Silver Mask

Prologue - Mare

Warning: There is Marecal in this chapter that is necessary for the plot of this story. You have been warned.

We were preparing to board the plane to save Dagger Legion when Cal pulled me aside.

"Mare, I need to tell you something," Cal admitted, running a hand through his dark hair.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling my heart rate pick up.

"It's just, after Corros, I've been... remembering things." I tried to hide my disappointment, and it seemed to work, since Cal had gone on, "It's stuff about Maven, Elara, and- and my mother, Coriane. It's little things, like what my mother sounds like, and moments with Maven when we were little. And-" Cal's face had grown darker, "when Elara removed his feelings, thoughts, or memories and I noticed."

Cal seemed visibly upset at the thought, and I had put a comforting hand on his arm, trying to hide my own concern for Maven. If Elara hadn't noticed if Cal found out about what she did to Maven, then she must have taken so many pieces of him. Can anyone fix Maven at this point? I swallow my worries and give Cal a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry Cal, we'll figure it out, and we can try to find a way to save him... Just not now. We have a mission, remember?" As if on cue, Cameron had stuck her head out of the jet, calling,

"You two lovebirds coming? We don't have all day, you know. And as much as I'd like to leave your sorry asses here, you're important to this rescue mission, so hurry up!" Cal smiled at me, and I felt my heart warm as I met his bronze eyes.

"You're right, Mare. What would I do without you?" Cal asked, moving closer to me. I flushed.

"Well, you'd probably be dead," I managed, trying to ignore the heat on my cheeks that had nothing to do with Cal's abilities. Cal chuckles; at what I just said, or my reaction to his closeness.

"I would be. A thousand times over." He circled my waist with his arms and pulls me closer, now mere inches between our faces, and more importantly, between our lips. "Mare," he whispered, staring into my eyes, "We'll figure this out. Together." I knew he meant us, as well as his recent memory gain, and I could only nod as he leaned closer.

"I SAID GET YOUR ASSES ON THIS DAMN PLANE!!!" Cameron yelled at us. We jumped apart, blushing furiously as we followed her onto the plane.

Throughout the ride, Cal kept giving me reassuring glances, and held my hand until he needed to steer properly. I let myself bask in his warmth. Until the plane fell, and I surrendered myself to Maven Calore to save my friends.