Chapter 15

::July 23::

The bright orange sun hung half way up in the clear blue sky, already showing promise to another scorcher of a day even that early in the morning. Bright rays of the sun outside shone through the glass windows of the house and lit up the room as the charge, Leinto, appeared out of thin air. The aging man searched the room for the owners of the house; his weathered face displayed the look of too many stressful nights spent worrying and pondering over something. Wondering if they could possibly still be asleep, the charge took a few tentative steps towards the stairs that lead to the upstairs where their rooms were, but stopped when foot steps coming from the kitchen came to his ears.

Ryu came walking into the front room, cradling a coffee cup in his right hand. The young man's brown eyebrows lifted at the sight of the aging charge before he twisted his head back in the direction of the kitchen and shouted, "Hey Dad, you've got company."

The dark haired man Ryu had shouted to appeared behind his son almost instantly saying, "Company? Rye what are you talking a-," he stopped when his eyes came to rest on the same aging charge as his son's had and finished with, "Bout."

Leinto sighed, his patients today was thin and he had very important things he had to tell everyone and do before his time to do so ran out. "Please, listen closely," he started and then took a deep breath to steady himself again. "We have a problem. A very big problem."

"Problem?" Ryo repeated as the beginnings of a frown started to crease his forehead, already getting the feeling that he wasn't going to like what Leinto had to say. "What kind of a problem, Leinto."

"I will explain everything to you later," he told him in a rush. "First you must tell me where Rylea is."

Confusion crossed Ryo's face as he pointed a finger up in the direction of her room and replied, "She's still in bed."

Leinto didn't wait for the dark haired man's permission as he started up the stairs for Rylea's room. Already he was beginning to get a bad feeling. Ryo stole a glance over at his son before he followed after the older man up the stairs. "Leinto just what do you think you're doing?" he asked the charge as they both stopped outside the door to her room.

"Would you please," Leinto said back and gestured to the door he needed opened with his staff.

Ryo's tiger blue eyes stared at the aging charge for a moment before he sighed in compliance to his request and opened his daughter's door for the old man. "I don't know what you're up to Leinto, but I told you Lea's still sleeping," he told him as the door swung open to reveal a bed with a red comforter and a sleeping occupant.

Leinto looked into the room to find indeed what appeared to be a sleeping form under the blankets, but something about it didn't set right with him. Needing to be reassured that Rylea was in fact sleeping in the bed, he turned to the dark haired man who now leaned against the doorframe with arms crossed. "Could you please wake her up?" he asked him and at the raised eyebrow he got in return added, "Just so that I know it is her."

Ryo let out an agitated sigh at the charge's request but did as he had been asked to do. Leinto watched as Ryo walked past him and to the bed where he hoped she still slept. "Come on Lea, get up sleepy head," Ryo spoke to the form under the covers as he walked to the bed. Leinto narrowed his gray eyes at the lump under the comforter, something didn't seem right to him but he couldn't but his finger on what it was. "Rylea? Come on get up," Ryo continued as he pulled back the covers.

Both men were shocked to find a napping Whiteblaze beneath the red covers of Rylea's bed instead of the shaggy, dark haired girl they were supposed to find there. The tiger yawned big, stretched his large legs with claws extended and looked between the two men as if nothing were wrong. The looks on their faces confused the white tiger.

Ryo glanced over at Leinto and his confused expression matched that of the old man's. "Maybe she got up early or something and this is her idea of a joke," he reasoned while exiting from his daughter's room with Leinto behind him.

The old man followed after Ryo, back down the stairs and into the living room. Leinto knew that wasn't the case, he'd had a feeling this might happen and sure enough it had. This was the thing that wasn't settling right with him, the thing that had him thinking that something was amiss. "Rye," Ryo spoke as he walked over to where his son sat in front of the tv, sipping at his coffee. "Have you seen your sister this morning?"

Ryu looked up at his father and a half mocking smile slipped across his face at his question. "What? You guys lose her already?" he replied back with sarcasm and mockery. "Now lets see, its only been about what..... Not even twenty-four hours?"

