Black storm clouds twisted and stretched above her. Flashes of red and white accompanied sonorous cracks that had her covering her ears. She was frightened. The phantom was nowhere to be seen and she was alone. She ran on wilted flowers and dulled grass. The storm followed, looming threateningly above. What was happening? Why did she feel this? A bright flash blinded her momentarily and she skidded to a halt as the light faded and the ground suddenly dropped away. The Abyss. It was silent and dark, unmoved by the happenings above, staring at her. She turned. Something was coming for her, the storm followed it. A menacing figure loomed behind her, coming closer. She searched desperately for the presence that had accompanied her for as long as she could remember, searched for black eyes that always watched in silence. Anala stood between an approaching threat and an unknown threat. Both were equally terrifying. A cold force rushed her and she was airborne.

Then she was falling.

The dark skies rose further and further.

The sensation she felt was stinging and heated and unbearably distressing. It was pain.

Anala fell into black and deafening howling assaulted her. Voices. Hundreds, thousands, screeching and howling and the feeling she had just recognized as pain was becoming worse and worse. A horrified sound escaped her, drowned out by the disengaged voices.

Nolan was awakened to the bed being shaken. He rolled groggily and sat up. The bed wasn't being shaken, or rather, not the only thing moving. The entire house trembled, the items on the desk shook lightly and the house groaned a bit. It only lasted a few short moments until it stopped and Nolan frowned in confusion. A small earthquake perhaps? He shoved the covers away and stood, stretching as he looked out at the river and endless trees from the floor-to-ceiling window. The air was buzzing slightly and Nolan dismissed it to the unexpected awakening. He showered and dressed, planning to do very little that day. The people he had handling various details and tasks were doing well so far, no real crises in his plans to rebuild had come to pass as they had in the previous year. There were no plans he needed to look over, he wasn't needed to oversee any building reparations or any training. Nothing. He could relax and for the first time in what felt like months, which it most likely had been, Nolan had some free time. Carlisle and Esme stood by the stove in the kitchen and Nolan smiled.

"Morning."

Esme's smile was warm and her toffee colored hair glowed from the gray light coming in through the window above the sink, framing her head and shoulders. "Good morning Nolan. Would you like some breakfast?"

"No I'm alright," he told the maternal woman. "I'll just have some yogurt or something. Is Jazz around?"

"He's with Edward." Carlisle replied. Nolan sat at the island as he spoke. He hadn't been upset with the man after listening to him repeat that his sister was dead. Nolan knew Carlisle was worried, but he couldn't help but be angry, angry at himself, at the world. But he was happy to see that the patriarch cared enough to try and talk to him. He hadn't understood, none of them did, not really, and Nolan knew it wasn't their fault. They only knew the Nolan he was before everything had happened, not the centuries old Layame that had laid dormant inside. Nolan knew the pain of losing the people he loved, he'd lost more than he ever cared to remember. This was not the same. "They'll be right down."

Nolan ran a hand over his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. A chill ran over his skin and he tried to shove away the weird feeling. As if on cue, the two men appeared. Nolan watched Jasper near him and he grinned at his mate, pulling him in to press their lips together, lightly sucking his smooth bottom lip. He had leisure time and Nolan thought of nothing better than to laze about with Jasper. He needed a break, his mind was tired and his heart heavy and it felt like he hadn't really used up the day simply spend time with his mate in weeks. No one mentioned the earlier tremors, seeming to have dismissed it as well and Nolan didn't have a reason to think on it again until a few hours later.

Jasper's lips were moving slowly over his abdomen and Nolan sighed as their naked bodies pressed together; hot to cold. Sweat dampened his chest and brow, making his hair stick to the skin. Nolan laughed softly as teeth nipped beneath his bellybutton. His skin still tingled pleasantly from the last couple of hours of Jasper. Jasper's hands. Jasper's mouth. Jasper's body flush against his own as lust surged in a constant flow between them, concentrating and intensifying constantly as Jasper's gift amplified everything and clouded his mind with want. He may not be able to manipulate his emotions but the man could very much project. Nolan ran a hand over disheveled wheat colored locks and amber eyes met his own. Nolan winked cheekily and suddenly reversed their positions, trailing his eyes over his mate's frozen, sculpted body. He lightly traced an indistinguishable crescent scar on his ribs and leaned down to run his tongue over a pale pink nipple, trailing his hand down Jasper's torso. Nolan's skin shivered as a low rumble filled his ears and the house shook once again. Nolan's flesh ached and he sucked in a breath at the unexpected pain. He pushed up on his knees and looked around at the shaking walls.

