Eight

I wake to a headache and a protesting stomach. Roan feeds me and has me drink a lot of water, then I'm able to sit up on my own. June has left for the village so it was just us. He says, "You're not the only one who is able to do something impossible."

"I know," I say and tell him how I over heard his conversation with June. "I was trying to disappear but Loki showed up and scared me, so I shot fire instead."

He chuckles. "Your powers or gifts are linked to your emotions. You get scared you will shoot fire. You desperately want to hide, you'll disappear. The disappearing has happened quite a lot. You don't see it because you're so focused on not being found, but I just catch a glimpse of you and then you're gone. At first, I thought you could run really fast, but then you'd reappear in the same spot without looking windblwon."

"So I can't do it on command?"

"Maybe, if you learn how."

"I can learn?" I say with hope.

"Of course. I have learned more stuff about my power since learning how to control it. I've learned how to stop my instincts from being so strong, then learned how to turn them on again."

"What do you mean when you say predator instincts?"

He tilts his head a little and I see a flicker in his eyes I never noticed before. "My senses heighten and I am like a wolf on a scent. It's why hunting is so easy to me. It's how I find you easily whenever you're gone too long."

"Does June have a power?" I ask.

"Yes, but she'll share that in her own time." He yawns. "I know you're not excited to leave, but I need to return home tomorrow. It's not out of want. People need me. There have been disruptions and I will be able to find who is causing them."

"What if I hurt someone?"

"You won't. Think of it this way, Zahra. You're like a child who's learning to throw a knife. A child will get scared and immediately go for the knife and try to throw it at whatever spooked them. Sooner or later, they learn to control that urge. You will too."

"Is this why Lucas wants me?" I ask softly.

Roan's eyes go solemn and it's there where I get my answer. But he says, "I hope not."

We are going to the village today and I can't let go of Roan's hand as he leads me down the hill and through the forest. He talks brightly about everyone there and how I'll like certain people, but it doesn't faze my mood.

He seems to finally notice this when we stop just outside the village and he looks at me. Frowning, he embraces me in a hug. "I'm not asking you to meet anyone. They will want to meet you, but you're not obligated to respond. Just stay beside me and everything will be fine."

I nod and we enter his home. Immediately, people swarmed us. Roan pushes me behind him as they come up to ask questions, and he answers each and every one of them as if there was all the time in the world. I only know he still remembers me because I feel his hand squeeze my own.

After ten minutes of listening and answering questions, Roan makes his way with me through the crowd. I see many people and many faces. It's hard to discern one from the other and I get a headache from the dizziness of it all.

"Cat!" Roan calls and I press into him tighter. A woman comes out of nowhere, a gust of wind with her. "Come with me for a minute, please?"

"Sure, Roan!" As we walk, I see the woman has blonde curly hair, a slim figure, and holes in the back of her shirt for some reason, like someone slashed a knife through it twice. Her eyes were brown and warm, and I thought she was maybe a mother.

Roan led us to a shelter and ushered us inside. There, he gestured for Cat to sit down and looked to me. "I know you don't want to meet anyone, but Cat is not like everyone else here."

"That's sweet!" Cat commented with a smile.

"You knew it was true," he said with a grin. She shrugged and Roan spoke to me again. "She's good with shy people like you. I want you to stay with her for a while."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going hunting. Not the kind of hunting I've shown you, though." I widen my eyes but nod. He says, "I'd leave you to June, but she's busy right now. So, Cat is the only person I know that won't scare you to running away or bombard you with questions."

"Unless you want me to," Cat adds with a smile.

Roan turns to her. "You can take her anywhere as long as she stays in your sights. Which means no hiding games with the children." Cat's eyes turn big with understanding. "And try to not have anyone scare her. She's at ground zero and emotions are her weakness."

"Just so I'm prepared, why shouldn't I let anyone scare her?"

Roan looks at me and I feel heat rising in my cheeks. "I almost burned him yesterday."

Cat grins. "I like you already! But, no scaring her. No fire. I swear!"

Roan smiles. "I will be back as soon as I can. I heard night meal is around the fires tonight."

"Willow ordered everyone to come together. I swear she doesn't know the meaning of too much socializing!"

Roan rolled his eyes and looked to me. "I will find you when I finish this. Cat will take care of you until I get back, okay?"

I nod. He kisses my head then leaves. I sigh and turn to the woman who was my guard. She doesn't stand or get talkative, but says, "Ask what you want and I will answer to the best of my ability!"

I start with the question that's been on my mind since seeing her. "Did you fight today?"

She raises a brow. "No, why?"

"Your shirt has holes in it."

Her smile turns into a grin. "Do you want to see why I put holes in my shirt?"

"Should I be scared?" I ask, backing away.

"No. But I can't show off in here. It's too cramped."

I looked around and actually thought it was a nice size. "Okay...?"

She takes my hand and leads me out and around the shelter and into the forest. "You'll see what I mean."

I actually didn't see what she meant until she slipped behind me and my feet left the ground. At first, I began to panic, but then white wings came into view and I forgot my panic instantly. Looking up, Cat had white feathured wings sprouting from her back, each of them beautifully twice her size She grinned down at me. I smiled. "They're gorgeous!"

"I know!" She takes us higher and we're in the clouds. "They are strong when flying, but I have to be careful when fighting."

"Why?"

She swoops downwards then straightens out on a current. "My wings are fragile. A cut in the right place, and I won't feel the rush of wind through them again."

"How do you hide them?"

"When I don't need them, they shrink up so that they aren't protruding through my shirt."

