I gave a big huge sigh. I was completely and utterly bored.

Okay, yeah I did a big bunch of relaxing the first twelve hours we returned to the living mortal realm. Sgiach was really nice and gave me a whole room by myself, even though I'm a wild animal, and even found a huge pillow for me to put outside on the balcony when I want to sun bath, which is really, really soothing and relaxing and because of my fur I don't have to worry about frying myself red.

But after that I was ready to do something. The highland cat, which I thought had been just a feral house cat, began teaching me how to hunt, even though it was three times smaller than me its body still worked like mine and we hunted the same unlike the alpha wolf. He actually kept lecturing me whenever he decided to show up, he and the stag both. They both had gotten a bit testy when I asked about their names.

"We beasts are not so limited in our senses that we have need to name one another. That is an Upwalker thing, not a beast's."

Of course when I pointed out that they called the Guardian of the Forest/Beasts Artemis which was an Upwalker name for her, they ignored me and went on about the balance of Nature.

It was weird, beast religion (who even knew they had one), because that's why the stag can be so close to the wolf and not have a big hissy fit about the cousin the wolf probably ate last week or something like that. I asked the stag once, while I stood with him watching over his herd, why he was okay with allowing the wolf to teach me along aside him.

"Nature." He said, or telepathied. "If I were to fight the wolf and drive him off, my herd would grow beyond the limit of the Earth. My herd would die of starvation, now or in the far future. I would rather them die by the teeth of a predator because it is quicker than dying of hunger."

Even the eagle went on about the balance of destruction and creation, chaos and peace, and that chaos and destruction weren't evil all the time even peace and creation could be evil if the balance was upset.

Why they were bugging me about this, I have no idea. As far as I could tell, Neferet couldn't screw up the balance that much. Sure chaos may be really big in Tulsa, but that was one city, not an entire world. There probably is a city somewhere with too much peace so Neferet should move there and fix the balance, I guess then she wouldn't be evil anymore because she fixed the balance.

I sighed. Animals interpretation of evil is so much more black and white than Upwalkers.

"We don't have time to fight the evils that plague the Upwalkers."

I looked up and sure enough the eagle was circling around.

"I guess it's the cost of being the dominated species of the realm." I thought.

"Why do you think we allowed the Upwalkers to think that they are? Now our only concern is providing for ourselves and hatchlings."

I sighed.

Mama Cat hopped up onto the ledge I was laying on. "How are you doing?"

"Fine." I wasn't always alone when I napped. Her and her kits and other castle cats would join me and nap on the big bed with me or on my pillow. I really hope Snap isn't the jealous type.

Mama Cat's tail twitched. "You've been having nightmares lately, I can tell."

I flicked my tail harder.

"Yeah."

Ever since that stupid harpy mentioned Damascus I've been having weird dreams where something shadowy keeps chasing me all over the plain from the Otherworld.

"Perhaps you should allow it to catch you." I looked at Mama Cat. She couldn't be serious. Letting that shadow thing catch me did not sound like a good idea at all. "It could tell you something, even if you don't like it."

I huffed another sigh. Mama Cat gave me an irritated look and began washing her paw.

"Perhaps you should go hunt." The eagle said. "You are a predator."

My stomach growled. I was hungry and I had nothing better to do. The highland cat was off entertaining some female and the wolf and his pack had wandered further off because some of the farmers nearby had gotten really nervous for some reason about wolves in the area.

I hopped down and began heading for the bridge. Some of warriors nodded to me as I padded down the path. I nodded back at them.

I hadn't seen much of Zoey since she disappeared with her Guardian. Stark just sleeps all the time and Aphrodite and Darius are doing something that makes them all musky and sweating when they come back. I really, really hate my strong sense of smell sometimes.

Sgiach was really nice and asked me all sorts of questions about my powers and about the animals I communicated with. She was also curious about my half-immortal blood since I could sense her protective barrier. I still can whenever I leave the island it feels like I walk through some thick cobwebs. I didn't have a lot of answers, but I want I knew I told her. I was kinda of hoping she might be able to help me through this.

