1 Prologue

"Hurry!" Gareth said to his wife. "Take Ivy and go! The Libra will be here any minute! You need to keep her powers a secret."

"But what about you?" Evelynn asked. She was holding a tiny child in her arms, not even a year old. The child had beautiful silver hair and dark green eyes.

"Don't worry about me," Gareth said, peeking out. "Blast! They're here already! Evelynn, take Ivy and run. Run far away and don't come back!"

"But-"

"GO!" Gareth bellowed. Evelynn nodded, then ran out the back door, tears streaming down her face. Ivy giggled as they ran, playing with Evelynn's hair. She did not look back as she heard shouts from their small hut.

But her running was in vain. She stopped short in front of a tall muscular man who stood before her. "Thorne," Evelynn breathed. He was the supreme commander of the Libra, servant to no one. She put Ivy down behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he snarled, throwing her against a tree. "You objected to my rule. You will not be allowed to live." He thrust his sword into her chest. Then he saw Ivy. "Well, well, well," he said, bending over. Ivy giggled as she sucked on her thumb. "Hello, little one."

"Ai," Ivy said. Thorne gently picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

"You're a cute little one, aren't you?" he asked, touching her nose. "You can be the most powerful woman to ever walk this planet. What do you think of that?"

"Ga!" Ivy said, waving her arms in the air.

"I thought you might," Thorne said, smiling. "Let's take you home."