The balcony door that was slightly cracked had allowed the chilling night breeze to hit Kylie's sweaty bare skin. In response she reached for the blanket to cover her exposed shoulder. It was so cold. Why, she thought.
She shivered again and her hand wiped her forehead from the cool sweat. She realized it was from her recently horrible dream. Thinking about it just gave her more chills. In her dream, she had been lost in the forest with only whispers accusing her of not doing her best to keep Tyler safe. And no matter how hard she tried to find a way out, she seemed to just go further in the woods and stay lost.
Kylie rolled over to Tyler's side of the bed to not only steal his heat from his warm body, but to feel secure again.
Her eyes opened in alarm as her hand shot over to find out that she lay in cool sheets of an empty bed. Kylie called out softly, "Tyler?"
Lifting her messy head of hair up, she noticed the bathroom light was on and the door was ajar. He was in the bathroom. Relief washed over her sleepy eyes and she slipped off the bed, to shut the glass door to the balcony. The dream really had sent her on edge.
The sheer white material of the curtains rippled in the breeze when Kylie glanced outside Tyler's huge back yard. Kylie shuddered from the unpleasantly cold air and was about to close the door when she spotted something shiny out in the field. With her interest peeked up, she slowly approach the railing of the balcony for a better look. Was it fireflies? If so, the fireflies were lump together unusually tightly for their species.
No, it was a trail of gold mist was leading a shadowy object into the dark forest. Squinting her eyes, Kylie noticed it was a man. Goosebumps trailed up her arm as her unique pull yanked to that certain man walking into the unknown. Tyler!
Running down the stairs in her silk nightgown and robe, Kylie began to raid Tyler's kitchen for a knife. Shuffling through the drawers, Kylie muttered in rage, "Why did they decide to remodel this kitchen now?!"
Finally her hand had grasped onto two knives and footsteps were coming to the door. She raised the one knife up and Reid stood there confused and dazed by the bright light. "Hey Kylie. What are you up too?"
She pushed past Reid and explained, "Tyler's outside and Gabriel is behind it. I can sense him now."
Reid shifted in a defensive stance as Thea stood beside Reid, looking just as disheveled as Kylie felt. Thea stated, "We're going with you." Kylie bobbed her head in response and didn't want to lose any more time talking. Tyler was in trouble and she wasn't going to let her horrible nightmares become a reality.
…
A light snore echoed throughout their dark bedroom. Chase glanced down at his beautiful fiancé while her mouth stayed slightly open to slip her soft snores out. Chase eye's shift up to the ceiling as he cradle Serenity in his arms. He wasn't awake because of her endearing/ non-existent snoring. No, something else had stirred him out of his peaceful sleep.
He could swear it was the same power surge he felt the night Valerie had been murdered. But it was so faint that he might have imagined it. Reaching over to his nightstand, he text Caleb to see if he wasn't as crazy as he thought.
Did you sense anything unusual?
Chase waited for a response and all of a sudden Serenity turned into his side letting a huge snort escape. He smirked at his girl. The intensity of her snort stirred herself up brutally and her eyes opened to Chase confused. She asked groggy, "What? What are you doing up?"
Chase pointed to his phone and said, "Waiting for Caleb to respond to my text." His phone buzzed and he read with Serenity peeking at it too.
Yes, I did. Rae's been having some strong visions of Kylie and Tyler. Meet at Tyler's in five.
Serenity pecked Chase on the lips and said, "I'll drop off the kids and meet you there."
Chase's hand caressed the side of her face gently and he said, "Be careful, Cheri."
…
A couple steps ahead of them, Tyler slowly walked in the gold mist and Kylie sprinted close to Tyler. Thea observed he wasn't his normal happy self, instead his dark blue eyes were clouded with gold and his face remained blank. Just as his emotionless face, his body was empty of any emotion. Kind of like a husk, Thea thought.
Kylie was about to shake Tyler when Reid said, "I got this Kylie."
He quickly went to pick up Tyler and carry him back to safety, but suddenly Reid dropped to the ground shaking. In surprise, Thea and Kylie kneeled down to Reid, who seemed to been electrified?
Thea bellowed, "Reid!?"
They watched hopelessly as Reid squirmed on the ground. He clenched his teeth together and asked, "What happened?"
Thea shook her head, "I guess the gold mist shocked you from trying to interrupt." Thea glanced over to Kylie, who was restraining every fiber of her body to just take off after Tyler again. Thea announced, "We should call for back up right now."
Kylie's eyes glanced back to Tyler who picked up to a faster pace. On edge Kylie announced, "I can't waste any more time. I have to keep up with him Thea."
She started to dash off and Thea eyes dropped to Reid, who said shuddering, "Go."
Thea nodded her head and placed the phone next to Reid. She had to protect both of them from Rae's terrifying vision. Thea said with her fierce eyes, "Call them as soon as you can." Reid shook his head and Thea took off to follow Kylie's trail.
