“Drop your weapons or we will be forced to kill you, warrior. We only want the girl with the flask of water. Give her to us and we will let you live.” The leader stared at Dylan’s swords, now loose and unsheathed, held in fight stance. The captain of this band shook his head and laughed. “You can’t win, we outnumber you young man. Drop the swords.”

“Sir, I can’t locate the twins, it’s like they have disappeared. I found pieces of their armor but they are nowhere to be found. Maybe the little witch dispatched them before we arrived; I’ve heard strange things about her, sir.” The captain waved the subordinate away, furiously shaking his head.

“Don’t be stupid! Just as well, we will assume they are dead. Now, secure the girl and let’s get back to the palace before dark, the queen will be most pleased. Now move in!” The circle of soldiers began to press in on them.

Shade turned to stare at the soldiers closing in on them and backed into Dylan, her hands clasped around the bottle. Her eyes darted nervously at the soldiers and turned her head towards him. “What now, Dylan? There’s no way out! We’re trapped!”

She bit her lip as the fear spilled over the fading euphoria.

“It’s alright Shade, listen to me and do just what I say. Hold onto me, I’m going to drop my glamour and call my powers.” Shade looked up at him, eyes wide in terror.

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to call my power of lightning. When I discharge it out, the first ring of soldiers will drop with the shock. Hold onto me tight, I have to control it to not go to wide and fry the garden. Come on!”

Shade shook her head as she turned into him, letting his arms embrace her tightly. “I-I don’t know if this is a good idea, what if I get electrocuted too?” She trembled in his grip. Dylan looked down at her and smiled softly.

“Believe, Shade. I believe since you are able to touch me, you are immune to my powers. It will be alright.” He whispered down the last words and hugged her tight. They closed their eyes as the blue flickers of fire crackled over his skin. Next thing she knew, she felt the bolt of energy discharge from his body, like small earthquake vibrating through her body. When it was done, just a moment later, she peeked around his chest to see that the first ring of soldiers surrounding them were down, most knocked out while others moaned in distress.

“It worked Dylan!” She stopped as she watched the next wave of soldiers creep in, stepping over the others cautiously and staring at the pair of them in disbelief.

“Damn it! It’s a blasted Teleen; grab the lightning rods from the armory stash now! We got to control the lightning before we can overpower him!” The captain’s face was beet red and sweat beaded on his face as he fumbled back from the fallen ones. “Hurry up!” He yelled.

The soldiers stood back as they waited for the rods to be handed out.

“Lightning rods? Dylan, what are they gonna do with the rods?” Shade, turned around and watched the soldiers pass stacks of rods around the group.

Dylan breathed in and shook his head. “The rods will render me powerless; they will draw my power into the rods and leave me harmless. We got to get out of here now.” He spun around and watched the soldiers gearing up and advancing again.

He turned then to Shade and looked down into her shining brown eyes.

“Shade, listen to me. There is a legend that says that a holder of the water of the Santiran Fountains can wish for anything they want and it will be granted by the water magic. Now I’m gonna hold onto you and you try to think as hard as you can of the Guildrin dwelling, like being back there once more, got it?”

“Yes, but, there is no freakin’ way that will work!”

Dylan re-sheathed his swords and pulled her into his embrace tightly and smiled. “I guess we’ll find out. Now, wish us home, Shade, do it now!”

Shade closed her eyes, feeling the soldiers’ auras vibrating around them and closing in. She breathed in; thinking of Queen Zinara, Ilarial and her new found friends. She visualized the steps leading down to the Guildrin living quarters, the only place she had ever felt safe in Faerie. Dylan’s arms felt warm and strong around her. She wished him safe, herself and the others too. Unscrewing the cap of the flask, she whispered her thoughts into the bottle she had grasped tightly in her hands. She felt Dylan’s lips on her head, warm and firm as she wished them all back home safe, as hard as she could.

A peaceful feeling washed over them like a crashing wave. In just that instant, yelling and cursing blew up around them, followed by an intense silence. The sound of tree leaves rustling and birds chirping in the slight breeze made Shade open her eyes. They stood by the great tree to the Guildrin Court, as if they never had left. She smiled and looked up at Dylan.

“You did it! Oh man, you did it Shade! We’re home! Ya!” Dylan jumped and hopped about, hollering out his joy. Returning to her and lifting her up with his arms, he swung her around in a joyous joust. Shade breathed in with relief. A moment later another whoosh sounded around them. The entire gang stood there, looking startled and shocked.

