I jumped and I immediately felt my elements rushing through me and I was aware of the others summoning their elements or taking up arms when the shadow spoke to us.

"I mean you no harm."

My heart lurched when I recognized the accent.

Another robes guy stepped out from the shadows. He was taller than the other one, but had the same robe with the purple bird, which I guess would be a Phoenix. Wait, now I may be racist (okay, what would be technical term for prejudice against varying colors of fur and feathers because isn't that different from prejudice from skin color?) but just like the unicorns I thought Phoenixes were one color: red. How can a Phoenix be purple? Do purple flames exist in real life? Am I just stupid?

"You are one of the Guardians of the Phoenix, are you not?" Darius asked.

He nodded. "Yes. I understand that the Mediator has already had a run in with us."

"Uh, yeah." I said. "He gave me this nice bruise." I pulled down the top of the dress to show him my blueberry stain looking bruise. The raised line looked smaller so I guess I was healing and now that I think about it before that meanie head demon smacked me my chest hadn't hurt either.

"I must apologize for my brother." He said. "He acted without the consent of our Elders. We had not reached an agreement on what is to be done about the threat to the Phoenix."

"So he just drove over here to try and kill Raven because your 'Elders' hadn't made up their minds on whether or not you should kill Ray?" Aphrodite sneered.

"There are some who think that killing the Mediator will protect the Phoenix." He said slowly. "But some of us think that would only make things worse because there would be no one else to stand against these Immortals and who could communicate with the beasts who have found their way into this realm." He nodded towards Skye who was perched on my shoulders and chittering anxiously. I scratched her head. "As I've said, our Elders had not come to an agreement when my brother attacked."

"Wait, you said 'had.'" Damien said. "Does that mean your Elders came to an agreement?"

The Guardian nodded.

Shit.

"They concluded that killing the Mediator would not help protect the Phoenix and would drive this realm into sheer chaos."

Great! Even more people telling me that my death would equal utter chaos for the people of this world. I guess I'm not allowed to grow old now. I don't know if that sucks or not.

"So I take it that you guys aren't going to try and kill me again, correct?" I asked.

"That is correct, young Mediator."

"Good. Now I only have two on my list of wants me dead." I said.

"How do we know that you won't come after her again?" Rephaim asked.

"I give you my word as both a Guardian of the Phoenix and a vampyre under the rule of Nyx that none of my brother or sisters will attempt the harm the Mediator while she remains in the service of Nature." He said.

"And I will hold you and the rest of the Guardians to your word." I said.

He nodded. "As a gesture of peace I have brought a small collection from the Sacred Library that you may find useful." He withdrew a thick book from the folds of his robes.

I glanced at the others before crossing the distance between us and the Guardian. I took the thick leather book from him.

"You are so young." He said softly. I glanced up and his sapphire eyes were kind and very weary looking.

"Duh. I'm not even nineteen yet." I said.

"I mean your soul is very young. When we heard you were a reincarnate, we thought we would have gotten a very old soul or even a reincarnation of one of the first Mediators."

I shrugged. Why didn't a reincarnation of one of the Mediators take this job instead of me? "Sorry. Nothing much either of us can do about it."

"No. I guess not." He said quietly. He bowed. "Good-bye, young Mediator." He turned and walked away.

I flipped open the cover and saw printed across the title page: The Complete Guidebook to Dragon Care and Identification.

"Sweet!"

"What?" Damien rushed up to peer over my shoulder.

"It's a book on dragons." I said starting to flip through the pages. Brilliant paintings of colorful and glittering dragons filled the pages alongside neat script and there were folded pieces of paper tucked into the pages.

Skye howled and tugged my hair.

"All right. All right. Food first, knowledge later." I snapped the book shut and marched for the ladder.

Things quickly relaxed and the gang began laughing and chatting as we made our down into our tunnels. I made a beeline straight for the kitchen. I set the book down and began cooking Skye her dinner. And yes, she chittered and squawked under my feet the entire time. I swear, I have not had this dragon long enough for her to be this spoil and demanding.

"Do you mind?" Damien asked pointing to the book.

