Chapter 1 - Oh hell to the no!

Aura's mood was as black as the starless night; it had been so since the day she had to leave her home, the Magical Realm where all creatures, magical and mythical lived. Beings like her and her sisters were very rare, because not only were they the daughters of a Goddess they were also gifted Sorceresses.

Unfortunately for her and her sisters that made them the special target of one of the most dreaded monsters in her world, the Shadow Lord, a vile creature which plan was to emerge both worlds in darkness.

Aura felt high because of the rush she was on to find the source of that power peak she sensed when she was about to go to bed. She shivered, whether from the chill settling in her bones or because of those unwanted thoughts, she couldn't tell.

What she knew was that it was time to quit, 'Blast it!' she swore stumbling and almost falling, 'This is the last time I'm coming out on just a hunch!' she mumbled.

Cursing her curious nature, something she had gotten used to because 'Why?? Just because you felt some kind of foreign power coming from Central Park doesn't mean trouble's brewing!' still it had been a while since she had been home to the Magical Realm, so she didn't know how things were going, or what was happening but if there was trouble in paradise it would be coming for her, she didn't need to be a Sorceress or use her powers to know that.

The Shadow Lord was out there waiting for the right moment to make his move, that was why she had come to the Human realm but sooner or later he would find her and she would pay the price for her humanity, 'Stop thinking about it!' this was a dangerous time for her, her powers were at their lowest until the next full moon.

When she sensed something was wrong, well… she just had to go and snoop, but why did she feel that this time she would pay for her recklessness?

She had always had a passion for the night, the moon and the stars, her senses thrived when she was under the spell of the moon. She felt most powerful at night, but now she really cursed her curious and obstinate nature, she could sense the danger, the darkness, she saw it creeping up, and like a mantle it enveloped her.

The way the moon was shadowed by familiar black clouds, made Central Park darker and scarier than usual; her favorite statue of Alice in Wonderland, so beautiful in the daylight took creepy contours at night, making her forget the fairy tale quality of the park she loved.

Focusing her thoughts to see where it was coming from, but it was too late, it was coming and it was powerful and fast. She started walking, then running, her long black hair tangling in the lower branches of the trees, pulling, cutting through the silk of her pajamas and into her flesh, she didn't panic but something was seriously wrong someone or something was blocking her telepathic powers.

No way to connect to her sisters and see what was happening; she also had no way to warn them if they still didn't know something was wrong. 'Damn!' she said angry with herself for not predicting this could happen, she should have known better.

Alexander Hamilton stood towering over her, while she struggled to catch her breath and her bearings:

'Focus Aura, don't panic, you have nothing to gain and everything to loose, whoever this is, you can take him.' She pep talked with no success, because the cold fingers of fear were clawing at her heart but most dangerously they were grabbing hold of her mind.

She ran back to the Alice statue, if she was going down, she might as well go down with a bang! She looked around and moved in the direction of 5th Avenue, she needed to get to the edge of the Park, cutting through the woods she moved fast not minding the cuts and bruises she would surely have afterwards, surviving was a whole lot more important now, 'Why do I get myself in trouble every time I follow a hunch?' she chastised feeling the darkness closing down on her heart.

She heard someone running behind her, she ran faster, she felt power, a raw overwhelming power, it was making it hard for her to move and when she tried to look up at the moon darkness blinded her.

The Shadow Lord came down with the dark mist that shrouded and protected his metaphysical embodiment sucking her powers, she got up fast and cast a spell, 'Who let you into this world Shadow?' she asked in the direction of the dark creepy mist.

The spell didn't work, she was weak, he had absorbed most of her power, and his booming voice came from just above her grumbling like thunder, making the mist waver and spread as he spoke 'Now, now half-breed witch, you did not think I had forgotten about you, did you?' Aura felt the cold darkness seep in her pores invading her essence but she remained calm 'One can only hope!' she hissed as she fell to the ground, hurting her knees and hands, she couldn't get up the mist was holding her down.

The Shadow laughed, 'you are pathetic and weak without your sisters, I'll kill you first and then I'll kill every one of them in turn, there will not be one of you left to protect this world or yours!'

Aura shivered the evil in his voice making it impossible for her not to believe him; she tried moving without success, he had her pinned under some kind of spell.

She chanted to the ancient powers and was able to put her arms up summoning a protective circle, she knew it wouldn't last but she needed all the time she could get, 'In your dreams Shadow, this time I will kick your ass all across the world I'll show you no mercy!' she called out to the spirits and creatures of the night, and instantly felt a rush of power.

Mother Nature was coming to the rescue, she sensed something else, it was some sort of power, it was coming straight at them, incredibly potent, extremely fast, she braced for what was coming and sure has Hades it was not going to be pretty.

