Prologue

Leyna paced around the dark study, breaking into a cold sweat as she awaited her visitor. She had already ran her request through her head a million times, weighed the decision and made what she thought to be the right choice. Her heart thumped as she thought of what she was so willing to give up, her special gift that had made her the center of attention all her life. A power so wonderful it could bring someone back from the brink of death. It was something that she could use to help heal hundreds of people, but for her only three actually mattered and that is why she had to give it all away.

Her dark black hair swirled around her as she twirled around to walk the other direction down the room. Her hands began to wander and touch against the things in the room. She slid her fingers over the keys on the piano that she had learned to play as a child; so long it has been since music was heard inside the mansion. Her eyes darted over the titles of the books stuffed inside the bookshelves. Her father had bought them for the entire family, but only her older siblings ever bothered to read them. Trying to find someway to settle down, Leyna took a seat at the large table in the middle of the room.

The study was drowned in darkness, the only source of light coming from the two large windows on either side of the piano. Leyna drummed her fingers against the table, wondering what was taking her visitor so long to show up. Suddenly the room became very cold, as if someone had taken away the heat from the sun. The shadows in the corner of the room rippled a little and there was a faint breathing.

"So you're finally here," Leyna said in a faked impatient tone. A small robbed figure emerged from the shadows, the figures face was covered with a hood and it held a small cane in its right hand to help with walking.

"You summoned me child, so I came but what does a fair angel like yourself want with the dealings of the devil?" The robed figure asked. Its voice was like that of an old elderly woman, croaky and cold it sent shivers down Leynas spine.

"I want to ensure the protection of my friends, I've called you here so I can trade away my powers of healing so that my friends will not die in battle," Leyna answered. The old woman in robes just stood there for a second, not moving. Leyna was doused in a wave of fear. She looked into the hole of the hood, and even though she could not see the old woman's eyes she could feel the baring down on her. Leyna felt a sudden sense of shame and had to fight back tears.

"Do you understand the powers you hold child?" The old woman asked. "Do you know someone like you comes around once in a thousand years? Are you foolish enough to trade that all away for three people when you could use it for the greater good of mankind?"

"I know!" Leyna barked back, surprised at her own rudeness she jumped and calmed herself down. "I know what I have is special…but these friends of mine, they are going onto a dangerous path, if I lost them I would…." Leyna let out a small sob and the tears began to flow. The old woman in robes limped up to where Leyna was sitting and held her hand within her own. Leynas entire body jolted as all the blood in her body seemed to freeze the second the old lady made contact.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear," The old woman said pulling her hand away. "I sometimes forget the curse I must bare in order to do this job." The woman pulled a chair up next to Leyna and sat down. "Now I want you to explain to me why your friends are in such danger.

"Alright," Leyna responded wiping tears away from her eyes. She stood up and started walking around the room once again as she explained her situation. "My family is known for their political and military power, my dad is a member of the king's council and my eldest brother is one of the three great generals of the army. My eldest sister is even a high priestess and wields plenty of power herself within the church." Leyna walked up to one of the great windows and looked out. The dim light from the cloudy sky illuminated her pale skin and she looked ghostly.

"And so with such a reputation the family expects a lot from the younger half of the family, is that it my dear?" Asked the old woman, already knowing the answer.

"That's it, I have two other brothers. One is adopted, his name is Leon, he seems to think he has the most to prove because he doesn't share the same blood as the rest of the family he wants to show our father that he is just as good as everyone else in the family. Then my real brother, Clive, well him and Leon have been best friends ever since they where kids so he goes along with anything Leon wants to do" Leyna explained. Her back eyes wandered to what was outside the window. She scanned the two large trees that stood proud in the front yard. Just looking at them brought back memories of her and Leon playing as children.

'Bet I can climb higher than you!' Leon said in a playful voice as he and Leyna ran towards the two tall trees.

'You wish!' Leyna laughed back. Leon made it to the trees first and started climbing the larger one. Leyna wrapped her arm around a branch connected to the other tree and lifted herself up. She could hear Leon laughing from between the leaves of the other tree. If she looked over she could catch glimpses of his brown hair dashing up higher and higher. Leyna had to struggle to keep up but suddenly she heard a bone chilling crack. Leyna looked back and saw Leon's surprised and scared face as it fell back through the braches towards the ground. Without hesitation Leyna began her descent back to the ground, the cries of Leon becoming louder as she went.

"Are you alright Leon?" She asked in her squeaky childish voice.

"My leg, it hurts so bad! I think it's broken," Leon responded in a moan. Leyna ran over to him and kneeled down.

"Let me see it," Leyna instructed, brushing her hand through Leon's brown hair to help comfort him. Leon slowly pulled up his pant leg exposing a badly bruised leg. "It does look pretty bad, let me see what I can do." Leyna pressed her hand against Leon's leg and closed her eyes. Leon stopped moaning and there was a slight breeze that blew Leyna's hair around. The purple spots on Leon's leg evaporated into nothing and there was a small cracking sound and his bones went back into place.

"It's all better!" Leon said with a big grin on his scratched up face.

"Don't scare me like that ever again Leon!" Leyna protested. "You never know when you might get so hurt that not even I can heal you."

"It's alright Leyna, I didn't mean to scare you, honest! I was just having a little fun that's all." Leon said bashfully. "I'm sure lucky to have you around though; it gives me a chance to be more adventures knowing you will always be there to save me when I get hurt."

"But Leon, I might not always be there! You need to be more careful, I want you to promise me, promise that you won't do anything that could get you hurt. I don't want to lose you Leon!" Leyna said with a cracked voice.

