Hanna
The figure was in the distance. A woman. Her long, red-blonde hair was floating around her head like a halo as she drifted limply in the water.
She wasn’t supposed to be here.
I moved towards her, looking up to see the surface of the water high above my head.
This wasn’t right. I was far away from where I usually dread. The water was warm, the sun casting a sparkling glow across the surface as I moved through the stillness towards the woman, reaching out to grasp her by the arm.
I could feel life within her still, though the pulse beneath my fingers was slow and irregular. A rope was tied around her waist, the end of it floating several feet above her head.
Holding her by the arm I kicked my feet, moving towards the surface of the water. She was weightless, her hair falling over her face as we rose from the blue depths, our heads breaking through the surface into blinding sun.
A wave ca, the water seeming to whisper to as it took the woman away.
Had it thanked ?
I looked around, treading water in search of where the woman had gone.
But a grinding sound made look over my shoulder. I blinked, my mouth dropping open in shock.
The white building in my dreams was before , so close I could see the symbols etched into the stone. It was built into a rock striped with veins of granite, camouflaged from view unless you knew exactly what you were looking for.
A single wave could have brought to it. I was that close.
But the grinding sound turned into screams of terror and agony. All around the sky erupted into angry noise. People were yelling, voices lifted in desperation and despair. I reached up to cover my ears, shaking my head and closing my eyes.
No, no, no!
Suddenly, I was pulled beneath the water, the dream unraveling around into nothingness.
***
Rosalie
“How often is she doing this?” I asked, reaching into the linen closet to pull a stack of blankets from a shelf and handing them to Rowan, who was standing with in the upstairs hallway. He shrugged, tucking the blankets under his arm as he followed through the house to the guest room.
I had sent Gretchen, our housekeeper, ho hours ago. I was surprised by Ethan’s quick return from Red Lakes. I was even more shocked when he climbed out of the seaplane with not only Rowan, but two young won in tow.
I hadn’t recognized Kacidra at first, since she had grown into a beautiful young woman compared to the shy, quiet girl she had been when her family visited over ten years ago.
But my heart had nearly stopped when Hanna stepped off the plane, her dark hair pulled away from her face and her eyes shining in the sunlight. I thought it had been her mother standing on the dock at first. My heart beat rapidly against my chest as I watched Hanna move like a shadow behind Rowan, her hand tucked into the crook of his elbow.
Hanna’s mother had had powers even I couldn’t fathom. But they were dark powers. I felt it the mont I t her.
I could feel them in Hanna, too.
And when she collapsed to the ground in the middle of the dining room, her body seed to pull the water out of the air as her clothes beca suddenly damp and water began to soak onto the rug beneath her. I knew sothing was amiss. This girl, so quiet, so innocent, was battling an inner force she had no control over. It was sothing even I didn’t understand.
“I never saw it happen, not like what happened after dinner,” Rowan admitted, helping fit a new sheet over the mattress, “She always ca to us soaking wet. Like she had been swimming.”
“Ah. I see,” I said quietly, racking my brain for so semblance of understanding. We made the bed in silence, my eyes grazing over Rowan’s face, his mouth sunken in a frown.
“Does she talk to you much, sweetheart?” I asked, fluffing the pillows.
Rowan shook his head, “No, not really. A few words here and there.”
“Dad says she’s your mate—”
“She is,” he said abruptly, his eyes catching mine. “She is my mate.”
“He also said your bond with her is weakened by...whatever force is—”
“By her dreams. Yes, I believe you’re right.” There was an edge to his voice, sothing that told he would rather talk about anything else. I could feel the tension radiating off his body, his brow furrowed in inward contemplation.
He was leaving for Valoria in a few hours with Ethan and a handful of warriors while I stayed behind. It had been my decision to stay, even though I was desperately worried about Maeve. Word had co to Winter Forest about the invasion only an hour before Ethan’s plane touched down on the water.
Maeve was strong, however. She would have gotten herself to safety. She would have fought.
And sothing in was keeping grounded to Winter Forest, so kind of pull that was heightened by Hanna’s arrival.
This is where I was supposed to be. For now.
I could hear Ethan’s voice drifting up the stairs as we left the guest room and walked into the hallway. He was standing in the living room, talking to the warriors he was bringing on his quest. I smiled softly to myself, shaking my head. Rowan arched his brow, his hand on the railing of the stairs.
“What, Mom?”
“Your father, he’s excited.”
Rowan narrowed his eyes. “Why would he be excited about dropping into a war zone?”
“Because it’s been a long, long ti since we’ve seen conflict. I know that sounds... insane. He’s been a little bored, I think. Playing the diplomat for so long.” I waved my hand in dismissal, passing him on the stairs before he could catch the soft blush rising on my cheeks.
