We pulled away and I looked at him. He thought that now that he was taller and bigger than me, it made him my protector. I smiled to that. He was smart though. He was the smartest in our family. "How on Earth are you always the one finding out things?" I heard laughter in my voice, and saw a spark of humor behind his eyes to the realization that yes, it was him that caught me sneaking out that night when I ran from home. He took a few steps back and finally smiled back at me. "It's a talent." ~ I stared outside the french windows, following the rays of the moon quite amusing.. Silver and white intertwining and sparkling, almost seeming magical from its fullness. The myths and the legends said plenty about us.. About the full moon and it's meaning.. About werewolves being bound to it and haunted by it's howling curse that came once a month.. Of course, it was not even remotely true, or at least it wasn't for a long time now.. It was others that drew power from the moon's silver shadows.. The witches, and the clionas perhaps. It was them that came up with the story to draw the attention off of themselves.. I felt a slight turn in my stomach.. A heavy stone in my gut. I looked at it's brightness, so high in the sky.. No, something wasn't right. It seemed to shine too whitely, to had risen too highly in the midnight dark sky.. I stared at it and it stared back with the same intensity. It had been a week since my brothers had found out about my affair with Christian.. Jack accepted it well, while Marco found his rejects and judgements for quite some time.. A day, two.. He didn't speak to me, but he turned soft once I explained to him the plan that was made.. A plan that was supposed to go down in only 24 hours. I had hid and sneaked out every day to see Christian. It was becoming ridiculous, but we needed to discuss the plan. And then I suggested it to my father as well, who thankfully accepted somewhat.. Being an honorable man, he felt like quite the debtor to Christian for saving my life. Still, I knew my father would never agree to anything if he didn't actually approve of it. Calliope had found the spell.. The mix spell. It was difficult to perform from what I heard, but thankfully a cliona could take part in it, so Amelia was there to unite her power. I had learned that they had to draw energy from something, just like some witches drew energy from the full moon.. But those were witches that did dark magic, like the ones that worked for Adam.. Amelia however told me that it was fire that she could control and find power in. It was her element, since every cliona had one. While witches had no particular elements. They could use anything, but with less power of course. What mattered however were the sounds.. The sounds of a heartbeat that had lead to sleepwalking five miles in the middle of the night, and almost got me killed if it wasn't for Christian. They were gone. Well, at least for now they were, but then again, it had happened before for them to go away for a while.. It was all peacefully silent. So peacefully dark and soundless. The woods didn't move with the chilly wind, nor did the clouds cover the stars with its thickness. It hadn't been so perfect for a long time now. And yet.. Yet I felt awfully anxious about something. I felt disturbed. And Christian was not beside me to sooth it. "Something's not right." I told my father as I stared out the window for what seemed like half an hour.. "It's windless, quiet and peaceful. It hasn't been like this for a long time, Lani." I bit down on my lip. Of course it hadn't, but.. But it was too peaceful. For the seventh day now after they almost drew me in that old house.. "Yes, perhaps." I found myself hesitate, still pushing curtains on the side. "Don't you think it's a little too quiet? The moon shines brightly tonight, but.. Isn't it dark?" He laughed. "How long has it been since you've seen a full moon?" I heard his footsteps from behind, approaching me slowly. He gripped my shoulder and rubbed my arms up and down to sooth me, but I felt more panicked if possible. "It will all be over tomorrow, my little dove. You have suffered enough." I gulped down my dry throat, trying to blink away the burning in my eyes. But if I blinked, a tear would've escaped, and I did not cry. Especially not from an unknown heavy feeling in my chest. It was ridiculous! But just as I was to turn around and hug my father for his soothing words, my eyes locked on the dark shadow near the clearing of our house. I frowned, pushing myself a bit closer to the window.. It was a human shadow. There were no trees near. And it was straight and motionless.. But- Hell, there was no one there. "What is it?" I heard my father ask, but I failed to find an answer to that.. I only squirmed my eyes a bit to try and see better. There was another shadow, a little away from the first one.. And another. My heart skipped a shallow beat. I was holding my breath as I drew myself even closer to the window. Right outside the gates of our house, the clearing in the grass, wide and green before he woods started, the shadows remained still, and I found myself doubting my sanity. "Do you see that?" I whispered almost breathlessly, feeling my father lean in silence and stare in the direction I was staring.. Chills ran down my body. The shadows moved. And there was no one there. Every hair on my body rose, and I felt my stomach nauseously turn once again. And then I heard a lyrical sound.. Words.. Words I could not make out. Spoken slowly and at once. Loud enough for me to hear through the windows. And my father too apparently.