"I promise Leyna, please don't be so sad though. It's not like I'm going to be leaving anytime soon." Leon said, confused as to why Leyna was acting so harshly. Without saying a word Leyna wrapped her arms around Leon and rolled in the grass with him.

"So now Leon has gone on to do something dangerous to prove himself, is that right?" The robbed figure asked, breaking Leyna concentration from the past.

"Yes, he wants to join the Inner Gaurd." Leyna said, turning from the window to face the old woman in robes who was now standing. "That's the sect of soldiers that deals with internal affairs within the country. They have to go through dangerous entrance tests that don't even ensure the tester will come out with their lives. Leon and Clive told father they wanted to join and he agreed to let them go, he even sent our servant girl along with them!"

"So that servant girl, she is the last one you wish to protect?"

"Yes, she's been with the family as long as I can remember. Jayde is her name; she's from some foreign country. She has been the only girl I can relate to all my life." Leyna responded. Her memories of the last time she had seen her three best friends flashed into her head.

It was well past midnight, and Leyna walked slowly to the large oak trees in the front yard. The full moon illuminated the night sky, and she could see three familiar figures far off standing by the trees. Her breathing became unsteady, as she knew her friends would only call a meeting this late if they had some very bad news. She had changed a lot in the last few years. She was much paler and had lost a lot of weight due to a strange illness that had lain dormant inside her until recently. She had dark rings around her eyes and often shook. She finally made it to the two large Oak trees and could make out the faces of the only friends she had ever had, Leon, Clive and Jayde.

"I'm glad you decided to come," Clive said hugging his sister. It had been Clive who had whispered to her during dinner.

'Come to the two oak trees after midnight' he had said as he leaned into her. 'We have something to tell you, but we can't talk about it with others around.' Clive explained his voice inaudible to others over the clinking of silverware.

"I knew it would be important if it had to be so secret," Leyna said letting go of Clive. Clive just smiled back, his light red hair seemed to be on fire as the moonlight shone on it.

"It's pretty important Leyna, this may be the last time we get to talk for a long time," Jayde said with a small hint of sadness in her voice. Jayde's hair blended in with the night sky as she looked down at her feet.

"What are you talking about? You all aren't leaving are you?" Leyna asked feverishly.

"I'm sorry, but we have to. I'm tired of being stuck here where nothing ever happens," Leon said leaning against the tree. He looked straight ahead into space instead of at Leyna as he spoke, almost as if he was ashamed to make eye contact. "We're leaving to join the Inner Guard, make a name for ourselves and meet the expectations of the family name."

"You can't be serious…all three of you? You're just going to leave me here all alone? What about me? What about how I feel being left behind? Can I not come with you?" Leyna asked hoping to hear the answer she wanted.

"No Leyna, you know as well as we do that you're too sick to be away from home," Clive said shaking his head. "Please try and understand we all have dreams and aspirations, we don't want to be held back from that."

"So I'm holding you all back… I get it now. Fine! Go on, I don't care. I guess what you have here isn't enough, I guess I'm not enough."

"Leyna please, we all love you. It's just that we need to see what's out there. This isn't goodbye for forever it's just goodbye for now. When we come back we will have all sorts of great stories to tell you!" Jayde said taking a step towards Leyna.

"Why…why was it that you had to tell me this here?" Leyna asked ignoring Jayde completely.

"Father didn't want us to tell you," Clive explained. "He thought if you knew you would make us feel guilty, convince us to stay. He didn't want that so he said he would explain everything to you once we left. But we just couldn't leave without saying goodbye, we had to see you! Please understand this is something we have to do."

"I understand, everything I've done for you and am willing to do isn't enough to keep you happy," Leyna said loathingly, staring straight at Leon and then at Jayde who was looking down at her feet again. "Fine then, goodbye. Is that all you wanted? I'll tell you goodbye but I won't wish you good luck!" And with that Leyna sprinted in the other direction. She didn't run for long, because her sickly body didn't have that much energy left in it. As she slowed down to a walk she could hear Clive calling back out her name.

"Well I see why you would want to protect such loved ones, but do you not see the ignorance in what you want to do?" Asked the lady, once again breaking Leynas train of thought.

"What?" Leyna asked offended.

"You have the power to heal others, why not just protect them yourselves?"

"That's the problem!" Leyna cried. "My powers are both a gift and a curse! My body is so drained I can't be out I the sun for more than an hour, I can't run in the fields or play like normal people my age! I can't be with the ones I love because my sickness holds me back. What good is my power to heal if I can't even heal myself?"

"So ungrateful," the old woman muttered. "I now see how selfish you truly are."

"How dare you!" Leyna yelled. "Who are you to judge me?"

"You summoned me here to judge you, that is what I do. I look into those who are at their last resort and see if they are stable enough to withstand dealings with the dark lord. You are not, if you delved into the dark arts even a little it would easily corrupt your heart. I'm sorry but I can not help you in contacting the devil in an attempt to grant your friends protection." The old woman said walking towards the shadow.

"Then what I am supposed to do?" Leyna cried after her. "Am I cursed to be caged in this hell hole all by myself?"

"You're sickness only holds you back because you let it," The woman croaked. "Follow your heart and you shall be freed." The woman said as she continued to limp towards the shadows. Right before she made it to the corner of the room she stopped and tilted her head back towards Leyna. "And don't forget, giving up such a special gift as yours would be a very grievous sin." After that the old woman seemed to mold into the darkness in the corner and was gone.

Leyna was left alone in the study; she fell to her knees and began to weep. In her mind, the only thing she thought that could help her was now gone. Tears fell down her cheek as she thought of her living the rest of her life alone with just her father in the mansion. But deep down she knew, knew that she would escape. She would escape even it meant doing just what the mysterious lady had warned her not too, turning to darkness to save herself.