A/N- What's this? Two chapters? Lol, yup! These are the final two chapters of my fanfic, and I'm super proud of myself for finishing them with so much heart and energy! Well, I'll let you all get on with reading, and I will see you all soon in the last chapter with my final words to impart in this fanfic ^^

Oh, and before I forget:

v

William RP: Haha, that chapter certainly wasn't easy to write out for sure, but I was super relieved that I finally got it done! I'm thrilled you're enjoying what I'm putting out, and your words just made my day! No words can describe my gratitude, so here's a gigantic internet hug from me! *HUGS*


Chapter 57

What Awaits Behind the Waterfall


Holden gasped for air, his lungs quenching, but he wanted to go back underwater and comb the water for Kassidy. His "rescuer"—Raymond—wouldn't allow it, though. He clawed at the air and water, trying to slip out of the great gray owl's hold, splashing in the process, but no matter how hard he tried, the wing now hooked around him refused to budge.

"NO, LET ME GO!" Holden said a little breathlessly as sparks flux across his body. "KASS IS STILL DOWN THERE!"

Raymond dragged Holden onto land like a bag of sand and quickly pinned him down, trying to get through to him calmly. "Boy, listen to me: I know you want to find her, but you can't go back down there. You don't know what all is awaiting in the deep part."

"I DON'T CARE! I HAVE TO GO BACK DOWN THERE!"

"Go back down and you might not get back to the surface, and even if you try and find her by yourself, you may not find her in time. You cannot throw yourself in this kind of situation where it'll likely get you killed."

Holden breathed out frozen strands of air, but it all gradually came out slowly as he digested Raymond's words. A curse word slipped through his mind. While he wished not to admit it, the great gray owl made a fair point. If he dove back in, what then? His thoughts spiraled out of control, and he covered his eyes with his hand as if that would terminate them while understanding settled like a lead weight in his belly.

He didn't have what he needed to find Kassidy, like a layout of where the water travels to, scuba diving gear… magic (besides the strange bolts he now apparently could willfully control in some ways). Holden could've saved her in time, especially when he had that chance, but he couldn't, and it was all because of that damn chunk of ice. He was riddled with guilt.

Warmth suddenly began to pool through his body, making a chill of satisfaction run up his spine, and Holden suddenly became aware that Raymond's wing was on his scarred back, and it didn't take him long to guess what he was doing. The purple Silverwing was so lost in his thoughts that he had almost forgotten how cold and damp he was from the water. After Raymond worked his magic, Shade and Marina made their way over to Holden—who had now climbed back to his feet, barely looking like he had just been underwater—and gave him looks that were of concern and also of ones that told him that things would hopefully be okay.

Orestes and Helen soon joined them, and as they did, Holden noticed that not only was Raymond before them, but so were Sylvester, Stella, and Lightning. Raymond and Sylvester's backs of their heads no longer looked like they were cracked open, and the purple Silverwing concluded that Stella healed them without a sweat with the help of Orestes, Helen, and Lightning, of course. With Kassidy not here, though, they were not regrouped (Goth and Throbb didn't count in Holden's perspective), and it did not feel complete without her.

"How are we going to find Kass?" Shade questioned.

Exactly what I wanted to ask, Holden wanted to say.

Sylvester shook his head like Shade's question was dumb. "We'll take care of that," he informed the sky-blue Silverwing, referring to himself, Raymond, and Stella, indicating to those two with his head.

"Wait, what?" Holden queried, making sure he heard and saw that correctly.

"This option will be for the best–"

"Are you shitting me?! You're not going to let us find her?!"

Before Sylvester could even lob a retort, Raymond put his wing out to silence him and then spoke, keeping his voice level. "Let me explain: Sylvester is trying to say that we may have better chances of finding her with our magic—which would mean that if you and your friends came along, the search might come across as slow. We allowed you to come with us the first time, but you have to get to the colony this time."

"But–"

"Please don't argue with us, and as Sylvester said, this option will be for the best. Stella and I will scour the water in a water animal form of our choosing while Sylvester will be on the lookout on land."

It may be best that you have a second pair of eyes on land, Lightning's voice chimed in through their minds. If Sylvester or I should see something like Kass, I can contact you and Stella through your minds.

"Not a bad idea," Sylvester admitted. "It would make things much easier."

"I second that," Stella agreed.

Holden's teeth chewed inside his mouth, a rush of anger flooding through his veins, fueling the aura of lightning surrounding him and making them flicker more brightly and wildly. All he wanted was to find Kassidy, but no. How was this even remotely fair?

Seeing his face, Raymond used the same tone of voice as before while speaking to him. "I know you don't like this, and I understand, but I promise we'll do all we can to find Kassidy." His eyes then slid over not only Holden but also Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen. "We'll catch up to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, you need to get to the colony."

"What's going to happen with Kassidy's family?" Holden inquired.

"We'll bring them to Glamour Island to get them the necessary treatment."

Holden, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen inclined their heads, confused about the place Raymond spoke of. "Glamour Island?" Shade repeated.

"To put it simply: a secret island for magic users working for The Spell Organization. There are people in the medical field who'll do their best to help Kassidy's family, and hopefully, they will figure out what they've been injected with and what's making them act savage."

"As for Martin, Dianna, Goth, and Throbb's bodies?" Marina wanted to know.

"We'll be on the lookout for them as well," Sylvester answered. "Especially Martin and Dianna's bodies."

Holden slowly started to feel reassurance. It could be better for Raymond, Sylvester, Stella, and Lightning to handle this. However, a small part of him still longed to search for Kassidy, and he wanted to fight for that right to do so… but perhaps it was best that they left it to these guys, especially the trio from The Spell Organization, who clearly had the experience when it came to sweeping areas for anyone and such.

Finally giving in, Holden let out a long sigh, his breath puffing out in white vapors. "Okay…" he quietly said. "But please find Kassidy."

"We will do our best, boy," Raymond gave his word. "And when we meet up again, we will discuss other matters like the ability you now have."

All Holden could do was nod understandingly. He had the feeling the lightning magic he now had would be the topic they'd need to discuss. Not that he was complaining, as he wanted to get to the root of how he managed to possess it. Even so, what Holden wanted more than anything was to see Kassidy safe and sound. That's all that mattered to him at that moment.