What the hell is happening?

There was no explanation for it and the strange sensation he awoke with was concerning, nagging at him and Nolan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Just as it did the first time, the low trembling stopped a few moments after it began. Nolan frowned. A cold hand touched his side and he looked down to Jasper.

"What's wrong?"

"Didn't you feel that?"

"Yes, earthquakes are not common in these part but the ocean is not very far. It could be aftershocks from there or further down the coast, maybe." Nolan wasn't very convinced by that. It seemed improbable, didn't fit. Maybe it was unreasonable suspicion but there was something off about it. He stood and scanned his gaze over the window instinctively, opening his mind and reaching along the warm tether in his heart.

Elias, has anything strange happened today? Nolan could sense he was at the warehouse.

Not that I am aware. No demons and none of the others detected anything. Why? Is something wrong?

Nolan eased his worry with responding assurance and gratitude. No, thanks Eli.

Maybe it really was coincidence. Even as he thought it, it still nagged at him. He sighed, unsure of anything at this point. There hadn't been an attack in over a year. The Lotus had assisted him in hunting down the lingering demons in the area fairly quickly and everything had been quiet. It could have been possible that some of Carus's smarter followers were plotting revenge but they would have triggered the wards set up around town and the house if they were here.

"Darlin'? You alright?" He turned to see Jasper standing by the bed.

"Yeah, Jazz." He pushed his thoughts away. Not today, he needed to take a day to simply be Nolan. No war tactics, not restoration plans . . . no trying to piece together clues from his sister's sketchbooks no matter how much he wanted to sit and find something in those books to find the one scrap he knew had to be there somewhere.

The day continued in relative normalcy, Nolan still felt a strange buzzing in the air but it was easy enough to ignore. A storm had descended over the entire region. Black clouds hovered in the sky outside as lightening flashed and thunder rolled angrily in booming claps. Rain slashed over the windows and the wind had picked up, attempting to uproot the swaying trees. Rain was common in these parts but Nolan had to admit this storm was definitely one of the stronger ones, the kind that only came around a few times a year. Not long after Carlisle returned from the hospital, the house had rattled, much more intensely than the previous times. It shook, and groaned as books fell from shelves and items rolled off tables and shook across the floors. It had lasted twice as long as the last and after it stopped, Nolan felt like his body was trying climb out of its skin. Nolan was halfway down the stairs when the lights went out. When he reached the first floor, Alice and Esme had already lit several candles and began placing them around the house. Nolan knew it was for his sake. His vision had improved with his transformation but it also wasn't as impeccable as a vampire's, he could still bust his ass over a coffee table if it was dark enough. He fell against the railing as his ears suddenly began to ring piercingly. The storm rampaged outside and Nolan gasped as his heart thudded and the buzzing that he'd felt all day on his skin had increased as an indescribable warmth filled his being. The storm began to quiet. The thunder and lightning lessened and the rain softened considerably. Nolan straightened and moved to look out the living room windows. Jasper was next to him, talking, but Nolan couldn't hear him over the ringing. Nolan turned, grabbing his jacket from the hall closet and barely turned as he threw it on and spoke, heading for the door.

"I have to go."

"Wait, where are you going? Nolan!"

Nolan was already running across the lawn and into the trees. He didn't have a direction, moving through trees solely by instinct. The only sound was the rain and his heart thudding loudly in his chest. The entire day had been off and now Nolan moved through the trees, fear crawling up his spine as that indescribable feeling flooded in his chest. Nolan wasn't afraid he was in danger, he was more afraid in the sense that it was something else, something inside himself that couldn't decipher what was happening. He slowed as he neared familiar territory. He had awakened in this area enough times to recognize certain markers: two trees side by side, bark lighter than most of the ones around it, a low hill. The wet ground absorbed his footsteps. He walked, feeling as if he were being drawn, or guided. He spotted some evidence of his more recent digging, loose dirt and half-filled holes. He couldn't figure out why he was here. The air was . . . quiet.

