He braced himself on the door. He knew that it was a horrible life that she had lived but not this. He had cried for her before when he had found out what happened when she was summoned. Now he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to hold her and never let her go. He understood why she was afraid. She had never been in a place where there was nothing to fear. All those times that she had struck out at him was out of that fear.

This time he would not go and report to the queen. She had told him out of a thin line of trust. A line that could be broken with a whisper.

“Ronokiro! What are you doing outside the room of that little bitch?” A female voice intruded into his thoughts. He had heard only the last few words, but that was all it took to turn his blood to ice.

The young woman stared poutingly at him and the door. Frissa had always been overprotective of him against other women. But then she went to far. They had been on little frolics with each other for years. Now things had changed. Now there was Raven.

She walked up to him and put her arms around his neck. He pulled away slightly. She frowned. “What’s wrong Ronokiro?” The frown deepened. “And why are you here?”

Ronokiro got to his feet. “That’s for me and whomever I want to tell to know.” He looked down at her with cold eyes. “And I won’t tell you.”

You could almost see her mind working. “Aren’t we in a bad mood?” He stood stiffly as she leaned up against him for a kiss. A gasp had him looking around her. There stood Raven. Her face quietly went from shock to a blank mask. He knew that behind that was a deep and cold fury. She looked at Frissa, quietly turned around and left. He would have followed if Frissa hadn’t begun pulling him the other way saying she had something important to show him. When they got to her room, a silent breeze swept through the hall. There wasn’t a window open in the entire castle. It carried on it a single word that cut him in half.

Liar.

He yanked his hand away from hers and stepped away. “Sorry. I remembered something I have to do.”

She put her hands on her hips, jutting them out provocatively. “More important than me?”

More than you can imagine. “For the queen.” The future queen.

He left without waiting for a reply. Once out of sight, he ran through the hall searching for a glint of power that would lead him to her. He caught the trail as soon as he reached her rooms. He kept his wings tight to his body as he followed it.

After passing a corridor, it disappeared. She hadn’t turned, he would have known if she did.

I watched him pass me. I pushed away from the wall and came up behind him.

I traced the wing joints as he tightened. “Do you like this, Wing of the Goddesses?”

“Raven. Let me explain.” It almost sounded like a plea.

“Silence,”I hissed, walking around him making sure to keep a hand gently caressing.

I stopped where I could see his face. I lightly blew down his neck, and touched briefly in a place that made him tremble. Then I backed up two steps, smiled and walked calmly away. I may not have been raised in heaven, but I knew how to make a piece of it hell.

He hadn’t felt her bringing the power into her fingertips until it had been too late. He sat down and tried to think. Tried.

He looked up at the sound of footsteps. Devion took one look at him and said, “May the Queen have mercy on you, boy. What happened?”

“Your daughter has a cruel way of getting her revenge.” he closed his eyes and tried to calm his body down.

Devion thought a moment. “Incana?”

Ronokiro gave a pained laugh. “Raven.”

The other man’s eyes lit up in understanding. “I just saw her walking down the hall. Well, running might be more accurate. What did you do?” he raised a hand before he could answer. “Before you answer that, I want to know how she could have possibly gotten you in this state.” Devion leaned against the door and waited.

“She used her power and hands. But she didn’t use any more than a normal woman could. ” even if she had done this to him, he couldn’t stand seeing her paralyzed in the throne room again.

Devion let out a discouraged sigh. “We all must try to be patient with her. Raven and I did her wrong by sending her away for so long. We were aware of the closeness of the One’s armies, but didn’t truly believe that he would be ambitious enough to take the little towns. Then he did attack it. There will be times when everyone will want to murder her while she sleeps. That is why she needs you to be the most patient.”

Ronokiro looked up. “Me?”

“Yes. She doesn’t trust her mother or me. However, she has formed a bond with you whether you like it or not, and we need you as our line to guiding and loving her.”

What had he done? “I probably just lost that line.

Devion’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Do you remember my relationship with Frissa?”

“Yes.”

“Raven and I had an argument and I got locked out of her room. Next thing I know, I turn around and there is Frissa. At the time I had been on my knees politely waiting for our little black haired, warrior tongue to open the door. Frissa asked why I was there. and kissed me, at the same time Raven walked out.”

“She loves you.”

The statement brought Ronokiro out of the fog of lust and slammed him into the ground. He looked at his feet. “And... I her.”

“It was a big error on your part to not tell Frissa.”

“It would have happened anyway.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because it’s true. Frissa is an obsessive bitch and would do anything to keep me and make herself happy.”

“Would you like some advice from one of your elders?”

“Anything.”

“Go talk to her.”

Ronokiro slumped back down. “She would only get madder.”

“Would you prefer that the anger be cooled now, or that it later turn into hate after no apologies?”

He nodded, stood up, fluffed his wings and turned to the door.

“Ronokiro.”

He stopped. “Yes.”

“You may love each other, but do not forget what fate has given her.”

“Yes my lord.” he began the terrifying walk to her room.

