It was evening, but the sky was black as midnight, the great orange moon hidden behind several bleak looking clouds. There were no stars, only the muted light from the moon, which cast a red glow on the barren land beneath it. The trees were either dead, or in the process of dying, brittle leaves surrounded their cracked trunks. This place was once lush and beautiful, but without a Beynon wearing the crown, it has become little more than wasteland. The wind picked up, blowing a pile of brown leaves over a dried up riverbed, across many strange looking skeletons, and finally to the gates of Dul.

The royal city didn’t look much better than its surroundings, the once regal castle was crumbling, and everything seemed cloaked in mourning. True the Sie are creatures of darkness, their sun shining no brighter than the moon of the human world, but they love lavish things and generally live in splendor. Dul normally shone like polished marble, its people just as lively. This night the people of Dul stood defeated, Sie from all over the Kingdom joining them.

Thousands of wicked looking creatures surrounded the castle balcony, bowing before their recently widowed Queen. Just beyond them, a sea of living shadow extended as far as the eye could see, constantly in motion, excited by what was to come. The frail old woman could barely speak, let alone stand, yet when she raised her hand to signal quiet, the shadows became still and the Sie straightened up, ready to listen.

The Queen sat on a grand chair made of black stone, the three Beynon heirs, her sons, flanking her. Though her raspy voice was no louder than a whisper, it rang out in all directions, thanks to the assistance of one of her many attendants. The servant stood with his hand resting gently on her shoulder, the place where they touched glowing brightly. As the Queen spoke, her words came amplified out of the attendants open mouth.

“My people, Death is all around us. It calls to us, and we thrive off of its cousin, fear. Despite this, none are immune to Death, not even the King.” She paused for a moment, out of respect for her husband. When it felt right, she went on. “I am not of the Beynon line, nor do I have any desire to sit on this throne forever, so it is not for my benefit that I’ve called you here.” The Queen stopped once again, this time to catch her breath before continuing. The attendant closed his mouth, it would be distasteful to broadcast her shallow breathing. When the Queen nodded at the attendant, he opened his mouth so she could continue.

“Centuries ago our noble ancestor Bryn Beynon, signed a pact with prominent human leaders. Though the humans have long forgotten the pact, and our very existence, we still honor the wisdom of Beynon. He realized that if our hunger went unchecked, we would kill off the human race, and without doubt this would lead to our own demise. For we are dependent on humans to survive, it is their fear, and occasional spilt blood, which nourishes us.

“Beynon made a vow that the Sie continue to uphold. We may not harm those most susceptible to our charms, humans who are unaware of our presence. Only those who see us, and believe we exist, can be fed on. Death will surely find those who ignore these rules and upset the balance established by Byrn Beynon.” There was turmoil in the crowd at her warning. It was no secret that many wished to overthrow the Beynon line, and hunt all humans without fear of punishment. The King himself had found the idea foolish, and squashed all thoughts of rebellion. Now that he was dead, many were once more taking up the cause, plotting to kill the Princes and end the Beynon line. If there were no heirs, the Pact would cease to hold power over them.

The Queen spoke as loudly as she could, and the courtyard fell silent. Though it was hard to tell if it was her commanding voice, or the royal soldiers stationed below, that inspired the silence. “Tonight we honor the will of Beynon, his heirs will step into the human world, and begin the quest to reach full power. When a Prince returns with his soul match, their spirits will become one, and he will take the throne. His brothers may then return to the Kingdom, with or without their own soul matches.” The old Queen looked to her attendant and he let go of her shoulder, turning his attention to the priests and priestesses waiting to lead the Sie in song.

For a moment there was an eerie silence, anticipation thickened the air, and then a single high pitch note rang out. The choir joined in one by one, and then the song truly began. It had no words, just a placid melody. The assembly of Sie followed along, their voices could be heard for miles around Dul. It was a song thanking Death for all he had given, and taken away. The Princes were led inside the castle, leaving the Queen to sit alone on the balcony. She had already bid them farewell, and her attention now rested on her people.

The heirs of Beynon stood in a massive room with a cathedral ceiling, the sound of their brethren singing echoing all around them. A council of Sie elders offered them parting advice, and they listened, some more actively than others. An ancient looking man with a bone thin face, and long spiderlike fingers, spoke with authority. “The chosen Seers will not be easy to win over, as they are nearly immune to our illusions. It will take intelligence, strong will, and determination to convince them. Keep your wits about you, and don’t discount the helpfulness of the Skol and other creatures of shadow.”

Cael Lann Beynon, youngest prince of the Sie, couldn’t help noticing that the old man’s breath smelled of rot. He wished they’d be dismissed soon. Cael hated lectures, perhaps because he got them so often. The elder looked directly at Cael as he gave the brothers one final warning, “Do not forget the task at hand, distractions lead only to careless mistakes.” Cael smirked at the elder’s attempt to chide him, if he hadn’t listened to them before, what made the council think he’d listen to them now? Of course his brothers were at full attention, they wanted so badly to impress people in high places.

When it was clear they were dismissed, Cael set off in the direction of the castle doors. The crossroads were about an hour walk outside of Dul, but less than five minutes by shadow jumping. Of course, tradition stated that walking was mandatory. Cael was beginning to despise tradition. Stepping into the brisk night air, he felt the full weight of tonight’s events. Soon he would be walking down the road that led to Harper, the only childhood friend he had ever known, who still, years after he’d last seen her, intrigued Cael more than the throne.

The moon was now high in sky, it didn’t matter that it wasn’t very bright, Cael saw better in the dark than he did in the light anyway. In no time Goerd and Zansu caught up and fell into step with their younger brother. Cael could tell from the lack of conversation between them that they meant business. This was a life changing moment for all of them, though for very different reasons.

A few minutes passed before Cael broke the silence, in the distance his favorite companion, a small Skol who resembled a rodent, could be seen running towards them, he called out a greeting to her. “Ava! I thought you’d decided not to come.” She was the only Sie Cael had ever met who feared the human world, she’d never traveled with him on his childhood visits, nor had she shown any interest in joining him on this quest.

She spoke in the ancient language of the Skol, her speech was heard with the mind, not the ears. “I can’t let you go up there alone, you’ll forget all about your soul match. I know you only care about finding that girl.” Her words were thick with jealousy as snaked around Cael’s body, coming to rest in her usual spot on his shoulder. “What if she tricked you into never returning? I couldn’t bear the thought of being without you forever.”