"I'll take your word for it then," the purple Silverwing finally replied.


After imparting information about where Kassidy's aunt and uncle were, the trio from The Spell Organization and Lightning were off, leaving Holden, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen standing in the same spot near the body of water. They gazed at one another, a strained silence settling over them. It was like one of them wanted to say something, but after everything that transpired, they were tongue-tied, their unspoken words hanging in the air.

Holden found himself gazing down at the water with his ears flattened on his head, his reflection staring back at him. The events of Kassidy sinking further and further away from him until darkness engulfed her kept replaying in his mind's eye, taunting and reminding him that he didn't get to her in time. With his body excessing more than it could handle, flashes of guilt now fired in his heart, and the electricity crawling across him seemed to have known his pain as it dimmed and sparked less.

If only I'd seen that ice coming, Holden guilt-tripped himself. Maybe then…

"It's not your fault, Holden," Marina spoke up like she had heard his thoughts the whole time.

A heartbeat of silence passes. Holden then sighed, not once looking at anyone as his breath plumed in the air. "I want to believe that but… I could've saved her, and I was too late."

Marina's hand found its way onto Holden's shoulder. "It's going to be okay. All we can do is hope that they'll find Kass."

Shade nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and hopefully, we'll see her again." A hush came over them for only a minute or two until the sky-blue Silverwing was the first to break it. "We should… try finding Hibernaculum. Kass would want us to do that anyway."

As much as Holden worried about Kassidy and the guilt strung through his veins, he knew that Shade was right. "Right…" he quietly replied. Gathering himself together, he then faced the others. "Then I guess we should get on with it." He then flicked his gaze to Shade. "Didn't you say something about a river the last time you called up your sound map?"

Their friend nodded. "I did, and like I said last time, I couldn't see past it."

"Why don't you call up your sound map again?" Marina suggested. "Maybe you'll be able to this time."

Taking her advice, Shade sealed his eyes shut and concentrated on bringing up his sound map, planting his claws to his temples. Holden, Marina, Orestes, and Helen stayed silent while he sifted through the map, trying to pinpoint the location they needed to find. The only sounds made were the distant thunder and the rushing of the waterfall.

After killing about thirty seconds, Shade eventually opened his eyes, looking a little worn out. "Well?" Marina asked a little eagerly.

Shade's eyes suddenly goggled. "Th-the river!"

"What about it?" Orestes inquired, not quite getting Shade's vague answer.

"We've been flying over it the whole time!"

"You mean… that river up there?" Helen piped in as she used her wing to point toward the upper part of the waterfall.

It was clear as glass that the sky-blue Silverwing wasn't lying. This whole time they'd been dealing with Martin, Kassidy's aunt, uncle, etc., they miraculously wound up at the destination they needed to get to. Luck was on their side once more.

"Holy shit," Holden commented, amazed that they didn't need a lot of effort to find it. "If that's the case, then that means…"

"We might be close to Hibernaculum," Shade finished for him.

The reality of that sudden realization sank in. They'd been trying to get to the colony for so long, and tonight was possibly it. They were one step closer to finding the Silverwings, and it was almost hard to believe.

"But where exactly is it?" Marina asked.

Silence.

Shade let out a stressed groan. "I have no idea!" he admitted.

"So now we're lost?" Helen said in more of a statement rather than a question.

"We're not lost! I just… hang on, I'll be right back. Let me see if I can find anyone."

Before anyone could say anything, Shade was already off to scrutinize near the waterfall, trying to spot anyone or something in particular in sight. He flitted around in every possible compass direction, and all Holden, Marina, Orestes, and Helen could do was watch as he was in what appeared to be a wild goose chase near the curtain of water and mist that lingered in the air.

Shade eventually made his way back to the others, and Holden had a feeling about what his report would be—seeing as though he seemed to have come back empty-handed. "Let me guess: nothing?" the purple Silverwing nonchalantly said.

Confirming his answer, Shade shook his head. "Not a single Silverwing anywhere."

As he went to touch down on land, Orestes spoke. "Maybe Hibernaculum is beyond the waterfall," he notioned.

A sigh escaped the sky-blue Silverwing, long and heavy as if the weight of everything they'd been fighting against came out in this single breath. "What's the point?" He hung his head in defeat. "I'm just a useless runt if I don't have the whole sound map."

"Whoa, hey now," Holden cut off Shade's mopiness. "That's not the bat we know right there." He then brought their friend into a headlock, catching him off guard as he yelped. Holden then proceeded to knock on his head like he was a door in a brotherly manner. "Hello, hello, anybody home? We'd like the other Shade back."

"GAH! What the heck, Holden?!"

"Trying to get your head on straight is what." Even though Holden could barely think about anything else but Kassidy, he wanted to try and at least motivate Shade in some way or another.

"Holden, knock it off," Marina chided him. "He's had enough."

"Alright, alright." Holden backed off, giving Shade the space he needed to collect himself. "All I'm trying to say, Shade, is that you ain't useless. I mean, a useless runt wouldn't have put Martin in his place back at the mines."

Their Brightwing friend nodded in agreement. "Or take him head on moments ago," she added. "You're anything but useless." Hearing their words brought a bit of optimism in the sky-blue Silverwing's green eyes, especially as Marina continued to speak, her tone shifting to a solemn one. "And besides, we have to find Hibernaculum before anyone else does."

"Like our fathers," Orestes said for an example, indicating to himself and Helen.

Shade darted his gaze between the others, their words hanging in the air. He then took a deep breath, the tension in his body dissipating some as he dove back into his sound map, pulling all his energy and focus into it. And this time, the sky-blue Silverwing dissected it more carefully, not missing a beat as he rummaged through the exact locations he'd seen multiple times, making sure not to jerk back to reality in case there was something he didn't catch onto before. All the while he was doing that, the others had their eyes glued on him, their breaths held.

Before long, Shade's eyes reopened, his jaw hanging open, which only meant one thing: he discovered something in his sound map. "It's behind the waterfall," he informed the others.

Holden lifted his brow as he crossed his arms. "Well, I'll be damned," he commented. "Guess I managed to knock in the last piece of the sound map."

