Rochelle's POV

We spent the rest of the day at Ethan's house and by the time Arkarian and I were leaving I was practically asleep on my feet. I didn't see why I was so tired, I hadn't really been doing anything, but I fell fast asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

That was why I was confused to find myself standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking a cemetery. Next thing I know I'm standing in front of a grave. Peering at the grave I jump at the sight of the name. This was my grave. What the heck was going on?

Rough hands wrap themselves around my neck. Trying to keep my cool I slipped out of them and turned to be given the fright of my life. Marduke was standing behind me smiling. "I'll get you soon enough." He slapped me and disappeared. Slowly I picked myself up and numbly walked away.

Before I took two steps, I was falling, only to appear on the place of our last battle. Lathenia was standing overlooking the field from above. Seeing me, she flashed an evil smile and pointed to the forest. Blue flames engulfed the trees in a matter of seconds. I was running but once again I started to fall.

I bolted up in my bed, a cold sweat on my neck. It was pitch black—there were no windows of course—the only light was and eerie red glow from a clock on a table near the bed.

It gave me creeps. Quickly I jumped towards the light switch, but I was stopped when I ran into a figure. We both fell to the floor to the floor and only years of training saved me from hitting my head. The lights turned on, blinding me slightly.

"Should I know something?" Arkarian was standing by the light switch with arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. The figure I had ran into was a stunned Ethan. I got up and faced Arkarian, mirroring his expression.

"Such as? And why is Ethan here?" Shaun and Jimmy appeared in the doorway, along with Dartemis.

"We were briefing Shaun and Jimmy, but we were interrupted."

"Yeah, those two," Jimmy gestured to Arkarian and Dartemis, "When stiff, and then started some gibberish about you and Marduke. Next thing we know Ethan and Arkarian are sprinting down the hallway." I groaned. Great. I just had my nightmare broadcast to two Truthseers.

A phone went off, and Arkarian was the one who answered his cell phone. HE was silent for a while. "Yes, she's fine, Isabel." Scratch that, two Truthseers and a psychic. "Matt, calm down. You're yelling." Okay, three. "She's fine, Neriah. Absolutely. We'll get this figured out." Four.

"How many fricking people are on that phone?"

"Just three."

"That's just great!" I practically screamed. "Whose dream are we eavesdropping on next? How about Matt's? Or Dartemis! Maybe then we'll get to see what the heck runs through their minds!"

"Rochelle, calm down." Arkarian moved from his post at the door and studied my expression. His thoughts were silent but I could see the worry in his eyes. The sincere concern in his expression made me lose it. Be calm! Be calm! How can I be calm! I just came back from the dead! That goes against all laws of physics. I don't care who he thinks he is, I pointed to Dartemis furiously, he has no right to meddle with that kind of stuff. I turned to face Dartemis and flung my thoughts with a vehemence that might make a bear back down. You're not a god, Dartemis! No matter how much you think you are! You're just as bad as Lathenia! "Rochelle!"

Dartemis stepped towards me with a look to kill on his face. "How dare you, you little witch! I ought to wring your neck and send you right back to the grave!"

"Go ahead! I belong there anyway!"

"No one is killing anyone!" Shaun stepped between the two of us. Jimmy, Arkarian and Ethan flanked him. "Go stand in opposite corners."

"It's his fault. He started it!" I couldn't believe how immature I sounded.

"I don't care who started it! I'll end it! Now go!" I stared at Dartemis while Shaun glared both of us down. To my greatest joy, Dartemis backed down first. Smiling to myself, I went to my corner and leaned against the wall, never turning my back to Dartemis. "I don't know what started the death threats, but it stops now. We have more important issues than your squabbles."

"But--" Dartemis and I started to say at the same time, before Jimmy cut us off.

"Children listen to your mother."

"That's right—Wait, mother?" Shaun turned to Jimmy in confusion. "What do you mean mother?"

"Just go with it." I had enough of this. It was getting just plain ridiculous. I was exhausted and everybody else didn't look like they were about to run a marathon.

"I agree." I jumped as Arkarian's voice drifted through the tangle of thoughts in the air. I looked to see that he had put away the phone and had made himself comfortable on the bed. "We're all tired. Perhaps we should leave the rest alone until the morning and turn in for the night. We can hold another meeting tomorrow if it you wish." Violet eyes scanned the room for objections. No one voiced one so he escorted them to the door. Dartemis surprisingly went as quietly as Shaun and Jimmy.

The only one who didn't leave was Ethan.

I pushed off the wall and walked to the bed, offering Ethan the spot next to me. He hesitated for a while but finally eased himself down unto the bed next to me. We sat in almost uncomfortable silence for what seemed like hours, before I felt the back of fingers brushing my cheek. It startled me at first, and then the fingers pressed the skin of my neck. "You have bruises."

"What?" He traced them lightly, and I recognized the shape as fingers. "How the--?"

"Dartemis didn't actually touch you right? I missed a lot of what happened."

"No, he didn't. I think Marduke did."

"How? He's not here."

"No… but he was in my dream." He withdrew himself from me so fast that he toppled of the bed. It took all the control I had to keep the hurt off my face as he stared at me like I had the plague. "What's wrong?" I knew the answer but I had to ask. I had to say something.

He shook his head and disappeared. I fiercely blocked all my thoughts—I still had them slightly open to display since my fight with Dartemis. I couldn't figure out what could have caused that look on Ethan's face. I knew he was wanting to keep his distance, but he had withdrawn from me in such a way that it seemed like I was… an enemy.