Slowing down in her clumsy jog, Kylie was throwing her hands in the air in frustration. The rope bridge had been cut, allowing the passage over the gap to be gone. Thea assessed the drop off and knew even with a running start they wouldn't make it.
Thea said, "We'll have to go back and get Serenity." When turning toward Kylie, she gawked as Kylie jet off toward the cliff. "No, Kylie!"
Thea raised her hands to her face in horror as her sister threw herself over the break. But instead of witnessing Kylie falling down the deadly cliff, Thea watched in awe as Kylie seemed to be stepping on the air until she landed on the other side. It was such an unnatural performance.
Turning her head toward Thea, Kylie smiled in surprise that she had made it too.
Quickly Kylie kept running beyond her sight and Thea kicked a stone into the massive gap. She had just failed at keeping an eye on Kylie and Tyler. With nothing she could do about it, Thea turned back to Reid hoping the others were already there or at least on their way.
In her sight, Caleb and Rae were the first on the scene and they were helping Reid back to his legs. Thea wrapped his arm around her shoulder since Reid's legs were still shaking from the previous hit. Thea said anger with herself, "I lost them both."
Rae placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's not over yet. From what I see Gabriel won't do anything until Kylie reaches them."
Rae's lips pressed together as Caleb stated, "It's a trap."
…
Crouching behind a tree, Kylie observed Tyler lying on the ground unconscious and Gabriel stood a good ten feet away facing a lake. He was fully concentrating on the moon as the mumble under his breath. She glanced back at Tyler with her heart racing at her thought. Run, grab and go.
Taking a step out, the wind suddenly blew violently as the temperature dropped so low that Kylie could see her own breath. Checking on Gabriel again, his arms were raised up and the sky's blue color began to turn maroon which led to a blood red. Fire began to dance around the bright orange-red moon. It gave a new meaning to a harvest moon, she thought in awe. The orbiting flames plumaged down to the lake and a ring of fire formed.
Being so mesmerized by the fire Kylie was caught off guard when Gabriel turned his head suddenly, catching Kylie in plain sight.
"Why don't you stay awhile?" He said with the fire lighting his dark eyes. Tyler began to stir awake and her body subconsciously shifted toward Tyler.
She said sarcastically, "Oh, we have things to do, people to see. Busy, busy, busy." Kylie pulled out her knives and added," I don't think we should over stay our welcome."
Gabriel laughed and replied menacing, "I'm glad your sense of humor hasn't left after the incident with O'Connell. I do apologize for that utmost mistake. It's so hard to find good help these days." He disappeared in a blink of an eye and now stood before her. Kylie's lips pursed at his cruel comment as he continued to say, "I'm glad we can finally talk face to face again."
Before she could plumage the knife into his chest, his unnatural force of magic made her ridged, which allowed Gabriel to slowly walked around and touch her wild fiery hair. His cold fingers slowly drew back her hair from the nape of her neck and his lips hovered over her skin. "The restraints really do put a damper on our relationship."
"Don't you touch her," Tyler yelled in rage as his eyes flickered black.
"Tyler, I can handle it. Get out of here now," Kylie mustard to warn him even though she wasn't in control of her movements.
Gabriel glanced over amused and replied, "Ah, the true son of Ipswich has finally awakened." He leisurely strolled closer to Tyler and mocked, "Oh let him stay Kylie."
Gabriel's eyes shifted toward the lake giving Tyler a chance to make full eye contact with her. Kylie begged with her eyes and mouthed the words, "Please save yourself."
Tyler shook his head and worded back, "Not without you." Why did he have to be so stubborn, she thought angry.
"Yes," Gabriel whispered. He shifted his cold glare at Tyler and added, "You wouldn't want him to miss all the fun!" An orb of his power flew at Tyler, but with Tyler's fast reflexes he deflected it up. Tyler charging toward Gabriel released three shots and one successfully knocked Gabriel back to the ground.
"Lucky shot," Gabriel grinned after he spat out blood.
While they fought one on one, Kylie had broke free from under Gabriel's control, but now she had other matters to attend too. What was stopping her from her mission you may ask?
From the ring of fire, creatures of mud had emerged from its depths. They were easy to kill, but it was just the numbers of them ganging up on you made it a challenge. She whipped around kicking one of the demons down, but in the process she lost a shoe. Without a thought she turned to her right and slashed the next one by her. Chopping two more heads off the mud zombies she estimated five of them coming for her next.
Flipping back to get some breathing room, she got a glance at Tyler forming a chain from his power to choke Gabriel, but instead of it wrapping around his neck, it landed on his arm. In an instant, Gabriel reeled Tyler in and did a power punch blowing him back.
Unfortunately, Kylie couldn't say she was having the greatest luck with a sudden punch in the gut. Kneeling down on her knees, Kylie struggled to intake air into her body. With all the confusion, she heard Gabriel say out of breath, "Maybe I need to hit you were it hurts!"