"Nah. Go ahead." I strained the meat from the milk and put the milk into her bottle.

He began flipping through the pages and paused at the ones with paper tucked in them. He pulled those out and spread them in front of him to read.

I slipped around Johnny B, who was busy cramming as many Cheetos as his cheeks could hold into his mouth, and grabbed a plate for the meat. I filled it up with little hamburger balls and grabbed her bottle. She chittered excitedly as I plunked down onto the ground to feed her.

"That is so gross." Aphrodite said wrinkling her nose at the milk soaked meat.

"Good thing it's not for you then, huh?" Skye curled up into my lap and began suckling.

"Oh wow." Damien said.

"What?"

"He gave you more than just a manual on dragons." Damien said. He waved a picture of a winged woman around. Zoey took it.

"Wow." She showed me the picture.

A woman with black wings spread and her gold hair spun around her was painted in such a way it looked like she was in the middle of battle. She held one white sword, to be honest it looked more like a giant icicle, and a one black one in her hands. Her black robes were frozen in a swirling motion around her and the artist had painted a soft aura of light coming off her skin. Silver lines curled around her arms, neck, and face and in the middle of her forehead was a silver five point star. Under the painting, written in a neat cursive was: Asterina, the Star.

"What the hell does it mean by the Star?" I asked. I reached for the pictures and Skye squalled and grabbed my wrist with her talons. "Oh fine." I drew back and let her to keep suckling.

"There's some writing on the back." Damien said.

Zoey flipped it over to the back. "'Asterina was the last Star to ever be seen in the Immortal and Mortals realms. As a Star, she had power over all five basic elements and when she re-taught magic to mortals they created a protective charm in the shape of a five point star known as the Pentagram, which symbolized all five of the basic elements. Along the five basic elements, she also had the power of the two great elements: darkness and light.'"

"Whoa. Really sucks to be her." I said.

Zoey gave me a look.

"Continue." I said thinking that's what her look was about.

"That's it." She said. "It just stops there."

"It continues with this page." Damien handed over another painting. This time it had the Star and black winged man with blonde hair.

"'The Star and her eternal mate.'" Zoey read. She then flipped it over. "'Asterina used her magic to create the Mediators and by doing so infused a bit of herself with them.'"

"Uh, freaky." Skye belched and I began handing her the meat.

"'The greatest trait of hers that was infused with the Mediators was the fact that Stars have only one love for all eternity.'" Zoey blinked. "Wow, I'm sure on whether or not to pity you or not."

"At least I won't have boys troubles." I mumbled. The first thought when I heard one love was Dominic. I. Am. Pathetic. Honestly, first guy I see half naked and I'm all weak kneed and romantic and lovey dovey and all that stupid love stuff. Don't fall in love kids, it makes you stupid.

"'All Mediators would have one mate and they would be spiritual bonded so that they would find one another over dimensions and lifetimes.'"

"Whoa." Stevie Rae said. "That Star magic sure got some kick to it. Could you imagine being so bonded to one another that not even dimensions could tear you apart?" She glanced at Rephaim.

"I've heard of Stars before. They are very rare and are often only born every million or so within one dimension." Rephaim said. "Often they come when all other hope has been lost."

"So I guess our situation here in this realm isn't that bad because I haven't seen a Star." I said.

"I guess then we better hope we never do." Zoey said. She set the paper down.

"Why is that even in the book of dragons?" I asked.

"I was on a page of famous dragons and there was a mention of a blue forest dragon called Skye who was Asterina's dragon."

I blinked. "Well now that I know I'm infused with her magic I'm not weirded out that I nicknamed Silverdream Skye. Wait, why did he stick it into this book? Why couldn't he give me the book about the history of Mediators?"

"Why are you questioning us?" Aphrodite said. "We didn't give you the moldy book."

"It's not moldy." Damien and I said at the same time.

"What is a forest dragon?" Stark asked.

