierran's presence held strong outside the door. I closed my eyes and checked on the lockdown field. My eyes snapped open with surprise to find it just as powerful, if not more, as my own. Kierran really did use the same glamour as me.
I sighed. I hope Celeste can tell us what we need to know! As I stood, my clothes changed into my usual casual/battle mix.
"Harmony, are you okay?"
Walking out to join him, I nodded. "As fine as I'll ever be," I answered, like I did whenever someone had the chance to ask me.
Purposely, his shoulder brushed mine. I looked sharply at him. "What's wrong?" he inquired, holding my gaze calmly.
"Nothing," was what a human would say. Part faery or whatever I was, I still could not lie, no matter how badly I wanted. Instead I asked, "What do you mean?"
"I know something is upsetting you. What's wrong?"
I turned away. "It's unnerving to think that… Never mind." At least I could twist the truth to the point where it was too confusing. Or keep it to myself entirely.
Kierran reached for my wrist, turning me back to him. "Is it the promise? You can release me from it whenever you want… but I would probably just follow you anyway."
"No… well, not entirely. It's just–" I sighed and shook my head.
His fingers threaded through mine. "It doesn't matter if you create harmony or chaos. It just depends on you." He appeared surprised to hear himself say that, but he did not move away.
Warmth flowed through my veins; I wondered how he could have such a calming effect. Not even Puck and Ash, whom I had known forever, could keep me at bay. Usually I would have had to make a kill by now in order to maintain whatever sanity I held. Yet Kierran almost instantly snuffed out that flame and replaced it with another spark. Could he hold the difference between harmony and chaos for me? Would he be the savior that some people always talked about?
I was too puzzled to fully process anything, and he seemed content to let the silence grow. Looking down at our clasped hands, I arched an eyebrow. What had happened to the ruthless murderess? Who was this new being?
Pulling me with him through a portal I hadn't notice him open, he said, "C'mon. Lockdown is over." We melted into the crowd of New York City, using glamour to seem like one of them.
My frozen state of shock disappeared. "Don't let me kill any of them," I whispered, nodding to the people milling about around us.
He smiled. "You'd have to break free of me first." He squeezed my hand.
Feeling lighter without the weight of the urge to kill, I began to look for Celeste.