Once again, don't own 'em, don't sue me.

Chapter Four

Temptations

Rowen slowly fluttered his eyes open. It didn't feel as if he were at his home in bed, or in the small bedroom that he and Sage shared. The room was dark and a bit damp on his exposed face. A soft glow fell around him from a small fireplace that was in the center of the room. He was lying in a plush bed, the goose down blankets covering his shivering body. He felt down the side of his body, and found that a soft blue t-shirt and a pair of white boxer shorts had long since replaced the layer. He stretched and pulled the blankets in closer around his body, the warmth placing a sense of security in his troubled mind. Wherever he was, he felt safe. He sighed as rolled over on his side, picturing the eerie red eyes in his head, once again filling with fear. He shook the image out of his mind, and left the warmth of the bed seep into his worn body. It felt good to feel safe.

Suddenly, he felt a cool hand stroke the back of his head, ruffling his hair, and then trailing down to caress his exposed cheek. He jerked his head towards the loving touch, startled to see the recognizable figure lying next to him.

Kayura was lying on top of the soft blankets, her raven hair forming a veil around her face. A creamy silky gown adorned her ivory skin, clinging to every curve in her body. He rolled onto his back to look into the deep blue pools of her eyes, trying to fathom what it was she were thinking. Her face shimmered angelically in the firelight, her soft cheek perched on her free hand. The blue pendant that he had seen on her earlier was still fastened around her neck, sparkling and glittering in the playful light. She continued to stroke his hair and rub his smooth skin. She watched as she played with his locks as they changed from the odd blue to black with the crackling firelight. He watched her carefully and tried to come up with a logical solution to what was going on. But the more he thought about it, the more he didn't care. He loved the feel of her hand on his face, and he closed his eyes to melt into the touch. Once his emerald eyes met hers, her mouth turned into a soft grin.

"I was wondering when you'd wake." She whispered, her voice soft and full of love.

"Where am I?" he asked as he rolled to his side, still allowing her to touch his porcelain cheek.

"Safe. Away from the demons." She trailed off as she moved her cool fingers to trail over his muscular neck.

"Are they okay?" Rowen asked as he reached up to grab her hand.

Kayura smiled softly at his question, "That's why I chose you, you know."

Rowen cocked his eyebrows at her statement, and pushed himself up to sit and face her, "What do you mean?"

Kayura sat up as well, her hair falling around her in a shower of shimmering black locks, "Even after your friends betrayed you, you still worry about them."

Rowen locked his eyes with her deep blue, waiting for an explanation. She waited and stared, seeing the confusion fill his face. He opened his mouth to question her more, but she stopped him by reaching up and cupping his face in her hands.

"You have a kind heart, Rowen. You always have. With all that your mother has put you through, you stayed with her. Even after all of the awful things she said and did, you stayed with her. Why did you stay?"

Rowen looked at her for a moment, a sudden lump forming in his throat. He pushed her hands away from his face, and looked down at his hands in his lap. He had questioned his motives for staying with his mother many times, but he didn't attribute "love" as the main reason for staying. He thought for a moment on her question, and then looked back up at her beautiful face before answering.

"She's my mom. Isn't that what you'd do for your mother?" he asked with a shrug.

Kayura slowly inched closer to him, and then wrapped her thin arms around his neck, embracing him strongly. Her move caught him off guard, and he sat there quietly for a moment as the hold soaked into his body. He enveloped her body with his strong arms and pulled her closer, feeling her hair tickle his nose. He shut his eyes and held her close, her voice startling him when she began to speak.

"That is why I've watched you, darling. I have watched everyone after we parted that wonderful day, but I've watched you most of all. Your heart so full of love and kindness, but you were so full of anger. So full of resentment at your mother, but you couldn't leave. And now I understand why."

She pulled back a little from him, and whispered in his ear, "Someone as compassionate as yourself shouldn't have to go through so much pain."

He ran his hands over the silky material adorning her wonderful body. Rowen knew that there had to be an explanation for Kayura's sudden appearance, and he couldn't let her feminine wiles get the better of him. As he was about to question her motives, she pulled back even further and kissed his forehead softly.

Rowen watched her carefully as she sat back away from him, "What is it that you want from me, Kayura?"

She smiled quietly and began moving her hands over his strong chest, "Discover the truths in your life, first, Strata. Tell everyone how you truly feel; no holding back. No regrets on any unspoken words. Then, I'll tell you you're purpose."

"What about my friends?" Rowen pleaded as he grabbed her small wrists.

Kayura smiled as her eyes twinkled, "What does your judgment say, Rowen?"

She had inched closer to him again, so close that he could smell the jasmine on her skin, "It was a test, wasn't it." He whispered huskily.

"But what was it testing?" she said as she grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled his closer.

"To see if I would trust you?" he answered as she moved inches in front of his face.

"Mm-hmm." She mumbled as her delicate lips pressed into his.

Rowen had kissed girls in high school, but he had not kissed anyone as he was kissing Kayura. The girls he had kissed before were usually at the end of a date, and never had any feeling in them whatsoever. But this was different. It was as if he were kissing the love of his life, her kisses becoming more and more heated the longer they went. As she began to pull away, he whimpered slightly. He never wanted this amazing moment to end.

After they had pulled apart, and their heated kiss had subsided slightly, Kayura smiled slyly and stood on the floor by the bed.

"Finish the task that I gave you, dear, and we'll meet again."

She turned and began to walk away from him. He could hear the swish of her silky gown as she walked away and faded into the starlight beside of their meeting place. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, intent on following her fading silhouette. As soon as he placed a foot on the floor, he felt the earth beneath him vanish, and he was falling through a star-filled space.