I flicked my ears as I passed through the barrier and then after I was in clear I took off in a sprint across the bridge. I immediately dove into the woods as soon as I was off the bridge and began hunting.

I found that if I let go of my human-ness and let the panther do its job I'm a much better hunter.

While I was stalking I found some part of my mind marveling again how my muscles moved. Again, I'm so easily entertained and I'm weird because I'm distracted about how my body moves.

Then I smelled it. Prey mixed with the strong smell of blood.

I slunk to the ground so that my stomach grazed the leaves. I peered through some bushes and saw her.

She was a red deer and I could see that her leg was badly broken and she had a wound on her side that was weeping blood.

Yes, my animal lover's trait was getting sick by the fact I was going to kill something, but it also was in conflict by the fact that she's not in that great of shape and probably would die anyway. If I killed her, it would be quicker than her bleeding out or starving.

I felt my stomach growl again so that pretty much shut up any argument between my opposing consciouses.

I moved really softly and slowly. It was a lot easier to do this in this form than it had been in my human form. Although that's probably because this body was made for quiet stalking and my other was made to not give a crap because my species is the frickin' dominant species of this realm.

She was trying to graze, but it looked like the wound on her shoulder was giving her problems.

I crouched down and my tail was barely twitching. I was getting excited in spite of myself. I waited and then I burst from the bushes like I exploded from them.

She immediately tried to take off, but her leg smacked against the other and hampered her stride.

I felt my muscles bugle beneath as I leaped into the air. I land on her back and my added weight sent her crashing onto the ground.

Like the highland cat instructed I grabbed her neck where the spine was a chomped down. She continued to thrash under me. I wasn't going to sooth her via animal communication because that felt like cheating. Other predators didn't have this power and I don't think I should misuse it.

Very swiftly I twisted my head ever so slightly and broke her neck, almost painlessly (getting chomped on neck by a sharp toothed panther probably hurt a lot even if the actually killing was painless) killing her. She instantly went limp and her heart, which had been beating a million miles an hour, was silent.

I took a minute to recover. That took a lot more out of me than I thought it would have. I admired the other big cats who had to do this for a living. If I got really hungry all I had to do was go down into the kitchen and ask for an ox leg. They probably had to do this even if they were about to collapsing from hunger.

I let go of her and then pressed my nose against her cheek.

"Rest now. Your pain is done." I don't know why I did this, it just felt like the thing to do. Then I dug in.

Raw meat isn't as bad as Upwalkers make it out to be. Yeah it was slimy and coated with blood, but what really grossed me out was the fat bubbles not the raw meat.

I was almost full when I heard a branch snap behind me. My ears flickered involuntary at the sound. I peered out of the corner of my eye. I saw an Upwalker shape crouched behind some bushes.

My back prickled. I stopped eating. What if he was human? Would he shoot me? Hell, even if he was a vampyre he probably wasn't from the Isle so he would probably shoot me too.

I wanted to run, but something was telling me to act like I hadn't heard him. I ripped off a piece of meat and chewed it.

After an eternity he still hadn't shot me.

I wondered if it was because panthers aren't really native to Scotland or maybe he didn't have a permit to kill me. Either way, he seemed content just to observe me, which actually was kinda of annoying.

The wind suddenly changed and blew from behind me, carrying his scent to me. He was male and a full grown vampyre.

I heard him curse and knew that he knew I had smelled him which means if I was a normal wild animal, I would react.

I whipped my head around and began sniffing the air. He crouched down lower until he was on his belly.

Acting as if I hadn't located the source of the smell I grabbed my kill by its neck began dragging it away.

Once I felt I was out of his sight I dropped the kill and rounded back. I was curious as to who this was. Granted since I was a big cat I really should watch being so curious, as curiosity killed the cat, but I felt like after him watching me eat I've earned the right to know who he is. I didn't want him following me back to the Isle anyway.