Cael almost laughed, “Do you honestly think a human could trick me into doing something I didn’t want to? Ava, you should know better than that.” He spoke out loud, though if he wanted, he could’ve responded in a way only she could hear. Ava squeaked indignantly, then fell silent. Though Cael didn’t say it out loud, he was happy she’d decided to come. He always enjoyed her company.

As they got steadily closer to the crossroads, a strange feeling came over Cael. It was as if an invisible hand had reached inside of his chest, taken hold of his heart, and began to pull. He knew he wasn’t literally being propelled, but he couldn’t help wondering what would happen if he stopped walking, would he be tugged forward? He addressed his brothers for the first time since the ceremony on the balcony, “Do you feel that?”

"Yes. At least I do. I've felt it for a while now. And if you were not so preocupied with finding your human friend and cared more about finding your soulmate you would have felt it before also. Have you heard some of the talk going on? Some of the Skol and even our fellow Sie want to kill us and gain control. And that would have monumentous repercussions. Even if we somehow managed to live, life would be completely different. Everyone would be free to do whatever they wanted to any human, not just the Seers. And then what chance of survival would we have? The humans would all eventually die and so would we. And don't think you could protect your friend. We three may be powerful but if we were turned on our rank would mean nothing and we could be overpowered like just like that. So you can go find your friend if you want to. But I at least am going to try and save our world. I know Zansu agrees with me. And he wants it even more than I do I think. So go ahead and do what you want. I wish you luck. And if you do eventually decide to follow your path, I wish you even more luck."

With that Goerd walked on in silence toward the aproaching crossroads. Brooding over what he had finally managed to say to his brother, it was the truth but it had still been a little bit hard to say. But it needed doing. Even though it hurt him to say it to his brother because he loved him, he still loved him enough to know that it needed to be said. If what he said could save his brothers and his world, and possibly benefit his brothers by them becoming King, he would do it. And so he had. Being able to finally see the crossroads he discovered that the path he was to take led him to Scotland. Well, there goes my hopes of being familiar with the geography of where I'm going. Oh well I'll still be able to figure it out, he thought to himself.

The princes had disappeared into the palace for quite a while and Mistress Beynon was still up on the balcony quite ill looking. Kali was wondering where her masters were hoping she could follow one out of this wretched wasteland. She needed some action and attention what better way than to help the future king win the throne. All she had to do was make the right choice and she could perhaps go down in history. Sitting on a grey pointy roof nearby finally saw her three Masters parting at the crossroads.

Hmmm which one do I follow? She descends from the roof sliding down a rusty old pipe. Well since Cael obviously isn’t going to be finding his soul match any time soon I guess I’m following Goerd. She sprints through alleyways of the city and reaches the crossroads. “Master Goerd! Wait please!” Kali gasps out of breath. “Can I come with you? I am of no use here with your ailing mother. I swear I won’t be an annoyance.” She pleads running infront of him and turning to face him with her cat like eyes.

As he had for all his life, Zansu kept his silence and allowed Goerd to speak first. His older brother was reliable in that way; he seemed to jump at every opportunity to share his influence by speaking his mind. And while it made him an excellent politician, Zansu much preferred his own carefully cultivated silence. He breathed slowly and deeply as Goerd lectured their youngest sibling, making no contributions until after the oldest prince had finished. Then, in a soft and rasping whisper, Zansu said, "He may be overzealous, but he's right. Be careful, Cael -- find the girl if you wish, but don't forget that our world is depending on us now, as they depended on our Father."

He placed a hand on Cael's shoulder as he stepped passed him toward the crossroads, the first of countless branching paths that led to the hundreds of gateways between the Sie and the human worlds. He hadn't spent enough time among humans to be particularly familiar with any of their geography, but the strange tugging he felt was more than strong enough to guide him through the first of the choices. Only a few steps down the path, though, he stopped short and barked a brief, cackling laugh as Kali sprinted past him down another lane and called after Goerd. Zansu nodded at her amicably as she ran; he wasn't at all surprised to see that she wanted to join the search. And, though he would have enjoyed having her on his own path, Zansu knew her well enough to know that she was unswervingly loyal to the Beynon line and would do all she could to preserve the Pact. He sincerely hoped she would be of good use to Goerd.

And besides, Zansu already had allies stationed outside of the Sie world -- he wasn't unprepared for this journey. So, smiling his wicked smile, Zansu scattered the dying leaves with a flourishing swirl of his cloak and set off down the winding paths toward his future, with only his ambition and the pull on his soul to guide him.

Harper sighed indignantly as she listened to her mother’s unending questions. She flopped onto the couch, holding the phone loosely to her ear, debating on whether she should simply hang up. Her mother had a tendency to ramble on for hours if she was allowed to, and on multiple occasions Harper had pretended to be out of service, or low on her cell battery, simply to spare herself the tedious conversation. Harper loved her mother, but even love didn’t give her the patience to endure her mother’s never-ending barrage of questions.

“So your session went okay? What did Dr. Reed say?” her mother inquired.

“I already told you, she said I’m improving. As long as I avoid unnecessary stresses, and eat healthy, I might not have to keep taking the medication. She’s going to reevaluate me next month, and if all goes well, I’ll be off the meds by Thanksgiving.”

“That’s great sweetheart,” her mother replied. “You guys are still coming down for Thanksgiving, right?”

“Liam still needs to see if he can get Riley out on leave for the holidays, I’ll let you know when we find out what’s going on,” Harper stated. There was silence on the other line for a few seconds before her mother replied.

“You know… don’t take this the wrong way honey, but I’m not sure you should be spending so much time around that girl. I know she’s your friend, but it can’t be healthy for you.”

Harper sighed. “Mom, it’s not contagious. Besides, she’s Liam’s sister, what are we supposed to do, leave her there without any company? If it were me, wouldn’t you want me to get visitors?”

“Don’t say those things, I won’t let you end up in a place like that,” her mother retorted. “But even Dr. Reed suggested that you stay away from unnecessary stress. I just don’t want to see you relapse.”

“I know, don’t worry though. Riley’s awesome, just wait till you meet her,” Harper replied.

“You’ve taken your medicine today right?” her mother continued. This was a reoccurring question, and Harper used the same reply as always.

“Yes mom.” She lied. Harper despised the effects of the medication. After one dose, she’d feel as though she were in a daze throughout the rest of the day. Nothing she experienced seemed as potent, and the visions still haunted whether she took the pills or not. “Anyway, I’ve got to go mom, Liam should be home any minute.”

“Okay sweetheart. Tell that boy to take good care of you.”

