Rea stared up at the starry sky, forgetting how beautiful the late nights could be. She used to be an early riser since the day she was born. The soft dawn was her comfort light. She found a new beauty in the moon and the stars.
"So he wants you to go back and stay in Markvere. But only to return with his mother?" Rea asked as Mekhi nodded.
"The worst part is, Ree...I believe him."
"That's why you told me first before telling the others. You know what they'll say."
"They'll call it all bullshit and want to keep coming back anyway. I knew you would at least listen to me. That, and if what Amias says is true and we do need to stay in Markvere, I wanted to ask what you wanted to do. Your mother should be back within a week. She'll know you're missing if we take you with us."
"Mekhi," Rea sighed before taking his hands. "Don't worry about me. Your brothers need you more and I'm starting to gain control of my abilities. If there's some higher power that could come after you guys, I don't want to be one of the reasons you ignore that.... Come here."
Rea gripped the back of Mekhi's shoulder and forced him to lay in her lap. He blinked when he felt Rea pet back his hair and closed his eyes. The anxiety and pain of confusion slipped away, allowing him to relax.
"Mekhi, you guys showed me that I am stronger than I thought I was. I made Mira my friend."
"Yeah, that's still a setback for me," Mekhi said and Rea laughed.
"Either way, even though I'll miss you guys every day you're gone, I'm going to be okay. And I'm going to get control over these powers. The real question is are you going to be okay?"
"I don't know anymore. I hate to admit it, but I miss having Vince around to call all the shots. I might have argued with the guy over most of them, but it was easier than making all the hard decions without him. It's been over a week and I kept my promise to protect these guys as best as I could. I don't know if Vince is even alive or not."
"He's the closest thing you have to a father, Mekhi. It's only natural that you're worried about him."
"Not only that, I can't feel him anymore. Last time we came here, I could feel his heartbeat, I knew he was still here but now? Maybe he's in Markvere right now, looking for us."
"All the more reason you should go back. Find him. He should have some answers."
"This might be the most irresponsible thing I've ever asked, but will you come back? Just until we can find Ito? If your mom comes back we can bring you back in a matter of minutes."
Rea smiled before she leaned down to kiss Mekhi's forehead. When they first met, she could harldy adjust to simply touch him. His near precsense made her nervous, she never knew what he was thinking. Now it was clear they both needed each other.
"I thought you'd never ask."
As they roamed back through the forest of Markvere, Mekhi told the others what Amias told him. As he expected, none of them believed his claims. Especially when Mekhi mentioned the kid was Gavlen's son.
The part where his mother could help break Ralyks's curse, however, caught their interest. Mekhi figured if he could not convince the lot to remain in Markvere, they would start with Ito.
Mekhi froze, halting the others behind him. Amiire grasped his shoulder, finding him stiff.
"What is it?"
Rather than responding, Mekhi glanced up at a tree in front of him. Only then could they all smell the new, sharp scent in the air. Zyair's eyes widened the minute he figures out where they were.