"Cut the sarcasm, it's yes or no," Ryo retorted back, really not in the mood to play twenty questions with his son or listen to his sarcastic remarks.

"No," Ryu replied and then went back to the tv in front of him.

Ryo sighed as he left the front room to look out the back door to the back yard, hoping that maybe she had decided to do some early morning training ---not finding his daughter there he came back into the front room. "Where could she be?" he pondered aloud to himself as Whiteblaze padded down the stairs.

Leinto glanced over at the over grown house cat briefly, but did a double take when he noticed something in the feline's mouth. "Ryo," the old man said to gain his attention and pointed at the tiger that had now stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

Ryo glanced over at Leinto and then followed his pointing finger to his pet, noticing too what appeared to be a note in the tiger's mouth. Taking the piece of paper from Whiteblaze, he looked it over and indeed found it to be just that, a note. Frown lines creased at his forehead as Ryo read over the note.

Dad-

I'm really sorry that I had to leave like this and with out even saying good bye, but I had too. I know you told me that the nightmare wasn't real and didn't mean anything but I can't seem to stop thinking that maybe it was and did mean something ---it was all just too real to be a figment of my over active imagination. Me staying with you guys will only end up hurting you all in the end and I can't stay and take the chance in that happening.

Please try and understand why I'm doing this. Its not to hurt you or make you worry about me or even to get back at you for something and its not your fault at all so don't try and say it is like you always do! I just don't want to end up being the reason for any of your deaths and if I stay I'm afraid ---I'm afraid that that's exactly what will happen. Something is happening to me. Something not good is happening to me and it's dangerous for any of you to be around me. I know exactly what you would have said to all of this, Dad, if I had told you in person and that's why it's in this note instead.

Please don't try to find me, I'll be ok on my own. You don't have to worry about me, I'm a big girl now and I think I can handle my self just fine ---I am a Lady Ronin after all. Tell Rye I love him even though he's a selfish, self centered, retard and pet Whiteblaze for me. Hopefully when whatever's happening to me is over I'll come back. Promise.

Love ya Dad,

Jouchan

-P.s. I took some money from you, not a lot, but enough.

Hope you won't mind.... Too much. Ja Ne.-

Terror seized Ryo as he finished reading the note and then read over it again as if searching for something in it that would give away that it was all just a big joke. Not finding what he was looking for, Ryo then looked up at the others ---his face had gone pale, and fear now griped his features. She was gone? Rylea was gone again? No, Ryo wouldn't and couldn't believe that. There had to be some kind of a mistake. This had to be just one of her jokes and any minute now she'd jump out from where ever she had been hiding and shout 'Got cha!' with a bright smile on her face and everything would be ok. This isn't happening. Lea can't be gone..... She just can't! I just got her back.... She can't be gone again. Ryo told himself but knew that she was and that this wasn't some kind of a joke. This was getting to be too much for him. He couldn't take much more of this before he began to rip his hair out or pass out from all the stress.

Leinto frowned at the expression on the young man's face as he took the piece of paper from his hand and scanned over it himself. His face dropped and even more worry seemed to twist and contort his features. Nightmare? Is she already having nightmares? "Things just got worse," he said quietly, his voice sounded hopeless and heavy with guilt.

"What was it that you had to tell me? What was the big problem that was so important that you made me make sure Lea was still in her room?" Ryo turned on the older man, throwing question after question at him as his temper started to rise.

The old man sighed heavily. He had to tell them, he had to tell Ryo especially about what he had found out and what he knew to be true about the youngest of the group. Ryo being her father deserved the right to know. "Please," he began as calmly as he could. "I would rather tell all of you at once then have to tell you all separately."

"Fine," Ryo fired back as he went to pick up his cordless phone. "Let's just call up the guys and get them and the girls too I'm guessing, over here."

Leinto said nothing more to the dark haired man as he watched him dial numbers and say a few things to the people on the other line before hanging the phone back up. The charge was preoccupied with how he was going to tell them and find Rylea before tomorrow at midnight.