“He already does,” Harper giggled. “Bye mom.”

“Bye sweetie, don’t forget to call me in a few days to let me know how you’re feeling,” her mother concluded.

“I know mom, you remind me after every call. I’ll talk to you later.”

With that, Harper flipped her cell phone closed, and rested her head against the arm of the couch. She checked the clock on the wall. It was almost 7pm, Liam was meant to be home from work fifteen minutes ago, what was taking him so long? She opened her phone once more, her finger stretching toward his speed dial, but at that moment, movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. She glanced toward the darkening hallway, struggling to make out the creature that had come to visit.

The shadow slunk low to the ground, carefully making its way into the living room. Harper watched its approach with suspicion. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen one if the creatures in her home, but it always unsettled her to find one here. Having them show themselves out on the streets was one thing, but this was where she lived, and as far as she was concerned, the beings weren’t welcome here.

“Leave now,” Harper commanded, straightening up on the couch.

The creature stopped in its tracks, and stared at her with blank, white eyes. Now that it had stepped into the light, its disfigured body was more easily seen. Inky black skin covered its entire person, and the light shone off the highest points, as though the creature were made out of some dark fluid. It crawled on all fours, although its emaciated frame appeared to be of a humanoid nature. Long, spindly fingers curved into sharp, lethal-looking claws. Rows of razor edged, black teeth adorned its long snout. A dark liquid dripped from its gaping jaws, but disappeared after striking the floor.

Harper stiffened. Even after years of witnessing the horrifying beings, she still was unable to control the fear that gripped her heart whenever one of them was near. Determined to dominate the beast, Harper stood, concealing her insecurity.

“I said go,” she demanded.

The shadow dropped its gaze and began to shuffle quickly around the room. It sniffed the air, and uttered guttural sounds that Harper couldn’t understand. Its eyes flashed to her, and then examined the room. A small, mournful howl escaped from its dripping mouth, before the creature began to dash madly about the room. Its mannerism seemed to signify that it was searching for something. As the creature grew more and more excited, the fear inside Harper intensified. Never before had the beings behaved in this way. Oftentimes, they lurked in the darkness, observing her from afar, but rarely approaching, and never acting so wild. What if her condition was worsening? Did the sudden change in her hallucinations represent some foreboding terror yet to come?

((OOC: I accidentally posted in the Kingdom, rather than in the human world, so sorry for my previous empty post!))

The sudden noise of a key scraping in the lock at the front door startled both Harper and the creature. The beast quickly slithered back into the depths of the hallway as the door opened, and Liam entered the apartment, a bouquet of flowers in one hand.

“Hey babe, sorry I’m late, but I have the best news for you!” he greeted. Glancing up, he noticed Harper’s alarmed features, and his brow furled in concern. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

Harper quickly smiled, not wanting to upset him. “It’s nothing, you just surprised me, that’s all.” Her eyes lowered to the flowers in his hand. “I haven’t forgotten some special occasion have I?”

Liam beamed. “No, you’re safe this time; but that’s what I was about to tell you. My mom called today while I was at work. The hospital contacted her, and told her that Riley’s doing a lot better. They’re going to watch her over the next month, but if she continues to show improvement, then she’ll be able to come home before Thanksgiving! That’s why I’m so late, I wanted to pick these up,” he gestured at the flowers before continuing. “But, you know I’m no good at picking out good flowers. I think she should like these ones though, I mean there’s lots of colors in there. I just thought it’d be great if we could surprise her with the news.”

Harper smiled, joining him in the front walkway. “I think they’re perfect. Besides, with this sort of news, she probably won’t even notice if you didn’t add her favorite color.”

“Thanks,” he replied, leaning down to kiss her lightly. “Look, I know it’s getting late, but would you mind if we made a quick trip to the hospital? I kinda want to tell her sooner, rather than later.”

He could hardly contain his excitement. It had been nearly five years since his twin sister had been admitted into the asylum, and although he knew she was being well taken care of, Liam couldn’t help but notice that Riley had become a different person since entering the hospital. The bright, beaming face he’d grown up with had slowly declined into one of resentful sufferance. He couldn’t wait to see her eyes light up when they informed her that she would be able to come home again.

“Of course we can leave now,” Harper replied, wondering why he would even need to ask. “Just let me get my coat, then we can go.”

Entering the hallway, Harper’s eyes searched for the crazed demon from before, but the creature had disappeared. That was just fine in her mind, and after grabbing a sweater, she joined Liam once more. During the 20 minute drive to the hospital, Harper’s mind wandered as she took in the sights of western Washington. Dark trees surrounded the road on either side, but soon they would break out into the hustle and bustle of night life in the big city. Harper enjoyed living in a quiet rural neighborhood, while not being far from a city that accommodated every person’s needs.

She twirled her engagement ring absentmindedly as she gazed out the window. It was a simple ring, with only a small jewel adorning the silver band, but it was all Liam had been able to afford. Of course, it was more than enough for Harper, who didn’t have much of a taste for extravagant objects. On the night Liam had proposed, he’d promised her, that when the time for the wedding came, he’d present her with a ring that was more befitting, but Harper had assured him, that it was enough that they were now committed to one another. Even if he hadn’t given her a ring, just the idea that she would one day be his bride was enough to make Harper feel as though, no matter what happened in this world, their love would continue to flourish. Sometimes, she almost felt guilty, secretly believing that she had stolen away the best man in the world. She laced her fingers through his free hand as they drove on in silence, each one preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Goerd heard Zansu laugh behind him and turned to see Kali running down the road towards him. So, she decided to come along. And she chose to go with me too. That thought pleased Goerd, for one, she had chosen him over his brothers with showed her loyalty. And it would also be nice to have company on the trip. He would get lonely travelling all over an entire continent by himself trying to find someone. So he had already decided to let her come with him before she even asked to.

When she ran in front of him to ask him to bring her with he stopped because she was obviously out of breath. When he stopped the force of the pull inside his chest intensified. If this is what it feels like to stop, I wonder what it must be like for Cael, going just as likely in the opposite direction. "Yes Kali you can come with me. It will be nice to have a companion on this journey. Who knows how long it will take me to find my soulmate. And it will also be nice to have someone I know I can trust with me as well. Can we continue now or do you need to take a small break to get your breath back?"