"No! Kylie, look out!" Tyler yelled. Kylie only got a glance at the orb in front of her and she covered her head in reaction. With force, Kylie flew into the air and twirled to the ground.
Opening her eyes, everything was moving around and was blurry. Only thing that stayed constant was the piercing noise that rung through her ears. And no matter how much she covered her ears, it wouldn't go away.
Trying to focus on her surroundings, lots of movement of fighting had broken out. Both the covenant and the guardians had made it in time and were now facing the demons from the lake. Crawling up on her knees, Kylie eyes landed across the field, where Tyler was still fighting Gabriel with ferociousness. Stumbling to get up, she wielded herself to move forward. Tyler needed her, she repeated as she inched her way through the fighting grounds.
Slowly the earth began to become one again and she observed Tyler had been thrown down a hill and Gabriel had followed him.
Making it to the hill Kylie tumbled down when losing her footing and the trees scratched harder with the increase of momentum until she rolled to a grassy plain. Slowly lifting her head up, Tyler laid still before her. Her aching hand strained out to reach for Tyler's rough hand that was cold and didn't respond to her touch. She said hoarse, "Tyler?"
But nothing.
Pulling her body closer, she comprehended his chest wasn't rising. "Tyler," she said panicked while shaking his shoulder. He couldn't be dead….
A chilling laugh broke through the silence. Kylie's eyes shot up to Gabriel and she screamed in rage, "What did you do to him?" Kylie placed her hand over her right ear when she became conscious that as hard as she tried to listen, no sound was entering into it.
Kylie tilted her head to the left to hear his explanation and Gabriel progressed forward with a triumphed smile. He studied Kylie when answered seriously, "Dead."
Dead?
Her heart felt like it had stopped at those words.
Why was this happening? This couldn't be happening? This was just another sick dream she was having. Kylie pinched her arm as hard as she could and there still lied Tyler dead.
Her vision was becoming tunneled and dark until Gabriel's lips curved up as he said, "Just joking Kylie. You need to lighten up."
"Lighten up. You bastard," Kylie yelled as she tried to swipe one of her knives at his face.
Gabriel dodged with excitement, "Looks very authentic, doesn't it. Oh Kylie don't give me that face, it's just a spell."
Kylie repeated his words in surprise, "Spell?"
Gabriel dark brown eyes flickered at the chance of explaining his knowledge, "It's an unusual spell in the Book of Damnation. Very slowly it turns your opponents to stone." He placed his hands behind his back and continued to say, "Now tell me how to get inside that fortress, or else Tyler won't be anything but a decorative lawn ordainment." Kylie quickly glanced back between Tyler and Gabriel. Gabriel tried to coax her, "Come on Isobel. We've known each other far to know I have the upper hand this time."
She stared him dead in the eye. "We can't get in." Kylie responded.
Gabriel laughed at her statement until it dawn on him Kylie was telling the truth. His face dropped in shock, but then he quickly recovered by demanding, "What do you mean?"
"Only the blood of a member or a descendant of the council can enter." She glanced over to Tyler, "I can't get in…."
His brow furrowed as he stated his thinking process out loud, "Because the same blood doesn't run in you. And I can't get in because they formed this lock after I was kicked out."
Kylie's eyes burned as she said, "You killed the last survivor of the council."
He was livid. "Ben O'Connell!" His teeth clenched at the thought of losing.
Kylie said, "I told you everything," she raised the knife to where his heart should have been, "now release Tyler from that spell."
His eyes shifted in amusement as he gently pulled the knife away. "That's entirely up to you to save him dear. The counter spell is in the Book of Absolution."
"What?"
Gabriel shrugged, "I guess you'll have to find another way inside in order to save your poor Tyler."
Kylie shriek, "But there is no other way to get in. I can't even track a descendant, if there is any left."
He smirked and replied, "I guess you just sentenced him to death."
In a fit of rage Kylie charged at Gabriel with the remaining strength she had left. Jabbing her knives at him, Gabriel dodged her blows with his unfair advantage of magic. Kylie was heavily breathing, when Gabriel and her knives disappeared and he had turned the tables on her.
This time he held Kylie's weapon at her neck and slithered his dark words into her perfectly good left ear, "I suggest you search harder for another descendant. Time is running out for your lover. I say you have three months at most. Good luck, love."
He disappeared for good and Kylie dropped to the ground in defeat. Finding a descendant would be impossible. If by chance if a council member line had not died out, the council made sure all traces of evidence of their existence was erased.
How could she track down something that was unknown to her? She crawled over to Tyler and cradled his lifeless body in her arms. The dark thought answered her previous question in her mind, You can't.
Kylie confessed while crying, "I'm so sorry, Tyler. I failed you." Kissing his cool lips, Kylie then hugged him to her chest sobbing.