Burned By Ashes- Dream

Chapter 39-Strangers in the Woods.

Cinder looked at Ember, "I thought that you where too scared to come back." She said. Ember glared at her and drew her sword. "We are going to finish this here and now." Ember said and the Fallen moved in closer to Ember. "Why do you have them?" Cinder aske, trying to get her off her game and that is exactly what she did.

Ember looked at her army of Shadows and grinned "This is what I have waited for, for you to ask me a question and for me to know that answer before you, that is how it has always been, I ask someone something, and you have the answers, well not today." Ash stood slowly, his hand on his sword hilt. "You are nothing but a monster. You took your own sisters' life and now you want to destroy all of the family you have left." Ember looked at him and grinned "Well... yes, that is the plan." Cinder looked at Ash, but he shook his head, he would not be leaving her. Suddenly without warning, Ember released a cloud of Shadows and they enveloped the three friends in shadows, in response Cinder let a pillar of fire burst from her hand, illuminating the faces of her friends. "Are we all ok?" she asked. Tayrah nodded and let the light from Cinders fire illuminate her face and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"We are fine, but where is Ember?" Cinder spun around and peered into the darkness, why had she wanted this? Ash and Tayrah looked at her and suddenly a mass of darkness wafted through the trees. Cinder looked up and gasped, it was Ember, but not alone. Rakol was with her. Cinder looked at her former enemy. "You died, I killed you myself." She said. Rakol laughed. "You would think that I would have died, but my faithful, brought me back. You see, Shadows can always be reborn if you have their cores, that is all you need' Cinder watched him look at Ember and smile.

'Hello, my dear.' He said. 'Did you miss me?" Cinder glared at Ember and then at Rakol. "Go away there is nothing here for you." He laughed. "You really think I will believe that, you and I both know that this is just as much about me as it is about you." He sneered. "Where is my sister?!" Cinder asked him. Rakol shook his head. "Maybe I don't want you to know that... yet." He said. Cinder glared at him and felt her wings manifest. Rakol looked at her and smiled. "I see you have figure out the "gift."" He said. Cinder looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?" she asked. Rakol shook his head. "The only way you can have these wings is because you have some of the Dark in you, only those who have or are born with the Shadows have those." Nodding, he pointed to Teloki, who had come to stand right next to her. "Ask your boyfriend there, he knows that I am talking about." Cinder shook her head, but Rakol had already started to transform, Large metal like wings sprouted from his back.

Cinder whirled on Teloki. "Show... show me." She said her voice tight, unsure what she was seeing. Teloki shook his head and took her hand. "Cin...I..." Cinder shoved his hand away and stepped back. "SHOW ME." She screamed and started to cry.

Teloki glared at Rakol and slowly wings sprouted from his back as well. "Cinder... hon...I am sorry." Rakol grinned. "Well done, Son." Cinder jerked her head up and looked at Rakol. "W...What did you say?" she asked. Rakol looked at her and a look of pure shock fell from his face. "You really didn't know, even when you met that he was my son?" he asked. Cinder looked at Teloki and shook her head, she didn't know what to think anymore. She loved Teloki, but he was the son of her enemy, the one that she was trying to kill. "Teloki, why...why didn't you say anything before about it.?" Cinder asked and she watched her boyfriend shake his head. "I didn't want to say anything, I tried to tell you before, but you didn't want to believe that I was anything but a good person." Rakol smiled "Well...not that it matters anymore, I have your sister and your best friend... how and what are you going to give me to get them back?" He asked.

Suddenly a flash happened, and Kelly appeared next to her father, Cinder gasped, Kelly was not like she remembered her, she had short dark brown hair and completely black eyes, like Rakol and she wore a black dress and cloak. "Hi...Cinder." She whispered a pained look on her face. "Who will you choose, my dear..." Rakol asked. Cinder opened her mouth to answer him, but saw that he wasn't even looking at her, he was looking at Kelly.

Kelly looked at Cinder and shook her head. "I am sorry, Cinder he gives me no choice." Cinder looked at Kelly and then at Teloki. Shaking her head, she walked forward her hand out to Kelly "No. there is always a way, you don't have to choose this. Kelly, come back with us, it can be just like it was before." Kelly shook head. "Cinder, you really don't see it do you, this is where I am supposed to be, I am not the Water Star. I was never meant to be, that was never my destiny in the first place, you will find who it is, but it is not me."

Teloki looked at Cinder and went to her, "We have to get out of here." He whispered to her and Cinder looked at him and knew in her heart that he was right, this place, was draining them of their powers, forcing them to use them and then leaving them where they couldn't fight back. She turned to the others "Come on, we have to get out of here. There is nothing that we can do for her now." She whispered. Ash looked at her and shook his head, but Cinder had already grabbed his hand and started running.