A strange wind was blowing and Ondrea stood to face it. The ceiling seemed to float away and stars appeared in its stead. The wind became fiercer, buffeting her skin, and sending her long white hair flowing around her like a veil. Her fingers gripped the bedpost hungrily, as she stared upward, waiting.

"Ondrea!" A voice declared her name and she shivered, knowing that voice and what it meant.

"Nimiane." Eyes locked upon the glowing mist in the stars. She could barely stand as the wind forced her to sit on her bed, holding on as hard as she could.

Out of the mist and the stars a vision appeared and became real. Ondrea's heart was racing, her breathing shallow. Once before Nimiane had come to her. Once before they had fought. Once before she had lost. Once before she had been betrayed.

The wind ceased abruptly and Ondrea planted herself, letting her hands fall to her sides.

Nimiane stood before her holding the vial in one hand and the scepter in the other. "I have come for the scepter." 

"I can see that you have." Ondrea replied, fear coursing through her. This whole time inside Quildor's castle, she had not been permitted to use her powers. The only asset she had was a well developed Zalez, which the land folk had in abundance. "Have you come for me?"

"Again?" Nimiane laughed cruelly. "I have no love for you, Ondrea. You have all a woman could ask for. You got everything. Power, a husband, children... no, I have held the magic safe all these years, while you have enjoyed the life I should have had."

Ondrea's mouth opened in shock. "You were hoping to be a prisoner, Nimiane? You were hoping to spend your life like me?"

"With my husband and my sons, not trapped in Aquaria, waiting for the day when it was time to heal the planet and take control of what is rightfully mine!"

Ondrea was shaking. She cut a hand sharply in front of her, negating Nimiane's words. "You knew Adara had the vial. You knew she could keep me here, powerless, bereft of husband and child, with nothing-- nothing! I have nothing! You took everything!"

"Except your sight. I can't have your sight, Ondrea, the one thing I need! I must have it now!"

"What are you talking about?" Ondrea screeched. "My sight! My Zalez?" She glanced up to see that indeed the stars and the wind were coming from outside, and were not guarded by the magic that held her there.

Nimiane stared at her in desperation. "My dragon laid an egg. I hid it inside Sentinel. I need your sight to free this planet. My dragon is dying. It is time for the new dragon to come forth."

Ondrea raised her arms. She watched Nimiane's hands carefully, the vial was still closed with its cork, and no drop had fallen to reach her. In its presence, the magic would have to be renewed. "Take your dragon to the land, Nimiane." She said simply. "I am done being your husband's prisoner, betrayed by the earth magic you hold so dear. Never again, Nimiane. I will never be a prisoner again."

With that, she allowed the transformation to overcome her and she lifted her glorious silver and white wings and leaped into the night.

Nimiane felt the weight of her error, and pointed the scepter vainly at the retreating form of the Harpyiae. Had she known that Ondrea was Harpyiae... but she had not! "You will regret this, Ondrea. I freed Jerrika for you. I know where Kara is. I will kill them both and you will have nothing in truth!" Nimiane screamed before the rush of air that was the last of Ondrea cascaded over her. She buried her face in her hands as her heart pounded out a frantic rhythm. The earth magic had betrayed them all!!! They didn't understand it, useless as it was here on Folara! Enhanced by whatever planetary powers controlled it now!

She felt that bizarre twist of fate that she'd sensed so long ago. Earth magic on Folara--- futile. They didn't control it! It controlled them!

Then she stared around in growing panic as she felt the most terrifying thing of all: Quildor's freedom.

*******

"I can't sleep like this," Kara muttered half to herself; half hoping Rion would hear her and do something to ease her discomfort. He didn't.

She tried to turn, but Rion was in the hammock, and he'd leashed her to his own wrist. He wasn't asleep, she could tell by his breathing, but he'd also leashed her foot to the closest tree. She was sitting, her head back against the hammock, and his arm, and she hated it. He knew she hated it.

She sensed his agitation.

"Where would you rather sleep?" He finally asked her, turning on his side, which dragged her wrist higher. His eyes were slits in the moonlight. Selfish evil slits.