Damien flipped through the book. "'Forest dragons are classified as dragons who dwell within the deep woods. They are slimly built and have great control over their fire breath.' I guess that would make since they live in a wooden home." He mumbled. "'They are the more common of the dragon breeds and are often the ones who interact with Upwalkers. They are also favored by Dragon Riders since they are large enough to carry a couple of Upwalkers and do not have many body spikes.'"

"Woo! Eragon exists, sweet!" I shouted.

"Do you think Eragon could have been one of the stories the Guardians are putting out into our world?" Damien asked.

I shrugged. "Are Dragon Riders bond by magical to their dragons?"

He flipped through book. "Dragon Riders." He announced once he stopped. "'Dragons were often used by Immortals and Mortals alike in war.'"

I glanced at Skye who was curled up in my lap and was starting to snore.

"'Dragons would spiritual bond with a specific Upwalker. This bond would allow the dragon and rider to share thoughts, track one another, and to transfer energy.'" Damian paused. "'These bonds are rare, but almost always occur between an Upwalker who raises a hatchling to young adulthood.'"

They all stared at me and Skye.

"What?!" I said.

"What do you think, dragon girl?" She asked.

"Skye might not be a hatchling and it said almost always." I said.

Damien started flipping through the book. "'A hatchling is the second stage after eggling and before fledgling. This stage is usually around the two month mark after the eggling's eyes are fully opened and their horns come in.'" He looked at Skye. "She has horns and her eyes are open."

"Again, it said almost always." I said. Yeah, sure being a Dragon Rider might be nice, especially since the wasn't an evil Dragon Rider hell bent on killing me or turning me into one of his soldiers, but wouldn't my head get kinda of crowded with all these spiritual bonded creatures/persons hanging out in there?

"Uh oh." Damien said.

"What?"

"The next stage, the fledgling stage, is when the dragon goes through its major growth spurt. It's marked when the hatchlings pupils become slit. The dragon grows from about the size of an adult cat to roughly its adult size."

"Which is?" I asked.

"It says it varies between the different types of dragon." He said flipping through the pages.

"Not that this isn't interesting." Stark said. "But sunrise is coming up in about an hour and a half and I was pretty sure Rephaim and Zoey had Kalona stuff to tell us."

Damien glanced up and then back at the book with a sad puppy dog face.

"You can read it and then give it to me when you're done." I sighed.

He grinned. "Thank you, Ray!"

I waved at him. "I'm already doing okie-dokie with raising Skye so." I shrugged.

Everyone looked at Johnny B.

"What?" He mumbled around a mouthful of cheesy chips.

"Leave." Kramisha said shooing him out. "Get your silly ass outta here." She stopped at the door and then turned to face us. "No. I ain't leavin."

"Oh, for shit's sake, you have another poem?" Aphrodite said.

"Two." She said starting to dig through her purse. "One came to me in Latin class."

"Latin? Seriously?" Aphrodite said with her typical sneer. "Your English isn't even that great."

"Non scholae sed vitae discimus." She said smoothly.

"Uh, we do not learn for school, but for life, right?" I asked.

Stevie Rae blinked. "You know Latin?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Raven used a Latin phrase to banish the demon." Rephaim said.

"I was kinda in Super Raven Mode and that probably had something to do with it." I said.

Kramisha slapped down a piece of paper in front of Zoey. "This one's for you."

"Why?" Zoey asked.

"Don't know, but you're supposed to read it." She handed me another poem. "And this is for you."

I blinked and stared at the poem.

The White Dragon shall rise

When the Dark doors of Death are opened.

Her Light shall pierce the veil Darkness has wrought

And reveal a truth that has been hidden.

On the drumbeats of War

The Black Dragon will emerge.

Radiate Darkness shall lead the armies of Nature

Against those of Destruction and Evil.

Then the Phoenix shall rise and once again take flight

And will cast a ring of Endless Light.

My stomached tightened at the last two lines. Oh boy.

"Hell-o?" Aphrodite asked. "Animal girl."

I read the poem out loud and watched their faces pale.

"The last two lines sound like a portal is going to be opened." Damien said.

This may be egotistical of myself, but I felt like the whole Black Dragon thing was referring to me. I mean, leading the armies of Nature against those of Destruction and Evil? Wasn't that I supposed to do as Nature's Champion/Mediator? But why Black Dragon?