I stalked towards him. He wasn't on his stomach anymore, but crouched down peering above the bush. He was topless and wore only loose fitting black pants. He had a bow and a quiver of arrows. I saw that there was a dagger, or hunting knife, around his waist.

Hopefully I could pounce on him before he drew it. I'm pretty sure I could. I did have the element of surprise.

Then there was sharp crackle beneath my paws and his head jerked.

Dammit.

I leaped at him as he turned. My front paws hit his shoulders. We crash through the underbrush. His head smacked the ground and hopefully dazed him enough that he wouldn't try to kill me. I pressed one of my back paws on his hips.

He froze and stared at me with deep, dark blue eyes. He had midnight dark hair and, well, he was rather good looking. His mark was beautiful, two wolves baying at the crescent in the middle of his forehead.

"You really should announce your presence instead of creeping on us like that." I told him.

He chuckled. "I knew there was something strange about you."

"Was I that obvious?" I crawled off of him.

"The collar and that stone around your neck, most wild animals don't have things like that." He said getting up. "So, what are you?"

"A shape shifter. Though I didn't know it at the time so I'm kinda stuck." I said. I cocked my head at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Hunting." He said.

"Well, that's obvious." I said.

He smiled. He had a rather nice smile.

"I guess I really should have asked who are you." I said.

"Name's Dominic." He said picking up his bow. "Yours?"

"Raven."

"Bit strange. Named for a bird, form of a cat." He said grinning.

I flicked my tail in uneasiness, but it was the good kind. "Well, I'm pretty unusual, so I guess it fits."

"Where are you staying? I don't think I've met a Raven the shape shifter before."

"Um, I'm staying with Zoey Redbird and her Guardian Stark." I figured he knew all about them. Aphrodite said it was all over twitter. Unless he didn't use twitter all or any sort of social network then he wouldn't know all about Zoey and that stuff.

"Ah." He said confirming my assumption.

"Yeah." I sighed.

He looked in the direction of the island. "Do you think they'll be missing you soon?"

"Not really. Why?" I asked. My lips began curling away from my teeth.

"I'm curious. I'd like to walk and talk." He said.

"Walk and talk?" I asked.

"Yeah, you know moving your feet, or paws in your case, and opening that opening you use to eat to make sounds those things on top of your head interprets as words." He said.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. What do you want to know anyway?"

"I'm just…curious. First time I've met a shape shifter." He paused. "Well, and if rumors are to be believed they say you're half-immortal."

I blinked at him. "And this bugs you?"

"No. I'm just curious. Never met a half-breed before." He said.

"We're really not that special." I said. I began padding away from him. For some really, really weird reason I still wasn't completely at ease at the half-immortal thing. One, I didn't know how far the immortality thing went and two, I didn't know how far the power thing went either. It was going to be hard until I figured it out and I probably wasn't going to like it. I was looking forward to being able to fly though.

"Right." He said walking beside me.

"What's so special about me anyway?" I asked. "So I'm a freak of nature, so what?"

"Many consider vampyres freaks of nature." He said.

"It's not the same." I argued.

"How?" He asked.

"Well, one I'm a half-winged immortal and two I don't drink blood." I said.

"Fine, you're a freak of nature and I'm an abomination." He said.

"Don't call yourself an abomination." I said.

"Then don't call yourself a freak of nature." He said.

"Fine." I said. "Why are you here? And don't say hunting, why are you so close to Isle of Skye?"

He walked quietly beside me. "I don't know. Instinct, a gut feeling. I'm not sure. Something just kept pulling me closer to this area."

"That's a bit weird." I said.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "But Nyx must have something planned."

"I never understood why people say that gods plan things." I said. "I mean, did she plan for everything to happen like this or did she just to react to what happened? I guess people like to think that all the bad things have planned out by someone because that means they have a plan to fixing it too."

"Makes sense." He said. "I would certainly like for things to be planned out."

"Maybe I've been stuck in animal form long enough I don't care if things are planned out." I said. "Or maybe I just don't care either way. Nothing can be done about it."

"You're worried about being a half-breed." He said. "Or I guess, the affect your life has on the balance of this world."

