Kristie couldn't breathe. The dagger's edge bit into her neck, as she tried to scoot back to relieve the pressure. But he rested half his weight on her mid-section and prevented her from moving. She had one free hand and used it to try to push his dagger hand away. She may as well have been trying to push a boulder as much good her efforts were doing her. Kristie's heart pounded against her ribcage as she felt herself begin to panic.

"The more you struggle, the deeper my blade cuts!" His voice growled down from above her. Tears came to her eyes as she desperately tried to keep herself still. "Good girl." The blade eased off her neck and she saw drops of blood on the blade as he raised it and let it hover over her face. Kristie closed her eyes. She didn't want to look at the dagger.

"Open your eyes!"

She gritted her teeth and opened her eyes, but looked off to the side so she wouldn't have to see his face. He waved the dagger over her face before slowly letting its tip touch her nose, then her chin, then her neck. He continued to drag the weapon down her torso. She shuddered as fear threatened to overcome her. How could she get out of this situation? She tried hard to think of past defensive lessons that Adam had given her. But all thoughts of anything but her present situation flew from her mind when she heard fabric being torn by the dagger.

Kristie felt a surge of adrenaline course through her and she gasped. Her hazel eyes flashed back to his face. He had such a malicious grin on his face. The pit of her stomach sank. Before she even realized what she was doing, her free hand shot up and she clawed his face, jabbing one of her fingers into his left eye.

Stavron automatically reached his hand to his face and cursed out in pain. This gave her an opening and she quickly slid out from under him. He grabbed her ankle and she kicked back with her free foot until he released her. She then quickly stood up but realized that he was still between her and the door. Kristie made a wide circle around him as he stood up as well, his hand coming down to reveal three scratch marks down his face. He was furious.

The rogue threw his dagger at her, but fortunately for her, his aim was off due to the use of only one eye. Kristie's gaze followed where the dagger had stuck in the wall. If she could get it, then she would have a weapon to defend herself. She quickly moved over to it and grabbed the hilt. But the blade was stuck deep in the wall. She didn't have time to try again as Stavron grabbed her by her hair and pulled her away from the dagger. He threw a string of expletives at her, rambling on about what he was going to do to her for that 'little stunt'.

And to prove his point, he grabbed his other dagger and used it cut off the mass of hair he was holding. Her head jerked forward with the sudden release and she had to catch her balance quickly. Stavron kicked at her legs, knocking her down once more. Kristie caught herself with her hands and knees, but she could feel her muscles trembling, ready to give out at any moment. "Piece by piece..." he said as her hair was dropped to the floor next to her.

His foot kicked her mid-section, knocking her over onto her back. Once again, he straddled her. "You're more trouble than you're worth." He paused to wipe some sweat and blood out of his eye while holding the dagger. "Just like your dad...you don't know when to quit!"

Kristie stared up at him as she tried to catch her breath. She felt paralyzed; her muscles refused to obey her commands. Stavron stared right back at her with a hateful sneer as he grabbed her wrists once more. Kristie couldn't give up. Not after all she'd been through. She couldn't let this man win. Despite her waning strength, she struggled against his hold on her, but now he only laughed at her feeble attempts. His laughter was cut short as a look of shock quickly replaced his disdainful snicker. She had no idea what to think as his face froze like that for a second before he toppled to the side.

Standing above them was Mathias Shaw, blood dripping from his short sword. "Good thing you don't know how to quit." He knelt down beside her, checking the cut on her neck. Kristie was still in shock over what had just happened. Mathias took off a glove and snapped his fingers in front of her face, getting her attention. "Can you stand?"

Kristie raised a shaky hand to his and he helped pull her to a standing position. She used the momentum to give him a hug as a flood of emotions suddenly poured out of her soul. She felt his arms wrap around her and his head rested on top of her own as he waited for her to regain control of herself. Once she felt she could reign herself in, she finally spoke quietly, "Thank you, ...Uncle Matty." What Adam had said in jest, she said with full sincerity of heart.

Shaw stiffened ever so slightly, but then relaxed and whispered, "Never call me that in front of anyone." Kristie pulled back, about to apologize, but he smiled at her. "But, I guess I don't mind it if we're alone." He gave her a brief smile, but quickly became serious. "We need to get back upstairs. I have a feeling more trouble is brewing."

