I blinked and then my eyes flew open completely. Sunlight streamed through the blinds and left stripes across the bed linen. Shocked, I looked down at myself. I was wearing the same outfit as last night, if not a little creased. But Fran…
He was shirtless, fat asleep, wearing just his jeans. He looked so peaceful lying there and I didn't want to wake him. It took me a while to realise where I was and then I frowned. The memories came flooding back.

Arriving in this place too tired to take into account how nice it was. Collapsing on the bed, drifting into sleep. Feeling Fran drop down beside me on the bed. Fran saying something, but I was already asleep and couldn't hear. Feeling him brush my hair out of my face, kiss me on the forehead and lay there awhile, watching me…

"Where are we?" I asked, sitting up. Fran's eyes snapped open, wide-awake. He looked around and then at me and then shook his head. "I dozed off," he whined, holding a hand up to his face. I grimaced and then straightened some lines on my top out.
Then as if it had sunken in, he grinned. "Oh, where are we?" he gestured around and shrugged. "It's a Circle Daybreak outpost. It wasn't guarded because Swindon was one of those towns the Night World left alone. But now…" he looked down at himself, not even slightly embarrassed. "Now they know where the fourth Wild Power is," he finished.

"I just hope they don't know about you," he looked up at me, his expression sober. I nodded and swung out of the bed. "Hannah, I know we don't know much about each other. I know we only met last night – which was pure coincidence, but we are soulmates. We're meant to have an undying love for each other," we both grinned at that, then diverted our gazes. "And no matter how I try to disagree with it – I am in love with you,"

"And I love you." I replied, deadly serious. I put feeling behind it and the cord sung between us. Whistling beautifully like a flute playing a melody. Because we were opening ourselves up to each other. And in another second I was going to fall into his arms… unless he grabbed me himself…
"Fran," I held out my hand.
"Hannah," he touched it and sparks flew, but they weren't painful. They sent warm shivers up and down my spine. My vision was smothered with pink as if I was looking through tinted glasses. I felt dizzy and happy as we intertwined our fingers.
And we were rushing into each other's arms when the doorbell rang downstairs. Our little world collapsed. Fran stopped quicker than I did and I ran into his side. I stared around, dumbfounded and he cursed.

"I have to get the door," he scowled, rubbing my arm where I'd bumped into him. I clutched at his arm. "What if it's Hunter?" I muttered, keeping quiet so the visitor didn't hear. Fran shook his head, firmly. "If you remember correctly, this place is guarded by a spell. Only Daybreaker's can see it and come in." he winked and headed out of the door, down the stairs.

But before he got to the door, I heard the knocking get fierce and then the door was kicked in. "Fran! Fran!" Two sets of voices screaming. Friends or family. They'd probably found out about the house. "Fran, are you okay? We heard about the fire… Thierry said you wasn't inside – he had Thea trying to search for your spirit and…" Fran snorted and I could hear him lead the people upstairs – two boys. I recognised one voice. It was Quinn – after all, I'd spoken to him on the phone.

Fran emerged at the top of the stairs, rolled his eyes, and then lead his friends into the room. The first, Quinn, had black hair that ran down to his ears. You could hardly see his dark eyes between the strands.
The boy behind had spiky blond hair that was gelled into a Mohawk. His eyes were purple. For some reason I expected them to change. As soon as the boy saw me, they changed green. Ash.

"Quinn. Ash. This is Hannah, my soulmate," Fran introduced them to me and then did the opposite. "Hannah, this is Quinn and Ash."
"Hi," I said, meekly. Quinn nodded at me and Ash simply stared. "You have a soulmate?" he turned to Fran and shook his head in shock.

Quinn seemed amused. "Another 'Hannah' soulmate," he stated. Fran grinned and came to sit by me. Then Quinn grew serious again. "Fran – what was all this about the accident last night. One minute you're out clubbing, the next your new found soulmate is answering your phone and telling me you have Blue Fire…"

"What do you mean Blue Fire?" Ash broke in, mouth in an 'o' shape. Fran sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Ash was looking between us three, from Quinn, to me, to Fran, then back again. "What do you mean Blue Fire?" he repeated. Quinn sneered.

"That's what I want your dear cousin to tell me," he smiled stiffly. Then he moved forward and was kneeling in front of Fran. "Are you the fourth Wild Power, Fran?" he asked, softly, and it seemed as if he was talking to a kid.
Ash was shaking his head. "I don't believe this," he muttered almost to himself, pacing the room, but Fran was nodding slowly and then Ash started gurgling.