I looked at him because he was scarily spot on.

He shrugged. "Vampyre, I'm incredible intuitive. Besides, if I was in your shoes I would be worrying about that too."

"It's just my father wasn't supposed to be here so I shouldn't exist and all this weird, apocalypse stuff is going because of it and well, I'm just…" I huffed and stopped walking to plunked down on my butt. "I'm really scared that despite everything I'm trying to do, I'm trying to be good and to do good, that I'm just going to make everything worse because I'm not human and I don't belong here and-"

He grabbed my face and made me look at him. "I'm not sure if you normally rant while you're stressing, but you need to calm down and breathe. You're making me stress out and I barely know you or your situation."

I folded my ears back. "Sorry. Bad habit." I barely knew him and I stress ranted at him. God, I'm a freak.

"I don't understand why you worry." He said release my head.

"Well, my father isn't that good and my brothers can be just as bad." I said. "I'm just worried it's genetic."

"Evil's not genetic." He argued.

"Yeah, but I do have a temper…like him. Although I usually get pissed when someone threatens people are care about."

"Like a bear." He said. "I don't understand why you aren't a bear if that's the case."

"Well, any animal will get pissed if you brazenly attack their cubs." I said.

He chuckled. "I wonder how your friends would react if they learned you think of them like they were your kids."

"I don't think they're my kids, but they are like family to me." I said. "No, some of them have already chastised me about being too protective and a bit reckless."

He chuckled. "Most who are protective tend to be a bit reckless."

"Well, we've talked mostly about me, what about you?" I asked.

"Not much to talk about. I got marked seven years ago. My parents don't talk to me anymore because of it."

"I never understood why some parents just hate that their kid becomes something else than human." I said. "I mean, surely a parent's love can overcome a species change."

"Not many parents love their kids. My father didn't even before I changed." He said in a low voice.

"Sorry." I mumbled. "Sometimes I feel so selfish. My adoptive parents loved me and my first mom. And here I am, going on about the one person who doesn't care about me like a father should."

"I don't think you're that selfish." He said. "Just spoiled."

I scoffed and nudged his knee with my shoulder. "I'm not really spoiled. I didn't get everything I wanted."

It suddenly occurred to me how far away that old life seemed. It made me a little sad because I didn't get to choose to give that life up and I couldn't even go back because my parents were dead. It really was unfair.

We walked out into a clear area and I saw the Eastern horizon was lighting up.

"I should probably head back." I said.

"Me too." He said. He looked down at me with his slightly wavy brown hair falling down around his eyes.

It didn't look good at all, nope, and it did not make my stomach flutter a bit nor did seeing some nice abs. Nope, no stomach fluttering at all.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Don't know." I looked at him sternly. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I was wondering if you would like to do this again, the walking and talking."

I flicked my tail. "Yeah, I think I'd like that." I said softly.

He bent over at the waist. "See you tomorrow, milady." He gave me a charming grin and marched off in the other direction.

I padded toward the Isle, arguing with myself that I shouldn't see him again because…well, there was honestly something about him that made me way too trusting of him, but it was nice to actually be able to talk to someone without them blowing up (f.y.i. Zoey/Stark, maybe Darius, I don't Aphrodite would mind me ranting, but I don't think I would get a good answer from her about what to do) about my issues after returning from the Otherworld.

Of course those issues were only going to multiple once we return to Tulsa because Neferet was probably waiting ever so patiently to screw with our lives some more. But I think I could deal with her, what I could not deal with is the way Zoey acted around me, almost like she was waiting for me to do something Kalona like. Maybe time would fix that, maybe not. Yeah, it was big shock for her when he killed Heath, but I'm not him…mostly.

I groaned. The more and more I thought about it, there were a lot of similarities with our personalities. But that I mean I wouldn't go off the deep end, right?

I crossed back onto the Isle and went straight toward the castle. I held my breath when I went past the heads and bounded up the stairs. I was too tired to care about the nice paintings and tapestries or the distracting smells that were everywhere. I swear, being a panther has made me severely ADD with all the distracting things my stronger senses brought me.

