Ash:
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Ash ran out into the cool evening air, not stopping until she'd passed a long succession of rose bushes that twisted along a path. She arrived at the back fence, breathless. A stone bench awaited her, its legs and back covered in roses and vines. She sat down, running her hands over the scrolled patterns in the seat. Strange, but she loved and hated the bench all at once. The dream flashed in her head, but this time it had a new beginning:

Seven-year-old Ash was flying in the rose garden, chasing after a golden orb which Alründ had booted at full force. The orb wedged itself into the boughs of a blossom tree, and Ash sped after it, aware that Alründ was in pursuit. As they landed in the branches and climbed towards the trunk, pinkish-white blossoms flew in all directions. Ash climbed faster, the orb almost within touching distance when her dress snared on a branch. She slipped and yelped. Alründ might have steadied her as she transitioned to a hover, but he also grabbed the orb, shooting her a competitive grin before leaving her there.

"Careful up there, Ashala," a young woman called. Ash peered down through the branches, seeing the woman's red silk dress sweeping the ground as she walked.

"I'm okay!" Ash yelled. Then she screamed in frustration, thumping the nearest branch. Blossoms tumbled over her face and she caught two in her hand. Making her way out the branches, Ash flew down to the snow-covered lawn and collected a dozen red roses and a yellow rose, making a bouquet. She walked past the snowy steps that led to the rotunda. Ash dashed across to the couple on the bench—it was stone, entwined with vines and roses. Present-day Ash was shocked to see Lücan in his early twenties, his arm draped around the lady with the red dress. Amelia was whispering into his ear, her face hidden by her hair of brown ringlets and red blossoms. Lücan laughed loudly, his eyes lit with happiness. Dream Ash cleared her throat. Amelia turned, feigning surprise when she saw the roses in Ash's hands. Finally, Present-day Ash could see Amelia's face. It was heart-shaped, sweet but sophisticated, her smile gentle. Present-day Ash took note of Amelia's neck and hands; they shone with silver gildé, thousands of them alive and happy. It was hard to believe that soon there would only be a few remaining.

Dream Ash stopped and passed the bouquet to Amelia. "For you." Ash sidestepped and opened Lücan's hand, dropping the blossoms into his palm. "And two for you."

Lücan laughed and smelled the blossoms. "I get a gift? Is it my birthday, too?"

"No. Just mine." Ash screwed up her nose. "And Alründ and Sasha's. And that other boy from Astaria. Starts with the letter 'K'."

"Yes, well..." Lücan nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "It is a good day for all."

"Yes, it is." Ash climbed up onto the bench, throwing her arms around Lücan and Amelia. The couple pulled her tightly into their arms, while Amelia tried to save her roses from being crushed.

Amelia pulled back, smiling. "Out of curiosity, why roses for me?"

"They're your favorite."

"They are," she agreed. "I should go put them in water."

Amelia kissed Ash on the cheek, then walked up the steps of the rotunda, stopping to speak with Amaryllis. Snow had blown in to the rotunda from the front and back. Connected to the right of the rotunda was a walkway that led off to Syreese's astral sanctuary. Snow had blanketed that, too, crystalizing the flowers along its walls. The left side of the rotunda led into the palace, and that was where Lücan now entered, passing Amelia as he did so.

Will, Theo, and Alründ called Ash back to the game, but just before she ran into the middle of the garden, she saw the two women laughing in the rotunda, watching proudly as Amelia breathed in her new bouquet.

Ten minutes later the game had turned sour, and Alründ was whispering into her ear, "Keep crying, Ash. You should be sad. You're stuck with him forever. Fine by me. I'll forget you."

"You can't mean that!" she whispered. "We're best friends."

"No." His nostrils flared. "I don't think we ever were."

Ash buried her face in her hands and cried harder. By the time she looked up, Alründ was gone and The Boy was standing in his place.

"Blue, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. Nothing I can say."

"Poor, Blue." He picked up her hands and swung them back and forth, humming her favorite tune. The lullaby repeated for a second time, gentle and lilting when it came from his voice. He stopped humming. The miniscule beads raced in chaotic swarms within his skin and hers. He tightened his grip, their hands clammy and trembling.