"So, to stop it we just have to stop the White and Black dragon rising." Aphrodite said. "What are they?"

"Something obviously important." I said.

"They could be people." Damien suggested. "Or maybe it's talking about two powerful immortal beasts who will cross into our world and their power will activate the Phoenix."

"Dark Moon talked about how the Phoenix sorta gained a will of its own." I said. "So maybe it'll tear down the veil after certain events occur." I shrugged. "Let's look at Zoey's poem. Maybe it'll give us a hint to what mine is about."

Zoey read her poem out loud.

"The dividing line forms-fashioned from:

Dragon's tears

Missed years

Overcome fears

The fire and ice paradox

Seen with True Sight

Darkness does not always equate to evil

Light does always bring good."

Zoey made a look like she was a bit sick to her stomach. "You were right. I was supposed to read this."

"How do you know?" Stark asked.

"The last lines-the part that starts with Darkness-it's what Nyx said to me right before she kissed my forehead and filled in my crescent the day I was Marked."

"Does the rest mean anything to you?" Damien asked.

"Well, I dunno. We all know why Dragon would be crying. The years and fears part could have to do with Dragon, too. Clearly we're gonna have to get Shaylin involved 'cause of the True Sight part, and I'm not even sure what a paradox is." She sighed. "So, in other words, no, I'm clueless about the rest of it."

"I think we can establish that the two poems have nothing in common." I said. I shifted a bit and Skye mumbled and yawned, really, really, really cutely.

"Raven's is definitely a warning that the veil is going to fall soon." Damien said. "Zoey's is probably a warning about something that may split up our group since the first line takes about a dividing line. Oh, and a paradox is a statement or a situation that is contradictory, but true."

"Huh?" Zoey asked.

"Okay, an example: the paradox of war is that you have to kill people in order for people to stop being killed."

"Well yeah, it's kinda of hard to kill other people when you're dead." I said.

Damien gave me a look. I just smiled at him.

"The paradox could have something to do with Kalona and Rephaim." Shaunee finally spoke up. She and her Twin had been suspiciously quite the entire time we had been talking even about the dragons.

"What do you mean?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Twin, are you okay?" Erin asked.

"I'm fine." Shaunee said. "What I mean is that it's a paradoxical situation, isn't it? in order for Rephaim to prove he's changed sides and is being good now, he has to turn his back on his dad, and that's something that would usually be considered bad."

"You may have something." Damien said.

"She is fire." Aphrodite said.

"And Kalona is ice." Zoey said.

"But my Twin doesn't have anything to do with Kalona," Erin said.

"Yes, she does." Rephaim said. Everyone stared at him. "She understands how I feel about him, especially after today."

"Rephaim, I know you want your daddy to be a good guy and love you, but you just gotta give up on that." Stevie Rae said in a frustrated voice.

"Please tell her about today." Rephaim asked Zoey.

"Kalona wants a truce with us."

Everyone shouted no ways 'cept for me and Rephaim. After they were done with their examinations of no, Zoey explained in full what had happened during first period. "So, no, I don't think we can trust him, but having a truce with him isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Rephaim needs to keep our business to hisself." Kramisha added after giving Rephaim a hard look.

"Yeah, we've already talked about that. Right, Rephaim?" Zoey asked.

"I won't tell Father our secrets." Rephaim said.

"It's more that, though." Stark said. "It's not a secret that we're living here, but that's something Kalona didn't need to know."

"If it's not a secret Father could have found out anywhere." Rephaim said.

"Yeah, maybe. But did ya ever think that maybe if he really had left Tulsa and was out west somewhere and he thought you were at the House of Night surrounded by Sons Erebus he would have kept flying west and we'd be rid of him?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure. He's going to abandon his entire take over the world base and let's not forget Neferet has really pissed him off. Do you really think he would just pick up and leave?"

Stark shrugged. "He might."

"Really, really doubtful." I said.