“Oh, wow, Sary, Stephen, Soap! Ewan, Jack! Than! Braelynn!” She ran and hugged the tall sorceress. She hugged them all one by one and felt the steaming tears streaming down her cheeks. Every one of them was there. Everyone but Sylphi. All shocked and surprised but intact and safe. Shade did not ponder too long where Sylphi had gone. She wasn’t missing her.

“What just happened? We’re home! How the. What the…” Soap was spinning around, looking at the landscape absolutely petrified. Shade ran and hugged him tight and pulled back an inch to see his face. He smiled and nodded.

“This can only mean one thing. You did it, you actually did it. And without us to aid you at that! You made it to the fountains, didn’t you? Incredible, how did you do it? And how did you get us all home? One minute we were searching for you around the Santiran mountain base, we had just picked up your trail and now, here we are, home sweet home.” He sighed and hugged her again, even tighter.

“Okay, let go, I can’t breathe!” She cried happily.

He let go abruptly but caught her as she stumbled backwards.

“Sorry!” He grinned and laughed. She laughed along with him, feeling elated.

“Do you have the water then?” Shade nodded at Sary, who had worked her way up to her. “You did it Shade, you saved our people!” Sary hugged her and joined the laughter.

“Let’s go home everyone. It’s been a long journey; it’s time to celebrate! Our queen Zinara will be absolutely happy. We will win this war against the Lonares after all! We have new allies joining us for victory!” Jack smiled widely as he hugged everyone in the group. Everyone agreed and nodded. The stairs to the underground opened and they each descended, laughing and chatting with each other, all the strain of the journey lifted all at once.

“Who are our new allies, Jack?” Shade inquired.

“Oh, sorry, you probably have not heard but on our way to the Santiran fountains, we ran into a group of villagers who proclaimed that Prince Lotinar has returned and has sided with Queen Zinara. This will prove most useful to our cause.” Shade pondered what he had said, not really knowing whom they spoke of, and suddenly thought of something else.

“Wait, um, was Sylphi with you guys? Where is she?” Shade asked, not that she really cared.

“Sylphi? She ran at the battle with Lady Blythe. She probably returned to the Teleen Caverns. She probably got too scared to fight.” Ewan chuckled.

Shade approached the first step and turned to see Dylan, watching her.

“The blood bind is still in place. I thought it might be fulfilled at journey’s end but it’s not.” His eyes stared off into the forest, glazing over. His face was serious and contemplative.

“I’m sorry Dylan; you know I would break it if I could. What do you think has to be done to end it?” She placed her hand on his arm to pull him back into the present. He turned and looked into her eyes. He smiled and sighed, studying her face.

“It’s alright Shade, I know now that this is my destiny. I’m not meant to be captain of the Teleen guard anymore. I’m glad I met you, Shade. Changes are good.” His eyes sparkled in the dimming light of the dusk. The orange glow spread across the sky and dimmed the forest floor as the sun crept away to slumber.

“I’m glad we met too. Come on, let’s get some real food and rest for once. After we give the flask to the queen, I can go home and see my family.”

Dylan’s face darkened in gloom as he stared back at her. “Home? You’re leaving? Well, I guess you would want to go home, wouldn’t you. I won’t be returning home, probably not for a long time.” He pressed his lips together and stepped forward toward the stairs. “I have to warn you, Shade, I have to stay close to where you are, or my blood burns inside me.

“Dylan, you could come you know. You could meet my family, I’m sure I could think of something to tell my mother. You could totally pass for a teenager. I could say your family is moving out of town and you need a place to stay, so you can graduate at our high school. What do you think? We do have a guest room, my mom rarely uses it but I’m pretty sure she would agree to letting you stay with us.” She stood before him now and he had stopped, staring down the stairs of the Sithen.

He suddenly turned with a wide grin spread across his face. “Yes, that would be good. I think that since our blood bind is still in place, I will have to stay near you somehow. I guess that would be best, at least until it is fulfilled and it lets me go home.”

Shade smiled. She could feel his anxiety pulsating out to her. Something about the fountains had linked them even closer. She flushed as she remembered the burn of his lips against hers. She hoped that for Dylan’s sake, they would not be bound for too much longer. As they descended into the Faerie court and out of sight, she also knew she wasn’t ready to let him go, at least not yet.