Pleased with Goerd’s response she eagerly replies, "No, I'm not going to slow you down, let's go!" She quickly begins to adapt to his pace and focuses on the mission at hand. Taking a moment to remember where she was after running so quickly, she recognizes the Scotland gate in the direction they're heading. Great, there are plenty of drunken idiots there… she thinks of all the possible ways she could scare those drunks out of their minds. Usually even the appearance of a talking cat spooks most of the crazy Seers.
“So this is where your soul mate is?” Kali questions referring to the giant door in front of them. Unsure if he even knows where he's going she decides to hope that he knows what he's doing. “I can scout ahead and find the person, if you know who you’re looking for.” She probes to see what he knew.

Of course Goerd would have to reprimand Cael, he always had something negative to say about his younger brother. Cael held his tongue, there was no point in denying that he lacked dedication, after all Goerd was telling the truth. Cael cared little about fulfilling his duties as an heir of Beynon, and he saw no reason to pretend otherwise.

A feeling of anticipation came over Cael as he took in the set of winding roads before him. Despite the many intersections and the nearly identical appearance of each path, he’d never forgotten the road that led to Harper. To his disappointment, his soul was being led in the opposite direction of that familiar road. He’d been so sure Harper was his soul match, but it was just as well, the last thing Cael wanted was to oblige Goerd by taking the path expected of him.

Ava jumped at the sound of Zansu’s unexpected commentary. Cael had to admit his brother’s voice had surprised him as well. Zansu usually avoided idle chatter like it was some sort of disease, he never spoke without purpose. At the phrase, “he’s right”, Cael audibly sighed, again he was being reminded of his role in preserving their current way of life. What would Zansu say if Cael spoke his mind? Actually, it was less about what he would say, and more a matter of what he would do. If Cael spoke truthfully, he would surely anger Zansu, something those who enjoyed having all their limbs should avoid doing.

When it came down to it, Cael wouldn’t mind being able to hunt freely. Satisfying his bloodlust whenever he pleased didn’t sound too bad. He had no interest in joining the rebellion, but if the pact could be lifted any other way than the death of Cael and his brothers, he would’ve signed up a long time ago.

Zansu surprised Cael once again when he chose a path, for that was the same road his own soul was being pulled towards. Ava fidgeted nervously as Cael started down the wrong road. Sensing his unreleased anger, she spoke tentatively. “Master, don’t you find it odd that Zansu is traveling in the same direction you’re meant to?”

Cael quickened his pace, and snapped back impatiently, “Of course I do. But at the moment, what I find more unsettling, is the pain threatening to tear me in two. So until it feels less likely that my soul will be ripped from my body, I’d appreciate it if you could keep your obvious observations to yourself.” Having no desire to irritate Cael further, the obedient Skol quieted.

Ava continued to watch Zansu, until the distance between them was so great she could barely make out his shape in the darkness, her apprehension growing with every step Cael took. It hurt her to see him like this, with his face distorted in agony. Her hatred for the human girl he was so set on finding was immeasurable. Knowing Cael would never allow her to touch the human directly, Ava vowed to make someone Harper loved suffer.

The world around Cael was blurring, as if a painter were smudging out the landscape, but he paid no attention and focused solely on fighting against the relentless ache in his chest. The road was almost at an end, he was sure of it, his surroundings were fading quickly, and suddenly he was walking into a blinding light. Even with his eyes shut tight, he felt its intensity. When he opened them again, he was standing in a soothingly dark cave, the dank air around him smelled of wet stone and decay. The pain had lessened, now it was less like a jackhammer and more like a nail gun, pounding his insides at a steady pace. He took a deep breath, checked to make sure Ava had made the transition safely, and began heading toward the little wood he knew sat just beyond the cave opening.

Hayley looked out of her window absently. She hadn't heard or seen anything for a couple of days now, and this worried her far more than distorted voices. Reaching into her desk drawer she pulled her journal out and flipped absent mindedly throught the pages. She had never met anyone with the same ... talent as her and wondered if perhaps she was the only one that could see them. Sighing, she shut the journal back into the drawer and shut it.

Walking out on to her front porch she wrapped her grey woolen cardigan tightly around her small torso and sat down on a rocking chair. Looking out into the wide world she looked for the beings, she felt strangely empty without them as if, with them not here she lost a part of herself that seperated her from the rest of society. Closing her eyes, she soon drifted off to sleep, the chair gently rocking back and forth in a rolling motion similiar to a wave sidling up the beach.

As the white glow slowly faded and his normal vision returned, Zansu found himself standing in the hollow, rotten shell of what must have once been a truly magnificent tree. Now, however, it was only a broken and jagged pillar of dusty white bark, its great limbs broken and scattered by time and nature. Zansu tilted his head back to gaze through the trunk's open top at the late-evening sky, the soft purples and pinks striped by the black silhouettes of the healthier trees in the forest around him.

He had followed the pull on his soul down several twisting pathways, eventually staggering through the disorienting change between the Sie and the human worlds. The experience never had been a particularly pleasant one, he thought, but it seemed even more unsettling this time. Perhaps it was simply because of the strength of the pull he felt. Fortunately, now that he was in the human world and somewhat separated from the source of his Sie abilities, the sensation had abated. He could still feel his match's presence out there somewhere, but it wasn't a painful leading, as it had been just before he passed through the gate.

Zansu took a long, slow breath, taking in the smells of earth and wood that surrounded him. He spent a moment making sure his glamour was properly in place -- he wore his hair shorter and lighter here, softened his skin tone, and traded the intimidating armor and cloak for a more casual jacket -- before stepping through a person-sized hole in the side of the tree trunk that served as the gateway between worlds. With a long, slow look around, he assessed the situation: he was in a thick forest, obviously well watered, with trees large enough to shade out the ground and prevent the growth of thick underbrush. Based on the time of year, he expected he was somewhere in the northern hemisphere. North America, maybe eastern Europe. It wouldn't be difficult to find out, if he could just get from here to somewhere with a bit of... civilization, if you could call it that.

Lifting two fingers to the corners of his mouth, Zansu blew a low and strong whistle that echoed eerily through the trees. He waited for a moment, then smiled wickedly as he saw a massive shadow detach itself from a tree branch and come slithering across the forest floor. Snake-like in appearance, the young Skol was covered in black scales and had a row of sharp barbs running down its back. As Zansu watched, the snake creature spiraled in on itself, coiling and raising its head to the height of Zansu's. In a hissing voice, the Skol breathed, "My liege, we are all prepared."