He stopped when he reached the door. He slowly turned the handle and opened the door fearing that she had put up another shield around it. There was no light. He squinted into the darkness until he saw the still figure on the bed. He saw that she had not changed out of the clothes she had worn for her first appearance in front of her mother.

Folding his wings tight to his body, Ronokiro stepped over to the bed. When he accidently touched the pillow, his hand came away wet from tears. His heart skipped a beat when she began murmuring in her sleep.

“I am the Final Element. She who is destined to defy that which has infested my land and placed fear in the hearts of my people.”

Ronokiro rocked back on his heels. She knew what she was.

“I am she who wears the Ebony Soulstone. The Soulstone that is key to the dark Door of all Evil. I seek the evil of my domain and send it back to the darkness it came from. I am silent as the Raven, and take my revenge accordingly. Heed the warning of my power Master of the Shadow, your tainted heart shall not escape me. For fear me you shall caller of darkness, for you shall be last blood, and you will scream.”

Ronokiro was barley able to keep himself from bolting from the room but he couldn’t suppress a shudder that seemed to reach all the way into Dream. He doubted she even knew she now possessed a blacker than black soulstone easily set on her forehead. It had begun to glow. Amazingly, whatever it was that “glowed” seemed to swallow every thing of light in the room.

Before Ronokiro could back away and quietly leave he was facing hard silver eyes. He jumped at the same time she flung herself out of the bed. She gave him a measuring look. “I would have you explain yourself but I have another to attend.” she then left the room with no sound whatsoever.

I am silent as the Raven...take my revenge... May the Queen have mercy. Another to attend. He had seen hate in her eyes, however, she had saved little for him. Eyes wide open, he ran.

Nacie. I felt her suffering. A suffering I could end. And would end. Instead of going to main gates again, I searched for windows. Many were high and too small. The thing Ronokiro had called the moon caught my eye. There. Probably the only one big enough for me in this entire castle.

A hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. She had the same features as I and only her eyes were different. Like Ronokiro’s, they were like a molten gold with a hint of wildness in them. It was when I noticed the ruby set into her skin that I coldly said, “Sister.” and turned to face her completely.

“Sister.” she replied just as cold.

“Well, do you intend to stop me?”

She shook her head. “No. But I do intend to prevent you from making a grave mistake.”

“What do you mean?”

She laughed. “You may be a complete Goddess, but I have always had my attention focused on the people. The spirits. They call to me, and I hear their suffering. I even feel it. You are coming into your Element of Spirit. Your road to greatness will be littered with death that you will feel. They will leave scars on your soul. Do not shelter your pain within yourself. It will lead to your destruction. And I am by no means telling you to freely give away your troubles and worries.”

I bowed my head. “Everyone has betrayed my trust. I have no one to give them to.”

“I know what it is like to be thrown into a family that you believe has betrayed you. It was good that they sent us into the world. However it would have been better at a time when we could remember who we were, and understand it.”

“You make me feel like I can trust you with your own understanding of my life.”

She cupped my face and brought my head up. “Then never forget that I too am a Goddess and will always be there for you.”

I brought my hands around her waist and wept into her shoulder. She said nothing more but held me and let me weep.

He almost walked right into the room. The look Ohnekiro gave him was enough to force him back a few steps. “Come sister. Let us begin.” She led Raven from the room leaving him to wait until whatever it was they were doing was finished. He sat down and awaited their return.

“What are we going to do?”

“Nacie has lost her belief in the Goddesses. We will go to her.”

“How?”

“Being a Goddess is not just being immortal and having more elemental power than every other human. Visualize Nacie in your mind, use it as an anchor and reel yourself in with your power.”

I soon found myself in the middle of the slave pits.

My sister elbowed me in the stomach. “Shield your power and your body from everyone but Nacie.”

I put the shields up and watched as the demons tied my nurse to the whipping post. I reached out to her mind.

Nacie.

Her head snapped up. When she saw us she cried out, “My lady!” and then was slapped into silence. But she still watched us with eyes that were full of awe, and begging for mercy.

Nacie. I cannot prevent this from happening. Nor can I take you from here. But I promise you that the time is coming when a debt will be called in. I will do what I can for your pain.

I slipped into her dream and made a barrier around the pain. She would feel it. But it would be a stranger’s pain, something she didn’t understand.

“Let us go now. There is nothing left to be done.” I touched her arm and allowed her to guide the way back to the castle.

When I found my self back in the scantily decorated chamber I turned to her. “Sister. I know this may sound-”

“Ohnekiro.”

“What?”

She stood from her seat on the floor. “My name is Ohnekiro. You already are aware of the fact that I am your sister, and that I am the Goddess of Spirit. So what I want in return for that knowledge, is the knowledge of why Ronokiro is so unhappy.”

The question took me by surprise. But still I answered haughtily, “Probably because now he can’t seduce me seeing that I know about the other woman.”

Ohnekiro looked up. “Other woman?”

“Yes. They were kissing.”

“Yes?”

“Right outside my bedroom. She was very pretty. And he didn’t try to stop her so he must have been with her before.”

Ohnekiro quietly swore. “Frissa.”

“Is that her name?”