The Shadow lunged forward attacking, but the protection circle didn't let him touch her, he bounced off several times but kept coming back, and then the most horrific growl resounded through the park, the Shadow turned away from her at the same time he got attacked by what could only be described as a giant black and grey wolf, the Shadow scattered along with the mist making an awful piercing noise, the Wolf jumped again, a medallion it had on its furry neck shining fiercely spreading a light so bright it could rival the sun.

The Shadow withdrew immediately, looking down at her said, 'I will kill you, make no mistake, not even your Guardian there will be able to stop me, the time will come when you will be alone and I will take you, darkness will consume all that you are, all that you love.' He looked back in the direction of the wolf as he vanished with the mist, escaping the light.

'You can try…but I'll die fighting!' Aura yelled at the emptiness the Shadow left behind. 'My, oh my, what an effing mess I'm so dead!' Aura said collapsing to the ground.

Sideways glancing at the Wolf that was now sitting by her side still growling but a lot more controlled, she felt it gazing into her ice blue eyes.

She reached out to touch him as if hypnotized, but when she touched him the medallion levitated to her hand as if wanting her to hold it, it burned her hand when she touched it, 'What in the Gods name was that?' she jumped back cursing, looking down at the wolf disbelief in her eyes, sorcery of the highest rank was involved, not her mother's though which begged the question "Who the Hades was powerful enough for this?".

The Wolf growled in pain, shifting before her eyes into human form, a perfect human form she might add, lying on the ground completely naked except for the medallion and a long black shiny mane with strands of grey laid the most handsome man she had ever seen, he moved moaning, it was obvious that shifting took its toll on him.

Aura kneeled down sitting beside him gently cradling his head in her lap, trying to check if he was hurt, he was cold and snuggled closer for warmth, his hair too long for a man, she noted, he was strongly built, his torso a map of scars was like a war zone, his whole body was like a sculpture, from his chiseled face to his undoubtedly powerful arms and legs, move on over Adonis.

She touched him lightly, her hand shaking as she did, he curled into a ball, he was cold, 'I have to find something to cover you.' she looked around, but all she could see were trees and bushes, not a person in sight, Aura was not in the habit of wasting power, but she would have to make an exception.

She focused on him and conjured up a blanket, actual clothes would suck her remaining energy, 'It will have to do until I can get you home.' She spoke while pulling the blanket around him so she could cover his exposed body.

The man moved again this time opening his eyes, she gasped when she saw the way he looked at her, she stuttered trying to focus on something else besides the handsome, rugged face with eyes like a changing sea, not blue not green but something in between, you could probably tell the mood he was in just by looking into his eyes.

She shook her head trying not to think on how gorgeous he looked, she got up abruptly asking, 'Who are you? Why did you save me?' she moved back and forth, her eyes coming to rest on the medallion.

The man righted himself and secured the blanket around him, looking strangely at her, he was still weak, but his voice was deliciously rugged 'I'm a Guardian, my name is Morgan Wolfhound, I've been searching for you Sorceress, the Shadow is free in this world…'.

Aura not one to be quiet, 'Yeah, no shit! He almost got me, if it wasn't for you I would be no more!' she barked at him her cheeks beet red with the exertion of trying to control her temper and at the same time letting her rage get the best of her, he was looking guiltily at her.

'I know. How did it have such an advantage on you?' Morgan asked calmly, ignoring her temper, looking directly at her for the first time, she was a nervous wreck and the way he was looking at her was not helping.

She had to make a huge effort to sound nonchalant, 'Simple, I'm close to the shifting when I renew my powers, it happens every full moon and it's pretty close, only one day away, in fact. So tell me, who let the Shadow through the portal?' Aura asked rubbing her hands in her face, exhaustion showing throughout her body.

He looked at Aura, taking in all of her; he had seen her so rarely. She hadn't even known he existed, he missed her, a petite luscious woman, dressed in strange clothes, with long black hair and white porcelain skin that made her look fragile but whom he knew to be anything but, her ice-blue eyes and commanding voice showed a character stronger than iron.

When Aura and her sisters had almost defeated the Shadow Lord, he was there in the background protecting her, but she had had to back down in order to save her younger sister Asia who had been captured by the Shadow's minions.

Now with the Shadow on the Human Realm only the Gods knew what would happen, the Council (meaning the Fates) had decided it would be wise for him to come to the Human realm, in order to prevent the Shadow from gaining power and killing Aura, because if anything happened to Aura and her sisters the balance would shift.

Meaning both worlds would be in a precarious situation which had already happened before, when they had to retreat to the Magical Realm and get away from humans and their ever growing craving for power.

As he just stood there looking at her, Aura snapped 'Well, are you just going to stand there? I'm freezing and I'm sure that blanket alone is not making you feel warmer, so let's get a move on.' Her eyes sparkling fire with each word.

Morgan looked down at the blanket around his hips and thought maybe she was not comfortable around him; he smiled wickedly with that thought, it felt awesome to make her squirm.