Shortly after Ryo had finished making his calls to everyone then cars began to appear in the driveway as the occupants of them filed into the house and took seats in the living room ---all looking confused and some even worried as to why they had been summoned on such short notice to Ryo's house. Once everyone had settled and found a place to sit, girls on one side of the living room with the fathers on the other, then Leinto stood in the middle of the room and addressed them all.

Clearing his throat Leinto started, "We all have a very big and potentially deadly problem on our hands."

"I'll say we do," Kento added from his seat on the couch and was promptly shushed by everyone else.

Ignoring Kento's comment he went on, "There is something that you all need to know about Rylea. This is something that she her self doesn't even know about." He focused his gray eyes on Ryo and continued on, "Rylea is a hybrid and a very dangerous one at that."

Ryo's eyebrows furrowed into a slant at his words and his tiger blue eyes bore into Leinto's gray ones, "Hybrid? What the hell is that?"

Leinto sighed as if explaining to them what she was made it worse in some way, "A hybrid is a human that is half demon. Rylea is half demon."

"Demon? Half demon?! You're telling me that my daughter is some kind of a demon?!" Ryo raged angrily at Leinto as Rowen and Sage both took a hold of his arms to keep him seated incase he decided to lunge at the old man.

"Ryo! Calm down man," Sage said to him, hoping that Ryo would.

"Please-" Leinto started and was immediately cut off.

"How can Lea be a demon or a half demon at that?" Rona spoke up for the girls who had remained quiet up til then, confusion had settled across her gentle features.

"I'm not totally-"

"Where is Lea anyway?" Keish asked, cutting Leinto off mid sentence.

Leinto sighed and closed his eyes to regain his composure before he ended up going off on all of them. "I'm not sure where Rylea is and where she is, is only half our problems," he stated to them all. "There is something else that I found out that may actually pertain to Rylea and her being half demon."

Ryo shook off Rowen and Sage's holds on his arms and set a very annoyed and yet angry glare on the old man, "I'm listening."

"Good because you need to hear this," he said to him and then took a deep breath before he went on. "There is also a special demon called the Goddess of Night, who will be awakening on the midnight hour of the twenty-fifth. Now, the thing that disturbs me is that Rylea's demon powers will also be fully awakening on that same day and one of the things stated in the prophecy to the Goddess of Night is that ---is that whoever holds the blood of both worlds, meaning a hybrid, will be the one to awaken the Goddess. Now whether Rylea is this one to awaken the Goddess or not or if its just one big coincidence, I'm not sure yet. The only thing I know for sure is that she is a hybrid and must be found before the midnight hour of the twenty-fifth."

Silence followed the end of Leinto's speech as everyone digested and thought over what he had explained to them. The thought that one of their own, a Lady Ronin, was a demon and potentially an enemy to them all, was mind boggling to them. How could someone who was a Lady Ronin, a bearer of the Wildfire armor, be half of something that they were supposed to destroy? Something that was an enemy to them all? Was Rylea going to end up becoming an enemy to them?

Breaking the silence that had settled over them, Leinto then turned his attention on to Rona who had her gaze pointed at the floor, deep in thought. "Rona," he said to gain her attention and continued on once her purple-blue gaze had been brought up to rest upon him. "I know you saw something pertaining to Rylea about a week ago. It was a premonition and I need you to tell me exactly what you had seen."

Rona's face took on a blank look as she searched her brain for the answer to what Leinto had asked her. She had seen something in her mind when her cousin had touched her, almost about a week ago at a training session and was going to tell him about it but had forgotten to. How he knew about it she didn't know. She glanced nervously over to her friends, silently asking them what she should do.

"Tell him what you told us Rons," Kami quietly encouraged her friend from beside her where she sat on the couch.

"Yeah, it might actually be something that he needs to know," Heather added, nervously tucking her golden blonde hair behind her ear.

Rona took a deep breath before turning her gaze back up to the aging man who stood patiently waiting to hear what she had seen. "Now I could be getting this all wrong. I'm not even sure if I interpreted what I saw the right way but," she stopped while the memory of what she had seen came back to her with the same clarity and reality as the first time. "I saw Lea fighting us, only..... She didn't seem like the Lea we all know. The Lea I saw almost looked other worldly and seemed to be enjoying the fact that she was fighting us, all of us including our Dads, and winning."