Ash glanced at the two women under the shade of the rotunda, the twilight sky ablaze with colors behind them. Amaryllis rushed off down the walkway and entered the sanctuary.

"Ashala! Will!" Amelia called, waving at the children to come closer. "We need to go inside. Quickly!"

Ash nodded, and was already pulling Will towards the rotunda when black wings blocked out the sunset behind Amelia. Those black wings belonged to a man with a monstrous face. Beneath his reptilian snout, his teeth gleamed like razors, and his tail looked as if it had been made for belting.

"Behind you!" Ash screamed.

Amelia spun around just as the beast swooped. His wing breezed across her throat. The roses slipped from her hands. Her red dress floated around her as she fell backwards, collapsing to the snow. Roses everywhere.

Will tugged at Ash's hand, trying to fly her back towards the hedge-maze, but Ash pulled him down to the ground. She was in shock, unable to look anywhere but the beast laughing at the lady on the ground.

The beast looked over the rose garden and saw Will and Ash standing in the middle of it. He smiled, and it chilled her to the bone. His wings fanned. He was about to launch himself at Ash when Alründ ran from the palace and stopped on the left of the rotunda. Alründ's gaze flickered to Amelia, the roses strewn across the snow, the beast with the sword. Alründ's bracelet flared with fire and formed a dagger. He hurled the dagger through the air, hitting the beast in the heart. The beast staggered back, squashing the yellow rose under his boot. That was the moment Ash began to cry.

Alründ's gaze darted to Ash, and she saw the fear and sadness in his eyes. It was replaced with ire as he looked up at the beast before him. The starshard crystal on the inside of Alründ's wrist flared to life again, and from it came dagger after dagger. The beast deflected the first few with his sword, but more daggers struck his chest. The beast wheezed, holding his heart and black ooze poured through his fingers. He stared at the boy before him, half his size.

A burning whip sped from Alründ's starshard, cracking the air, lashing the beast's cheek. The beast swung his sword at Alründ's throat. Alründ arched backwards, the blade narrowly missing his chest as he somersaulted to the ground.

A blur of gold descended, sending the beast flying backwards and smashing though the snow, a meter from Amelia's body. Lücan's light was blazing, as was the starshard sword that pierced the beast's heart. The beast broke free, slamming his sword against Lücan's.

"Father, no!" Ash called, as the beast's sword swiped Lücan's chest. Present-day Ash covered her mouth and broke into tears. All these years, she had forgotten her own father. And if Lücan was her father that meant David Rendwick was a stranger. And Marianne was...

The memory flashed back in Ash's mind:

Young Alründ was kneeling in the snow, his hand pressed to Amelia's forehead. His silver gildé ran into her skin, then slowed their movements. The blossoms in her hair had begun to wilt, but Alründ never gave up, even as a sword whipped above his head. He just ducked lower and continued to impart his gildé, while Ash's love for him grew even more. His face paled, and she knew he was giving away too much of his life-force. Ash was about to run to him, willing to impart all of her gildé to him and Amelia when Lücan glanced sideways. His eyes widened at the sight of her, and he yelled in her mind, Fly, Ashala!

As Ash nodded, the beast sprung a strike to Lücan's gut. Lücan bent over, letting out a hoarse scream. He pulled himself up and charged forwards, barreling the beast to the ground again.

Will screamed and Ash cried. He tugged at her hands, but she refused to budge.

Run, he yelled in her mind. We've got to run now! I won't let him take you, I promise.

"Ash?" a rich voice said, rousing her from the memory. Hunched over on the chair, she blinked, seeing the dark shadows over the small hedge and the rosebush in front of it. She sat up and looked across at Alründ. The lamp post shone upon his hair like a halo, casting his face in half-shadows. "You remember."

Ash wiped at the tears, looked back up Alründ, and cried again. He took the seat beside her, bracing her arms, as if she'd sustained all manner of injuries. But it was only her hearts' that ached.

"I wish I could have given you a happier ending," he said.

