Cassie held back tears as the hands that gripped to her arms tore her away from Irene's dead body and Marc. She could hear Marc struggling, trying to get to her, but it was too late. She was being led up the street. The fight was over. She had been captured. The Preservers had finally gotten what they wanted. And unlike last time, Uncle John wouldn't be here to save her, nor would the Guardians.

Cassie attempted to struggle one last time, but her body was tired and sore from the fighting and crying. She was at Lynch's mercy now. Even if she knew she would not be killed immediately, she could only imagine the tortures she would have to endure.

Her body began to shake as she thought of seeing Lynch again. She had been a dirty and hungry seventeen-year-old clutching her cold body in that prison when she had first been taken to him. She was a few years older now, a bit wiser, a bit more mature, but the thought of the man's icy blue eyes and dark stare made her bones shake.

"This way," a soldier grumbled, leading Cassie left, away from the building they had been initially heading to. That was strange. Hadn't Irene said his office was that tall building, the one they had been moving toward?

Cassie tried not to think about the blonde who had died at the hands of a Preserver civilian of all people. She had not deserved such a fate. If Cassie had been shocked by her death, she could only imagine what would happen if she learned that some of the others had passed as well.

What does it matter? I'll be dead before too long now, she thought as the soldiers marched her into a small building up ahead. It looked like it was a post office, or some sort of mailing distribution center.

"Where is this place?" Cassie growled, knowing it was not the prison.

The soldiers practically carried her to a back room, an office of sorts. She was tossed into a medium-sized room, her knees colliding sharply into the wooden floor. Cassie only managed to turn her head to see them shut the door behind her.

Hissing at the pain, Cassie stood up, attempting the door handle, but it would not budge. And even if it would, she could see the dark shapes of the Preserver soldiers standing in front of it as guards. She did not have enough force to push them from the door.

Suddenly, Cassie heard the sound of a rolling pen behind her.

"Do not fret, Cassandra," came a sly voice.

Cassie pivoted her body, seeing the shape of a tall man sit up from a desk. The pen he was holding had been placed back in his pocket. His shoes were dark and long. They clacked against the tile as he walked over to her.

Cassie backed up against the door, trying to turn her gaze away from the face of evil.

"I was hoping we'd meet again," he snickered, his long fingers grazing her cheek. He grabbed ahold of her chin, and though she attempted to avert her gaze, she found herself staring into Lynch's icy blue eyes regardless. His gaze terrified her.

"Get off me," Cassie growled, shoving his arm away.

"Just as feisty as before," Lynch chuckled, walking away from her and beginning to pace the room. "I must say, it was a challenge getting to you, but I have my ways."

"This isn't your office," Cassie remarked.

"You think I would be wise enough to stay in my office, where I know the location has been leaked? No. I chose this remote building instead. While I remain in here, your soldiers are out there getting themselves killed by my followers as they try to reach my building. It's a pitiful attempt," he said.

Cassie growled, lurching forward to grasp him, but what he said next made her stop.

"I heard about Miss Ellis' demise..."

"You mean Irene," Cassie breathed, letting her hand drop.

"It's a shame, really. I spoke to Miss Ellis many times during the last few years she lived here. I was never ignorant of her true loyalties, but her flight was a bit of a shock. I suppose it is only fitting she met such an end. I had been hoping to extract some more from her though. I always found her highly attractive," Lynch stated as his feet clacked on the ground.

Bile threatened to rise in Cassie's throat. The man was a beast, just as Irene had described him. She was almost thankful Irene had died rather than been captured with her. She could not imagine what Lynch would have done to her if he had gotten her in his hands.

"So what will you do with me?" Cassie growled. "Kill me?"

"I think we both know that's not the case," Lynch said. "I will get you to cooperate, and we will do something else."

"What about Marc?" Cassie growled. "What will you do to him?"

"Ah, Marcus Haddad," Lynch recalled. "I remember when Miss Ellis had first arrived back here, I coaxed her into giving me more information, specifically your weaknesses, and she gave me his name." He stepped further toward Cassie again and glanced down, taking ahold of her left hand. His eyes gazed at the crystal of her ring, as if they were devouring it up. "I take he's special to you, somehow, unless this ring is meant to signify something else?"