A few minutes later, we land and walk back to the shelter. That's when a man comes up. We stare at each other. He's huge with dark skin and black hair. His eyes are green but scary nonetheless. "Cat," he said after a moment.

"Raven, what's up?"

"Willow has ordered everyone to the fires."

"Of course she has!" She sighed and turns to me. "Zahra, we certainly don't have to go if you can't handle it."

"Zahra?"

We both glance over at Raven who was staring at me again. Cat smiles. "Raven, this is Zahra. She's not comfortable around people right now, especially big, hulking males."

Raven seemed to get the point because he stopped staring at me so intently. He looks at Cat. "I didn't know Roan had a sister."

"No one did. Except for a few of us. Finx didn't know until they showed up this morning and he has the best hearing out of everyone."

"Who all knew?"

"June, Sorrel, and I. Roan didn't want it spreading everywhere."

He grunted then turned his eyes on me. "It was nice to meet you, Zahra." Then, he turned and disappeared.

Cat was still for a long moment then said dejectedly, "Come on. Let's see if your brother is back yet."

"What's wrong?" I ask, following her into the middle of the village where people were busy doing something or talking to each other.

She gave me a weak smile. "You're important to Roan. You're important to those of use who have known about you because you're the thing that Roan fought for everyday. He was very adamant about someday bringing you here, having some kind of a life with you as a family."

"He's had hope all this time?" I say, surprised.

"You're his sister, Zahra. Even as a young boy, he was always thinking about you."

I think about this as I follow her. It didn't take long to find my brother with a group of people that included June. He saw us and smiled at me. I smiled back, happy to see him and that I could be with someone I knew. Not that Cat was a bad person, but I didn't know her like Roan.

"You okay?" he asks as I stand next to him.

"A bit unsteady from flying, but otherwise good."

He glanced at Cat, who shrugged. "You told me I could take her anywhere!"

"I didn't think you'd take her up there," he said with irritaion.

"Hey, it's not my fault! She was curious and I just fed that curiosity!"

His lips twitched upwards. "And curiosity killed the cat, Cat."

Cat stuck her tongue out and turned to me. "When I have time and you want to fly again, let me know. Or if you just want to hang out."

I smiled at her. "I will. Thank you!"

She waved and disappeared instantly. I blinked. She was just here...

Roan chuckled beside me. "She is a fast runner."

I look at him. "A fast runner? She just disappeared!"

"I know. That's how fast she is." I continue to stare at him uncomprehendingly and he laughs. "Come on, Zahra. Let's go. I have something I want you to see."

He takes my hand and leads me away from the throng of people, and then outside the village. "I would have thought you'd want me to stay in the village?" I say and glance behind us.

"We aren't going far. It's just a bit further."

"I met Raven," I blurt out a few moments later.

Roan stops and looks at me with uncertainty. "And what happened?"

I shrugged. "He is quiet and a bit dark, don't you think?"

"He's like that with people he doesn't know."

"He seemed surprised I was your sister and a little upset when Cat told him you only told a select few about me and didn't include him."

Roan rolled his eyes. "He'll get over it." He leads me a behind a bramble bush and through a few more trees then pushes some leaves out of the way. Looking at me, he says, "There are a few people who know about this place and we use it to be alone together and relax."

I raise my brows. "So why are you showing it to me?"

"You're my sister," he says bluntly.

I laugh and walk past him into a meadow. The grass was high and swayed in the wind. In the middle of it was a blanket with food laid out. I look at my brother. "We're going to eat here?"

"I figured you didn't want to be around everyone and decided to bring you here," he says and gestures me to follow him and sit down. "I told you I didn't want you too overwhelmed. I wasn't expecting you to meet Raven, but it was unseen. But I know how much everyone scares you being so many and pushed in. I'm trying to keep it slow and steady."

I smile at him. "Thank you."

He returns the gesture then we eat and talk about how my experience with flying went. I told him that Cat wasn't too overwhelming and was very nice, and that she didn't push. I also told him about how she looked after Raven left after talking to her and meeting me. Roan sighed. "He's just a little jealous and a little more than interested in getting to know you."

"Why?"

"Because Aspen has been searching for you for a while, and has come here demanding to know where you are."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "That doesn't make sense though. How long has he been away?"

"Three years since he left," my brother said softly.

I watch his eyes glaze over and see the hurt in them and the longing to have his friend back. "Have you offered him a place back in the village?"

"I have and he laughs it off and says he doesn't need help." He goes silent then says, "But he always ends up on his knees and begging me. It's weird. It's like he's in pain, but I don't see blood or anything wrong with him."

I think for a moment, but come to no conclusions. When I do speak, it's after long minutes have gone by and Roan is staring out at the forest beyond. "His father must want me badly if Aspen is rushing around."

"I'm not sure he has a choice in the matter. All I know is that he must find you."

"Everyone has a choice, though," I say and Roan shakes his head.

"Not if you're with his father."

"Why?"

He looks at me. "Because if you deny him, he will then take whatever measures it takes to break you so you do as he asks."

"Torture?" Roan nods. "But that's cruel! Even father didn't torture anyone...that I saw."

"Our father didn't torture anyone, not really. He might have kept you from doing certain things and being a child, but he didn't do what Lucas does."

"And what does he do to torture people?"

Roan shakes his head again. "Zahra, there are things that can't be explained. This is one of them."

"Why?"

"Because, there is no way to tell you what he does without scaring you half to death."

He didn't make any sense, but I didn't push him. It was obvious he understood what Lucas did, but was worried for my sanity. I guess I am grateful to a point, but I wanted to know in case I ever had to face him.