"You wish. I just so happened to dig a little deeper into it."

"But how do we get behind that?" Marina wondered.

Helen narrowed her purple eyes, studying the waterfall carefully. "Well, if anything, it would be unwise to fly headlong into the waterfall; it would only drag us underwater."

"But what if it's the only way to get to the other side?" Shade questioned.

The Princess looked at him as if he made a terrible joke. "If someone were to ask you to commit suicide in a volcano for no reason, would you do that?"

Shade opened his mouth but closed it, words failing to come out. He kept silent, seeming to get her point.

"I believe there is a way to reach the other side. If this is where Hibernaculum is, then the entrance must be concealed in some way, making one overlook it. It would make sense, considering the colony wouldn't want to be in the open to predators trying to survive the winter or anyone on the bathunt for them."

"Huh," Shade mused while scratching his head. "I actually didn't think of it that way, but I see where you're going with this."

Orestes nodded in agreement to the Princess's words. "Yeah, and it stands to reason that if Hibernaculum is behind the falls, then there simply has to be a way in," he pointed out.

"Okay, so kind of like those hidden bookcase doors I've seen in movies," Holden put in, and it was no surprise to him when the others stared at him in puzzlement.

"Umm, yeah, sure." Pushing aside his confusion, Orestes's eyes roved over the waterfall. "If I were an entrance, where would I be?" He hummed to himself, barely blinking his squinted yellow eyes, as if he were trying to mind control someone. A beat of silence passed. And then suddenly, the great horned owl's eyes lit up, seeming to have spotted something as his wing pointed at something in particular. "There!"

"Huh?" the others said in unison.

"Where?" Holden asked, confused as to what Orestes was looking at.

The great horned owl didn't reply and swept off the ground toward the waterfall, and seeing this as their cue, the others followed suit. The waterfall roared in Holden's ears the closer they got, the water spraying his body faintly as the mist kissed his face, and a slight shiver rolled through him. Not just from the contact but also because it wasn't long ago that he, Kassidy, Shade, and Marina used it to defend themselves against Martin. Thinking about those events tightened his throat like a knot, especially since Kassidy wasn't with them.

As they flew to where Orestes was headed, Holden noticed something jutting from the waterfall. It appeared to be a chunk of stone as water seeped down it with a slightly damp branch attached, looking like it was about to snag something. Orestes wasted no time locking his talons around the limb, and soon the others joined him, and they all had a better look at the great horned owl's find. It was more than just rock and branch rooting from it. There, a few wingbeats down from the limb—that parted a little of the waterfall—was a mouth of a cave.

"We're here," Shade breathed, and his voice went up a few notches. "This is it! We made it!"

The atmosphere that immediately filled with solace upon seeing that cave suddenly smothered as they all realized one problem. They made it, but Kassidy didn't.

The air suddenly felt colder without her presence, and Holden began to feel his bones weaken, his heart aching. Could they enter Hibernaculum without Kassidy? It almost felt wrong to Holden, like they were about to abandon her. The group exchanged subtle glances, the mournful thought of Kassidy stamping their minds.

She's going to be okay, Holden tried to convince himself. She's going to be okay…

Eventually, Helen tore down the stretch of silence when she said, "You guys go on ahead; I think I'll wait outside."

Holden cocked his head. "You're not coming?"

"I think it'll be for the best." The Princess then sighed softly, her frigid breath slipping from her beak. "Quite frankly, I'm not sure that the colony will accept me, given that I'm the daughter of a king who thinks that they and Kassidy are bringing malice onto the animal kingdom."

"Stop worrying," Shade said, trying to put her at ease. "Of course, my colony will accept you—just like they're going to accept Marina and Orestes."

Helen did not look convinced. "In case you haven't noticed, we're owls." She gestured to herself and Orestes. "And it's probably the last thing your colony would want to come across."

"Maybe they will be friendly to us," Orestes tried to be positive, considering Shade's words. "If Shade, Holden, Marina, and Kass can, they may, too."

"Possibly." Helen slowly inhaled and then exhaled a nippy puff. "Regardless, I'll stay out here for now. Not only that, if the trio from The Spell Organization and Lightning eventually try to find us, someone might want to stay out here anyway and wave them down."

Holden could tell she wasn't joking, and there was no arguing with her there. All they could do was respect her decision, ridiculous or not. He thought of staying out here too—primarily due to his never-ending concerned thoughts for Kassidy—but he decided to try and suck it up, and whatever happens, happens.

"Erm… I think I'll stay out here too and keep her company," Orestes apprised the group.

Holden shrugged and said, "If that's what you guys want, just don't plan on bailing on us."

"Trust us. We won't be doing that anytime soon."

"And we believe you," Marina truthfully said.

"Alright, but I'll be back to come and get you two," Shade told Helen and Orestes. His gaze then cuts to Holden and Marina. "Let's go."

Releasing their grips on the limb, the trio of bats winged their way to the cave, the water deafening their hearing some, and it wasn't long until a blast of warm air hit their faces when they ducked into the cave's tunnel. The tunnel began to widen into an open space, and Holden, Shade, and Marina took in their surroundings, amazed by what they saw. Stalagmites and stalactites were scattered all over, looking like the jaws of a beast, and the way everything around them was formed reminded Holden of half-finished pottery works. There were more tunnels to discern, some twisting upward while others branched off and descended deeper into the depths, almost like a labyrinth.

"It's unbelievable," Marina said in awe.

"You said it," Holden commented, seeing eye to eye with the Brightwing.

Eventually, they began to hear clicks, and Holden, Shade, and Marina landed on a stalagmite near where it was coming from. And there they were: the Silverwings.

A sea of blue, green, purple, and silver bats clustered in flight and plastered the walls and stalactites like decorations. The colony appeared to have doubled in size, meaning the males were now among them. It appeared that the Silverwings had been trying to sleep but now seemed too perturbed to and were now conversing with one another, and Holden had the feeling why that was as he felt the tension in the air.

