Oh my god! This update was never meant to take this long although i've been writing alot of chapter 8 along side it so hopefully that should be up later this month. All i can do is apologise for how long its took me to update there are a number of factors as to why no internet and being in hospital being at the top of the list but its here now and chapter 8 will be following quickly!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot although owning Jarrod would make me very happy!

To my reviewers...

Midnite Pixie: Thanx for the review! Here is the next chapter way way overdue but its here hope you enjoy!

Riannon Aurorafai: Thanx for the review! It totally made me blush! Here is the new chapter i hope you like!

Entertained By Grass: Thanx for the review! Welcome back! I'm pleased you enjoyed the story here is the next installment and with any look chapter 8 should not be far behind it cya soon.

Elly: Thanx for the review! I'm pleased you enjoyed it i love writing it Kate and Jarrod are some of the best characters and i love them. Here anyway is the new chapter! Cya in the next installment!

Casey C: Thax for the review! The update is totally overdue but its here and i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it!

Now with nothing further to say i give you chapter seven...

Memories

Chapter seven: Jarrod

I picked up the mask and showed it to Thomas. He frowned. "Yeah it's Kate's alright but how can that help us?" They could have gone in any direction at all!" "But they haven't." I said smiling. Kate was leaving us more than physical clues she was leaving us magical ones. "Even though she could die she was still protecting me. She's still helping me and I failed her."

Thomas put an arm round me. "You'll only be failing her if you give up now. She wouldn't want that. You know she wouldn't want that." His words seemed to knock some sense into me and as I stared at the mask and watched as her magical signature seemed to rise before my eyes.

I knew in my heart that Kate would not want me to do this, but how could I not? She had done so much for me, besides I don't think my heart could take it if I didn't do this. I needed to do this. There was so much I had yet to say to Kate and I couldn't breathe at the thought that this would be the end.

"We need to go north." I said at last after I had gathered my thoughts and pieced together the clues Kate had left for me. "Deeper into the forest that's where they've taken her so that's where I need to go. I have to get to her before something happens. If something happens before I get to her…"

I trailed off unable to finish my thought. I couldn't think of anything worse than loosing Kate especially since I'd come so close before. Was that only three days, four days now, ago? After tonight it seemed like a lifetime. It only made me feel worse.

I'd failed her.

Again.

But the thought of Kate making sure I knew what I was up against strengthen me. She hadn't give up on me and I wasn't gonna give up on her. I turned to Thomas. "Look if you want to go back now I'd understand. Things are gonna get messy."

Thomas shook his head and answered firmly. "No. I'm here to help." I frowned. "What?" A weeks ago I would have never questioned a statement like that and on the surface it seemed innocent enough but I knew there was an underlying meaning I could sense it. Besides Kate and I had used that tone so many times before when we had been in the past at Thorntyne Keep.

Under my gaze Thomas seemed to realise his mistake and paled. "Look I can't tell you exactly but know that I'm here to help Kate. You need to trust me because otherwise she's not coming out there alive."

My head spun. "How in the hell could you possibly know that?" Thomas looked at me. "Jarrod I'm begging you now Kate hasn't got much time. You need to trust me. I can help you get her out of this but I need you to track her. We need each other if we're gonna get to Kate in time."

I stared at Thomas and was gonna question further but I knew he was right. Kate didn't have the time so I chocked down the possessive envy I felt I would deal with that later right now Kate was the issue and I needed to get my act together.

"You're right."

I said softly. "We need to help Kate. They've gone into the forest." And then without anymore to say I led the way following the trail had left me.

The forest drew dense quickly and I was struggling to pick anything up. Of course I could feel the magic pulse and I could see that the minions had been carrying something I expected that it was Kate's cage though the prospect did not fill me with hope I also knew that for whatever reason they needed her alive.

I wished we'd had more time to discuss what had been going on in her dream it was obvious that this had everything to do with that was going on around them.

"Jarrod," Thomas said at last "We're in the middle of no where!" "We're not. We're going in the right direction I know we are." I said desperately but all of a sudden I wasn't so sure.

"She came this way." I said at last "I know she did." "There is magic here." Thomas said that much is clear. I stood upright. Damn it! Why hadn't I seen it before? "It's a time magic. We could have been gone a day damn it to hell why didn't I see it before?"

"Because you've never cast it before?" Thomas hedged a guess. I stared at him. "One day I am going to ask you how you know so much but right now my concern is for Kate."

"One day I will answer your question but at this present moment in time I agree with your plan." Thomas said calmly. "Oh good." I said sarcastically. Thomas looked at me.

"You hate me." Thomas said quietly.

"No, I just don't trust you. For all sorts of reasons. But I have to because for some reason I do trust that you can get out of this." I said quietly.