"You tried, Alründ. You tried to save her and me. You went up against a monster twice your size. You were fearless, more fearless than I was then or could ever be now."

Alründ smiled weakly. "I was petrified. Utterly petrified. But revenge helps."

"Revenge for Amelia?"

"That, and other things."

Ash was about to ask what 'Other things' when Lücan appeared in the same spot Alründ had earlier.

"Ashala, inside, now," Lücan said.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me about the lady in the red dress—Amelia!"

Lücan clenched his jaw.

"She's my mother, isn't she?"

"Yes," he breathed.

"I saw you carry her. You were taking her somewhere. What happened to her? Did she live?"

Ash felt tugging in her mind, someone digging through her thoughts, and that someone was her father. She cursed at letting her defenses down. Ash slammed up a wall so strong that no one could possibly get through. "Don't you dare steal that memory from me!" she screamed, causing Lücan to step back. "Answer the question. What happened to my mother?"

"Ashala. We are not discussing this." Lücan turned his back and stepped out of the lamplight. His shoulders heaved, along with his breath.

"We're not discussing this?" Ash said, rising from the bench. "Is that all you can say? I'm your daughter. If you cared about me, you'd tell me the truth, even if it hurt like hell. I deserve to know."

He peered back over his shoulder, and murmured, "You cannot know. There is too much at stake."

He won't tell me? Agh. He really doesn't care about me. I bet when he sent me away to live with Marianne and David, I became one less problem he had to think about—

Lücan spun on his heal, facing Ash. "I have lived for millions of years, Ashala. All I had was the other Elders to keep me company and a reaper to chase. But I was alone. No wife. No child. For millions of years that was my existence, and I was orbiting a dark void that was as inevitable as it was the day before, and the day before that—"

"I didn't know." Ash gulped, her heart filling with Lücan's grief. Her wall of protection had officially collapsed under the weight of emotion. She sunk to the bench, all too happy to have Alründ wrap his arms around her. "I'm sorry!"

Lücan halted her with his hand. "Eighteen years ago that all changed when I met Amelia. She refused the notion of a starbond between us, in favor of the Earthly custom of marriage. I gave in. How could I not?"

"You loved her," Ash whispered.

He nodded. "I'd waited my entire life for her. And for you."

"For me?"

"All those years I had wondered what it would like to have a family, a wife.... I had watched friends, mortals, fall in love, have families, live their time, and see new generations appear as old friends moved on. Amelia came into my life. Two years later you were born, and I have been watching over you ever since. Why do you think I meddle with the events of your life and those who surround you? I want you to have a life better than mine. You are my only child, and I waited close to an eternity just to have you. We had seven years together. Then it was all taken from me."

"It was taken from me, too," she whispered, thinking that she'd lost not only her father but her mother, too. All in one sunset. "I could have stayed..."

"No."

Ash shivered, and Alründ braced her tighter. She squinted through the shadows, but couldn't make out Lücan's expression.

"But I do believe the time has come for you to return home. The question is, are you ready to leave this all behind?" he asked, sweeping his arm, as if gathering the world beneath his fingertips.

"Um..." Ash looked around the garden, past the trees and hedges to the windows lit inside. The Sepheri and Marianne were rising from the table. "Will they be returning, too?"

"The Sepheri in the house—yes. Jasper, debatable. Marianne is free to choose."

Ash thought about that for a minute. Something about Lücan's words seemed off. She repositioned Alründ's hands around her waist and tightened her hold on him. "And Alründ?"

"I'll give you two days to say goodbye to your friends at school and spend time with the Rendwick's. Then we will return home."

"And Alründ?"

"Alründ will have a new assignment."

"And where might this assignment be?" Alründ asked, his voice resonating through Ash.

"Elsewhere."

Ash stood, taking Alründ with her. "So, this is why you really want to send me home—not because you want to spend time with your daughter, but because you just want to break Alründ and me apart!"

Lücan sighed. "Ashala, I am trying here, but—"

"No. You're not."