That's when Kristie remembered what Stavron had said. "Shaw! They're going to do something to Kirlothenin!" Mathias took her hand and quickly pulled her out of the room, running towards the stairs.

…

Jelune stood up from the card game the four of them were playing. He rolled his shoulders and neck and glanced at the door. How long has Kirlothenin been asleep? He didn't need to retrieve all of his energy, just enough to create a portal. Perhaps Ileeya was with him now and he was already awake? It wouldn't hurt to check at least. Then again, if Ileeya was with him, maybe he had better not interrupt.

The hunter sighed. He could at least check on Adam and make sure Kristie made it back. Jelune opened the door, but as soon as he stepped out into the hall, he was stopped by the blood elf rogue who said, "Please step back in your room. It's safer that way."

"I'm just checking on my friends." Jelune started to move, but was once again stopped.

"I'm afraid I have my orders. Please return to your room." The blood elf had an impassive look on his face.

"What's going on?" Maggie's voice came from the doorway.

"This rogue thinks we'll be attacked in the hallway and doesn't think we can handle ourselves," Jelune muttered to her.

"Look, as I said, I'm just following or-"

"Sornor? What are ye doing here?" Another Ravenholdt rogue, this one a female dwarf, appeared from around the corner.

Sornor didn't turn around to look at her, though Jelune noticed he had stiffened ever so slightly. "I'm here on orders to keep the peace up here, Norine."

"Odd," Norine frowned, "Ravenholdt didnae say I'd have a partner. He asked me t' keep an eye on things up 'ere."

Now Jelune was becoming alarmed. "I'm going to check on my friends." He noticed Norine nod, but Sornor scowled and once again moved to block him.

Maggie appeared behind him suddenly with her dagger to the elf's throat. "He said he wanted to check on his friend, Sornor. Be a good boy and let him." Jelune's bow was off his shoulder in a flash, an arrow notched, but not aimed.

The hunter eyed the dwarf to see what she would do. She merely stood there watching them with a thoughtful expression. He assumed she was trying to assess the situation. "All I want to do is check on my friends. Do you have a problem with a that?" he asked her.

The dwarf shook her head as she eyed Sornor. "I dun see a problem at all." She stepped back to let Jelune pass and the night elf quickly went to Kirlothenin's room. Opening the door, he took in the sight of the three undead in the room in a flash. One of Kir's hands was on Lara's temple and she had a hand on his temple as well. Kir's other hand was on Gavor's arm and the blood elf had his eyes closed. He was breathing hard.

Immediate concern flowed through him. "By Elune! What are you doing-? GET AWAY FROM HIM!" As he warned them, he lifted his bow and shot the priest in the chest, quickly notching another arrow and shooting it at the warlock. Kirlothenin gasped as Balire fell over and Lara backed away. The warlock was hit by the arrow in the side but not in a vital spot.

Jelune notched a third arrow, but before he could shoot the mage, she had teleported herself and Gavor out of the room. He aimed the bow at the priest and approached to make sure he was out for the count. How does one tell if a forsaken was dead? Kirlothenin gasped again and Jelune turned his attention on his friend. Something in the back of his head wondered when he had begun to think of the mage as a friend. He certainly wouldn't call him a close buddy. Jelune pushed the thoughts back to concentrate on the current problem.

The room was quickly filled with Adam, Ileeya, Dormir, and Baros. He assumed Maggie had remained in the hall with Sornor. Jelune ignored them. Kirlothenin's green eyes were glowing a bit more than usual and he was shaking as though he were trying to get control of himself. He continued to gasp as his eyes fell on Ileeya and Dormir. The blood elf reached for them, then pulled back. "GET OUT!" Kirlothenin moved back as far as he could as Ileeya tried to approach, confusion in her eyes. "GET AWAY...from...me." Kirlothenin moved towards her, then stopped and moved to a farther corner of the room. "No! Ileeya go! Jelune take your sister and father out, now. Adam, too! And this!" He pointed to the dead priest as he visibly struggled to control himself. "No...magic."

That's when Jelune finally figured out what was wrong with him. Somehow the three undead had reawakened his addiction to magic. Jelune turned to pull his sister out of the room when Maggie's voice called out from the hallway. "Adam!"

...