Leinto took in a deep breath as all eyes turned on him as if he were supposed to clarify for them what Rona had said. Rona's gift was future sight, no doubt in that, which meant that what she had seen was real and a glimpse of the future. He didn't like what she had seen. Rona had seen a glimpse of Rylea turning demoness on them and following her demon urges by trying to kill them. An uncomfortable silence fell once again over them before Leinto spoke up in his soft, but commanding voice. "We need to find her before what Rona saw comes true," he said as every either gave a small nod to what he said or gave each other worried glances.

Rylea walked down the sidewalk on her way to the only place she thought she could go to get away from everyone. The only place that she thought she could go and no one would think of to find her. Some of the people who passed her stared at her as if she had grown a horn or sprouted wings and steered clear of her at all costs. Their actions confused Rylea; she really couldn't understand why they were avoiding her like that. She didn't think anyone in this part of the town even knew who she was.

Rounding the corner she came upon the same old, almost abandoned looking penthouse that Tadin had taken her to before. She smiled and sped her walking up, almost jogging towards the penthouse. A wave of pain surged through her body unexpectedly and she had to stop and grab onto whatever she could to keep herself from falling flat on her face. Rylea gripped onto the street light as tightly as she could as the pain intensified more and bit her lip to keep the scream that she felt rising up her throat from coming out.

More and more frequently the sudden waves of pain had been coming and going and Rylea didn't know why. The pain stopped, like it always did, a few minutes later and after catching her breath, Rylea continued on her way to the penthouse that sat closer in her view.

Getting to the door that led into the old and seemingly abandoned penthouse, the dark haired girl knocked and then waited patiently outside for someone to answer it. Not long after she knocked then the door was opened and a man with forest green hair and amber eyes stood before her. The man stared at her a minute, his eyes taking in her features before a sly grin spread across his face. "So its you," he said to her as a coy grin spread across his lips. "Wow, you really are something."

Rylea eyed the man in front of her with a glare as she wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. "Um, is Tadin here?" she asked him and her voice gave away that she was becoming annoyed with him.

The man smiled at her before twisting his head around to yell back inside, "Hey Tadin, that girl's here."

Rylea eyed the man curiously now, she could've sworn he had seemed to take on a different look there for a minute ---an otherworldly look. Tadin appeared at the door almost instantly, pushing the other man away and back inside. "Rylea?" he asked as if not sure it was really her.

"Yeah," she replied, coming out of her stupor to look at him with an uneasy smile. "Can I come in?"

The dingy blonde seemed to look hesitant for a minute but stood aside and allowed her in anyway, "Sure," he said and watched as she walked past him and into the penthouse. Closing the door, he followed after her into the living room. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but.... What are you doing here?"

Rylea turned around to face him, nervously biting at her lower lip. "Tadin," she started and immediately he got the feeling that he wasn't going to like what she said next. "Something is happening to me and you are the only person I can think of to turn to right now."

Tadin went quiet. He knew all too well what was happening to her. "What about your Dad? Your family?" he brought up.

"Well I kinda," she started and then looked away from his gaze. "I kinda ran away."

"You what?!" Tadin roared at her in disbelief and then reclaimed his temper as quickly as he could. "Why?"

"Because I can't be around them right now. Staying with them would have just put them in danger and I can't do that," Rylea said back in her own defense and then winced and closed her eyes against the sharp pain that ran through her. The pains were coming more and more often now.

"Rylea?" the dingy blonde said as he reached out concernedly to touch her but the shaggy, dark haired girl just pulled away from his touch.

"Look," she said once the pain had gone and flipped her wild bangs out of her face so she could look at him again. "You're the only person I can turn to right now. I need a place to lay low for a while and I thought this would be the best place."

Tadin felt a sting of pain at how desperate and pleading her eyes looked at him, begging him to allow her to stay. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't resist her and would end up letting her stay with him ---even if it was the worst thing he could do for her. "I don't think you staying here with me would be a good idea Lea," he told her but his voice didn't sound as confident or as convincing as it had before.