He sucked in a breath. It was almost hard to believe that after all they'd been through, they were finally standing within the colony… but it still felt incomplete without Kassidy. Nevertheless, Holden wondered how they would all react once they finally noticed them. Would they be glad? Shocked? Furious? It was hard to say, but he prayed that it wouldn't be the latter for most of the Silverwings, considering after he, Shade, and Kassidy broke the law, which resulted in the owls burning down Tree Haven. Ice chilled through his veins as he recalled the moment flames consumed the summer roost until there was nothing more than a stump—how things would've been different if he, Kassidy, and Shade never chose the path of looking at the sun.

Holden's thoughts didn't get a chance to play on any further when suddenly someone called out, "Shade! Holden!"

"Huh?" Holden, Shade, and Marina uttered simultaneously.

Someone flew up to them, a bat instantly recognizable to the boys. Chinook. "Is that you?!" He asked, stunned but also content to see them.

"Chinook?" Holden managed to word out, finding it very odd that he'd be someone glad to see him and Shade.

Chinook let out a laugh that sounded of someone that was relieved that the other person was okay. "Holy sunlight, it is you! You're alive!"

His voice reverberated throughout the cave, grabbing the colony's attention. When most of them saw who Chinook was speaking to, they stared at them open-mouthed, and Holden, Shade, and Marina were instantly fired with questions like they were at a shooting gallery. "Where did you come from?" and "Wait, they're the ones who were lost in the storm!" and "It can't be!" and "Is that lightning on him?" and "Where's the witch?" and "Whose that?" and "Did you see what all that noise was?"

Holden sighed. There was no evading these questions, but each one felt like they were trying to suffocate him. He'd almost forgotten what it was like being surrounded by the colony—he especially almost forgot about the bolts still crackling on him when he heard a few Silverwings ask about it.

"Shade!" Someone cried out happily.

"Huh?" Shade turned to the source, and his eyes glowed when he saw his mother hanging from a stalagmite wingbeats away from him. "Mother!"

He zipped through the air toward Ariel, closing the space between them, and they tightly embraced one another, tears streaming down their faces. "Oh, I thought I'd never see you again," Ariel said between sobs. "We thought you were dead!"

"No," Shade assured her as he gazed into her eyes, tears continuing to trickle down his cheeks. "We…" the sky-blue Silverwing trailed off, and Holden was no fool as to why that was, and he shut his brown eyes, his hands balling into fists as if he could summon Kassidy here, the bolts traveling lightly through his fur.

Marina hesitated at first—primarily due to the aura of electricity on him—but then rested her hand on Holden's shoulder, not needing to say any words.

"I have a feeling that there's a lot we don't know about that happened?" Chinook almost whispered to Holden.

"A lot, lot, man," Holden said honestly. "Stuff that you won't believe happened."

"With that on you—" Chinook pointed at the bolts dancing across Holden's body "—I can believe that."

Shade returned to Holden and Marina and hovered in front of them. "Come on," he then drew his gaze to Marina. "Come meet my mother."

"Are you sure, Shade?" Marina questioned.

"Yeah, my mom wants to meet you." He then brought his gaze to Holden. "And she wants to see you."

"You sure she wants to see me like this?" Holden questioned, waving his hands up and down his electric body to emphasize his point.

"Come on; it'll be fine."

Without waiting for an answer, Shade soared back over to his mother with Holden and Marina following behind, and they all eventually joined his mother on the stalagmite she was roosting and still was on—Shade on one side of her, Holden and Marina on the other. Ariel warmly smiled when she saw the purple Silverwing. "Holden," she gently said, wrapping her wings around him like a caring mother, and whether or not she saw the lightning crisscrossing across his body, she did not seem to care about it.

This gesture almost took Holden aback but then gave in and returned the hug. "Hey, Ariel," he greeted her.

At that moment, he then grew confounded. Why didn't the sparks electrocute Ariel when she touched him? Why didn't they do that when others came into contact with him?

Did it only do that when someone didn't pose a threat? Holden pondered.

He decided to hold off on that question for now and focus on this moment. This new power of his would have to wait. He relaxed against Ariel's warm, fragrant fur, taking slow, deep breaths, and as he did, the electricity slowly began to vanish. And then there was none of it left to be seen. Question marks would've taken shape and suspended over Holden's head if possible. However, something then occurred to him.

I think it's all connected to my emotions, he pieced it together in his head. It was just like with Kassidy's powers and anyone else with it.

"Mom, this is Marina," Shade introduced the Brightwing to his mom. Ariel had a good look at her after she and Holden ceased their embrace. "She's a Brightwing, and we met her after the storm tore us away. We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for her."

Marina weakly smiled and awkwardly waved to Shade's mom in greeting.

Ariel stretched out her wing to her. "Come closer," she invited her over. Marina widened her eyes. Her gaze swept between Holden and Shade, but when the purple Silverwing moved out of the way, she hesitantly obeyed, and as soon as she came at a reaching distance, Ariel pulled her into a hug. Holden saw her trying to hold them back, but silent tears didn't take long to reach the Brightwing's eyes. "Thank you."

"Well, it worked both ways," Marina managed to say, wiping away the tears. "We helped each other out." She then winced after what she said, her face etched with pain knowing that Kassidy still wasn't with them.

Seeing her face, worriment took over Ariel's features as she looked between the three. "Where's Kass? Tell me what–"

"Ask the lawbreakers why the owls are hunting us," a bitter voice spoke up.

Holden felt his fur bristle a little as he, Shade, Marina, and Ariel gazed up toward the elder and old grouch herself, Bathsheba—who was clinging to a stalagmite. Her eyes pierced his and Shade's, impatiently waiting for an explanation. That's a face I certainly didn't miss, Holden dryly thought.

"Not just owls," Shade began to clarify, and then he abandoned the stalagmite he, Holden, Marina, and Ariel were huddled at, and it didn't take long for his friends to do the same thing. The trio retreated to the other stalagmite they'd been at moments ago, and the sky-blue Silverwing spoke once more. "Wolves too!"

Upon that revelation, the colony gasped.

"King Boreal and Brutus think that Silverwings are killing owls," Marina put in.

"They also think that Kassidy is, too!" Holden chimed in. "They believe that she's leading the Silverwings and will bring destruction to the animal kingdom!"

"But that's not true!" Shade came in. "The murderers are four giant cannibal bats, two of them humans like Holden and Kassidy!"