Muffling a scream with the pillow I pulled myself together. He was just freaked about all this. It's a lot to cope with. Or at least that's what I told myself. Whether it was true or not, I doubted it. There was a hidden reason somewhere, but I was too drained to try and find it. Contenting myself with lies, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

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I woke early the next morning—going by the clock next to my bed which read 5 am—but I didn't care. Sorting through the shopping bags I found a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt. I could shower later. I wasn't going anywhere.

Arkarian was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal. I always knew that he ate at least something once a day, but for some reason such a simple thing as cereal and milk never crossed my mind. I noticed as I came in further that he was eating Lucky Charms, causing me to laugh. He turned around at my outburst, slightly confused. "Good morning?" I could hear the question in his voice but he didn't push for an explanation so I focused on sobering up.

"Morning." I could feel him trying to figure where my thoughts had gone and no doubt try to see my reaction to Ethan's disappearing trick last night. "Arkarian, please stop trying to probe my thoughts. It's giving me a headache. If I wanted you to hear them I wouldn't have them blocked."

"You're right, my apologies. Can I get you something to eat?"

"No, just tell me where it is and I'll get it." He frowned at me for once again forcing him to go against all the manners he was no doubt talk when he was young. But, hey, if I was going to be living here, he was going to have to get used to having an extra helping hand to do chores and cook. Despite that, he told me where I could find the breakfast food and went back to his Lucky Charms. There was

Many different kinds of cereals and all of them had enough sugar to make any dentist cringe. After sorting through the boxes I finally found some Cheerios in the back of the cupboard. "Are you trying to get a cavity?"

"I'm not following you."

"Your cereal collection has a common theme, sugar. I'd hate to be your dentist."

"My cereal is just fine. And I have never had a cavity."

"And you have been eating Lucky Charms for 600 plus years?" He opened his mouth to answer, but closed it when he noticed that I was right. "I thought so."

"Why does it matter if I like those cereals?"

"It doesn't. I'm just wondering how you managed to fool us all into think you were this sophisticated, well-mannered know-it-all." Smiling I took a bite of Cheerios while he shook his head.

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Ethan's POV

School seemed to drag on forever today. That might have something to do with the two hours of restless sleep I received last night, or Isabel hammering me about Rochelle. How many times will it take to assure her that I don't know how Rochelle is? She can have such a thick head sometimes.

"Anybody home?" I blinked as I looked up to see Neriah standing next to my seat. "I've been calling your name for three minutes now. Are you okay?"

"Uh… yeah. Sorry, I was …thinking." I rubbed at my eyes.

"Do you mind if I sit?" I looked over across the lunch room to see that Matt, Isabel, and Dillion were already eating. Neriah followed my gaze, "They won't come over. Isabel wanted to come over, but I told her that it would be better not to." I gave a half-hearted smile and gestured for her to take a seat. I started at my food and grimaced, before pushing it away slightly. "You look awful. How much sleep did you get last night?"

I dropped my head into my hands, giving an awkward grimace. "Enough." She sighed, but didn't push the topic. Neriah pulled out a paper bag and started eating. I didn't mind sitting with Neriah since she never really talked all that much, and when she did, it was never trying to push information out.

Boy, wasn't that what I needed right now—information. How was Marduke able to get into Rochelle's dreams? I double checked that my thoughts were safely screened before I let my mind wander too much. The only other person he had been able to do that to was Isabel…but he had never harmed her…at least not that I could remember. Maybe I had just imagined those marks.

No, the bruises where definitely real, but how did he do it?

"Ethan? Ethan!" I turn to stare at Neriah. "Finally! It's time for class." I glanced around to see that the lunchroom was practically deserted. Crap. I jumped up, grabbing my book bag. We both hurried to our history class, and just made it before the warning bell. "Are you sure you're alright? You seem really out of it."

"I'm fine." She gave me a look that clearly asked if I was sure. "I will be, alright. I'm just…tired. That's all."

"Alright." The whole class I let my mind wander trying to reason out what happened last night, but I just came to the same frustrating dead end. I was paying attention just enough to hear the bell when it finally rang. Grudgingly I got up and went to my next class. Isabel was waiting for me in our usual seat near the back window. "Why didn't you sit with us at lunch?" She asked as I took a seat.

"Why do you think?" I stared at the blackboard vainly hoping she would drop it.

"Neriah went over there because we didn't want you to have to sit alone."

"We didn't talk any, Isabel." I knew she was trying to be a good friend, but this friendly concern was getting old really fast. I had more things to worry about than assuring Isabel that I was ok.

"I'm going to go see Arkarian today after school, do you want to go?" she whispered as our teacher started his lecture.

"No."

"Don't you want to make sure she's okay?"

"Not really." I could feel her staring, but ignored it. I didn't care which way she took it. I had to figure out how Marduke was able to hurt her, before I endangered her any more. She already died because of me, and now Marduke was hurting her.

"I don't get it. She's back and you could care less. Do you want her to be dead? Aren't you glad that she's back?"

"Drop it, Isabel."

"What's your problem? You get your soul mate back—something that no one else would be able to have—and you turn up your nose at her."

"I said, 'Drop it'." She gave a groan and—thankfully—didn't say anything more. By the time the bell rang, I was losing it. My last class was a study hall anyways, so I decided to skip. Causally I ventured into a bathroom stall, and used my wings.

AN: okay y'all, I'm back! For real this time. I know this chapter was really short but I thought it was a good place to stop. I'll try to write more next time. I finally got my laptop so I'm going to try to write every night for at least a little bit, but I'm working on two other stories and my book so I'm not going to guarantee when I'll get the next chapter up, but I will get it up as soon as I can. Any who down to business, I noticed last night that Arkarian doesn't have a last name, so I need you to suggest some, or speak up if you think he shouldn't have one. Review, please!