"Why not?" she replied with a raised eyebrow at him, she felt like he was hiding something from her now. "I know you really do, Tadin, so why not just let me?"

Tadin rubbed at the back of his neck nervously as he tried to keep his eyes averted from her. As sternly as he could he retorted, "Look, you just can't. Even if I would want you to stay here you couldn't. It's not safe for you to stay here with me."

Rylea's tiger blue eyes searched his face curiously. He wouldn't look at her now and she couldn't understand why. "Why not?" she asked back and then her tiger blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at him as she folded her arms over her chest, "What aren't you telling me Tadin?"

The dingy blonde brought his eyes back over to look back into Rylea's own eyes. The same eyes he had found himself beginning to become lost in the first day he had met her at Han a' High. Now those eyes looked suspiciously at him. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but was cut off by another's, deep voice from behind him. "Yes, what is it that you are keeping from her Tadin?" the mystery person said.

Rylea growled threateningly as she unfolded her arms and took a step back, glaring dangerously at the person who had just appeared behind Tadin. The dingy blonde turned around to see whom Rylea was glaring at and came face to face with the last person he wanted to see at that moment. "Sirous," he growled out as if his name alone disgusted him.

Sirous smiled his slow, evil smile at the dingy blonde who had said his name and then stole a glance over at the glaring girl behind him. "So nice to see you again, Rylea," he replied to her in a mocking voice.

Rylea smirked arrogantly back at him, "Pleasures all mine."

Tadin took a protective step in front of Rylea, shielding her from Sirous as he laid cold blue eyes on the silver haired man in front of him. "What do you want, Sirous?" he demanded from the man who held rank over him.

Sirous just gave him a sly grin back as he replied, "Why Tadin you of all people should know. Especially since you're the person I sent to round her up for me."

Rylea glanced up at Tadin whose back was turned to her; anger had been replaced with confusion now and was laced over her features. "What is he talking about?" she asked, not really sure that she wanted to hear the answer that she may get from him.

Sirous blinked as if he was surprised to know that Tadin hadn't told her anything, "What? You don't know Rylea? He didn't tell you?"

"Know what?" the dark haired ninja demanded as her confused gaze bounced from Tadin to Sirous, asking for an answer as her patience with them began to run thin. "Why is everyone talking in riddles today?! Can't anyone just speak plain Japanese for once?!"

"My, my, what a temper you have Rylea," Sirous mocked with a crooked grin. "Did you really think you could have handled her Tadin?"

Tadin glared threateningly at the purebred now, "Shut up, Sirous," he growled out at him as a response.

Sirous smirked at him humorously, as if finding his sudden anger towards him funny. "What's the matter? Don't want her to know the truth?" he asked with an acid sweetness.

"Sirous I'm warning you," he replied back in a low and deadly tone.

Rylea looked between the two demons in complete confusion. She didn't know what they were talking about or what Sirous kept hinting at but wouldn't come right out and say, but knew enough to know that whatever it was, Tadin didn't want him to say it. Finally becoming fed up with being kept in the dark she decided to do something about it. "Tadin what is he talking about?" she asked again and this time her voice demanded an answer whether he wanted to give her one or not.

"Nothing, he's babbling about nothing. Just ignore him," he replied back without taking his eyes off of Sirous.

Sirous slyly grinned at Tadin, "Now Tadin you know that's not true," he said and then looked directly at Rylea from over Tadin's shoulder. "Tadin's been lying to you this whole time. You see, I sent Tadin to find you and then turn you to our side."

Rylea's china blue eyes went wide and she blinked several times with the information that Sirous had just told her before they then narrowed into a glare at Tadin's back. "Is that true? Is what he says true?" she asked him, trying her best to keep the anger from her voice.

Tadin sighed as he turned around to face her but his eyes immediately feel to the floor, he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. "Yes," he finally whispered out after a few minutes of silence.

Totally thrown for a loop by what he had said, Rylea just stared at him in stunned disbelief. She couldn't believe or didn't want to believe that the person she had trusted could have really been against her the whole time. Had really been out to bring about her demise rather then help her. Confusion and betrayal settled across her face as she stared up at the blonde who she once had considered to be a friend. Her bright blue eyes begged him to say that it wasn't so and yet asked him why all at the same time.

