130

Esme

I was worried about Maryanne. Ever since we dealt with the curse, she's been more closed off than usual. Then again, there's been a lot of pressure on her to figure things out that the rest of us simply don't understand. Sighing, I shake my head and make my way back to the training grounds. The Equinox is about a week away at this point, and the tension is building.

Magic is constantly choking the air, like the very essence of the world feels the changes that are coming.

I stop beside the area where Galina has been training almost nonstop since her awakening. She hasn't been avoiding me, not really, but she's been so busy that it almost seems like she is in comparison to before. She has a lot to sort through, though, between learning how to harness her new abilities, reacquainting herself with the ones she lost, and coping with the memories that were restored to her. She keeps saying that we need to talk, that there's something important we don't yet understand, but by the time she finishes stretching her magic and her wings at the end of the day, she's so exhausted that I can barely get her to shower before she collapses in bed.

I sigh again as I stop below where she and Emmanuel and Emmerson are soaring through the sky. She's performing evasive maneuvers today, while Emmanuel charges at her and Emmerson lobs balls of different elements toward her. She's magnificent, that's for sure. She swoops and twirls in the sky, blocking some of the projectiles with her bare hands.

She was born to be a warrior, not me. I don't know why I'm the supposed lynch pin of our circle when Galina is so amazing.

My heart races as I watch Galina soar through the sky, dodging and deflecting Emmanuel and Emmerson's attacks. I can't help but feel a twinge of envy. I've trained my whole life to fight, but never for war. Not like this.

As I stand there, lost in thought, I can feel the tension building in the air. The Equinox is only a week away and the magic around us is thick and suffocating. It's as if the very essence of the world can sense the changes that are coming.

I know that I'm not the only one feeling the pressure. The entire mate circle is on edge, preparing for the conflict that's sure to come. Novak is out on a mission gathering information, but I can feel his unease even from a distance. Bellamy is wracked with anxiety over what's to come, and doesn't seem any closer to figuring out his visions despite merging with Thekwane , his thunder bird spirit guide. And then there's Alistair, torn between his desire to help and his fear for our safety, almost to the point of keeping vital information from us. He trusts us, I know, but he's still afraid.

Of course, it always feels like the weight of it all falls heaviest on my shoulders. I've always been the one to look out for myself, and now I'm supposed to lead and protect the mate circle as the supposed central bond. And I'm not sure I'm up to the task.

As I stand there, lost in my thoughts, Galina lands gracefully beside me, a grin on her face. "Not bad, huh?" she says, panting slightly.

I force a smile, trying to push aside my doubts. "You were amazing, as always."

Galina rolls her eyes, but I can see the hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Esme," she says, but there's a softness in her voice.

"How are you holding up?" I ask, trying to keep my tone casual. "You've been pushing yourself pretty hard."

Galina shrugs, her grin faltering for a moment. "I have to be ready, Esme. We all do. And there's still so much I don't understand about my abilities, about the curse and the creatures who are after us. There's something we're missing, I can feel it."

I nod, the weight of her words pressing down on me. "I know. I feel it too. But we'll figure it out, together. We have to."

She nods, her expression determined.

With her warning in mind, I head off to find Alex. Hopefully he'll have more information about when father is supposed to arrive.

It doesn't take long to hunt down my brother, and I'm only slightly surprised to find him holed up in the kitchen, munching on fresh bread.

"Alex, what are you doing here?"

"Uh... eating?"

I roll my eyes.

"Can't you even wait for dinner?"

"Dinner isn't for hours, still, little sister!" He inspects me, his face pulling down into a frown. "What's wrong, Esme?"

I release another gusty sigh, falling onto the bench beside him.

"Do you know when father is supposed to arrive? You said he was coming."

He shrugs, looking around suspiciously before leaning closer and whispering. "I think he's on his way now... You know those feelings I used to get?" I nod. "Got one this morning."

Relief washes through me at the words. Father will be here soon. He'll look at everything and be able to tell us what we're missing. I'm sure it's something simple. Maybe, if we're lucky, he can avert this whole impending war, or battle, or whatever it is that we keep getting vague warnings about.

Alex pats my back and shoves the rest of his bread into his mouth. "I'm off. Promised Prince Gabriel that we'd spar this afternoon... Did you know he can use fire to move from place to place within his field of view?"

"No, I didn't. I'm sure that's helpful."

Alex grins and nods. "Oh yea. And I'm gonna learn how to counter act such skills. Even if the vampires aren't our enemies, I'm sure our enemies will have some vampires or other creatures that have similar skills."

"You're probably right."

He waves, marching from the kitchen with an oddly happy bounce to his step. I've never seen Alex quite so excited, but I can't waste braincells trying to analyze my weirdest brother's reactions.

~~~

Author's Note: We're getting close to the final battle. Do you think they'll be able to wrap everything up with one battle, or will the evil keep it's claws hooked even after they purge it? Can they even stand against this threat, when the enemy always seems to be so many steps ahead?