Adam came out into the hallway to see the blood elf rogue unconscious on the floor. Maggie emerged from Lord Aron's room, pale. She looked at Adam, shaking her head. "Your dad..." Adam rushed into the room to find Lord Aron where he had been sitting on the bed, his face deathly pale, stab wounds in his chest, a trickle of blood escaping his mouth. "ILEEYA!"

He sat by his father's side. The man was gasping for breath. It was no wonder; the stab wounds were right over where his lungs were. "Dad! Hold on! Ileeya's coming to heal you."

"Too...late for...me, son." Lord Aron's hand moved and Adam took it. He could feel his vision blur as his eyes watered. "I-" Aron gasped for breath. "have a- always-" Ileeya arrived and began her healing spells. "lo- ved y-." The druid was joined by her father, but Lord Aron took no more breaths. Adam was overcome with emotion. He had finally reconciled with his father. All that time blaming him for his brother's death... Someone put a hand on his shoulder. Adam didn't bother looking to see who. He just stared at his father's hand in his.

"Adorei!" The startled voice was Ileeya's. "Where is she?"

Adam pushed back the grief and other emotions wracking him. He would grieve properly when there was more time. Right now, he had a job to do. Before they had left the room, Lord Aron had been holding the infant. He stood up as they all realized Adorei was gone. But Adam didn't stop to see Ileeya's and Dormir's reaction as he ran back out into the hall. He had another concern of his own. Where was Amy? He checked Baros' room. Not there. He moved back to Kirlothenin's room. Not there. "Baros! Where's Amy?"

"What do you mean, where's Amy? Shouldn't she be here?"

The voice was Kristie's and Adam turned to see her and Shaw come around the corner. He got yet another shock at her appearance. "What happened to you?" He approached her, looking closely at the cut on her neck and the missing hair at the back of her head.

"I'll tell you later. Where's Amy?" Kristie was looking past Adam and he turned to see Dormir and Ileeya go into their cat forms and run off to the opposite end of the hallway, most likely in search of Adorei.

Adam felt a surge of anger and turned just before hitting the wall with his fist. First his father died, then Amy goes missing, and now Kristie's been hurt. This was personal now. "She's missing- along with Adorei."

Mathias Shaw interrupted them. "What about Kirlothenin? We have reason to believe something is going to happen to him."

"Something did," Jelune interjected. "He's...not himself right now."

Everyone began to talk at once. Mathias let out a shrill whistle. "We're getting nowhere fast! Everyone into a room. I don't want to talk out here." He pointed at Kirlothenin's room.

"We can't." Jelune spoke up. "Kirlothenin's addiction to magic has been reawakened and possibly accelerated. It's dangerous to both him and anyone with magical abilities to be in the same room with him right now."

Adam glanced at Jelune. So that's what was going on with the blood elf. Shaw's voice grumbled out, "Fine. We'll meet in Lord Aron's room." Silence fell as Adam fought to keep control of himself. Maggie informed Mathias of the noble's death. Kristie's arms wrapped around Adam, and he held her, maybe a little too tightly.

Mathias Shaw slammed open the door of the room he was standing by. No one had occupied it before. "We meet in here then!" He pointed to Sornor. "Bring him. We'll question him when he wakes up." He turned to the dwarf. "Go tell Ravenholdt what happened here and tell him he better have the whole damn league help search for those missing kids or else he will have me to deal with! Damn the truce! He dropped the ball. Go!" The dwarf took off.

Jelune was the only one who didn't go into the room. "I don't think Kir should be alone."

Shaw nodded his head, then hesitated. He glanced in the room. "Maggie, hold the fort. I'll be back." He followed Jelune into Kirlothenin's room to see the proud mage, struggling with his addiction. Shaw had seen this before with some of the high elves he had contact with. "Kirlothenin?"

The blood elf shot him a glance but said nothing. "Look, I don't care if you think I'm being an ass right now, but we need you to pull yourself together. We need your help if we're going to get Amy and Adorei back."

The mage looked at him with anger. "I'm useless to anyone right now!" He growled low as he faced Shaw. "I was about to attack Ileeya! That's how much my desire for magic is right now." Shaw watched as he clenched and unclenched his hands. "They knew what they were doing," Kirlothenin said. "They used my fears against me." He looked at the ground and paced back and forth.