Panic strung through the colony as they had not been prepared for the words from the trio. "The two giant bats that are actually humans have magic, too?!" a Silverwing quivered.

"Not both of them, just one," Marina corrected. "But you don't need to fear them. The giant bats are dead."

"How do you know that?!" another Silverwing voiced.

"Because we were there when it happened," Holden replied. "It's a long story."

"Even though they're dead, the owls and wolves might find Hibernaculum sooner or later!" Shade's voice carried across the cave. "We have to abandon Hibernaculum right now before they get here!"

"First Tree Haven, now our roost?!" Bathsheba nastily said. "Give them to the owls!"

Holden's brow puckered. "Yeah, like that's gonna solve anything!" he quipped.

The elder bared her teeth at the purple Silverwing, her face withering. "If you and that demon of a witch never showed up, this never would have happened! And for all we know, you three are lying!"

"But we're telling the truth!" Marina demurred. "And don't call Kassidy a demon!"

Bathsheba scoffed. "She's nothing but trouble! Speaking of her, where exactly is she, concocting some evil magic?!"

Holden's hackles rose more. She was not making this easy.

"No, far from it!" Shade shot back. "The human-turned-giant bat—Martin—was dragged down the waterfall, but he didn't go down empty-handed!" He took a deep breath and then spoke again. "He took Kassidy with him!"

He did not need to say more as the colony began to understand what he was trying to say, a hush descending among the cave. The Silverwings gazed at one another, shell-shocked… well, most of them.

"Oh, so she's dead," Bathsheba carelessly said. "Good riddance! One less lawbreaker to–"

At that moment, Holden could not hold his tongue any longer. It was like a red filter had slammed down on the world, and electricity sputtered out of control on his body. "Go to Hell, you old hag!" He spat, earning gasps from almost everyone in the cave, especially Bathsheba, as his words took her aback. "She's not a demon, and she sure as shit ain't dead!"

More words wanted to erupt from him like cannonballs, riddling the elder with holes until she was nothing but a pile of smoking, shredded bat. Before he even could, though, Marina interjected. "Holden, calm down!" she counseled. "Breathe… Breathe…"

Realizing he was brimming with so much anger, Holden did as the Brightwing said until it all drained, as well as the life from the lightning. He let loose a racked sigh. Now I know how Kass feels when she's trying to contain her emotions, he wanted to say out loud.

His friends gave him looks that asked him if he was alright, and he confirmed with a nod. After their silent communication, they turned their attention back onto the colony. "We admit, there's a lot more to explain," Shade said with veracity, "but we are not lying! We'll prove it; we have two witnesses!"

No one had the chance to say anything else as Shade made a beeline toward the cave's mouth. Holden and Marina shared a nervous glance, knowing that the colony would not be prepared for who their friend would soon bring in.


"Thank you for staying out here with me, Orestes," Helen graciously said.

She gave him a small smile, and a smothering heat overtook Orestes's face. "Oh, yeah, it's no problem!" he immediately said before the words were lost in his throat. "It's the least I can do, especially after all you've done for me."

Oh gosh, did that sound forced? He almost cringed as he went into his thoughts. But why am I so worried about that? She's my owlethood friend. She knows that I meant it… right? Stop doubting yourself! Get a hold of yourself and stop acting like–

"Are you alright, Orestes?" Helen questioned, startling the great horned owl a little.

"Uh… yeah! I mean, no! I mean…" Orestes sighed, his breath wisping in the air. "Sorry, I'm just… I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened."

The Princess nodded understandingly, her purple eyes full of care. "Don't worry. I feel the same way, this all did happen fast and very unexpectedly, after all."

"Yeah, for sure."

Orestes thought he was used to the magic up to this point, but after what happened moments ago, he realized it might be a while before he could. It was mostly Martin's black magic he couldn't get over, though. Even thinking about it sent chills down his spine like the tip of a claw was dragged along it. It wouldn't have surprised him if the others were still thinking about it like he and Helen were.

"By the way, that was a good find," the Princess praised the great horned owl. "The cave, I mean." She slightly directed her head toward the entrance of Hibernaculum. "You got some sharp eyes."

There it was again, the heat in his face, and this time his cheeks went fluorescent pink. What is happening to me? Orestes queried himself. He felt like he was melting from the kind words she aimed at him, like they were perched near flames and not Hibernaculum. Can she see my cheeks? Oh gosh! I better cover them up! No! You're not unfledged anymore, don't make it look weird!

Realizing he hadn't responded, Orestes quickly banished his thoughts from his mind and managed to summon a sheepish smile. "Heh, thanks," he said with gratitude.

His eyes suddenly found themselves latching onto hers—those beautiful, purple eyes that reminded him of water with a purple sheen from the remnant light of the setting sun. Orestes's heart fluttered in his chest. Her eyes were indeed one of a kind.

As he surveyed Helen's eyes, a thought came to the great horned owl's mind. He'd been meaning to talk to her about something that happened for a couple of days when they went to sleep: her dreams. First, it was when they, Shade, Holden, Marina, and Kassidy roosted in a cave, and then it happened again when they slept at Morgana's place, and whenever she woke up, she'd been breathing heavily and trembling as if she had just escaped from a monster. Orestes had been concerned for her—he still was—and felt like now was a good time to discuss it. He only hoped that she was willing to open up about it.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" The great horned owl spoke a little hesitantly.

Helen tilted her head curiously. "Sure, what is it?" she returned.

"Umm. I've noticed you've been having bad dreams for a few days now, and… I was wondering if something happened that's been causing them." He noticed her body shifting uncomfortably and immediately added, "But if you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

The Princess blinked her eyes, flabbergasted, a beat of silence filling the space as his words settled. But finally, she released a hushed breath barely seen in the air. "Orestes, there's something you should know about. I–"

"Orestes! Helen!" A voice broke off Helen's sentence, and the two owls whirled around to see Shade alighting on the branch. "I need you guys to come inside."


The colony went into panic mode when they saw Orestes and Helen. It was chaos as bats took wing in the air or bunched together like that would merge them into one big bat. Orestes gazed around him anxiously while Helen seemed much more composed than him as if she's been through something like this before.

