Finding Thunder

Chapter 2

Lillian was awoken violently, the hand on her shoulder causing the joint to protest and pulling a gasp of pain from her cupid's bow mouth. The violent shaking stopped and was quickly replaced by larger, firmer hands holding her up into a sitting position.

"...pack for her. They'll come for her first." she shook her head lightly, the fog of sleep was slow to fade but she could hear the fear and urgency in that voice. She knew that voice as well as any member of her family.

"Lucas? What's wrong? Why are you scared?" She finally managed to blink the sleep from her steel colored eyes. The fear she heard in his voice was magnified tenfold in his earthy green eyes.

"We have to go my love." He held her cheek and one hand, his eyes boring into hers. "We are in danger if we stay here. Your mom's packing a bag for you, so I need you to get dressed while I go get my things." Lucas searched her widening eyes, "I'm sorry Lillian but we have to go alone. Keep your lights out, they can't know we're leaving."

With that final warning, he quickly slipped from the room. Lillian sat in stunned disbelief for just a moment until her mother's hushed but hurried footsteps broke her shock.

"Momma?" Her voice sounded list even to her own ears.

"Come on Lillian. Up you get." She numbly followed her mother's instructions, gathering clothes to wear and silently slipping into the bathroom. She emerged minutes later, pulling her flame colored hair into a braid.

Her mother met her in the hallway, two bags clutched tightly in white knuckled hands. "Underwear, a handful of tee shirts, all the protective amulets I could get my hands on," she said in a hushed voice holding up the largest bag. "Food and drinks, some potions and salves, and you harvesting kit." Her mother clutched her tightly, silent tears soaking into the collar of her shirt. She held her just as tightly and nearly fell into hysterics as her father's arms wrapped around them both.

"Go hide in the shadow of the wood shed. Lucas will meet you there." Her father held her face gently between his large hands and pressed a burning kiss full of magic to her forehead. "I love you my girl, my little Ember."

"Love you too, Papa." She slipped down the hall quickly, not daring to look back.

--

Lucas slipped into his mother's room only to see her fully dressed and sitting on her bed. "It's time then," she said to him.

"Mom?"

"Magic showed you but you don't have much time. I already packed your bags, they're by the back door."

His eyes widened, "Mom, how...?"

She looked up at him, her normally cloudy eyes a bright, crystalline amethyst. "Magic chose you long ago my shining star. This time you can win."

"What do you mean 'This time.'?"

"Time is a wheel, Lucas. You know this and you know that what Mother Magic wants, she will eventually get. She needs you to get it and you need your Mate to achieve Magics goals for you."

"The Elders called Lillian my mate too. And said it was because of my father." He looked down at her clasped hands and grabbed them with his own slim digits. "Who was my father? Why do I need Lillian so strongly?"

She brought his hands to her mouth and placed a gentle kiss on his fingers. "Your father was sent to me by magic so that you would be. A dragon made man made dragon again. All so that he could sire the new age of magic." She reached behind her back and produced an amulet that was that was as dark as Jet but seemed to burn with the fire of a dragon's breath. "This will lead you to those who can help you find your father," she smiled brightly at his slack-jawed expression, "and The Hoard."