“Yes. A few years ago, one of the servants begged for her granddaughter to be allowed to work in the palace. The queen agreed to the old woman’s request. If you haven’t noticed yet, many of the servants here are mortal. Frissa took a shine to Ronokiro when she came here. And was relentless in her chase. After a while Ronokiro gave in and began to have a little frolic with her. When she started snapping at every woman who came within sight, he told her it was over. He left but she never forgot him. It might have been intended as a slight revenge for him leaving.”

My mind was racing. “I must speak to him.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

She bowed her head. When I began to leave, she grabbed my sleeve and pulled me into a chair by a window. She lifted her head and her voice. “Ronokiro! You may now come.”

I whipped my head to the door. Ronokiro quietly entered the room, picked up a backless chair and sat beside me. He looked down solemnly as the Spirit Goddess made her retreat.

“Before you say anything, I want to explain-”

“About Frissa.” I finished for him. “I know about you and her. What I do not know is why I was never told that by you. If I had known Ronokiro I wouldn’t have bothered you two anymore.”

Before I could say any more, he plucked me out of my seat and held me in a death grip. A death grip that I could not help but return. When he finally spoke it was like he had never spoke before. “There is no other my Raven. Only you. I never wanted to be with her, but I foolishly decided that there was only one way to get rid of her and that was to go along with her. She means nothing to me. You mean everything. It is something I should have told her sooner, but I truly believed that she would come after you.”

“Ronokiro. I have something I must tell you.”

“Yes?” he stroked my now tear stained face.

“I am sorry, oh so sorry, that I have caused you such pain. I have done such horrible things while here.” I put my arms around his neck and buried my face into his warm neck.

“It’s all right. Besides, I am partly to blame. I treated you like you had never had anything to worry about in your life. I am sorry too. Now we have both apologized. So now lets both drop all of our quarrels against each other.”

I finally felt like saying what I had wanted to say to him since I got my first taste of his world. “Ronokiro?” I whispered into his ear.

“Mmm?”

“If I told you a secret, would you laugh at me?”

He brought my head up to look him in the eye. “What is it Raven? Tell me.”

“I...I...”

“Yes?”

Before I could say anything, a voice yelled from the hall, “Where is she!”

When Devion came in, he was faced with me in Ronokiro lap, tears streaming down my cheek.

His eyes went hard. “Raven. I must speak to you...alone.” he added after a frightful glare at Ronokiro.

I slid off his legs and let him leave. Devion grabbed his arm as he passed, whispered into his ear, then made one command, “Go.”

I tried to stand up and run. Before I got very far, I landed on my face after tripping over the folds of the dress. It didn’t help my pride when Devion held out his hand. I grasped it and he hauled me to my feet.

“What do you want of me?”

“I know that you left.”

“I had something more important than your rules to attend to.”

He walked towards me ominously. “Where did you go?”

“It is none of your business.”

“I think it is my daughter of the night.” The Queen Raven slowly made her way into the room.

I felt cornered, which I was in a way.

I felt her mind brush again my own, I slammed mental barriers into place. “Please,” she begged. “Please just tell us where you went.”

“I went to the woman who was more a mother to me than you ever could be. A whip leaves marks across both skin and soul. Her’s is a soul in which that should never be.”

An ancient look crossed her face. “Come here.” she beckoned.

I was surprised when she brought me into a tight embrace. “I am sorry that we were not there. I love you Raven. But it does not seem enough anymore.”

I caught a passing thought from her mind. “So,” I muttered. “You think I know not that I wear the Ebony Soulstone. That I do not know what I will do.” I smiled when I heard her gasp. “Perhaps you should confront Ronokiro about that though.” I pulled away and returned once more to my chambers.

Lady. Roko was comfortably perched on top of a ruby encrusted desk. A few servants brought these in here for you. He pushed the jeweled boxes towards me.

I inattentively picked one from the pile. Inside was a ring. On the silver band were creatively crafted pieces of bronze in the shape of the earth element. As I opened the other one by one, I found similar rings in like to the other elements. When I opened the one for Spirit, I found an amulet that slid smoothly over my head and down my neck.

Mistress? I heard Roko say.

Yes? I replied absently.

Would you care for a late night soar?

I laughed. “Let’s. But first we must find another to accompany us. I have no wish to be confronted again.”

He jump to my shoulder. Again?

I nodded and pushed the door open.

Ohnekiro was already searching for her dragon’s saddle when I silently stepped through the door. “Do you remember the desert clothes that were presented to you when you were first to be introduced to our mother?” she asked.

“Yes, but-”

“Good. I had it put in your closet when you chose those things. It will come in handy when we arrive.”

Arrive where?

“While your changing, I’ll fit your dragon for a saddle.” she looked a me before shooing me away.

I was amazed by how comfortably they rested against my skin. I wrapped the head cloth around my waist instead of my face. I walked in on Ohnekiro trying to hook a miniature breast plate behind Rokoniro’s wings. He looked at me completely puzzled, which was about as much as I was. She chuckled. “It will fit his dragon form too. Come here and feel.”

I reached out my hand and felt the power churning in the little black and silver plate. “It will change its shape as Rokoniro does?”

“Yes.”