"Trewyn McAlliste!" He yelled as he looked up. "I've been telling you for months to watch for one little bloody girl, and you don't make the connection?!"
"Lady McAlliste? Zoe Malia is really one of the Ladies?" The operators looked surprised.
"Yes!" The Lord roared. "And it must have been Airay and Declan that sent her!"
"Travel was unknown."
"No shit, really." His voice was heavy with sarcasm. "I shall have to go after her."
"Exact location was also unknown. Somewhere in the old Ontario, in a country called Canada."
"Prepare the powers."
"Okay sir."
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Airay woke to the sun softly shining through the thick foliage. She started to get up, but was stopped by Declan's arms. She smiled and untangled herself from him.
"Where are you off to?" Declan asked softly. His eyes were still closed.
"Just stretching. Sleep. You need to regain all your energy." She brushed a finger over his eyelid softly.
"Just what I was going to do. Don't stray far..." He drifted off to sleep again.
Airay stood and looked around. How different it looks during the day, she thought mildly. She grabbed the duffel, and sat down beside Declan's still form.
Her hand touched the thick book in the duffel, and tentatively pulled it out.
"The McAlliste Book of Shadows." She said quietly to herself. It had been one of the only possessions of her parents that she had managed to salvage. Airay placed the book in her lap, and started crying. She put her hands over her face, and wept silently with her shoulders shaking.
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Twelve year-old Zoe watched seventeen year-old Ashley walk toward her. She could hear what he was thinking. She took a quick puff of the cigarette before throwing it on the ground and stomping on it.
"Hi, Ash." She said innocently.
"I saw the smoke, Zoe. Don't even try to talk your way out of it." He nudged the flattened cigarette with the tip of his boot and looked at Trewyn. He shook his head grimly.
She had changed so much. The long silky black hair was now streaked with red and blond, and she usually wore black and dark makeup. Her green eyes now stood out in vivid relief against her pale skin. And she smoked. He frowned again.
"Smoking? Me? Never." Trewyn had gotten every word of his thoughts.
"Zoe, if you're going to lie, at least do it well." He smirked at her.
"And once again, have I ever asked for your opinion?"
"No, but you seem to have the iq of a two year-old."
"Ah. I must be taking after you then." They were both glaring at each other by this point.
"Aren't you supposed to be in school Zoe?"
"Yep." She grinned at him.
"Well, I hate to tell you but, this is not school where you are standing."
"No, really?"
"I'm telling perfect truth."
"Bite me."
"I don't think that would be very proper, Zoe." She made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a growl.
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"Airay? What's wrong?" Declan sat up and hugged her from behind.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." She quickly brushed the tears off her face, and turned to smile brightly at him.
"Okay..." He stared hard into her eyes before standing up. "Come on then. We should get going." He held his hand out to her. She smiled slowly, and grabbed his hand.
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Declan glanced at Airay as they walked into the village. The red had gone from her eyes, and she no longer looked as if she were going to cry. There was still traces of sadness there, though.
He wished he had the power to take away that lingering sadness. That sadness, that woke her up in the middle of the night with nightmares. That sadness, that racked her body with sobs, and the chills. He didn't have that power though. The power to take away memories. He wished he did though.
"Dec? How much money do we have?" Airay stopped him by placing a hand on his arm.
"A hundred on you, a hundred on me, and about four hundred in the bag." He calculated quickly.
"Oh. Horses?"
"Yes." He took hold of her hand and squeezed it tightly. She smiled slightly at him, and they started walking again.
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"Zoe Malia?" A large man walked into the classroom.
"She's not here at the moment. Well, actually, all day. May I help you?" The teacher looked up from her desk.
"No." The man said arrogantly and started to walk out.
"Her cousin is in the school at the moment." The teacher called faintly after him. He stopped and turned.
"Cousin?" He shot at the quivering teacher. She visibly jumped. Snickers were heard from the class until the man glared at them.
"Ashley Malia. Eighteen years-old, and now officially Zoe's guardian."
"He is in the school now?" The man looked at her.
"Yes. Room, uh, wait one minute." She grabbed phone that sat on the edge of her desk, and quickly punched in some numbers.
"Ashley Malia.... Okay..." She mumbled into it. She hung up the phone.
"Well?" The man asked impatiently.
"He's not in the school at the moment either." The woman cowered under the man's glare.
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"Cider and some mash." Declan said to the bar-wench. She smiled and went to collect their orders.
"We should be at the sea within the week, by then, our estate should be ready. Airay stated quietly.
"Yeah. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry." She touched his hand gently.
"Okay..." Declan looked up as the wench set their order on the table.
"Eat something, Airay. You'll need your strength." He pushed the mash to her, and took a sip of his cider. She looked at the mash disgustedly before eating a few pieces.