Holden pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, this was going to happen, he wryly thought.

"Oh, Shade!" Ariel blurted out. "What have you done?!"

"This is Orestes and Helen!" Shade presented the two owls. "Helen is King Boreal's daughter, and Orestes is Brutus's son! Not only that, they're our friends! They've seen the giant bats too!"

"You brought King Boreal's daughter and Brutus's son to our winter roost?!" One of the Silverwings, who was the spitting image of Chinook, exclaimed.

Orestes stuttered like he wanted to say something, but no words came out of his beak.

"Yes, I am of King Boreal's blood," Helen peacefully spoke up, making her voice known with her posture poised and head held high, "and my friend is of Brutus's blood, but I assure you that we mean you no harm!"

While her words rang truthfully, the colony did not seem to believe her as the fear escalated.

"Mercury, quickly scout outside and see if there are any more owls," The chief elder Frieda instructed the scout and messenger.

Mercury heeded her words and began to make his way outside to scan the area.

While the colony carried trepidation with them as they zig-zagged all over or were frozen with it on their roosts, one of the Silverwings was about to slam his wing against Helen. Seeing it coming, the Princess instantaneously retracted, only for the Silverwing's wing to connect with Orestes's back, making him almost fall off the stalagmite they were on. Helen winced as if she wished she had actually taken that blow, and she looked at the great horned owl apologetically.

"You don't understand!" Shade tried to reason with the colony. "They saved our lives!"

His words held no weight on the Silverwings.

"Oh, come on!" Holden tried to get through to the colony. "Give them a chance! They've never even eaten a bat before!" While he knew Orestes hadn't, he wasn't sure if Helen had, but he did not ask her that question as that would not have been appropriate at that moment.

"Wolves!" Mercury's voice cut through the clamor as he hurried back over to Frieda. "There's two of them outside!"

Holden cursed in his mind. Why?! He wanted to shout as things were getting out of control.

"Did they see you?" the chief elder wanted to know.

The scout and messenger shook his head.

Frieda sighed as if this was beginning to be too much for her.

"How do you save us now, Frieda?" Bathsheba taunted the chief elder with a smug smile as she crossed her arms.

Holden scowled at the bitch of an elder, swearing at her thoughtfully. However, her sentence replayed in his mind. Did something almost happen to them that we don't know about? He wondered.

Out of the corner of his vision, the purple Silverwing noticed Helen whispering something to Orestes that he could not decipher—primarily due to her wing covering her beak as her hushed words traveled through the great horned owl's ear slit. Orestes's eyes ballooned as the Princess drew back her head, but he nodded.

And before anyone knew it, the two owls snatched Holden and Shade in their talons in a blink of an eye and darted for the exit, making most of the Silverwings scream.

"Shade!" Ariel's voice sounded. "Holden! Not again!"

Holden and Shade yelled as Orestes and Helen carried them back outside into the cold, the colony's voices drowned out by the waterfall. "Are you two crazy?!" Holden propelled at them. "This is the opposite of trying to get on the colony's good side, you know!"

"Oh, really?" Helen caustically said. "Wow, I never would've guessed."

As the purple Silverwing tried to think of the best retort he could muster, he noticed they were coming in hot toward land blanketed with snow. And there awaiting were two wolves who instantly saw their presence. Holden cursed. "Turn around! Turn around!"

Helen and Orestes disregarded him and dropped toward a boulder. They plopped the two on it and pinned them in place. Holden's gaze found themselves on the wolves, and he instantly recognized them. It was Virtuoso and Kiba, the same wolves that he, Shade, Marina, and Kassidy dealt with nights ago.

He whipped his head—or at least tried to—toward Helen, who was holding him down. "You two really are–"

"Curb your tongue, Silverwing!" Helen commanded in a tone that did not sound like her own, which caught Holden and Shade off guard. It sounded less like velvet royalty and more like a harsh soldier. Holden suddenly became all too aware of how frosty her face looked, and chills actually slithered down his spine.

Virtuoso and Kiba crossed toward the boulder, having a better view, and as they did, Orestes spoke up, trying to make his tone sound deep. "We, uh, found these stragglers." There was a slight falter in his voice.

The two wolves glanced at each other and then set their eyes back on the duo of owls, suspicion seen in them. "Aren't you two a little small to be out on patrol?" Virtuoso said, taking note of their size.

Orestes seemed a little on edge, while Helen, on the other hand, was unfazed by the wolf's words.

"What's your rank?" Kiba demanded.

"I am Andronika," Helen said in a collected tone, "Commander of the second squadron. And please excuse him. It's his first day, and he's not off to a good start so far." She shot Orestes an icy glare. "You call yourself an owl, Hercules when you can't even act like one?!"

Orestes's eyes widened. "Uh…"

"Words, owl! Words!"

The great horned owl flinched but quickly straightened himself out and saluted. "I'm sorry, Commander Andronika! It will not happen again."

Holden and Shade gazed at each other, puzzled by what was happening. What the hell are those two doing? Holden questioned thoughtfully.

"It better not," Helen cold-heartedly said. "Now, show me what you can do." She then curtly indicated to Shade with her head. "This one seems like he'll be easy to break. Get him to confess where the Silverwings are."

"Yes, Commander!" Orestes abided, and the two Silverwings gasped. The great horned owl narrowed his eyes at Shade, and the sky-blue Silverwing's breath shook. "Tell us where the Silverwings are, you filthy bat!" Orestes pecked him on the back, and Shade yelped in pain. "Uh… sorry," he then whispered.

"Huh?" Shade murmured.

A line appeared between Holden's brow as he gazed at Shade and Orestes, but after the great horned owl gestured something with his face, the sky-blue Silverwing's eyes were fastened on the purple Silverwing, and he mouthed to him without the wolves seeing, "It's a trick."

Holden went goggle-eyed, but then an inaudible breath discharged from his mouth. Something loosened in his chest, something he hadn't even realized was wound so tight. Of course! He comprehended. Why didn't I see the signs sooner? Orestes and Helen are still on our side!

In response, the purple Silverwing gave a slight nod.

"I said talk!" Orestes ordered.