Thomas grinned. "One of those reasons wouldn't be that I like Kate would it?" "You like her?" I snarled.

"Course I do." Thomas said bluntly. "I've been watching her for weeks, she's so guarded no one can get anywhere near her and then along you come and she's all yours."

"Kate's my friend." I said quietly. "Hurt her you die." "You want more than that." Thomas said.

"Course I do." I snapped back at him. "But that's not what Kate wants and I wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Of course if you hurt then I won't hesitate to hurt you."

"This isn't what you think." Thomas said quietly. "Right." I said sarcastically. "Then what the hell is it?"

I took off before he could answer me. We could argue as much as we liked but he wasn't going to help me find Kate any quicker and I got the feeling we didn't have much time.

But I knew as he travelled deeper into the forest that I'd lost the trail and that made me more pissed off. Kate was slipping from me in more ways than one but I couldn't give up on her. She had never given up on me. I wouldn't give up on her now. "Come on Kate." I whispered under my breath. "Give me something. Anything. Tell me where you are." I couldn't loose her. I didn't think I'd survive.

She'd become such a big part of my life in such a short space of time. We'd been through something that no one would really understand and she'd helped me understand myself. She had saved my life and my family line. I owed her everything. I might not be able to be with her but I'd give anything to have her back.

I suddenly fell to my knees as pain ripped through my chest. "Kate." I whispered. Thomas was on his knees beside me in an instant. "She's in pain," I hissed. "But she lives?" Thomas demanded. "Barely." I said. "But she still lives. So there is hope."

Thomas pulled me to my feet. "What do we do now?" "We track the bastard down and…" I said my anger swirling into place. I wanted to hurt whoever was doing this to Kate. And I wanted them to suffer.

"Come on. She won't last much longer." I pushed on into the forest and felt the Time magic constrict knowing that night had fallen. "We should stop soon." Thomas said as if echoing my thoughts. I nodded but wanted to keep going. But I knew I would be no use in the dark, the minions that stalked this forest would know it better than us and I would no use to Kate captured.

Thomas and I found a secluded spot off the trail to stop in. Neither of us planned on staying long but we knew if we went any longer then we'd drop from exhaustion.

We nestled in the bushes and decided that we would take watches. Thomas decided that he would take the first watch and I wasn't really in a fit state to argue the fight and the trek had lowered my magic reserves and I needed to get them back to strength if I had a hope in hell of getting to Kate.

I couldn't not.

I was only just starting to realise what she meant to me and now I was realising it I didn't want to let her go. I wouldn't let her go. She had survived being locked in Ranuk's tower for a month, she'd survive this I'd make sure of it I'd do anything to make sure she was safe again.

Thomas and I slept fitfully taking it in turns to watch and after a six hour rest we got up and started on our way again. I was getting edgier the longer we went into the forest I could feel the magic beginning to thicken and cloak me and it had a tinge of remembrance, like there was something I should recognise but nothing was clicking inside my head.

"Something about this place feels familiar I said at last." Thomas looked at me, "Are you sure." I nodded. "I'm positive." Thomas looked excited. "This is good. That means were close."

I was about to reply when I heard Kate scream in my head and all of a sudden my body was filled with pain and I fell to the ground in a ball. I closed my eyes trying to calm myself to get rid of the pain but instead I saw Kate.

I gasped and homed in on her. She looked to be in a cell of some sort a dungeon with solid walls she too was writhing in pain which told me that they had hurt her I decided right then that they had to die. They were hurting Kate.

She was mine. They had no right to touch what was mine.

The strength of my emotions shocked me but it kept me connected to her I took in everything I could barely feeling the fire round my body anymore. I didn't care. If it got me to Kate I found I didn't care.

Eventually, thankfully it was over although I was more thankful that the torture was over for Kate. I caught once last glance of her, and could have sworn she looked right at me before the image died and I sank into the black.

I heard someone call my name and slowly I clawed myself back into reality. Thomas was standing over me. "Jarrod! Get up I hear something!" He said urgently. I staggered to my feet and listened to the sounds of the forest but as it had when Kate and I had been in the past it was my magic that saved me.

I felt a shift in the magic and heard a branch crack. "Thomas get down!" I yelled pushing him down on the floor. I felt the air whoosh past us and singe the side of my face as I breathed in the dirt from the floor.

As soon as I was able to stand I vaulted to my feet and pushed Thomas away from me out of the clearing and into the trees.

"Go!" I snarled at Thomas pushing him into the woods. "I won't leave you." He said pulling me with him. "You don't have a choice." I snarled. "It's Balthazar, he'll be here and since he wants me you can follow us and get Kate out. Now Move!"