I had had the faintest of mories burst to the surface of my consciousness as I spoke, rembering Ethan when I first laid eyes on him the day I woke up in the hospital in what had been the original Drogomor territory. Everyone had been fearful of Ethan then, his gaze like knives as he scanned the room, focusing on with intensity. I had been so young, so ek. And he had been a force to be reckoned with.
His deanor had softened over our years together. He leaned into fatherhood with a gentle touch, his rough edges smoothing to a fine finish as he spent his days with our children.
But he was still Ethan. He would always be Ethan.
And now Alpha Damian was going to see just what Ethan was capable of.
We had had no news of Maeve or Ernest. Ethan had sent word to Georgia and Talon, but chances were likely they wouldn’t know about the invasion for another few days. All Ethan could do was go to Valoria and find these things out himself.
“When do you leave?” I asked as I turned to Rowan as he stepped off the stairs. He was facing towards the living room, but turned back to face , his face drawn with fatigue and anxiety.
“Soon, I think. I’m just going to wait for Dad. I’m packed already.”
“You’re going to be fine, Rowan. Everything will be fine. You’re ready for this.”
He nodded once then leaned down to kiss on the cheek before he turned towards the living room, slipping inside and leaning against a far wall as he waited for Ethan to finish laying out their plans.
I sighed heavily, letting my shoulders droop as I made my way through the house to the den, where Hanna had been resting with Kacidra after her latest episode. Kacidra looked up over the sectional couch as I entered the room, smiling softly and tilting her head towards Hanna, who was curled up around a pillow on the other side of the couch, asleep.
“The guest room is ready for you two upstairs,” I whispered, smiling at her. Kacidra was a sweet girl, I liked her a lot. I was only slightly disappointed that she hadn’t been Rowan’s mate, but I couldn’t be too upset. Hanna was a nice girl as well, just... strange. I’d get to the bottom of it eventually.
“Thank you,” Kacidra replied, her voice wavering. I could see hurt behind her eyes.
“Can I talk to you for a mont? Sowhere...private?” I tilted my head towards the hallway, motioning her to follow.
If anyone knew a thing about Hanna and her strange powers, it was Kacidra.
***
Ethan
“We’re going to land on this lake,” said the pilot, pointing at the screen in the cockpit of the airplane. I nodded, knowing full well we couldn’t expect to land at the port like usual. We’d be overrun by Damian’s n in a matter of minutes. But the lake was far enough removed from the city of Mirage and the castle for Damian to even notice our presence.
“Great, that’s fine.” I replied, clapping the pilot on the shoulder before turning around and walking out into the narrow cabin, nodding my head at the warriors who were seated and talking quietly amongst themselves. We would be taking off shortly. I exited the plane, jumping down on the dock where Rosalie was waiting, her white hair glowing in the moonlight over our heads.
I took her in my arms, holding her against my chest and bending my head to kiss her neck, then her lips.
“I’ll be ho soon, I promise.”
“Don’t promise anything yet,” she smiled, shaking her head.
“I’ll find her. I’ll bring her ho.”
“Bring them both ho, please,” she said, turning her face to Rowan, who was standing out of earshot, his head bent close to Hanna’s as he whispered sothing inaudible into her ear.
“We’ll be fine here,” she reassured as I looked at Hanna, slightly suspicious.
“Watch out for her, Rosalie. I have a weird feeling—”
“She’s just a girl. She doesn’t know what she can do, not yet. I’m going to help her.”
I gave her a look that told her to be wary, but she brushed off, standing on her tiptoes to kiss again.
***
Rosalie
The pilot had started the plane, the engines sending an eerie vibration across the water. Rowan was suddenly at my side, hugging quickly before he followed Ethan inside the seaplane, looking over his shoulder and waving as the door closed behind him.
“Please, Goddess,” I prayed, closing my eyes, “Bring them back to .”
“Maeve’s alive,” Hanna said, appearing next to . I jumped, startled by her sudden presence.
“How do you know that—”
“I got her out of the water. I didn’t know it was her, at first. But you have pictures of her around the house. Sothing is wrong. There was sothing wrong about my dream. She’s not where she’s supposed to be.”
I gaped at Hanna, ignoring the plane as it began to pull away from the dock.
“She was in deep water. Warm water—”
“Why—”
“But she’s alright now. She found them. She’ll be on the right path soon, I think.”
Hanna was looking out over the water, her eyes focused on nothing and everything all at once.
“Who did she find?” I asked, adrenaline prickling through my veins. Hanna was talking in riddles. I briefly wondered if she might be dreaming right now.
But Hanna looked at , smiling. She let out her breath, looking up at the moon. “Who is Seraphine?” she asked, and I felt as though the dock had fallen from beneath my feet.
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