"Are you going to kill him?" Cassie breathed. This wasn't what was meant to happen. She would die, and Marc would live. She didn't want him to suffer for her.

"I would suggest you cooperate, Miss Black, if you want to change my mind about his fate," Lynch said, walking away from her again. He took a seat back at his desk, crossing one leg over the other. "We'll be leaving shortly."

"Leaving? Where?!" Cassie exclaimed. "These are your headquarters."

"There are a few snowmobiles in the back we can make an escape on. I have a special task in mind, one that involves going into the woods. While these mortals fight away, we can work on our true task...of discovering the Guardians!"

Cassie's heart skipped a beat. Was she going to be used so soon? She had expected him to fully win the battle first before deciding to take part in such a quest.

"If I'm not mistaken, you became enlightened in these very woods, didn't you?" Lynch wondered.

Cassie glanced downward, remembering the day vividly, when she had tasted freedom from her parents' prison and stumbled onto the Guardians in a cave, becoming enlightened without even attempting to.

Lynch walked forward, his shoes stopping at her hands. Suddenly, his foot came down powerfully on her right hand, and she let out a cry in pain as he twisted his foot.

"Answer me!" he snapped.

"Y-Yes!" Cassie screeched, hissing in pain as he removed his foot. He must have broken one or two fingers. Otherwise the pain wouldn't be this intense. She sucked in a few breaths, trying to calm the aching sensation in her fingers.

"Get up," Lynch commanded.

Cassie slowly rose to her feet, her entire body aching. She cradled her injured hand and felt Lynch grab ahold of her as they exited the office. They were marching farther into the building, to where the snowmobiles were stored, Cassie guessed.

"And just in case you do not cooperate with me, Cassandra, I have another surprise," he said as he swung a door open. A light flickered. There were a few snowmobiles, as he said, but in the corner of the room, two guards were grasping hold of someone.

Cassie's eyes swelled with tears as she saw the two guards' hands grasped tightly around Cherie's arms. The poor woman had cuts and bruises all over her and looked as if she had been crying.

"Cherie!" Cassie gasped. "They captured you?"

"Oh, dear, no!" Cherie exclaimed, seeing Cassie. "You weren't supposed to get captured..."

"She dies by my hand if you don't cooperate," Lynch hissed.

"Cassie, it's okay," Cherie begged. "I've lived longer than you kids. It's really made my life worthwhile, so it's okay."

Irene's lifeless eyes flashed in Cassie's mind again. No. She would not allow any more to die for her. Certainly not Marc, certainly not Cherie. Her chest rose and fell as she turned to Lynch.

"Fine. I'll help," Cassie grumbled.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Lynch said as he grasped hold of her. He dug his fingernails into her wrists, and quickly locked handcuffs into place. Cassie let her arms droop and followed him onto one of the snowmobiles, wishing there could be any other option but this.

One of the guards grabbed hold of her on the vehicle as the garage door to the building opened. Cassie squinted as sunlight entered the area and shut her eyes as the engines revved and the snowmobiles took off.

She kept her head down, not being able to bear the embarrassment. Her one task had been not to get captured. Some had said she would even kill Lynch herself. And now she was going to help him exploit everyone.

Tears came to Cassie's eyes again. There was just a small part of her that wished she was a naïve sixteen-year-old again who had never known she was a spiritkeeper, who could have gone to high school and college without having to endure such trauma. It was a selfish thought considering she'd met her future husband in that time and had found a new sister, as well as countless friends, but just for a second, Cassie longed for her childhood bed and those uncomfortable school desks and prom and bike rides in the neighborhood.

The snowmobiles moved up toward the north gate, where their allies had yet to reach. The gates opened on Lynch's command, and they were taking off into the woods, leaving the destructive headquarters behind.

They did not make it far into the dense trees when Lynch commanded the vehicles to halt. Cassie slowly stepped down from the snowmobile, her hands still bounded by the handcuffs. Two guards took hold of her by the arms, waiting for Lynch's orders.

