"I have vowed to kill them all."

My head burned like a stone of fire had been shoved into with no more and no less instruction than to just burn and burn and burn until I could only moan and hold my skull pressed tight between my knees. What did Jeribah mean? What chaos was this? Kill? Kill my line? I had no line.

I was my line.

Jeribah moved closer, all but rustling like a tall black tree in the wind. The water? I still did not understand where we were. Beneath the stream. How could he come beneath the stream? "Don't worry, Princess." His voice was like ice. "The moonlight gives me power, but you still have hours left of life. I prefer the light of the sun. Much can be seen and done in the light of the sun."

"Light," I heard myself murmur.

"Of course light." It was practically a command; I didn't understand how. "It was is your people, silly girl, that work by night, by sleep. It is how that warrior infiltrated us." His fingers, long and powerful, twisted into a fist. "But light remains."

He knew nothing of light. But why I couldn't I say that?

"I'll let you stay here till the morning." He gestured broadly at the rock. "I have no doubt you will be comfortable. And when you are dead, my revenge will be complete. When all of the Usurper's line is dead."

For the first time since the stream had swallowed me I felt a scream burst forth from my mouth. It rebounded and echoed again and again like in some sick canyon and all Jeribah did was stand there, smiling down at me past his long nose. I hated him, I hate him, I hated him. He wasn't light. He couldn't be light. Light didn't do this. Light was supposed to be good.

And when I was done screaming, he once again spoke. "Scream all you like, girl. Scream all you like and want and fear. It won't do you any good. I've worked too hard to bring peace back to my realm for the panic of a little mortal child to do anything."

Mom. I hadn't thought of her in so long. Mom, up in Canada with her new job and the new green Chevy Tahoe of which she had sent me a picture. Mom wasn't dead. I couldn't speak that. I could barely trust Jeribah not to hear my thoughts.

Maybe he did. Maybe that is why I wasn't so surprised when a new patch of darkness gave away to hideous light.

"Once you are all dead."

She was there. My mother. All beautiful like she should be and how I last saw her. Another scream wished itself to be free, but my lips wouldn't cooperate. How…?

Her eyes, big and bright and somehow regal, found mine, and tears gave way.

What happened to British Columbia?

Nevada. Silent, only the workings of her mouth. But she was screaming, that much was evident. She was on her feet, running toward me… But she couldn't come any further. She was there, fists and nails pounding and scratching into the air, against something invisible something keeping her too far away from me.

I was up as well, and the same went for me. Hard, like ice or stone, and much too warm. My headache was gone as I called to her. She seemed miles away. Si, es yo. I only mouthed. She couldn't hear me.

"She is still in the north. She's knows only what you know."

Jeribah. I had forgotten he was still there. Once again I hated him. He had my mother.

I found myself turning into him, staring back at him. "You have her. Why is she here?"

"She is still in the north," he repeated. "A thousand miles from your mortal realm. But she still can wander into mine. How can you both know so little of who you are?" He raised a hand, and Mom disappeared into the darkness. Like being eaten.

The scream freed itself, and I threw myself toward where she had been. Nothing. "What have you done with her?"

"Took her from your sight. Nothing more than a trick of the light."

I raked my hands toward his face. "I'd trick that up your ass—"

Jeribah stumbled. But I hadn't touched him. I fell back, tasting fear.

Hunter's little toy. It was back. So big. Not little. Tall and green with armor of leaves… attacking Jeribah.

Jeribah was surprised, I could tell that much. I felt his arm cut the air as he twirled around to slug the leaf warrior—the Green Warrior, Jeribah had called it—in what had to be considered the face.

But magic…

No, it was magic. Smoke billowed from the Green Warrior, thick and grey and choking. But the warrior held on, squeezing a veiny fist around the neck. Could Jeribah really be choked? For a moment he was still, then twisted again like some bug among falling leaves. And a black bird flew out of the struggle, speeding toward me.

I swung my hand at it as I dropped to the ground. Blood trickled from my hand where the beak had cut me. Damn it. My eyes flew to the bird.

It was frozen, mid-air, though its eyes still wiggled like fireflies in the darkness. A green leaf rested on its head.

But how?

The Green Warrior. But it wasn't the Green Warrior, my champion of leaves. Even as I turned to watch, the green leaves melted away till only a tiny simulacrum of leaves and twigs clattered to the ground. And yet someone still stood in its place.

"Hunter?" I whispered.

He smiled down at me, almost sheepishly. "I'm afraid so." He bent to pick up his toy.

My head spun. "It was… you?"

He shook his head, hurrying to my side and yanking me up. "I don't have time to explain the magic. But yes, it was me. But I can't tell you now. The spell will only hold a minute."

I glanced back at the frozen Jeribah. "But my mom. I saw her."

"We'll come back for her later. When we're more prepared. We can't get to her now." He closed his eyes, sighing. "I was so worried, Nev. When your little spirit friends found me, I didn't know what to think. I thought—"

I didn't get to hear what he thought. Instead, he just leaned down and kissed me.

Something about this wasn't right. Several things. Jeribah watching us, ready to burst free. And Roy. And Hunter. Why was this?

I was still dreaming.

Roy was in the last dream. He wouldn't mind this, would he? And I didn't want, did I? I wasn't kissing back, was I? I didn't understand.

I wasn't pushing away.

And then it was over. He stared down at me, blush creeping down from his red hair. "I'm sorry." He grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. "We really need to go. I shouldn't have done that."

My mouth was still tingling. This wasn't right. I couldn't even speak, couldn't reply to him. My heart was pounding too fast for that.

Hunter? Him?

We ran through the darkness—somehow Hunter could break through, though I felt it pushing down on me with each step. What about the light Jeribah had mentioned? His precious light?

A shriek echoed behind us. Jeribah was free, tearing after us like a bat out of hell.

"Faster!" Hunter commanded.

"You are mine!" Jeribah shouted.

Hunter threw me before him, pushing me away. I dizzied a few running steps before falling to the ground. Onto dirt.

I looked up. Stars. Moon. White Winter Ranch in the distance.

And behind me…

I turned around just in time to see Hunter swallowed up in the blinding black robes of Jeribah.

SHOUT OUTS!

letylyf: Thanks! I promise more will be explained as the story passes.

krenya: Yes, Jeribah is still a bad guy. He may have a reason to feel the way he does, but he is still doing evil.

fell4adeadguy: Yeah, you do almost have to pity Jeribah. I bed he'd be nice if I gave him a girlfriend to smack him around.