"So you're just going to let them win? You may as well give in to your addictions now." Shaw crossed his arms across his chest.

The mage stopped and glared at him. "I'm not giving up, Shaw. I just can't help you right now. I can't help anyone until I can gain control of this blasted addiction once more and only time will do that." He resumed his pacing. "It's all I can do just to keep myself in this room."

Shaw considered his words. But the SI:7 leader had his own resources of knowledge and he drew upon them now. "You know very well that there is a band aid fix to that, Kirlothenin. Or have you forgotten?"

Kirlothenin was silent for a few moments, but his shaking continued. He squeezed his eyes shut, supposedly in an attempt to concentrate. "There is. But how did you-"

"You're not the first elf mage I've come across with this problem and leave it at that. You know how to do it?"

Kirlothenin nodded. "Who? It can't be a magic user."

"What are you talking about?" Jelune looked from one to the other in confusion.

Shaw glanced at the night elf and frowned. From what he understood, Kirlothenin would need someone who was strong of will, which would describe just about any of their group. But only one person came to mind who would be the best option. "Jelune, can you please ask Baros Alexston to step in here. And stay there."

Jelune looked about to protest, but obeyed the SI:7 leader. A few minutes later, Baros stepped into the room and Shaw closed the door behind him. "Baros, once again you are needed."

The man gave Shaw a hard look. "What now, Mathias?"

"Kirlothenin here is struggling with his addiction to magic. He needs to displace that addiction." Shaw watched Baros' face as different emotions crossed it.

"I have little respect for people who can't control themselves," he muttered.

"What the fel do you think I'm trying to do!" Kirlothenin growled at him.

Shaw held up his hand to calm the two of them. "He did have control of his addiction, Baros. The three forsaken who were in here messed with him and forced his addiction to re-emerge. I'm guessing it's stronger than it ever was." To this, Kirlothenin nodded. "Baros, we need his abilities, and I'm sure he wants to get his daughter back, just as you want Amy back. And in order to do that, Kirlothenin needs to temporarily mind-link with someone who is not a magic-user and who has a strong will."

Baros looked from one to the other as he took in what Shaw was saying. "What, exactly, will happen to me, and if I agree, what would I be expected to do?"

Shaw let out a silent breath. Baros' stubbornness is just what Kirlothenin needed right now. But that same stubbornness could work against them if the man decided he didn't like the idea of being linked to Kirlothenin.

It was Kirlothenin who spoke up now. "I will mind-link with you and open up an empathic link as well. You will feel my addiction, and in return, I will make use of your ...stubborn will, to keep my addictive desires at bay."

"In other words, you'll be a leech," Baros growled.

"It's a temporary solution, Baros Alexston, with no harm to you. I assure you I would not want to keep the link for any longer than is needed. Mages avoid empathic links as much as possible." He looked at Baros. "There is something else you should know." Kirlothenin paused, choosing his words carefully. "The empathic link is not limited to just my addiction. All my emotions would be open to you. It is a two-way path. Yours will be open to me as well. I will avoid your personal emotions and thoughts as best I can. I ask you do the same with mine." The mage shut his eyes as he seemed to fight off something, perhaps a wave of addictive desires.

Baros glanced at Mathias, and the rogue knew the architect was considering his options. Shaw decided he'd better speak up. "This was my idea, Baros. I don't have time to get another team up here. We have to act fast or we may never find those kids. And we have more options afforded us with Kirlothenin on board."

Baros seemed to understand what was going on. At least, that was what Shaw guessed. "Can't Jelune or Adam, or even you do this, Shaw?"

Kirlothenin answered for the rogue. "You would be the better choice. The others cannot have the burden of my addiction with them. It would distract them as they fight. And, from what I've observed, yours is the stronger will."

Shaw added, "The only other one I can think of to do this is Kristie. And I don't think either of us want to add this to her burden right now after what she's been through."

"Yeah, about that-"

"We'll discuss that further after we've retrieved the children. And we're running out of time, Baros."

The architect slowly nodded his head. "Just promise me one thing, both of you." He paused, and Shaw wondered what he was going to ask. "Let me know when you get the bastard who killed Lord Aron."

Mathias was surprised at this. "I thought you didn't like him."

"I didn't. But the man risked his life for Kristie. I won't forget that. Now, what do I have to do?"