"We start walking in the woods. This is where she first found them," Lynch said. He trudged through the snow and glared at Cassie. "You will lead me to them."

I can't really control that, Cassie thought. It was true that human-spirits could potentially meet the Guardians again, but perhaps that was just a myth too. Cassie couldn't just will them to appear. A spiritual connection of that magnitude was a lot more complicated than that.

They trudged through the cold snow. The Preservers seemed desperate to feel anything spiritually while Cassie felt numb throughout her whole body. The scenery of the forest was beautiful, and would be a place she would love to meditate in, if it weren't for the fact she was a hostage currently.

Something was beginning to tingle in Cassie's toes. There was a strange ringing in her ears, and her chest was beginning to erupt in warmth.

No. No, not now, Cassie thought to herself, knowing she was beginning to connect spiritually to the Guardians. She had only felt this way once before, right before she was about to become enlightened.

Cassie began tapping her foot impatiently, trying to block out her body's desires to chase after them. She could not allow the Preservers to know that she had potentially found them again. If she could just pretend she felt nothing, perhaps they would give up...

But then they'd take me back the next day, and the day after that, Cassie realized.

"Why are you lingering?" Lynch snapped. He froze, seeing Cassie turning her face to the side. Her eyes were squinted shut as she tried to block the ringing in her ears. They were close, far too close to the Guardians for her liking.

Her eyes opened barely as Lynch approached. There was a smug look on his face.

"I think we might have just found ourselves some Guardians," he told his colleagues. Their faces lit up with excitement, but Cassie was doing her best to push the instincts away. The sounds, however, were growing louder, and her head was beginning to throb.

"Take me to them," Lynch growled. "Which way?"

"I-I don't hear anything!" Cassie practically shouted.

Lynch grasped the collar of her shirt. "Liar! Guard," he said, glancing at the guard standing near Cassie. The Preserver guard pulled out his gun and pressed it against Cherie's head. The woman quivered in fear but looked at Cassie as if to say that this was okay, that she was fine dying this way.

No one else is dying for me, Cassie told herself.

"It's...it's coming to the right," Cassie breathed, the pain of the Guardians' presence becoming unbearable.

"That's the cooperation I want," Lynch said. He snapped his fingers, and the guard removed his gun from Cherie's head.

Lynch took ahold of Cassie's arm and marched forward with her. They were coming closer to a break in the woods, where a meadow laid. She could see the glistening white snow as they approached the last bit of dense trees and brush. Her heart felt like it was about to explode, and her palms had grown sweaty. There was an innate desire to go after the Guardians despite how badly she was trying to resist them.

"This way?" Lynch asked, pointing to the break in the shrubbery ahead.

"Y-Yes," Cassie whispered.

He practically dragged her body forward. She was trying to keep her feet firmly planted, but Lynch was clearly stronger than her, no matter how long she had trained for and despite her human-spirit status.

Lynch frantically pushed the brush aside, leading them into a meadow. Cassie gulped, her eyes widening as a series of blue lights swirled past her, revealing themselves in the form of the Guardians.

Cassie felt Lynch release her from his grip. His eyes widened, and he began to cackle madly, calling for his followers to come to him. Cassie could only look down at her feet, knowing she had betrayed everyone, including the Guardians themselves. Because now, Lynch was going to try to exploit their power.

"It's them! I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, simply blown away at the sight. "Today, I will truly taste the glory of eternal power," he breathed. He turned to look at Cassie, remembering for a second that she was used as a part of their plan. His eyes narrowed, and he kicked her forward.

Cassie yelped and collapsed into the snow, staring back at him angrily.

"Well, what are you waiting for? You're our mediator! Convince them to work for me, to give their powers to me," Lynch growled.

"No!" Cassie spat.

Lynch took a step closer, glaring at her. He reached into his own pocket, pulling out a gun. She yelped as he shot the gun upward, creating a loud boom.

"Next, it'll be your head," he spat. "I don't have much use for you anymore. Do this for me, and perhaps I'll be kind enough to show you some mercy. Go!" he said, his foot colliding with her behind.