I pushed him covering him in my magic forcing him to use his own as I spun to face the threat. "Well if it isn't Prince Charming." A voice snarled.

"Balthazar!" I snarled. My training had been hard and fast when I was at Throntyne Keep it had to be and quite by accident. Morgana was an exceptional teacher and an exceptional witch. I learned about the other things of the world that usually keep hidden from men. Unfortunately Balthazar was not one of them.

"I didn't expect you to come so willing into our midst my Mistress seemed to think you wouldn't be as bold." "Then your Mistress does not know me very well." I spat. "I believe she knows you better than you believe." Balthazar said good naturedly as his minions surrounded me."

"I did not think you would be foolish to come alone." Balthazar hissed seemingly finding this funny. "I didn't think you would be so foolish to take Kate." I hissed. "You see that was a deadly mistake. Now I will kill you."

Balthazar circled each other the minions forming a tight circle around us. I counted them up calmly sizing them up while relaying the details to Thomas through a channel I had created in his head. He didn't give answers but I knew he was listening, watching from his hiding place.

I was out numbered but the fact that Balthazar had surrounded me and not actually attacked when he had the opportunity proved to me that he had something else in mind. I figured it was probably capture for his Mistress whoever she was. The only thing was that I had no intention of being captured by him now or ever.

"Well this has been a pleasant meeting but really we have to wrap this up my mistress is awaiting your arrival."

"I don't actually think I'm ready to see her yet." I snarled and threw an energy ball at Balthazar. He deflected it easily and threw one back which I deflected. His eyes grew wide in anger. This would not be as easy as he had first thought. I grinned. I was not about to just let him capture me.

"You should not try this with me young one." Balthazar snarled a grin firmly in place. "You will not win."

I didn't bother with the retort as I rolled to the floor and was pushed back towards his minions who had formed a circle round the three of us. I snarled this reminded me too much of Ranuk and how trapped I'd felt when he and I were fighting. Balthazar pulled out his sword and advanced on me. He swiped at my head I ducked and moved away trying to give myself time and space.

I didn't say anything as I summoned all the magic I had and called on my power. There was a thunderclap and a sword appeared in my grasp much like the one I had used against Ranuk. "Impressive." Balthazar said nodding. "But it won't do you any good."

"We'll see." I said and met his attack with one of my own parrying the blow though I felt the clash so hard it made my teeth ache. I was tiring I knew it and so did Balthazar but I refused to give up. "My Mistress will be so pleased to see you." Balthazar said.

"She has waited many years for this moment." I faltered missing a step and that was all it took for Balthazar to surge forward and clip my side. I felt the stitches Jillian had put in burst open and I cringed in pain.

Balthazar laughed as I attempted to attack him but then had to defend. My moves were becoming sloppy as pain coursed through my shoulders and side. I was beyond exhausted but I refused to give in.

It was then I made my fatal mistake. Balthazar could see I was tiring but knew there was one thing that would keep me going. "Your lover was in a lot of pain when I captured her. She was screaming for you. Wondering why would had not come for her."

I felt my anger surge. How dare he speak of Kate that way? "If you hurt her…" I snarled so angry I could hardly form the words. "You'll do what?" Balthazar wanted to know as we clashed swords again. "You won't know what hit you!" I hissed as we clashed swords again so hard the sparks were flying off around us but he paid them no heed.

"Well isn't that nice." Balthazar said. "You want to protect your lover's honour. Pity. You won't be alive long enough to see her again." I didn't answer I was to busy concentrating on my sword work. My movements were sluggish and pain was radiating down my left side making my foot work horrifically slow.

But I kept going all I could see was Kate trapped in that cage with no way of getting out. I was her only hope and I was not going to fail her again. We clashed swords again but this time the power of Balthazar's thrust threw me off balance and I fell backwards just managing to dive out the way before he took my head off.

I staggered to my feet sweat pouring off me drenching my hair and clouding my vision. I knew I was weak from blood loss and using so much magic but he hadn't beaten me yet. I still believed I could beat him.

"So shall I tell our dear Katherine that you send your regards but you won't be coming to get her and she'll rot in that prison cell knowing you will never come and get her."

I don't really remember what happened after that only that I wanted to kill him. I must have dropped my sword, weapons did not matter anymore I just wanted to do as much damage as I was able. I wanted to kill him. Maim him. But here was where I made my biggest mistake.

Balthazar knew that Kate was my weakness and both Richard and Malcolm had told me never to attack in anger for you loose your advantage but in that moment I didn't care I just wanted him dead. I never stood a chance Balthazar simply grinned at me and sent a telepathic blast so huge I didn't have time to react.

The last thing I saw before I completely blacked out was him leaning over me smirking knowing he had won.

For now.