I'm sorry this chapter is short, but I'm working on a much longer one to follow, so it's just a little filler to keep you all going:) again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far - your amazing comments always make me smile!

Rhydians POV

As I sprint through the trees, my heart pounds with each step, and I can hear Maddy hooting with laughter, see her flying through the air with every bound. I howl alongside her, the excitement of our race bursting out in cries of joy. Throwing one hand up, I brush my fingers through the feathery leaves of an oncoming tree and breathe in their fresh scent. When I turn back to her, I see Maddy beaming, rolling her eyes at my childish glee.

A distraction tactic - I almost don't see the fallen trunk.

"Cheat!" I scream, launching myself from the ground at the last second and springing over it by my hands. I tumble through the air, watching as the world spins.

"Show off!" Maddy counters, now a good ten metres ahead - but two can play this game. Deliberately throwing myself to the floor, I tip my head back and bay bay at the pastel sky; a signal of pain or distress. If I know Maddy...

"Rhydian!" she shrieks, rushing to my side and dropping to her knees. "Are you -" her voice falters as I shoot to my feet, grinning. "Don't do that!" she wails, scowling as she swats at me - but I'm already darting off. Savouring my victory, I crow tauntingly with mirth. That is, until I feel tiny fingers knot themselves into my hair and pull, yanking me backwards. I topple to the ground, landing square on my back.

"You win!" I groan, clutching my sides as I try to catch my breath. I'm not hurt, just a little winded. Maddy must decide I mean it, because she's beside me in an instant, offering her small hand to help me up. She smiles sheepishly in apology, and I gratefully accept the help.

"Sorry," she says, "I guess I just got carried away!"

"Just a bit!" I smile sarcastically, glancing at the honey in her eyes and listening to the the quiet panting of her breaths.

"You're one to talk," she scoffs, "have you seen your hands lately?"

"Point taken," I allow, noticing the liquid midnight tint to my veins.

"Good." Maddy smirks, and as she speaks, I watch her eyes melt slowly into their usual cocoa tones. They gleam, flashing bronze and tawny as their colour shifts.

Gorgeous

"You're beautiful, you know that?" I blurt.

"Where did that come from?" she asks, her cheeks flushing a dusky pink - but I'm sure I see her smile faintly as she ducks her head, looking at the ground.

"Just you," I shrug, gently lifting her chin with one curled finger. I leave it there, leaning in to kiss her softly. Her hands move to rest against my chest, little spots of heat that radiate right through me, warming my heart and the air around us. I feel a desperate longing stir somewhere inside me, and pull her closer, deepening the kiss. When we break apart, I catch her hands in mine and lace my fingers through hers. They stay linked, dropping to swing between us, and we stand like this beneath the trees for what feels like eternity.

"Rhydian, do you hear it?" whispers Maddy, eventually breaking the restful silence between us.

"Hear what, Mads?" I ask, suddenly on guard - though I can't sense anything dangerous.

"Music." she says simply. "Listen."

So I do - and she's right; the rhythmic murmuring of the wind, the way it winds through the fragile leaves surrounding us, and even the calls of the birds above us... It's like music. I smile, closing my eyes and letting it wash over me. Then it comes to me.

"Madeline Smith," I begin, opening my eyes, "can I have this dance?"

"Why certainly, Mr Morris." she smiles, stepping closer as I rest my hands on her waist. She lets hers fold against the back of my neck, and we sway slowly in a small circle - as of we're floating in a still lake. Our private song of wind and earth wraps around us, infusing the woods with a dreamlike quality.

It's magic - until the spell is broken.

From somewhere to our left, I hear frantic footsteps, heavy against the forests carpet of soil and soot.

"Maddy!" calls a voice - high and panicked, female. Then another, deeper this time - male. Again and again the pair cry urgently for Maddy. Instinctively, I clutch her tighter, holding her as close as I dare. She begins to sob into my shoulder, and that's when I know.

It's her parents.

Our time is up.