He reached for her arm, but Ash never waited for him to take it. She spun and gripped Alründ by his waist, making a point of glancing upwards. Seeing Alründ nod, she shot up through the air, flying skywards. Soaring at almost uncontrollable speeds, golden light flared upon her skin. Scared, Ash veered North, flying over land, passing small towns that were lit for the night. The land became a long winding beach of Australian coastline. They veered East. And then there was water, vast quantities of ocean shining eerily under the moonlight. Wind pelted her face, and she could see Alründ wasn't faring much better. He peered down at her, eyes questioning where she was going, what she was doing. Truthfully, Ash didn't know.

A cluster of islands came into view, several hundred of them, and when Alründ pointed to one of the larger, more mountainous islands Ash figured it was as good a place as any. In under a minute they were descending upon a beach, the tide splashing at their feet. The beach was empty of tourists, but further up the shoreline boats were moored to the piers, and specks of people wandered between palm trees and huts.

Ash released her hold on Alründ and walked along the edge of the water. She glanced up at the stars, trying to read them like a map. The stars held little answers. "I wonder where we are."

"Fiji, I think. Maybe the island of Vanua Levu," Alründ said. The hems on his trousers were soaked and his hair was falling free of its tie, but he strode towards her as if he wouldn't change a thing.

"How do you know this stuff? You grew up on another planet!"

He shrugged. "Lücan is big on geography. Especially for his protégés who can fly."

"That sounds like Lücan," she said irritably. No, not Lücan. The most overbearing father in the universe! I hope he doesn't find us.

"He will, Ash. We have maybe minutes."

"How? Even I was lost until you told me."

"Lücan is like a universal atlas with a homing beacon attached."

"He can track us?" Ash snared Alründ by the hand, planning their imminent escape. "Then we should keep moving. No. We should try and finish the bond."

"Here?" Alründ raised a brow. "As much as I want that, I'd kind of imagined a more magical night for your first time. If we weren't escaping from your father's clutches at this very moment then I'd be all yours, but he could arrive at any second."

Ash shuddered at the thought. "That would not be magical."

Alründ laughed, then stopped suddenly. "Our time is almost up," he said, laying a sad kiss upon her lips. Ash wasn't ready for the kiss to end, but he drew back, fumbling with something inside his jacket. "I have something to give you."

His smile flickered, like he was nervous. No, he was nervous—Ash could feel the butterflies in his stomach, the way his spirit changed color and sped continually. She matched his smile, equally nervous now that their nerves kept fueling the other's.

Maybe he's going to propose? He is taking his time retrieving this thing. No. He wouldn't. We're way too young. Not to mention it would be the shortest engagement in history.

Ash's hearts' weakened at the last thought. No matter what happened now, it would soon be over.

Alründ gave her a cryptic smile. "Close your eyes."

Ash narrowed her stare at him, wondering what he was up to. She closed her eyes, then felt something fall lightly around her neck. A small weight came to rest over her heart and she opened her eyes again. She peered down, entranced by the pendant—two yellow discs with a small transparent diamond in the middle.

He brushed one of her ringlets behind her ear, and she looked up, seeing a wistful smile at the edges of his mouth. "It's a star. Or a sun. Whichever way you choose to look at it. I made this for you as a birthday present months ago."

Ash picked up the star and tilted it in the light. "This must have taken forever to make."

"The twine is new," he said, running his fingers along the necklace. "Last time it was shorter. A stupid move on my part—everyone saw you wearing it. I'm hoping, now, you should be able to hide it under your dress."

"You've given this to me before?"

He nodded wistfully.

Touching her throat, she had a vague feeling that this star had been there once before, then she remembered... "Lücan took it from me?"

"Yes. And now I'm returning it to you. Hopefully, you'll have it a little longer than last time."

"How long did I have it?"

"A night. The following day."

"Oh." Ash pressed the sun to her chest, vowing to keep it forever. There was no way her father was going to steal it away again.

He studied her face, and she could have sworn he was holding his breath. "You know, in our culture, when a person makes a gift for the one they love, you could say it's kind of an engagement, or a promise of things to come."

A promise of things to come... Ash smiled. "Then I'm even more honored to wear it."