Cassie groaned at the pain and crawled forward, all of her limbs trembling. The Guardians appeared calm despite the state of things. They were simply floating as if they were part of the gentle forest breeze. For a moment, Cassie felt a sense of peace.

Then she remembered the Preservers behind her. She slowly turned her head, seeing a gun aimed at Cherie again. Cassie gulped and crawled closer to the Guardians before bowing down to them. Her head was rested on top of her arms, and she was silently crying out for help to them.

"Sapientiae, Fortis, Virtutis, Amoris, Gaudaii, Gratiae, Patientiae, Fidei, Solius, Veri...serva me," she breathed, a few tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry."

The atmosphere began to darken around her. The others vanished from her sight, the only light coming from the Guardians themselves. Cassie slowly lifted her head, watching as they came toward her. Their presence felt warm as they began to engulf her in their spirit.

"Do not cry, child," the dolphin, Gratiae, pleaded.

"I've betrayed you all. I've brought destruction to the spiritkeeper race. If I don't do this, then..." Cassie's voice trailed off.

"Lynch's fate will be his own," Veri stated.

"The power of the Guardians is incomprehensible, eternal, something only someone like you has the possibility of understanding," Virtutis added.

"We may yet save all, Cassandra Black, including you," Sapientiae stated. "But it shall be dangerous, and your body may not be able to take the pain. Will you trust us, Cassandra Black? Will you help us rid the world of such ignorance and greed?"

"I'll do whatever it takes," Cassie begged. "If I die, so be it. I don't want anyone else to suffer at the hands of the Preservers."

"Brace yourself," Fortis warned.

It was as if she were enlightened again. Cassie began to feel the Guardians pass through her one by one, but the pleasant feeling began to be replaced by surging heat, great power, and suddenly great pain. Cassie let out a cry, realizing that the Guardians were not just passing through her, but beginning to possess her own body.

Blue light swirled around her, blinding her from all else. She was beginning to feel the snow under her legs again and the cold cuffs around her wrist. The metal handcuffs shattered, and she felt herself being lifted upward, upward into the winter sky.

Cassie was no longer in control of her actions. She could see the events playing out, but she could not speak, could not completely comprehend all that was happening. It was as if she were in a dream, watching the events play out from afar Lynch and the others were standing below her, staring in awe at the spectacle in front of them.

Cassie's mouth automatically opened, and a voice so unlike her own, one not even resembling a human's, began to speak:

"You will pay for the suffering you have caused, Poe Lynch," she said. "Your torturous ways will live no longer. The Guardians have always existed for the peace of the people, and you have broken that sacred bond. And for that...you shall pay."

Something wispy and blue began to erupt from Lynch's mouth. His hands went to his throat, as if he were choking, and his eyes began to roll to the back of his head. His body collapsed in the snow, convulsing violently as the spirit, the soul, Cassie realized, of Lynch was sucked from his body. As it vanished, so too did his life. His body went still and limp, the last of his life sucked by the Guardians.

"And for this your kind shall pay," she spoke again. "We will no longer dwell in the hearts of your followers. We rip our spirit from them, for having abused our sanctity and divine power."

The other soldiers did not convulse or choke or even die, such as Lynch's violent death. Instead, they grasped their chests, clearly feeling some sort of pain. For those whose tattoos were slightly exposed, the color was fading, turning from a vibrant blue to that of gray and brown. All of the Preservers inhaled sharply, wincing as whatever spirit the Guardians once possessed in them left their body.

Cassie's limbs were beginning to feel as if they were on fire. The pain, though starting subtle, had grown more than unbearable, and her eyes were beginning to grow droopy. The world around her was growing dark again, but she could still see the blue lights of the Guardians. She could see them in her field of vision, even though they were inside her, deep in her soul.

"For such abuse to our powers, we must lay dormant for some time, Cassandra Black," she heard one of them say, barely able to distinguish the shapes of the different animals. "The kind spirit of you and your people will not be forgotten. One day, we will return, and this life will be yours again. You have served us well, Cassandra."

Some noise escaped Cassie's mouth. A thank you disguised as a groan, perhaps? The edges of Cassie's vision were growing dark until she was completely dissolved into the inky blackness, feeling the pain leave her body.