Then he heard it.

A gasping breath. The snap of a twig. Nolan whirled and paused, listening. His eyes scanned around but there was no movement among the trees. He walked forward on silent feet, years of hunting and training kicking in. He was suddenly anxious. After only a few moments of walking through the undergrowth he stopped, knees weakening. A small figure crawled from the earth. Covered in wet dirt and half buried still. Soft, low cries and groans escaped a face obscured by a mane of black and the rain created trails through the mud, revealing light golden-brown flesh. Nolan didn't need to see the face.

Anala.

Nolan ran to her, dropped to his knees and grabbed her, pulling her from the earth. She cried out, struggled feebly. Her skin was lukewarm beneath his fingers, but it was virile, alive. "Anala?!" he grasped her shoulders. "Anala!" Black lashes fluttered before dazed pools of emerald met his. They cleared and recognition filled them as she stopped struggling against him. Tears pooled in his eyes and he clutched her against him. Thank you. Arms wrapped around him, gripping his jacket and a soft, shaky rasp was in his ear.

"Nolan?"

A sob built in his chest as his hold tightened. He was holding his sister. He could feel her against him, see her. His mind went quiet and in an instant, the restless aching that had been in him for so long was gone. Like taking a breath after holding it continuously. Nolan sat in the mud and rain and repeatedly made sure this was real, that he wasn't asleep or insane or hallucinating. The arms against his back dropped slowly and her head slumped against his shoulder. Nolan panicked.

"Anala?" he pulled back, holding her unresponsive body. He pressed his fingers against her throat and sighed. She was alive. He lay her down and pulled off his jacket. He wrapped it around her naked form, providing some protection against the cold rain. He carefully lifted her into his arms and shivered as his wings emerged, uncaring of the sound of them shredding the material of his shirt. He took off quickly, paranoid that Anala's current state of breathing wouldn't last. He landed in the front yard, wings enfolding into his flesh and he rushed forward. Light flooded the windows, the power running once again. The front door opened, Jasper looking at him in confusion.

"Nolan wh—"

Jasper silenced as he climbed the steps, seeing his cargo. Nolan couldn't focus on that. He entered the warm house and lowered to the floor, double-checking Anala was breathing and uninjured as he called for Carlisle. The blonde man was frozen, staring down at his sister's still form with a look of pure astonishment. Nolan looked up at him.

"Please, she just went limp—I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Oh my god!" Rosalie gasped as she appeared with the others. Carlisle knelt and slowly reached out to touch her, needing proof she was there. After a moment he seemed to snap into reality. Carlisle checked her over methodically, all the while Nolan looked at her face, taking in features he knew by heart. Carlisle's pale hands were gentle as he examined her. He checked her heartrate, ran his fingers over her skull and neck to check for injury. Nolan just looked at his sister, afraid to look away for even an instant.

"She's dirty," he whispered, thinking how annoyed she'd be having to wash the dirt from her long hair. He could almost picture her scrubbing at it, groaning in frustration and annoyance. After a few long, silent moments Carlisle looked to his wife. "Esme, would you take her upstairs, get her cleaned up?"

Esme was suddenly next to him, tenderly lifting Anala into her arms and disappeared upstairs, Alice and Rosalie following. Nolan just sat there on the floor, still feeling her against him. Carlisle touched his arm, wrapping long fingers around his wrist. He looked at him, into eyes of pale gold and Nolan blinked at the look in his eyes. "Nolan I am sorry. We didn't listen—"

"No, it's alright. Don't apologize." He frowned lightly. "It isn't your fault. I never held it against you." he pushed his hands into his hair and exhaled slowly. "Is she okay?"

"From what I can tell right now, yes."

Good, that was good. He exhaled in relief.

"Nolan, what happened?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I was walking and then I heard . . . she was just there," a breathless laugh escaped him. "She was there, buried in the dirt. So I pulled her out."

Nolan swallowed thickly and shut his eyes. He didn't know how or why and he didn't care. He had his twin sister back. Anala was alive and he sagged, pressing his hands against the cool floor.

Thank you.