"Thank you." Smoothing the ringlets on either side of her face, he placed a kiss to her temple. Ash squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back tears that fell regardless. She inhaled, breathing in his scent of fresh air and peppermint leaves, and Alründ.

A light sped through the sky, coming straight towards them. Ash's first instinct was to fly, but she hid his gift under the bodice of her dress, then flung her arms around his neck. Their mouths met in an urgent kiss.

"Another time, my love," he whispered, bowing his forehead to hers. Ash studied him one last time.

Lücan appeared the next second, his hair windswept, his breathing shallow. He staggered slightly, the water sloshing against his shoes. As he looked out over the ocean, Ash sensed his spirit. It was like a big red ball swamped in bronze confetti, ready to explode. He turned, his irises a dangerous gold. "This..." He pointed between Ash and Alründ. "Is over."

"Maybe you believe that," said Alründ, tightening his hold on Ash. "But Ash and I will always find a way back to each other. Separate us now, but I won't let her go. I'm bound to her, however small, and that bond has been growing by the day. If you gave us the chance, Lücan, some time to see where the bond leads—"

"Do you think I really want to separate you both?" Lücan said, pacing. "If you knew the lengths I went to break the bond between Ash and Will, you would understand. Time and time again, I have been told it's impossible."

Ash shook her head. This can't be true. It can't.

"It's time to leave, Alründ," Lücan said.

"He can't leave!" she shouted.

"He is. Say goodbye."

Alründ mumbled something, his eyes hard.

I will never say goodbye, she thought. I will follow him to the other side of the universe if I have to.

"If you dare follow, I will make certain that you never see him again in my lifetime," Lücan said. "You will fly back to the dinner party immediately. And if you're not sure which direction that is, I suggest you tune into Will's spirit. You should be able to manage that, as you've been bound to him for the past ten years."

The words were like a slap in the face. Ash wanted to shout every agonizing feeling at the man, but there were no words strong enough. Then Lücan dragged Alründ to his side, and Ash was pulled along to, refusing to let go of Alründ's hand.

"No!" Ash shouted. "Have you never been in love? Don't you know how it feels to be torn from someone?" Ash stepped forward, meeting Lücan's furious gaze. "Or maybe you never loved my mother. Maybe you—"

"Ashala! Do not say another word," he said warningly. His eyes locked on hers, and she felt him in her mind. "In a minute's time you will hear me hum, and when you do, you must fly back to the dinner party and wait on the park bench in my garden. You must not speak to a soul until my return. The moment you see me, you will forget that you can fly, that you are telepathic—"

"No!" Ash blocked her ears, but Lücan continued the hypnosis...

"You will forget the dinner party this evening and that Jasper's father is missing. You will forget the name Ashala. And you will forget every meeting with Alründ over the past ten years—"

Ash wanted to scream 'No' until she had no voice left, but one look at Alründ made her silent. Standing in Lücan's hold, he looked like a captive in chains.

It's time to let me go, my love, Alründ said. He squeezed her hand one last time and turned away. Maybe he was taking in a final glimpse of the waves crashing lightly in the distance, or the stars above, but he never did look her way again. Lücan sent Ash a look of profound disappointment. She felt her spirit shattering, and she collapsed to her knees as he took Alründ up into the skies. Miles above, there was a clap of thunder and she saw them as a star shooting into the heavens.

Ash cast her gaze from the sky. There was no point looking at it anymore—now that Alründ was gone. She fiddled with the twine around her neck and pulled the star from her dress, examining the way the diamonds shone, the craftsmanship, the meaning behind the gift. She flipped it over. Her breath caught. The symbols were beautiful, the words more so, Angels lie. I am yours, always.

A presence entered her mind, and she sensed Lücan's spirit swimming through its depths. Her protective wall had crumbled. Ash let out a whimper as a deep, melodic voice hummed a maudlin tune. Her legs obediently stood and launched her into the sky. The humming ceased.

The water looked darker now that she was alone, and the cold wind hit harder. She clasped Alründ's star, rubbing her thumb over the engraving. Hiding it down her dress, she wondered where he was, or when she'd see him again—if ever. She was lost, flying aimlessly. Her spirit was bursting with feelings, all of them huge. But how to tune into Will's...