"Okay, look, like I already said, it's clear that we shouldn't trust Kalona, but I do think that he made a valid point today. If Neferet is immortal and can only be destroyed by herself, then we definitely need help in figuring out how to push her in that direction." She paused and thought for a second before she continued. "I also think we can trust Rephaim, even though he loves his dad."

"Kalona is a ticking time bomb." Stark said.

"So once were you. So once was I." Rephaim said solemnly.

Stevie Rae took Rephaim's hand. "I was a time bomb, too, Rephaim, just like you guys. But all three of us made the choice for Light. Your dady hasn't. Please, you gotta remember that."

"Again, I agree with the bumpkin." Aprhodite said.

"So do I." Erin said. She glanced at Shaunee, but she remained silent.

Could the dividing line refer to the Shaunee and Erin? Shaunee is fire and ice is just frozen water. I mean, a divide in Zoey's circle would be something that would greatly affect all of us and be something that Nyx may feel we should be warned about. But what is exactly pulling them apart? I swear if some catty girl thing I was going to hit both of them until they make-up.

"Well, that's a miracle. Someone call the Vatican." Aphrodite said dryly.

Rephaim reached out and took Zoey's poem. I took mine and folded it up to stick my dress pocket. My hand brushed against the three rips. I could probably sew the rips close and with it being at my waist no one would really notice.

"'Darkness does not always equate to evil. Light does not always bring good.' Maybe things aren't exactly as they appear." He said softly.

"I know one thing that is for sure and exactly as it appears." Zoey said. "I was there in the Otherworld when Kalona asked Nyx if she would forgive him. The Goddess said only after he earned the right to ask. He hasn't earned it, Rephaim."

"Yet." Shaunee said.

"Yet." Rephaim echoed.

"Yet." I agreed. Kalona was once good and I don't believe he's fully renounced his ways quite yet.

"Yet?" Erin shook her head and gazed at her Twin.

"All right, here's the deal: until Kalona earns the right to ask for Nyx's forgiveness, we do not trust him. We can truce with him, but it's under the heading of my enemy's enemy is my friend." Zoey said. "Period, the end."

"But not trusting him doesn't mean not hoping." Shaunee added optimistically.

"No, it doesn't mean that." Zoey agreed.

I shifted. My butt was numb and my bottom leg was seriously asleep as well as my spoiled baby dragon. I was getting tired too. Yes, the food had helped the whole energy deprivation thing after the demon fight.

I just realized that I don't think there's been one night so far this week that I hadn't needed to go to bed early because of over exhausted powers. I was soooo glad it was Friday. Hopefully this weekend will be nice and relaxing and I can recover easily from all those ordeals.

"I won't let you down." Rephaim said softly to Stevie Rae. He then lifted his head to look at the rest of us. "It's like Shaunee said-I can hope, but I won't trust."

"He's going to break your heart." Stevie Rae said.

"Too late to worry about that." He said. "He already did." He suddenly shuddered. "Dawn." He got up and then kissed Stevie Rae. "I must go. I love you."

"I'll go with-" Stevie Rae said starting to get up, but then stopped. "No, you don't want me to. It's okay. I know it's something you have to do alone." She gave him a quick kiss. "Go on before you get caught down here."

Rephaim nodded and took off.

"Huh. So, he turns into a bird? Just like that?" Aphrodite said.

"I change into a panther just like that." I said. "Usually when I get pissed."

"Does it hurt?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Sometimes. Panthers see better than half-breeds and the sensory overload can be overwhelming, but I'm usually too pissed to notice." I shrugged and yawned. "I'm off to bed." I cradled Skye to me. She grumbled in her sleep. "Night everyone." I waved and walked down the tunnels to my staircase.

I sighed and began the slow ascend up into my room. I set Skye on my bed and stretched.

My skin suddenly prickled and my gut clenched. I didn't need Skye suddenly waking up growling to tell me an intruder was in my room.

I whirled around and a half-naked winged guy stepped completely out of the shadows.

"Hello Raven." Damascus said.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

I'm just having oodles of fun keeping you guys hanging over a cliff.

So, as usual if you read I would really like a review.