"Okay!" Shade said, immediately 'giving in' and getting in on the act. "Okay! I'll–I'll tell you!"

"Don't do it, Smalls!" Holden interjected as he, too now, was getting in on it. "Don't you–" Helen whacked him on the back of his head with her wing. "OW!"

"Keep your tongue behind your teeth," Helen threatened, "or I'll rip it out for you!"

If Holden hadn't realized this was all a ruse, he definitely would've believed her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't hold it!" Shade apologized to Holden. Orestes jabbed his beak into his back again to make him 'confess'. "Uh… They're-they're roosting uh near uh… the river!"

Helen scrunched up her face. "Not good enough." She flitted her gaze to Orestes. "Take the torturing up a notch."

Orestes nodded and then plucked up a branch that was near them. He then roughly poked Shade on the back with it.

"Uh n-near a hollow tree," Shade stammered like he actually feared for his own life, "uh near a-a boulder!"

The wolves growled with pleasure, enjoying every minute of it as they chuckled.

Helen's facial expression never once changed. She then nodded once to Orestes, giving him the signal.

Returning the gesture, the great horned owl turned his back to everyone, then… Crack!

Shade cried out in a painful manner. "MY WING!"

"HOLY SHIT!" Holden swore.

The wolves burst out in laughter, loving the violence.

"Okay, o-okay, I'll tell you!" Shade said in anguish as Orestes moved out of the way, revealing an 'injured' Silverwing cradling his now 'broken arm' as his breathing strained. "It's near a large oak tree… with trunk rot!"

"NO!" Holden outcried. "YOU BITCHES!"

"Good boy," Helen cruelly said, "and for telling us the location, we'll ensure your death is light." She then wrenched her gaze to Holden. "As for you, though, I'm afraid it won't be so pretty for you." Seeing that the wolves were still there, Helen threw them a cold scowl. "And what're you two still standing there for? You waiting for us to throw you a bone? You heard the bat! Get going!"

Disappointed that the show was over, the wolves trotted on the double, a little peeved with Helen's words. A few heartbeats of silence passed, but Virtuoso and Kiba were eventually gone, never once thinking that they'd been hoodwinked.


"Guys, that was awesome!" Marina applauded Holden, Shade, Orestes, and Helen for their Oscar-winning performance. "You fooled those wolves!"

They had an audience, which seemed enough to prove that Orestes and Helen weren't the bad guys. Holden and the others waited until they got back inside Hibernaculum to discuss it—just in case the wolves were still nearby—and he had to admit, he couldn't believe that he, Shade, Orestes, and Helen were able to pull it off. It had been so intense, but the wolves actually fell for it.

"And it was all thanks to Orestes and Helen," Shade proudly said as they were all flying.

"Yeah, that was quick thinking," Holden assented. "And to think I thought you were betraying us there for a minute."

"Heh, I can't take the credit for it," Orestes openly said. "It was all Helen's idea—a great one, for the matter."

Helen's cheeks bloomed a bubblegum pink. "Thanks, Orestes," she courteously said. "But you, Holden, and Shade did great, too; you guys should also take it."

"But you truly stole the show, though. You were not kidding a few days ago when you said you manage to pull off good acts whenever it's necessary."

A slight smirk pulled at the Princess's beak. "What can I say? I'm a self-taught actress. I'm sorry you guys had to go through that. Usually, I put a lot of effort and fervor into my acting skills."

"You kidding? That was worth it," Shade said with enthusiasm. "Even though I wasn't expecting that you really pulled it off."

"And I still got goosebumps from it," Holden candidly said, "that's how good your acting was."

"And I thank my lucky stars that no one got hurt," Ariel said, solace taking place on her features after nearly having a heart attack moments ago. She then softly gazed at Orestes and Helen. "You two have my gratitude."

They all eventually came to rest on their respective stalagmites, and as soon as they did, the elders gathered—both male and female. Holden and his friends gazed up at them, eagerly awaiting their thoughts on the matter. The purple Silverwing hated to admit it, but he was nervous to hear what they'd say, and it didn't help that they'd been pondering on it quietly for a minute or two.

"Shade, the human in the body of a bat, the Brightwing, and the two owls staying here is nothing sacred!" Bathsheba snapped. "And it does not help that now there will be a war!" Her gaze drifted toward Holden and his friends, hard and unwavering.

Can someone please kick this Karen out? Holden wanted to request.

"The owls have been waiting for an excuse to wage war for centuries," one of the male elders pointed out. "If the giant bats, with two of them actually being humans, hadn't appeared, they'd have invented some other excuse to close the skies."

"The winter may halt any fighting, though," Elder Aurora said considerately. "The owls usually hibernate around that time."

"True," Elder Lucretia joined in, "but considering all that they've said—" she indicated toward Holden, Shade, and Marina "—I doubt that they will anytime soon."

"Regardless, extraordinary times create extraordinary circumstances," Frieda wisely said. Her old, crinkly, benevolent eyes gazed toward Holden and his friends, and a small smile reached her face.

It didn't take them long to see what her answer was, and the group gazed at each other in relief that Elder Frieda was on their side, and it only grew as most of the elders agreed with her. All except Bathsheba.

Frieda continued to speak as she then looked down thoughtfully. "The only question that remains is whether we want to abandon Hibernaculum." She then wrested her attention onto the colony and announced, "The council of elders will now meet to make that decision!"

The elders unlatched themselves from the stalagmite they were on and winged their way toward one of the tunnels, but as they did, Holden caught onto a private conversation between Frieda and Bathsheba.

"We have to decide about the traitors quickly, Frieda," Bathsheba brought up.

Frieda blew out a sigh, and those words seemed to have tested the last of her patience as she flung back, "You are no longer welcome aboard the council."

"What?!"

Holden had to repress a snort as he witnessed the ex-elder stop dead in her tracks, utterly dumbfounded. Ha! Suck it, bitch! He wanted to goad her, glad that Frieda made the right call as he wasn't sure how much more of Bathsheba he could take.

The ex-elder muttered something under her breath, and whatever it was, Holden didn't care, not even as she left his line of vision. It wasn't like that crabby old bat would do anything about it anyway.


