Chapter 1

6/11/2045

A small hand shook a young boy's shoulder at midnight. He slowly opened his eyes and asked, "Mommy, is that you?"

"It's me, little prince," a young woman said quietly. "I need you to get up," she said, pulling two packed bags from under the bed and placing them on it.

"Where are we going, Selene?" he asked, rubbing his tired, green eyes.

"Sush," she said, putting two fingers to her lips. "To meet your mother," the young woman explained.

Selene opened the bedroom door a crack and peered out to see if anyone was nearby. He handed her one bag and grabbed the other when she nodded. Nobody said anything as they walked out of the bedroom and down the dimly lit corridor. They came to a halt at the end of the hallway, and Selene peered around the corner. When she heard footsteps approaching, she grabbed Justin's small hand and quickly dragged him into a dark, empty room, closing the door behind them. Selene listened while the footsteps went past the closed door.

"Stay there and be quiet while I check the hallway," she said quietly. Justin nodded his head and leaned against a wall.

The youngster had a million questions running through his brain, but he kept quiet while they got out the door and headed to the edge of their pack territory. Even though it was June, the night air was cool. Justin zipped up his denim jacket when a gust of wind hit the back of his neck.

"Nanna, when will we see mommy?" Justin glanced up and asked.

"Just a little while longer," she said, smiling at him. After a couple of hours of walking, Justin stopped and rubbed his shins. "My legs hurt, Nanna," he said, grimacing from the intense pain.

"We'll rest for 15 minutes, no longer than that," she said. Selene helped him so he could lean against a pine tree. She unzipped her bag and pulled out a small leather pouch, opening it. "This will ease the pain," Selene said, pulling out a vial and pouring some clear liquid onto her cracked hands. She pulled up his pant legs and massaged the back of his legs.

Justin relaxed and closed his eyes as the liquid warmed up his legs and soothed the pain. Once done, she put everything back into her bag and mumbled a protection barrier spell to hide their location. As the prince rested, Selene shifted into a black crow and searched for berries. Ten minutes later, a small pile sat on the ground. She shifted back and gently shook Justin's shoulder. "Wake up, little one," she said.

"Is it time to go?" he asked, groggily.

"Let's eat before we start moving again," she said.

Justin grabbed a couple of berries and tossed them into his mouth. He swallowed them and smiled. "They are good," he said. "Aren't you going to eat some?" he asked, noticing that Selene hadn't eaten her share.

"You need them more than I do," she said, shaking her head. "I'll eat some later," she added, putting some into her cloak.

"Nanna, your magic won't work if you don't eat," he said. She knew he was right and smiled.

"You are a wise and caring prince," she said, taking out two berries and eating them.

Selene took down the enchantments after they finished eating, while Justin grabbed his bag. They made their way to their meeting location. They arrived an hour later and waited. A black wolf appeared out of nowhere. It didn't seem to be afraid of people because the black wolf approached and sniffed them. The animal disappeared, and a young woman stood in its place.

"I'm glad to see you," she said. "Did you have any trouble?" she asked.

"No, madam," Selene said, shaking her head.

"Momma!" exclaimed the young boy, rushing up to hug her.

After she hugged him, his mother brought out two horses from the shadows. "We'll ride the rest of the way," she said.

"Why are we running, momma?" he asked.

"Because very bad men want to hurt you," his mother explained.

"Is Daddy one of them?" he asked.

"Yes, sweetie, he is," she said, with tears in her eyes.

It was still 5 hours until daybreak, so they settled down for the night. Selene did some enchantments for their magical barrier. There was a small lake nearby where the horses could graze. When Justin's head hit his bag, he was out like a light. Selene walked up and sat down beside his mother at the fire.

"Are you sure that you want to do this, my lady?" she asked. "He'll be heartbroken without you around," the young woman said.

"It's the only way, Selene," she said, sadly. "My son needs a better life than this," she said.

They put out the fire and went to sleep. They needed a good night's rest before heading to the boat. They had two days of riding to do before they would reach their destination. The next morning, they ate grits while Selene went through Justin's lessons with him.

"Nanna, why do I need to learn all of this?" Justin asked.

"Where we are going, you'll meet new and different people," she explained.

"That's why you're learning these skills," his mother said.

As they rode, Justin thought about what he was told. He understood why he had to leave his homeland, but it still made him sad.

"Momma, does Daddy hate me?" he asked.

"No, honey," she said, shaking her head. "He's just scared of you," she said.

"What did I do?" he asked, giving her a puzzled look.

"You did nothing wrong," his mother said.

"Then why?" he asked in a firmer tone. She wasn't sure how to explain to a six-year-old that he had a power inside of him that scared his father.

Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, she said, "Son, there is a very special power inside your body that your daddy is afraid of,"

"Did I hurt Daddy?" he asked, his face paling.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You made a toy fly across the room without touching it when you were little," she explained.

"That's why we have to leave?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, nodding her head.

"Am I a monster?" Justin asked himself. A tear formed and ran down his cheek.