[b] The First Lotus ~Seaside Village~[/b]

The dead's whispers flutter over me, caressing my mind. I don't push them away but I don't dwell on them either. 

I move straight for the space where Galen lies motionless. Slowly, I circle the space but there's nothing. His body preserved as if in sleep, but it's empty. Nothing but a pretty shell. 

Once more I'm glad for Lilianna's absence. I'm not sure how this would affect her but it wouldn't be well. 

I lean heavily against the table. For a moment I allow myself to relax into the arms of the dead. Their pleas are so much more peaceful than living humans. The living are greedy constantly asking for more. The dead are hopeful and gentle in their asking. 

Sighing, I lift my eyes to Omega. An anomaly in all this. The Omega I know wouldn't do any of these things: playing with children, helping. If we're to work together I need to understand what he is now. 

"You've changed." I state simply. "I think an explanation would be beneficial. Raydel was it? What happened to you?"


[b]Blaze ~ Shadowhold battlegrounds~[/b]

Lexianna doesn't respond to me. I tune out everything and focus my hearing on her. Breath, heart, blood. Her blood. Something wrong there.
I groan. I can't have Galen bringing this down on me. If he does he may delete me. And that would be a true tragedy. With this much sheer genius and sex appeal removed from the world; there would be riots, mass hysteria, an utter melt down of all societal structure. I have a duty to prevent that. My ears twitch as I tune back in overhearing Shadow.

I scoop up Lexianna and shove her into Sir Baruss arms. "Here, make sure she doesn't die." I race over hoping on all the ancestors that I overheard him wrong and somehow knowing I didn't. "What?!" I point at Shadow, " You. Did you just say Beauty here took my sister?!" My mind races. Logically, this could be very good for us but I'd have to know some very important variables to calculate the odds of that. Realistically, I'm having trouble seeing it. All I'm seeing is my baby sister. My ears lay flat, my heart constricts. 

"Flame won't back down." I take a deep breath, trying to gather myself in case I need to explain. Because Beauty will definitely be going up against a Beast. But I'm worried on if it's the right one.