Zansu nodded, and narrowed his eyes at the Skol. He wasn't familiar with this one in particular -- but that wasn't surprising, given that he had requested that his subordinates in the Sie world send their most trusted associates into the human world to prepare for the quest. They were scattered all across the globe, simply waiting for Zansu's arrival. And while the Skol would likely be willing to help any of the Beynon heirs, Zansu had worked all his life to gain their trust, and he was confident that he held their allegiance and could count on their support.

"Excellent," Zansu whispered, his voice as soft as the wind rustling in the leaves. "How many of us?" he asked, careful to include the Skol as equals, despite the clear hierarchy of the Sie society.

The snake replied, "Myself and one other, Raven Prince."

Zansu's eyes flashed at the epithet; he had always liked that title. He knew that there would be more than two Skol in the area -- there were always more than this, anywhere you went -- but there were two that were loyal to the cause of connecting Zansu with his soul match. And while two was a good start, he suspected he would need more help. At the very least, he would like to have more help available. "Your first task, then, may be your most important." Zansu paused and stared intensely at the Skol, until its diamond-shaped snake head bobbed in acknowledgment -- or perhaps fear. "Find Ireia and Cole, and bring them to me."

Without hesitation, the Skol sprang from his coil and dove into the trunk of the tree, fading from view as he returned to the Sie world. Zansu was pleased at his eagerness to obey, and made a mental note to reward him when he became King. Seeking out Ireia and Cole, a powerful pair of Skol that had long been friends of Zansu's, was not going to be a particularly pleasant task. They were wild and difficult when confronted by those who hadn't earned their respect; Zansu only hoped that the snake-like Skol (he really should have asked his name!) could convince them of his connection with Zansu. They would come to his aid, he was sure, even when they would work for no one else.

For now, though, time was of the essence. The Skol could find him easily in this world; he had no need to wait for their return. His tawny eyes fluttered closed for a moment as he concentrated on the sensation in his chest, then snapped open with resolve as he strode confidently through the trees and toward his soul match.

Nothing in here ever changed, except for the screaming. Todd, the man in the next room, never had the same fit twice, probably because his mind housed more than one person. Riley listened to him yell, this time enraged by the quality of his mattress, sitting on her own lumpy bed, she had to admit he had a point. Stifling a yawn, Riley looked at the clock on her nightstand, it was only seven thirty but she had nothing better to do than sleep anyway. She lay down, rolled onto her side, and continued to stare at the clock. Her long red curls tickled her face in the air-conditioned breeze, but she didn’t bother brushing them away. Hopefully they’d decide to turn the heat on soon, it was starting to get uncomfortably cold in her room at night.

Pulling her blue and purple striped comforter over her head in a feeble attempt to mask Todd’s shrieking, Riley realized today was her anniversary. She’d been committed to Evergreen Asylum five years ago, the thought made her feel empty, like she was missing out on life. She wasn’t working some crappy job to put herself through school or drinking enough to make bad decisions that would eventually turn into entertaining stories, she didn’t even have any friends. Unless you counted Liam, her perfectly sane, musically talented, and happily engaged twin brother. Obviously she’d gotten the bad genes.

Todd refused to back down, now demanding to know what kind of hotel locked their guests in their rooms, also he specifically requested a room with a minibar, in his opinion the hospitality service was going down hill. Since Riley was also denied access to a minibar, she decided it was time to put in her trusty earplugs. She reluctantly left the warmth of her blanket, leaned over the edge of the bed, and began to dig through the random stuff in her nightstand. Who knew a hospital patient could have a junk drawer? She shuffled around some letters from her mother, jewelry she never wore because there wasn’t any reason to dress up, and many, many tubes of chap stick. Finally she found the tiny bag of earplugs, and breathed a sigh of relief.

A familiar snarl made Riley jump, and drop the set of plugs she’d just fished out of the little bag. She needn’t look up to know what had made the eerie noise, in fact she avoided acknowledging its presence, if there was one thing she knew with certainty it was that fear only worsened these situations. She’d happily go back to hearing Todd rant if it meant the yellow-eyed creature, surely staring at her from across the room, would dissolve back into darkness and leave her alone.

This was the very same creature that had convinced Riley to jump out of her apartment window years ago, eventually leading to her hospital stay. It hadn’t spoke to her since that day, but it rarely left her side. Always ready to torment her at the worst times, like during meetings with counselors, or whenever family came to visit. Lately, the shadow had been quiet, in fact it had all but disappeared, allowing Riley a few precious terror free weeks, but here it was again as threatening as ever.

Riley attempted to keep breathing steadily, and slid carefully back onto the bed. Still avoiding eye contact, she reached shakily beneath her pillow and took hold of her flashlight. She soundlessly pulled it into her lap, ready to turn it on at the first sign the creature might strike, though this wasn’t a sure way to protect herself. She had multiple claw marks on her arms and legs that proved the flashlight’s unreliability. The snarling grew unbearable, and Riley wished desperately that she hadn’t dropped her earplugs. Her tired eyes brimmed with tears, and she shut them tight, prepared for the worst.

The voice that had driven her to consider suicide returned, it still spoke in a strange hoarse language that didn’t make sense to Riley, but it didn’t matter, she understood the message. Something was coming, something much worse than creatures made of shadow. A chill that had nothing to do with the air conditioning gave Riley goose bumps, the living shadow almost sounded like it was laughing as it added that whatever was coming, was coming for her.

Hayley woke with a start. The area around her was consumed by the darkness of night, wrapping her cardigan tightly around her she stared into the darkness then slowly rose from her seat, backing into her house she pushed the door open and stepped in. Only once the door was locked did she turn around to find herself face to face -if you could call it that- with one of the beings, jumping back, her back was pushed as far into the door as she could go but the creature came closer, it smiled maliciously at her, "perhaps it's time to visit the asylum," it said in a horrid voice then disappeared in a flash. Running into her office she made a quick note of what it had said and sketched the wolf shaped being then ran back into the main room and grabbed her keys.

Driving in her Getz it took Hayley 20 minutes to arrive at Evergreen asylum. In her handbag which sat next to her sat a camera and her journal. Upon arrival at the asylum she walked in confidentally, a nurse sat at the reception desk with a bored expression, Hayley was surprised to see a familiar cover of one of her books in the womans hand. She smiled cheerfully at the nurse, "Hello, my name is Hayley Turner, would it be at all possible if I could ask you a favour?" she asked sweetly, The nurse gaped at her and nodded, "could I possibly take a walk around the asylum, I know that it's a horrid question but it's for research for my next book," she said in a hopeful tone. A look of confusion spread over the nurses face, standing she looked back and forth to check the coast was clear then ushered Hayley through.