Sirous chuckled lightly at the sight before him, loving every minute of it. "Oh how I love this," he said aloud and the cheerfulness in his voice made Rylea's blood boil. "He was sent to gain your trust, make you believe he was your friend and then crush you. All just for the glory it would bring him."

"No," Tadin protested to what Sirous was saying as he brought his eyes back up, finally getting the courage to look her in the eyes. "It's not how he says it is."

"You lied to me," Rylea stated to him and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I trusted you and you lied to me!"

"Lea," Tadin said and took her by the shoulders gently as he stared into her eyes. "It's not like how he says it is. I mean, at first maybe but then I got to know you and everything changed, I swear!"

Rylea knocked his hands from her shoulders and took one step back from him all in one fluid motion as the livid glare she held was kept pointed straight on his pleading face. "You lied to me! You made me think you were my friend! Made me believe you cared about me and all just so that you could claim glory for getting me?!" she yelled at him in outrage.

"No Lea, that's not true! I never lied to you. I do care about you, you have to believe me," Tadin tried to persuade her, but knew that he was getting no where with her.

"How could you?" she whispered in disbelief as her eyes gave away how betrayed, sad and angry she felt all at the same time. "How could you lie to my face? How could you tell me that you weren't like them when all along you were doing just what they all do? How could you pretend to care about my well being when you really didn't?"

Tadin went silent after her last statement. He had no justifications or answers for his behavior. He had at one time been trying to bring about her demise but he was telling the truth about one thing ---everything had changed once he had gotten to know her. Once he had really gotten to know who the real Rylea Sanada was. His feeling about what he was supposed to do, even his feelings for her had changed all in that short amount of time. Now Tadin wanted nothing more than to gather her up in his arms and tell her that he cared about her. Tell her how sorry he was for the things he had started out doing. Beg her for forgiveness. He wanted to take away her pain and sorrow, but knew that she'd never trust or believe him again and he really couldn't blame her.

Sirous smiled in triumphant at what was going on. He'd come to make Tadin look like the bad guy and had succeeded in doing so. "He's a hybrid, its his nature and soon to be yours too Rylea," he proclaimed as if it were something to be proud of.

Rylea turned bright, but yet still glaring eyes on Sirous. She really did hate him with every fiber of her being. "What do you mean?" she snapped at him irritably, her temper was very close to exploding now.

"I mean," the silver haired demon replied as he took one easy step towards her. "Very soon you will be a hybrid just like him. Or maybe.... You'll be an even better one."

Rylea eyed him cautiously as she took one slow tentative step back from him. "You're crazy! Ya know that?" she sneered at him. "I mean I thought I knew some pretty looney people, but you just take the cake bud."

"Oh no," he said with a smile and took another easy step closer to her. "I'm not, I can assure you of that."

Rylea scanned for a way out of the trapped situation she had found herself in. She felt like a trapped animal a hunter had cornered and was waiting for the killing blow. She wasn't going to be that trapped animal though. Rylea knew she needed to get as far away from both of them as possible and get away from them she would. Her eyes spotted the door that was a few feet from her. The only thing that was standing between her and the door was Sirous. She smirked when she remembered her new little 'power' that she had and an idea struck her.

The dark haired girl stopped backing up from the still approaching silver haired, purebred and smirked at him. "Tell me something Sirous. Do you like fire?" she asked while she grasped her fire pendant that still hung from her neck. Her eyes ignited with an inner fire before a burst of flames shot up from the floor in front of her enemy. Taking the purebred off guard, Rylea took her chance and ran for the door ---getting out and running for her life.

"Damnit!" Sirous shouted as he came out of his stupor and took off after his prey.

"Sirous!" Tadin yelled after the purebred as he quickly grabbed his sword from his room and took off after the silver haired man and the dark haired girl. Even if she hated his guts he couldn't allow Sirous to get her.