"How long have you known?" Quinn went on. Fran shrugged and looked up, almost flinching as he met Quinn's eyes. Quinn had got used to doing his glacier stare for so long that it was hard to turn it on and off. He regretted it instantly.
Fran shrugged and then started counting off on his fingers. "I think it was since my sixteenth birthday," Then he nodded. "Yeah, that was it."

Quinn turned to look at Ash, raising his eyebrows – meaning 'well, well'. Ash looked as if he were going to be sick - he was so pale. Quinn stood up and stood over by Ash. "Listen, Fran, we have to tell the others-"
"No fuss, Quinn." Fran snapped and I saw that he looked so handsome when he got angry. "I don't want any special treatment."

"B-B-But the war, Fran." Ash said, stammering. Fran turned his gaze to his cousin and waved a hand. "I can feel the war coming, Ash, but it won't be for some time. I want to be alone." Then he looked at me, opened his mouth and then squeezed my hand. "Uh, I mean I want us to be alone. Now that we've found each other."

Quinn shook his head. "Then you're a fool, Fran Marino. Don't try telling me that the Night World don't know about you – why else would they burn your house down?"

Then, something twigged, and I stared at Fran. "How did Hunter know where you lived?" I asked.
Quinn flinched and turned around, to face the door. Ash was brought to attention and adopted my expression, glaring at Fran accusingly. My soulmate shuddered and looked at his feet. "A good guess?"

"Were you going to say something like that?" I asked tightly, quoting Matt from the Vampire Diaries. Fran grimaced and shook his head.
"Quinn-" he looked up at the dark-haired boy, who simply shrugged in reply, and then Fran looked at me with fathomless eyes. They weren't blue –they were silver. I felt a cold chill run down my spine.

"Hannah-"
"Tell her, damn it – get it over with!" Quinn snapped, storming out of the room. Ash looked around. "Why doesn't anyone tell meanything? Look, if you're gonna be secretive I might as well get back to Mare." He turned to go but then Quinn appeared back in the doorway and jammed his hand against the door, furious.

"You're not leaving," he hissed. Ash took a shocked step backwards and then I looked at Fran in horror. His eyes were filling with tears. "Hunter was using me to…"

I sucked in a breath and looked down at my lap. This was deep – this was above Circle Daybreak. I looked back up at him and fought to keep a calm expression. Fran's lower lip wobbled and he looked as if he hated himself. "The prophecy goes that the fourth Wild Power shares their soulmate with…"
He paused and then looked up at Quinn, frightened. "I don't want to tell her!" he stood up. "She's my soulmate, Quinn – he isn't having-"

"Shut up and sit down!" Quinn demanded. I expected Fran to buckle and fall down again, but he didn't. He roared. "NO! I'm one of the most important people in the world now – ME! And Hannah is not going with him,"

I was shaking. Quinn shook his head in exasperation. "Then you've sealed the end of the world," he cursed, relaxing his grip on the doorframe. Ash was trembling and he came and took a shaky step over towards the futon we were on. He'd given up on asking questions, he listened and prayed something would give them away.

Fran seemed to come to his senses and then he clenched his fists. "I never thought I'd find her before the war," he moaned, dropping down onto the bed. I shifted away from him, afraid.

Taking a deep breath, he buried his head in his lap and covered his head with his arms. His voice was muffled when he talked and it took me a while to realise what he was saying. "The fourth Wild Power shares their soulmate with the person who shall lead the darkness." He gulped down a breath of air. "It was dug up by Hunter around December. L.J's only just printing book ten, and she had to make up the fourth Wild Power and the battle because no one knew who it was-"

Ash shook his head. Fran continued. "Hunter came to see me on my birthday. He said that I was the fourth Wild Power and I shouldn't waste my time being a damned Daybreaker. He tried to get me to give him information about the others but I didn't. He told me the prophecy and…"
He stopped, and I could see him squirm. "He made a deal with me. He said that if I found my soulmate, he'd stop the war." Ash and I let out a gasp but then Quinn shot us glances that made us shut up. "But," Fran continued, "only if…"

"Hannah, I'm so sorry," Fran whispered. I opened my mouth to say something – anything, but my throat was dry and I couldn't make a sound. "I have to hand you over to Hunter. He promised he'd back down if I did. I don't know why he would do that but…"

I couldn't hear any more. I blacked out and I was only mildly aware that it was Ash who caught me before I fell forward. Fran gasped. Then, silence.