Holden and his friends tried to pass the time, but they were on pins and needles as the colony and they awaited the elders' return. Not even a wink of rest would fall over them. It almost seemed like forever had passed, and Holden felt like he'd go crazy any second. Especially when there had been no signs of Lightning, the trio from The Spell organization… or Kassidy.

The purple Silverwing tunneled his fingers through his hair. Where are they? Holden mused, both on the former and latter. What's taking so long?

"Do you guys think that… everything's going okay?" Shade spoke, his voice a little weak as he shattered the silence they'd been in for a while. "You know… with the others trying to find Kass and such…"

Tension as thick as sap tightened in Holden's chest, but a single, hushed breath transferred through his lips. "I hope so," he responded quietly. "Maybe I should go find them while the elders are still meeting."

Marina gently shook her head. "That might not do much," she expressed her opinion. "Let's try and be patient, but if they still don't show up, maybe we can consider going with your idea."

"After what happened, though," Shade piped in, "I don't think my mom's going to let me out of her sight anytime soon if it does come down to it."

Silence.

"Perhaps it'll do us good to change the subject," Helen suggested. "It'll at least ease our anxieties some."

"Like what?" Holden queried.

"Um, what about that new lightning magic you now have?" Orestes mentioned. "I think we're all still curious and surprised about it."

The purple Silverwing's lips pulled into a thin line.

"I hate to admit it, but I actually still am," Shade said frankly. He gravitated his head to the side as he traced his eyes on Holden. "So you really don't know how it happened?"

Holden shook his head. "No," he honestly said. "At least… I don't think I do."

"Well, it couldn't have happened for no reason," Marina said, putting her thinking cap on. "Are you sure there isn't something you remember? Not even the smallest thing?"

"Marina, I can barely think about anything."

"Maybe food would help?" Orestes recommended. "Sleep? Getting some fresh–"

Holden exhaled an irritated breath. "Not helping, Orestes. Food is the last thing on my mind. Sleep is…" At that moment, a memory of his tugged at him at the mention of that word. It then flared in his mind's eye, and his jaw fell open as a wave of realization hit him. The other day when they all slept at Morgana's estate… he had a dream. Could it be…? "Holy crap."

"What? What is it?" Marina inquired. "Did you remember something?"

Holden slowly nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"What is it?" Shade asked. He, Marina, Orestes, and Helen stared at the purple Silverwing anticipated.

"I… I had a dream."

"A dream?" Helen repeated.

"Back at Morgana's place," Holden clarified. "I remember standing in a void; there was nothing to see, hear, touch, or smell… but then this blue light appeared."

"Blue light?" Shade echoed.

"Yeah, it was mesmerizing, and I could practically smell it. Then, this voice came in and said something along the lines of, 'Touch what is rightfully mine.'"

"And so you touched it?" Marina stated rather than guessing.

"Well, I was hesitant at first, but pretty much."

"And then what happened?" Orestes spoke with interest.

A heartbeat of Holden's went by before he finally spoke. "It surrounded me and then went straight into my body. Then I began to glow in that light, and so did my surroundings. Everything around me exploded, and the next thing I know, I woke up."

Holden knew what he said sounded insane, but after realizing that he now had a lightning ability, it was a fact that that dream had something to do with it. How? And why?

Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen gazed at each other, the words soaking in. "There has to be more to that dream though than just gifting you the power of lightning," Helen notioned. "Every dream has a meaning behind it, after all."

"Maybe Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella can figure out its meaning," Marina gave out her view. "They said they'd discuss your sudden power when they met back up with us, so they might likely know something about it, especially since they are experienced with magic."

"Let's hope so," Holden said, praying he didn't jinx anything, "'cause God knows I need to not only get this lightning power under control but also figure out the mystery of it."

Before they could even continue to go down the rabbit hole of that topic, they heard wing flaps slicing through the air. They swiveled their heads toward the noise, and there were the elders, finally reaching the final verdict. The decision would boil down to either staying at Hibernaculum and risking lives or deserting it, and no one would be harmed. The elders carried themselves to the stalagmite they occupied a while ago and grounded themselves on it. Everyone fixed their eyes on them, awaiting their decree.

Frieda stepped forward. "The council has decided we must leave Hibernaculum as soon as possible," she declared.

Conversations immediately gushed out of the colony, their words going from one ear of Holden's to the other as they discussed the elders' decision. What they were all primarily distressed about was where they would go now. And that was when an idea slammed into Holden.

Without another thought, the purple Silverwing took to the air and steered himself toward the elders. "If I may, I do have a suggestion of where the colony can stay," he made his presence known to them.

Holden captured their attention. "Please do share," Frieda said, allowing him to continue.

"We know someone who helped us—" he gestured to himself and his friends "—her name's Morgana. She has everything the colony needs, and I'm sure she'd be happy to help."

"Who is Morgana?" one of the male elders spoke up.

"She's an ally," Shade jumped in, joining Holden, "and like Kassidy, she has magic. You'd be surprised by what she has, and best of all, no one would ever suspect us hiding at her place. Trust me. It's concealed very well."

"My, my," Aurora said with fascination, and the Silverwings mirrored her expression, "it appears there are many more individuals in the world that have magic."

"Indeed, and if what they say is true, I say we take our chances and take sanctuary at Morgana's place," Lucretia welcomed the idea.

"I agree," a male elder sided with the female elder, and it wasn't long until almost everyone began to agree.

"Then it is decided," Frieda proclaimed, "we will make our journey to where Morgana lives."

"There is one slight problem, though," Marina shared as she placed herself near Holden and Shade. "We really don't remember precisely where it is, and the only one that knows it by heart is Morgana's mate and our ally, Lightning. We would have to wait for him to get here, along with a few others that were with us."

"Then we shall wait," Frieda said with a kind smile, her voice laced with patience. "And while we do, perhaps you would like to share your adventure. I'm sure you have a lot to tell."

Holden, Shade, and Marina's gazes alternated with one another. The chief elder was right, and it certainly was an excuse to kill some time. And judging by everyone else's faces, they also looked eager to hear their story.

The trio nodded at each other, and then their eyes fell back on Frieda, showing her lots of respect. "We'd be honored to," Shade said, the three of them accepting to fulfill that request.