Rylea ran down the street, not really knowing where she was going but knew that she had to just keep running and get as far away from Sirous and Tadin as possible. How could he? She thought angrily while running down the street. Stupid, how could you have believed him? How could you have trusted him? Nice going Lea, now you see what kind of mess you've gotten yourself into. She felt betrayed, hurt and angry all at the same time and now to add to that she was running from a mad man hell bent on getting her.

A wave of pain over come Rylea, causing her to falter in her running. She stopped, almost toppling head over heel but caught herself before she could. The pain kept coming but Rylea knew that she had to run or he'd get her. Grinding her teeth together she forced herself to run again, ignoring the pain that seemed to consume her whole body. Now more than anything she wished that she was back home. That she was back where it was safe and crazy men weren't chasing her down. She wished her father was there, ready to protect her no matter what happened.

Crushing her endless thoughts and turning the corner she ran down an alley and ended up at a dead end. Great, now what do I do? Fear gripped her now. She knew he wasn't that far behind her and that soon he'd be coming around that same corner. She panicked as that feeling of being trapped like a caged animal came crawling back. The sound of echoing footsteps behind her sent a cold shiver down her spine ---she knew it was him without even looking.

"Well, well, well," came the chilling sound of Sirous' voice from behind her. "Looks like there's no where for you to go."

Rylea narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to turn around and face him. She found Sirous walking casually up to her with a smug, almost pleased grin on his face. "Oh yes, this does bring back memories," he said cheerfully with a smile.

Rylea growled as she balled her hands into fists at her sides, "What are you talking about?"

Sirous stopped to stand not too far from her. He smirked on one side of his mouth as he sized her up, "You don't remember do you?"

"Remember what?" Rylea shot back at him with hatred filled eyes.

"No, I guess you wouldn't remember," he replied thoughtfully. "Since you were only four at the time."

Rylea cocked one dark eyebrow at his words. He was doing it again. He was hinting something to her that she just wasn't getting. "What do you mean? How would you know that?" she demanded to know what he was talking about.

Sirous' slate gray eyes searched Rylea for a minute before he smirked and shook his head. "I think I've said enough," he told her simply and held out one hand to her. "Now why don't you make this easy on both of us and just come with me?"

Rylea searched for a way out of the trapped situation she had found herself in yet again. Spying the emergency fire escape ladder to her left she smirked. "I don't think so," she replied and ran for the ladder.

Sirous smiled at her futile attempt of escape, almost seeming amused that she would go to such extremes to get away from him. With a speed that didn't seem imaginable he was on her, stopping her before she could even reach it. One swift move and he had her by the arm, his cold gray eyes staring down directly into her eyes, "I'm guessing you want the hard way?"

Rylea growled angrily, repulsed by being so close to him. "Well you're a smart one," she smarted off while balling her hand into a fist and throwing a punch that was aimed at his head.

Sirous caught her hand with ease and chuckled as if it amused him to see her struggle, "Give up. You have no chance against me, hybrid."

"Well here's the thing.... I'm not a hybrid so I'll take my chances," she informed him sarcastically and brought her right foot up to kick him.

Sirous let her arm go at that moment to slip behind her and grasp her tightly around her torso with one strong arm. Rylea squirmed, thrashed and kicked to try and escape the hold she'd found herself in but it was to no avail. Sirous merely laughed at her attempts, "I told you, it's no use."

Rylea growled as she gave up on trying to escape the hold he had her in ---she knew she couldn't. "What is so important about me? Huh?! What is it about me that you just can't seem to leave alone?" she yelled at the man that held her captive while angrily still twisting in his arms.

"You'll soon find out," Sirous replied to her as both of them disappeared from the alley he had trapped her in, fading into nothing more than a shadow and blending in with the sea of darkness that crawled at the walls and corners of the alley. They left just as Tadin went running by, the blonde missing his chance at saving her by only a few seconds.

A/N: ok, here's chapter 15. This one took me a LONG time to do mainly b/c I was battling writers block and I was out of town for a while. Special thanks go to MorganRay, Rogue, Two-BitGortez and Sifirela. Thanks all of you for reviewing my story. Fear not, another chap will be up soon.