Hayley walked down the sterile clean halls of Evergreen when she heard an unusual noise, turning she took a turn to the left and her pace quickened. Soon she came to a room and poked her head in, horrified to see one of the beings in the room she looked at the woman in the beds face, it was obvious to her that the woman could see it too. Pretending it wasn't there she knocked at the door, "Could I come in?" she asked quietly, hoping the other female would say yes.

Liam smiled cheerfully at the nurse behind the desk as he and Harper entered Evergreen Asylum.

“Hi Brenda,” he greeted. “I know it’s getting late, but could we visit Riley really quick?”

“That’s fine honey,” the nurse replied, grabbing a ring of keys, and rising from her seat. “After all, I don’t have much else to do. I was just wondering why this place was so popular tonight. A young lady just came through here not one minute before you two. Said she was doing research.”

“That’s odd,” Liam replied, signing his and Harper’s names on the small clipboard at the front of the desk. “This place is usually dead at this time of the day.”

The nurse eyed the extravagant bouquet in Liam’s hands. “You breaking the big news to her tonight?” she guessed, smiling at the couple.

Liam nodded. “I know the doctors only made the decision today, but I couldn’t wait to tell her, I just know she’s going to be so happy.”

Harper listened to the conversation in silence. She liked Brenda, and she knew that the nurse thought fondly of Liam, almost like how a mother would view a son. Over the years, the two had grown close, due to Liam’s frequent visits to the hospital. Harper had joined him on many of these trips, but she knew that sometimes Liam liked to be alone with Riley.

The nurse turned her attention to Harper as the group began to move down the halls, toward Riley’s room. “How about you dear, how’ve you been lately? It’s been a few weeks since I last saw you.”

“I’m really good, thanks. What’s the story this time?” Harper inquired, referring to the book Brenda had been reading at the front desk as they had walked in.

“Oh, it’s a murder mystery, my favorite kind! I just can’t seem to put this one down!”

As they neared the hallway that contained Riley’s room, muffled shouts greeted them.

“Sounds like Todd’s having a bad night,” Liam commented. He didn’t like the idea of Riley being so close to the boisterous man, as he knew his shouts disturbed her. He’d tried multiple times to have her moved to a different room, but since the patients in Evergreen were rarely released from the hospital, there wasn’t an excess of free rooms available.

As the trio turned the corner, and entered Riley’s hallway, they were greeted with a strange sight. A young woman, roughly the same age as Harper and Liam was standing on tiptoe, gazing in through the small window on the door of Riley’s room. Before Liam or Harper had time to react, Brenda had exploded in a minor fit of rage.

“Excuse me young woman,” she said, her voice raised in authority, rather than her usual, soft tone. “I allowed you to come in here to do research, not disturb our patients. I’m going to have to ask you to leave now.”

Liam interjected the nurse’s reprimand. “Brenda, it’s alright. I think you’ve been reading too many of those murder mysteries, I’ll take it from here.” He turned to the young woman. She didn’t seem menacing, merely curious, and although Liam didn’t like the idea of Riley being regarded as some sort of sideshow, he decided to give the girl the benefit of the doubt. “Are you a friend of Riley’s? I didn’t think she got many visitors,” he inquired.

Seppo peered cautiously around the corner. There were a lot of things to be worried about in this neighborhood.
Granted, there were things to be worried about in any neighborhood, and Seppo and his mates were among the worst in this particular neck of the woods, but that did little to dissuade his caution. You never knew what was out there.

He kept his hand in his pockets, and pulled down his flat cap. Even if there were Sie about, they wouldn't be able to see his true nature. Currently, he was wearing a disguise of make-up and prosthesis that made him look like an elderly man with a neatly trimmed mustache. He ambled down the empty street, stopping to pick up a discarded daily newspaper, and stopped at a shop halfway down. The sign above the door read "Halonen and MacDougal's Shop". It was pretty stupid, but it was descriptive. They were just a shop. They'd buy and sell just about anything. Even illegal items (though you needed to establish cred before they'd do that kind of business with you). He opened the door and walked in, flipping on the light as he locked the entrance behind him. Looks like Nathan wasn't in at the moment. That was all right by him, he needed some time alone to ponder his game plan.

The main problem was figuring out how to explain to Nathan why he'd be installing more security measures around the place without telling him he was worried about otherworldy beings coming along and bothering him.

Seppo went to the room behind the shop, turned on the radio to his favorite classical station, reclined on the coffee-stained sofa (really had to get that replaced), and began to read the newspaper. It was the typical stuff. Some organization was holding a charity dinner...some guy got busted for having sex with a minor...a few articles covering national news he'd already seen on television. He skipped straight to the funnies and the Dear Abbies. Pretty bland ones today. No questions about cheating spouses or nothing. He tried both the sudoku and crossword but got stuck. He tossed the paper on the coffee table. He was too distracted by word on the street (the Sie word on the street).

They were coming to the human world for their big succession deal. It wasn't his concern, he was pretty chill here in the human world. Their high-ups here were more or less the same as the Sie big bosses in his opinion. He wasn't going to get involved unless they came in here and strongarmed him (which was what the idea of turning this place into a fortress was all about).

Why was he so uptight? It's not like it would be that much of an inconvience. Maybe it was because he was worried about taking sides. Or because he simply wanted to be left alone, period.
He briefly considered taking his own initiative to get involved and try to screw them all in their quest, but that would require too much effort and wouldn't really get him anything.

He turned off the lights and headed upstairs, checking around to see if Nathan had gotten drunk here and crashed in his crib. He was mildly pleased to find he was not. He headed over to his easychair, sat back and let his mind drift. He didn't really sleep, but that didn't mean he didn't need to dream.

((Sorry it's been so long since I've posted.))
Goerd continued walking when Kali says they can. He then tries to respond to her question. "Well, I don;t really know who it is. The only thing guiding me is a, pulling I feel in my chest. I have no idea who the person is, what they look like, where they are. Anything. I don't even know how I'll know if I've found them. I guess the pulling will stop or something else will pop up. It may not even be pulling me straight towards my person. It may be leading me in a circituos route."

Finally everything started to fade and then, after what seemed like forever. They were in the Human world. The force in his chest had abated somewhat and was not so intense anymore. That was a relief. They were inside what looked to be a cave of some sort. When they walked out they found themselves in the hills. "So, now comes the hard part."

