only sighed. "It's complicated."
"Then un-complicate it."
He hesitated. Syney could almost see him thinking. "OK," he began. "A long, long time ago, there were five great races that ruled Altera Realm—the one where the Village is. There were the Magic Users; their Protectors, the Lycins; the Shifters; the Daemons, and the Vampires. They all lived in a shaky alliance, until it finally broke. No one is sure how it started, but the Daemonstook out the royal family of Magic Users, and then the Magic Users sent the Daemons to hell and cursed the Shifters, who had helped the Daemons to only change into one creature."
Syney stared at him, her mouth open. "What?"
Hunter sighed in frustration. "You know it's true, after everything you've seen today."
Syney looked away. He had a point, but Daemons? "So how do I fit into this?"
"The Vilori line was succeeded by the Crystallianna line. There was some distant blood connection, but many Magic Users believed no one could replace the Vilori line. They were beloved. And then, a few years after the tragedy, a Magic User who could see the future predicted the coming of a Vilori—a lost daughter of the line who would come and end the hundreds of years of war and devastation. She would bring Altera Realm back to its glory."
Syney slowly locked her gaze on his. "And you think I'm her?"
Hunter nodded. "We know you are."
Syney shook her head. Things seemed to be connecting—the psychic, the amulet, her real parents. Could all of this be true? Syney bit her lip and grabbed the pen and paper from the nightstand. She slowly drew the symbol from the back of the amulet and handed it to Hunter.
He looked at it. "This is the Vilori family crest. Where did you see it?"
"On an amulet that was left with me when I was abandoned as a baby." She took a shaky breath. "My mom just gave it to me."
"That must have been the trigger," he said softly.
"The trigger?"
"After the prophecy, the queen put a spell in motion—one that would detect the Chosen One once her powers were activated." He paused. "That was a long time ago. Some had started to believe that it didn't work, or that the prophecy was fake. Altera Realm is much older than this Realm."
Syney nodded and slowly sat down. "How are you sure...that I'm her?"
Hunter looked away from her. "I can feel it." He paused and looked back. "All Protectors can feel their charges."
"You're my Protector. And you're a...werewolf."
"Lycin," he corrected.
They stared at each other for a moment in silence.
"This is all a little crazy," Syney said finally.
Hunter nodded. "It's a shock. I understand." He looked around. "Is there a phone in here?"
"I think I saw a payphone out by the office. Why?"
"I have to call Raine and let him know where we are. The longer we're away from the Village, the more dangerous the situation is." He stopped at the door. "Please don't let anyone but me in."
Syney nodded. "I promise. No one but you."
Hunter nodded and left.
Syney exhaled a deep breath and lay back in the bed. She still wasn't positive she believed his story. But then again who would make up a crazy story like that? It was so off the wall that it had to be true. All she knew for certain was she felt completely safe with Hunter—the wolf and the man.
Cass
As consciousness enveloped her body, Cass imagined someone squeezing her arm and even pulling it at times. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and saw stars. There were hundreds in the dark sky. Altera Realm didn't have many stars, and the ones that were visible were green and very faint—nothing at all like this sky with its white, twinkling stars.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?"
Cass dragged her gaze to the left and focused on Becca, who sat in a red armchair. Cass nodded and looked around the room. It was a bedroom, comfortably furnished and decorated, the centerpiece being the wooden four-poster bed she was lying in.
"That skylight was the first thing I put in this room. I just love the stars."
Cass
"Then un-complicate it."
He hesitated. Syney could almost see him thinking. "OK," he began. "A long, long time ago, there were five great races that ruled Altera Realm—the one where the Village is. There were the Magic Users; their Protectors, the Lycins; the Shifters; the Daemons, and the Vampires. They all lived in a shaky alliance, until it finally broke. No one is sure how it started, but the Daemonstook out the royal family of Magic Users, and then the Magic Users sent the Daemons to hell and cursed the Shifters, who had helped the Daemons to only change into one creature."
Syney stared at him, her mouth open. "What?"
Hunter sighed in frustration. "You know it's true, after everything you've seen today."
Syney looked away. He had a point, but Daemons? "So how do I fit into this?"
"The Vilori line was succeeded by the Crystallianna line. There was some distant blood connection, but many Magic Users believed no one could replace the Vilori line. They were beloved. And then, a few years after the tragedy, a Magic User who could see the future predicted the coming of a Vilori—a lost daughter of the line who would come and end the hundreds of years of war and devastation. She would bring Altera Realm back to its glory."
Syney slowly locked her gaze on his. "And you think I'm her?"
Hunter nodded. "We know you are."
Syney shook her head. Things seemed to be connecting—the psychic, the amulet, her real parents. Could all of this be true? Syney bit her lip and grabbed the pen and paper from the nightstand. She slowly drew the symbol from the back of the amulet and handed it to Hunter.
He looked at it. "This is the Vilori family crest. Where did you see it?"
"On an amulet that was left with me when I was abandoned as a baby." She took a shaky breath. "My mom just gave it to me."
"That must have been the trigger," he said softly.
"The trigger?"
"After the prophecy, the queen put a spell in motion—one that would detect the Chosen One once her powers were activated." He paused. "That was a long time ago. Some had started to believe that it didn't work, or that the prophecy was fake. Altera Realm is much older than this Realm."
Syney nodded and slowly sat down. "How are you sure...that I'm her?"
Hunter looked away from her. "I can feel it." He paused and looked back. "All Protectors can feel their charges."
"You're my Protector. And you're a...werewolf."
"Lycin," he corrected.
They stared at each other for a moment in silence.
"This is all a little crazy," Syney said finally.
Hunter nodded. "It's a shock. I understand." He looked around. "Is there a phone in here?"
"I think I saw a payphone out by the office. Why?"
"I have to call Raine and let him know where we are. The longer we're away from the Village, the more dangerous the situation is." He stopped at the door. "Please don't let anyone but me in."
Syney nodded. "I promise. No one but you."
Hunter nodded and left.
Syney exhaled a deep breath and lay back in the bed. She still wasn't positive she believed his story. But then again who would make up a crazy story like that? It was so off the wall that it had to be true. All she knew for certain was she felt completely safe with Hunter—the wolf and the man.
Cass
As consciousness enveloped her body, Cass imagined someone squeezing her arm and even pulling it at times. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and saw stars. There were hundreds in the dark sky. Altera Realm didn't have many stars, and the ones that were visible were green and very faint—nothing at all like this sky with its white, twinkling stars.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?"
Cass dragged her gaze to the left and focused on Becca, who sat in a red armchair. Cass nodded and looked around the room. It was a bedroom, comfortably furnished and decorated, the centerpiece being the wooden four-poster bed she was lying in.
"That skylight was the first thing I put in this room. I just love the stars."
Cass
Similar Books