I found my door and it actually had knobs I could open myself, which was nice because then some poor warrior would probably have to guard my room so I could go in and out. I smacked the knob with my paw and it easily swung open. I slipped in and shut the door with a swift kick from a bad leg.

I huffed and leapt into the bed. There were a lot of pillows all over the bed surrounding the middle like a nest and I batted a couple of them around to make sure I could sprawl in the middle of my nest properly.

I laid my head on one of the pillows. I was debating about the advice Mama Cat gave. Should I let those shadowy things catch me? I mean, how badly did I want answers about Damascus.

I closed my eyes. I guess I was going to find out.

XOXOXOXOXOX

I marched out from deep in the woods and stood at its edge. I turned and saw beasts stand beside me. Unicorns, griffons, dragons, and a lot of other mystical beasts stood with them. I watched as the trees bent about so that they legs.

O-kay. This looked a lot like Lord of Rings meets Narnia. What was going on? Where were the shadow people?

"Raven." I turned and saw Zoey, Stevie Rae, Shaunee, Erin, and Damian march up wearing chest armor, but they were also wearing robes covered with ancient symbols that I had a hunch represented their element. Stark, Darius, even Seoras and Sgiach marched out dressed in complete armor. Aphrodite came wearing only robes looking like an Oracle.

"Hit him hard Ray. Show him that we're no giving him what he wants that easily." Aphrodite said.

I blinked. O-kay.

A silver dragon opened her mouth and let out a vicious roar. I turned and saw a shadows marching towards us. I held out my hand and watched darkness and light twist together and form a sword.

O-kay number three.

"Enough of this Raven." A magnified voice spoke over the shadow army. "Do you really think you can lead this army against me?"

Wait, how did Kalona end up getting a shadow army?

My heart almost stopped when Kalona swooped down and landed beside me while the Raven Mockers took up perch in the dormant trees around us. They shrieked and cried, but it wasn't in fear. They sounded like they were getting ready to fight.

Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. I thought we were battling Kalona? Who were we battling? The voice was male, so it couldn't be Neferet.

He looked at me with steely determination. "Lead us to victory, daughter. Defeat this evil."

Everyone cheered around me.

WHAT? Who were we BATTLING? Why was I leading an army? Shouldn't Kalona? He's much older than anyone here!

This weird dream can stop now.

The dream shifted. I was on the other side of everyone else. I was with the shadow army now.

I said to STOP! I didn't want to switch sides!

Two men walked out from the army and stood beside me.

"Why do they wish to fight when they've lost the key?" The man on my left asked. I turned. I couldn't see his face not even his hair color, only his dark wings. In the dim light they looked like they were covered with dried blood.

"I don't know." The man on my right side said. I turned. His face was hidden back a dark veil of hair. He had ebony wings that he spread out and then curled them around me. He wrapped an arm around my waist. My heart pounded. Um, I can't even see your face dude, you don't get to wrap me up in your wings and put your arm on me.

I could see his eyes now. They were a deep violet and very compelling. I wanted to do whatever he told me to do.

"Send in the beasts, my dear one." He whispered.

I turned from him and face my friends and my family. I lifted up a finger and pointed.

The shadows leapt forward and took the shapes of beast both mortal and legendary. They leapt at my friends.

I jerked awake. I shook my head and rubbed my paw over my nose.

That was really weird. I think I rather take getting chased by shadow creatures than whatever that was. How could I let some purple-eyed winged guy tell me to sic animals on my friends?

I shook my head. Maybe I needed a boyfriend so that if he shows up I'm not so desperate for some male attention I can tell Mr. Purple eyes to buzz off.

I licked my chest fur. I didn't realize how dark it was in this room. I hopped off the bed and slipped outside to the balcony. My huge pillow was still in the same spot. I kneaded it a couple of times, it does make things more comfy, before curling up on it.

I heaved another huge sigh. So much for relaxing while I was here.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Woo-hoo! New chapter! Enjoy!