There was someone at the door, Riley couldn’t prevent a wave of fear from overtaking her, was this the creature she’d just been warned about? She looked down at the useless flashlight in her lap, and began to silently cry. Her tears flowed freely, sliding down her cheeks, and dripping off the tip of her nose. A few feet away, the yellow-eyed Skol danced in the shadows, excited by her fear.

A moment later Riley heard voices, muffled by the heavy door. She looked up and from the corner of her blurred vision, saw the Skol receding into the shadows once more, apparently bothered by the newcomers. Doors had never stopped the creatures that tormented Riley before, and she’d already had her evening check up, so who was at the door? She threw her legs over the edge of the bed, set her bare feet on the cold floor, and walked quickly to the other side of the room. She flipped the light switch, and the room was illuminated, it was bigger than any bedroom she’d had growing up, but it certainly wasn’t large enough to fit more than a few people comfortably.

The walls were covered in decorations, everything from movie ticket stubs she’d saved from outings with her parents, to dried flowers, most of which had come from Liam or various hospital staff on special occasions. Pictures of her family and multiple nature scenes took up one whole wall, on another wall there was a small mirror and a poster of inspirational quotes, the latter had been a gift from Teresa. Teresa was an old nurse who liked to fret over Riley, and despite their age difference, Riley considered her a good friend.

The little mirror showed just how harsh artificial lighting could be, and Riley was thoroughly unimpressed with her reflection. Her tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes looked worse than ever, she wiped her face, but it didn’t help much. Sighing she went to the door, which was locked from the outside, and looked through the window. She was surprised to see Liam and Harper talking to a girl she didn’t know, and though it was difficult to hear their conversation, she guessed something was wrong from the expression on Brenda’s face. It was strange for Liam to come this late, especially with Harper. When Harper visited, Liam usually got Riley out on a day pass since the hospital was so boring.

Riley knocked on the window to let everyone know she was there. She wanted to know what was happening, and hoped Brenda would unlock the door.

The moon, just past full, only rarely managed to press its way through the scattered clouds and the thick forest canopy, leaving Zansu tremendously grateful for his ability to see in the deep darkness between these moments. Fallen leaves had carpeted the floor for ages, and the thick layer of slowly-decaying folioles muffled his footsteps as he stalked toward his soul match.

It was only a matter of minutes from the time that Zansu left behind the Sie world and the time he stepped out of the woods into a thin open space. A two-lane highway ran to his left and right, but there were no vehicles in sight. In the distance, the same direction as the gentle pull in his chest, he could see the soft glow of what appeared to be a small gas station nestled into the edge of the woods. A cruel smile turned up the corners of his lips.

Zansu dug his hands into the pockets of his jacket and headed down the shoulder of the road toward the convenience store. As he approached, he could make out a painted sign that read "Dan's Discount Mart," with one of those obnoxious flashing-arrow signs--most of the bulbs burnt out, of course--advertising the price of gas. A car pulled up to one of the two pumps just as Zansu stepped from the roadside dirt onto the cracked pavement outside the store.

The tags on the well-worn black Mustang read "Washington - the Evergreen State". So, Zansu thought, it is North America. Not a bad place. And I can always call on Goerd, if need be. A teenage girl opened the door and stepped out, her carefully-arranged blonde hair just dusting the shoulders of a shimmering purple top. Zansu carefully tamed the smile on his face to something less frightening than his normal visage, and strolled casually toward the girl.

She was clearly distracted, and her ignorance wasn't helped by Zansu's intentional efforts to approach without being noticed. It isn't until he slides around the side of the pump that the girl realizes his presence. She jumped, and the increase in her heart rate (and her fear) was a palpable rush in Zansu's veins. This was what he thrived on; this was the reason for upholding the Pact and protecting these creatures. "I don't mean to scare you," Zansu lied smoothly in his soft voice.

"No, it's fine," the blonde replied, even as she nervously looked away from Zansu toward the door of the convenience store.

"Listen, I sorta got ditched by a friend of mine. I'm just trying to get back to the city." Zansu suspected there was a city not far from here, based on the subtle glow where the highway met the horizon. "Is there any way I could catch a ride?" His hands still in his pockets, he leaned against the side of the as-yet-unactivated gas pump.

The girl's jaw fell open for a moment as she weighed how to respond, then shook her head. "No offense, mister, but... it's just not smart for a girl to get in her car with a stranger. I gotta go pay." Zansu could feel her trepidation as she slid around the opposite side of the pump and headed briskly toward the doors of the store.

Zansu waited for a second, then turned and said, "Look, I'll pay for your gas. I've already walked a couple of miles, and I just want to get home." The girl didn't even slow down, rushing as casually as she could into the store's relative safety. The Prince allowed himself a brief moment to savor the fear, then began a slow walk inside.

As he watched, a twenty-dollar bill changed hands with the flannel-clad attendant behind the counter. Zansu reached the door and held it open for the girl as she pushed her way back out, and he felt her heart rate jump again as she passed him. Halfway back to her car, she spun backwards and said, "Good luck, though."

Zansu replied, "Sure, thanks." But he didn't pursue the girl--he knew that the clerk was eyeing him. Instead, he entered the door and let it close behind him. He headed directly to the snack aisle, browsing for a moment before picking up a Nutty Bar and heading to the register. He handed it over to the clerk and pulled out his wallet.

Before ringing up the total, though, the clerk set the snack down and crossed his arms. "Listen, buddy..." his voice was deep and rough, and he clearly meant business. "I hear you're looking for a lift, but I don't want you harassing our customers. You can walk, or I'll call a city cab for you. Sometimes they'll come out this far. But leave the customers alone, alright?" Without waiting for an answer, he picked up Zansu's purchase and ran it under the scanner. "Eighty-nine cents."

Zansu narrowed his eyes--he didn't like being told what to do, least of all by measly humans. Still, he had a job here, so he simply pulled a bill from his wallet and dropped it on the counter between them. "Keep the change," he breathed venomously, picking up the snack and heading out the door. He waited on the narrow sidewalk, nibbling slowly as he watched the light traffic drive down the highway, the vast majority heading into the city rather than out of it.

After a few minutes, the blonde girl topped off her tank and climbed back into her Mustang before speeding off to whatever party she had planned for the evening. It left Zansu standing in silence, weighing his options. At least he had a Nutty Bar for company--the sweets were one of the only redeeming things about this world, as far as Zansu was concerned.