She pictured his face, the smile that held secrets only she should know. She pictured him as The Boy with the golden mess of hair, humming a lullaby as he swung her tiny hands. She remembered their last training session—the way he'd leaned in to kiss her, as if it was the only thing that made sense. The pain in his eyes after she'd rejected him... She could feel that pain now, coming from a great distance. As she kept hold of his pain and let it guide her closer, Ash dreaded her return.

Oh God. I've hurt him again. All that drama about Alründ and I at dinner, and Will had been sitting beside me, watching it unfold. And then I'd fled. With Alründ.

Land came into view, and more lights could be seen as towns and cities became more frequent. As Ash began her descent, she scanned the neighborhood for prying eyes, just as Alründ had taught her to do before landing. The only eyes she saw belonged to a boy with a mess of blond hair, sitting on a bench amidst a rose garden. He was staring up at the stars, and then he was staring at her as she righted herself in the sky and drifted to the spot beside him. She'd followed Lücan's orders to the letter, but one order remained: Do not speak to a soul. Ash thought it an impossible order, especially when Will leaned back in the seat, as if overcome by a bout of sickness.

"Will," she said, but no sound came out. Praying that she had momentarily lost her voice, she tried again. "Will." Her voice was as silent as the boy beside her. Ash slapped the bench and went to stand. It was like she'd been glued to the seat. Lücan was impossible to fight. Alründ had known it, too. She'd seen it in his eyes—the defeat. Marianne had worn that same look at dinner. Ash had now learned the lesson everyone else already knew. Lücan always won. She hung her head, tears dripping onto her dress. It was a night for crying. She was sick of crying.

Will's arm fell around her shoulder and he drew her against his chest. His hearts' beat softly in her ear, calming her the way his lullaby had when they were children.

"You came back," he said. "Why? Why not run with Alründ?"

Ash peered up at him. I had no choice. Forgive me, she said in her mind, hoping he would hear.

Will laughed bitterly. I was a fool to think you would come back for me. You've never loved me as much as I love you.

Ash sat up. She reached out for him, but he flinched away, his spirit in agony. Will—

"This is precisely why I said no talking to anyone, Ashala," said Lücan, making Ash and Will jump in surprise. He walked out from the shadows of the garden and stood before her. "But as always, you find loopholes in everything."

"Father, I'm sorry. But Will was already here when I arrived—"

"This mess has gone on far too long." Lücan shook his head. "Now, I must erase the majority of this evening from everyone's minds, along with any knowledge of you and Alründ."

"You can't!"

"I will. Tomorrow we will all start afresh."

"Please don't!"

"Lücan," Will pleaded. "I agree with Ash. If you make us forget, I will never know that she doesn't love me."

"Precisely the point," Lücan said, closing his eyes.

Ash took Will's hand. "It's not that I don't love you, but—" She never finished the sentence. Lücan was inside Ash and Will's minds the next moment.

Minutes later, Ash was walking across the road with Marianne. She thought it strange that the dinner had ended so quickly. And she was still hungry. The night felt hazy, like she'd been asleep at the table for most of the meal. But she'd definitely been awake for parts of it—wide awake. She'd been arguing with Lücan. What they'd been arguing about Ash wasn't sure, but somewhere during that shouting match she'd fled to a stone bench, faced with the truth that he was her father. The news still shocked her to the core. Worse, she had a feeling he wasn't happy about this fact. In two days' time, she would be flying home to Lyrethan with him. She wasn't happy about that fact either.

After they entered the house, Ash watched Marianne struggle to hang teabags into mugs. "Mum?"

"Yes, Ashie?" Marianne said, then swore as a teabag separated from the string.

"Are you okay with me being here?"

"Of course I am. Why would you say that?"

"Because I'm not yours. Because I'm..." Amelia's daughter.

Marianne pulled Ash into a hug. "You know what we should do?"

"What's that?"

"Sit on the roof like old times."

Ash laughed, sniffing back tears. "I'd like that."