"Without you." She sneered and tried to yank away, but to avoid pulling her arm out of the socket, which he knew she had the power to do, he held her fingers firmly laced, and with his other fingers, began running over each of hers systematically.

Kara groaned. The finger massage tickled. She definitely couldn't hold still while he did that to her.

"Stop touching me!" She yanked again, and Rion held her firmly.

He shot an image into her mind—that of herself in his arms just hours before, leaning into him in anticipation of a—and he infused the image with the deep intimacy he felt as her body touched his.

Unfortunately, this image did more than remind her of prior touches between them, and that she had actually welcomed them. It also forced him to acknowledge even more his growing desire for her.

He allowed her to pull her hand free, and he turned once more to his back. "Go to sleep." 

When they had returned from the beach he immediately sensed another land dweller nearby. Was it a brother Foeman, or the Valdemarian? He didn't know. Whoever it was they were shielded quite well. He'd packed all but the hammock into his belt pack and then tied Kara to the tree and to himself for good measure.

"I can't." She mumbled in annoyance. He hadn't even dressed her throbbing, burning hand as was his usual way. Normally he inspected her for injuries every night. She was surprised he hadn't. As much as she resented his casual handling of her, it let her know that she was still of value to him and it kept her from thinking he might dispose of her.

He had doctored his own foot. The salt water had dried in her cuts and stung.

He sensed her thoughts. "I leave you that reminder of your foolishness."

"Teaching me a lesson?" She quipped resentfully. "If you won't clean it and bind it, then let me do it."

He reached into his belt pack and after a moment, slipped a small kit into her hand. Kara felt the contours of his medical kit. She felt around inside but realized none of the things were familiar to her. Rion knew it too. He leaned over and took it from her, rummaged a moment and then handed her a medicated pad, one she now knew he had made recently from plant oils. She accepted it and then asked if he could loosen her wrist.

Rion's eyes were now just inches from hers.

His breath was in her face.

He took the pad and lit his goggles that had been lying on the hammock. He sighed as he cleaned her burn. The relief she felt was instant. Whatever the concoction was in the plant fibers it healed burns instantly.

"Why are we at odds tonight?" He whispered as he found more plant gauze and bound the burn carefully.

Kara felt her insides quaking. She knew why.

He knew she couldn't answer.

"I don't want to be at odds with you, Kara." His fingers curled hers gently inside as he put his kit away and then loosened the ties on her wrist. He kept her hand, blowing softly on the now bandaged wrist and swallowed hard as if something was caught in his throat. He smoothed the tiny wrinkles of her palm, blew on it again, and then with a perceptible tremor, lowered his lips to the spot now covered. "I'm sorry."

Kara felt his fingers smoothing hers, the way he held her now was careful, honorable. She bowed her head and heard him swallow again.

"Try to sleep." 

Her breath came short, but he was looking at their clasped hands, studying her, contemplating his feelings, and she couldn't let on how much that affected her.

After awhile he got up, untied her from his wrist and tied her to the crystal at the head of the hammock. Then he went and stood at his lookout rock, a pile of rocks that overlooked the valley where any intruders would come to reach them or the mountain. There was no way back, the ocean barred their progress. There was no other way at all.

What was he looking for? Why had he packed up all of their gear? She tried to sense the cause of his unease and found him closed to her. In every way, he was more experienced with the land and its inhabitants than she was.

"I can't sleep here." She tried not to complain, but it was the truth, she couldn't sleep there with her back to the hammock, her leg stretched and tied one way and her arm the other.

The darkness left all but Rion's marbled blue eyes in the black. Kara shivered. He was unlike any human being she had ever known, in fact, he was alien to her. His Zalez, his skill, and his culture were all foreign. She had best keep that thought uppermost in her mind if she wanted to survive.

"Would you rather sleep with me?" The query was soft, slightly mocking, slightly hopeful, and intently serious. The implication was there. Not just sleep in the hammock, or in the vicinity, but with him, be with him.

*********