Cael stood outside the old red house where he’d met Harper so many years ago, no light emitted from the windows, and all the toys that used to be in the yard were no longer there. Knocking on the door this late wasn’t the best idea, but neither was standing outside the place clearly visible to neighbors and passing cars. He needed to get inside, but he didn’t want to break into the house, so he decided to shadow jump. Unlike most other Sie, the Prince didn’t think becoming shadow was demeaning, in fact he enjoyed the sensation. He often envied the Skol, who were constantly enveloped in darkness and never had to take shape.

Cael willed himself to join the surrounding darkness, and a moment later he was moving quickly across the yard, no more visible or tangible than the night air. Slinking across the damp grass and up an unstable looking set of wooden stairs, Cael felt completely at peace. He didn’t slow as he slid through the crack under the door, and came pouring out the other side. Cael spread, checking every room for signs of his childhood friend. After covering every inch of the house, multiple times, he knew Harper and her family were no longer here.

Ava had stopped searching only moments after they’d arrived. She’d curled up in a closet shelf, and was patiently waiting for her master to move on. The old linen closet smelled faintly of mothballs and dryer sheets, every surface was covered in a thin lair of dust. If the little Skol were human, she would’ve been coughing with every breath. Ava hoped Cael would accept the fact that it was impossible to find Harper, there were billions of humans in the world, what made him think he could find just one? She could hear him moving around wildly upstairs, taking out his anger on whatever junk the previous owners had left behind, it was going to be a while, might as well get comfortable. Ava went to the darkest corner of the closet, spun in a few tiny circles, and lay down.

Frustrated, Cael returned to his solid form, and opened the door that led to Harper’s old room. It was pitch black, but he could see that the walls were still painted sky blue, the ceiling a happy scene of bright yellow sun and white fluffy clouds, though the color was faded. Cael closed his eyes and saw the room as it had been, bathed in light streaming the large picture window to his left. Harper was playing with her dollhouse beneath the window, trying to explain why the dolls didn’t like when Cael made them fight. In his mind’s eye hours passed, the room grew steadily darker, now Harper was tucked into bed, her parents kissing her goodnight. A dim nightlight projected stars onto the ceiling, it spun slowly, making the stars rotate across the cloudy ceiling every few minutes. Cael was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking up at the lights, while Harper starred at him curiously.

Slowly Cael opened up his eyes, leaving scenes from the past behind. The room was once more empty, with paint chipping off the walls, and the cracked window boarded up. He would not give up. Something inside him needed to find the little girl that used to play in this room, to meet the person she had grown into.

Hayley turned quickly at the sound of voices behind her, "No sorry, I just... I thought I saw something in her room, no disrespect intended," Hayley took in the flowers and the resembelance between the guy in front of her and the girl in the room, "My apologies for disrupting your get together," she apologised once more and turned on her heel and hurried away from the group back towards the entrance, there was a being... I'm sure of it she thought to herself and made a mental note to find out more about the girl who could obviously see them like she did.

Sitting in a chair in the reception of the asylum the chair was hard, uncomfortable plastic but she was oblivious to this. Staring at the mustard yellow floor, her mind whirring with all the revelations she had made today. Her hands were clasped on her lap, her journal was open underneath the clasped fingers and on the page was the drawing of a girl in a room crying, her eyes large and haunted as one of the beings stood near her. A small smile was on Hayleys lips, I'm not alone... she thought.

Liam smiled as he heard a quiet knock from Riley’s door. He waved to her, but his smile faltered when he noticed that she had clearly been crying. He was distracted however, when the girl they’d found began to walk away from them, apologizing.

“Hey wait, who are you?” he called out, but the strange girl had already rounded the corner, and was gone.

“That was weird,” Harper announced. She wondered what the girl had seen, that she could have been so interested in.

“Yeah,” Liam agreed. His gaze fell upon his sister’s face once more, and his heart sunk. He’d come to bring her such wonderful news, and had expected her to greet them with gleeful enthusiasm, but her tear-streaked face boded ill news. It pained him to see her appear so upset.

“Take as long as you like dears,” Brenda said, as she located the key on the ring, and held the door open for them. “Lights out isn’t for another few hours.”

“Thanks Brenda,” Liam replied, grabbing Harper’s hand and leading the way into the room. “We shouldn’t be too long though.”

The nurse simply smiled at the trio, then carefully closed the door, and made her way back down the hallway. Under normal circumstances, an orderly was meant to remain outside the door during visits, but over the years, Brenda had grown to trust Liam and Harper, and gave them their privacy.

“Hey Riles,” Liam greeted, giving his sister a hug. He decided to ignore the obvious fact that she was distressed. He didn’t want to embarrass her in front of Harper by bringing it up. “Sorry we’re here so late, but we’ve got big news for you!”

“Hi Riley, it’s so great to see you again,” Harper added, hugging Riley in turn, as Liam offered his sister the bouquet.

“I hope you like these,” he said, sheepishly. “I wasn’t sure which ones were your favorites, so I got one with a bit of everything!”

Through the window, Riley watched the short haired girl disappear down the hall. What was she doing at Evergreen? Had she gotten lost on her way to visit someone? The patients in this section of the hospital were considered long term, so Riley was familiar with all the regular visitors. She was also really good with faces, and she knew the she’d never seen that girl before. Ah well, maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing, after all she was still shaken up from the Skol’s message earlier.

Riley backed away from the door so Liam and Harper would have room to file in. Even as they smiled and hugged her, Riley could sense tension. Why hadn’t Liam come earlier this week, when the Skol had vanished, leaving Riley in a state of tear free calm? She had the worst luck, it seemed like someone always came to see her after, or during, one of her episodes.

Turning back to them she spoke, wanting to get rid of the tension, and hopefully avoid having to explain why she looked upset. “If this news deserves flowers, then it must be pretty important. And you know I love when you visit. Especially when you bring cheesecake, but flowers are okay too.” She smiled, took the bouquet, and it set it carefully on the dresser.

“I’d rather have you for company than Todd any day.” She sighed as her neighbor lamented about the sheets being low grade, this had to be his longest fit ever, and if it wasn’t the longest, then it was definitely in the top five.

Riley sat on the bed and wrapped herself up in blankets, grateful that her feet were no longer touching the cold floor. Liam and Harper had been here so many times, she didn’t feel the need to stand for them. Usually by now Liam would’ve sat down, but he was still standing clearly excited about something. Harper was standing in front of a black armchair, but she hadn’t sat down either. Riley looked curiously from Liam to Harper, and back again. What was this about? The last time they’d acted like this, Liam had come to tell her about their engagement.

Riley grinned and asked teasingly, “So what’s the news? Are you having a baby or something?” The expression on her brother’s face was priceless.