5 comments/ 7038 views/ 11 favorites The Darkest Days By: YourLovelyDream PREFACE: Once upon a time there were four royal being with the power to possess the elements. They were strong and peaceful elementals. Everyone in their kingdoms adored them. Lenora was the Queen of the Earth Kingdom, and a strong Earth elemental. She was also the most beautiful being in the entire universe. It was said that she wore a veil around anyone who wished to see her, for everyone who saw her became distracted with her beauty and could focus on nothing else. Maori was the Queen of the Water Kingdom, and an extremely strong Water elemental. She was also quite lovely to look at, but she was said to downplay her beauty but dressing as a man. She was a strong warrior and a fought alongside her army in any war that came upon her kingdom, which was quite often as it was on the mystical plane just above the underworld. Kane was the King of the Fire Kingdom. He was often hot headed and unreasonable, but he was also an incredible and fair ruler as well as a strong Fire elemental. He too was a warrior by trade and there was not a war he couldn't win, a weapon he couldn't use, or a being he couldn't take in hand to hand combat. The last King was Callum of the Air Kingdom. He was a kind and generous ruler, and a very strong air elemental. He was more of a scholar than a ruler. There was nothing that he did not know about. He was amazingly intelligent and in his kingdom was the library of prophecy and wisdom. These rulers and their kingdoms gathered together once a year for a lavish ball on the plain of Peace. It was a place where underworld demons could not enter and there were no thoughts of war or violence among anyone. Not that any elemental would even think of harming another. They were peaceful and joyous. After a thousand years of peace and quiet with no major wars happening in any Kingdom, the unthinkable happened. A Dark elemental rose to power in the underworld. Dark elementals only came into existence every thousand years. They were everything that the other elementals were not. They were evil incarnate and had the power to bring even the worst of nightmares to life. The only one who had the power to destroy a Dark elemental was a Light elemental. They too only came into existence every thousand years, at the same time as a Dark elemental. Unlike the Dark elementals, these Light elementals were everything that was good and peaceful in the world. But when this Dark elemental began his attack on each of the kingdoms, the Light elemental was nowhere to be found. Reaper, as the Dark elemental called himself, went after the royals with a vengeance. He wanted them dead so he could take over. Each of the royals had children. The oldest was Kane's son, who was five, and already showed a great affinity for his element. Maori's daughter was just three years old, and hadn't yet gotten her powers. Lenora's daughter was but 5 months old, and Cullum's son was a year old. Neither had gotten the powers yet either. Each of the royals knew they had to hide their children. They knew they would not be safe until Reaper was gone. They four elementals got together and decided that they would have to send their children to another realm as they joined powers to defeat Reaper. So they scattered the children among the human realm, sending their young with a trusted advisor and their strongest warriors. Each child would have one of each, acting as a family for as long as the war lasted. Unfortunately, on their quest to destroy Reaper, the royals were killed and Reaper took control of all four kingdoms. He searched every realm for the royal's children, but could not find them. He vowed to never stop searching, and for the past four hundred years he has searched with no results. CHAPTER ONE: Aiden Sparks hissed as one of many fists connected with his jaw. Another one got him in the stomach. He knew better than to get into a fight but these guys had been asking for it. He had to admit he underestimated their strength. There were only three of them, and Aiden knew he could take them out easily. He regretted his decision to let the weasels think they had a chance. The punch he'd just taken in the face would probably bruise. "Okay guys. I'm done playing. You have five seconds to get gone before I fight back." The guys laughed and continued trying to hit him, but Aiden began to evade the punches easily. "Five." He said. "Four." A fist hit him in the back of the head. "Three." Someone kicked him in the back. "Two." He evaded another face hit. "One." With a sigh he hit one of the guys. It was a small guy with a tattoo going down the side of his face. He looked comical as the tattoo was of a very badly done dragon. Aiden figured it was a drunken mistake. The guy went down with that one punch and the two others paused and looked down at their friend. Then they began to blindly swing at him. "Okay. You saw me down your man with one single punch and you still want more?" he sighed. Not a minute later all three guys lay in the middle of the alley behind Aiden's bar. "I told you guys I didn't like suspicious looking people in my bar. You should have left when I asked you too, but no. You had to be stupid. Don't come back." Aiden said as he walked through the back door of Sparks. He usually didn't stay at the bar passed midnight, but here it was nearly two in the morning. For some reason, he didn't want to go home. Ella and Marc were acting strangely. He knew they wanted to tell him something but they kept holding back. At twenty-five years old, Aiden felt like he was more like hundreds of years old. He knew that if he were in his home realm, he would be more like four hundred and five. At least that is what he was told. He'd never been to his realm. Everything he knew, he'd learned from Ella, who had been his father's closest advisor. He knew what was going on in his realm, in every realm. He knew his father had been killed, as well as the other royal elementals. He knew everything about the war, but what he didn't know and didn't understand was why Ella and Marc wouldn't allow him to go back. He knew he was strong. Even Marc, who had fought along with his father, told him that he had an astonishing strength and affinity for his element. He'd said that he was stronger than any fire elemental he'd ever seen or heard of. Yet they wouldn't let him go to his Kingdom, to his people, and fight Reaper. No matter how hard Aiden tried to convince them that he could beat the Dark elemental. Aiden walked into his office and sighed as he saw Rebecca sitting at his desk. She didn't have any clothes on, from what he could see. Her bright red hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she had a sly smile on her model worthy face that reached all the way to her amber eyes. "Hey baby." She said. "Rebecca, what are you doing here? Could you put some clothes on?" Rebecca frowned and stood up, walking over to Aiden and putting her arms around his neck. Aiden felt his body stiffen with desire, but what man wouldn't with a gorgeous naked female body pressed against him? She'd once been his lover, his co-owner of the bar. That was until she's bought into a night club and sold him back her share of his bar. She'd left without looking back. She'd left him, not just the bar. Aiden hadn't seen her in two years, but he'd known she'd be by sooner or later. Her nightclub had been shut down, from what he'd heard. Her showing by wasn't unexpected. "I missed you." She pouted and Aiden rolled his eyes before pushing her away. "Rebecca put some clothes on. I'd hate to throw you out of the bar naked. Rebecca's face turned red and she stalked over to a pile of clothes that were neatly folded on his desk. "I want my half of the bar back Aiden." She told him, the seductive smile and silky voice were gone. She was all business. After dressing in a pair of black shorts so short her ass was barely contained, and a top so low cut that it should be illegal, Rebecca turned to him. On anyone else the ensemble would look slutty, but on Rebecca it looked sexy. She had both the body and the confidence to pull it off. "Did you hear me Aiden?" she asked, getting annoyed. "I don't respond to stupidity. You want your half back? You can buy it up once I'm dead." He told her. He walked past her and sat behind his desk. Rebecca's face had turned into the bright red color it usually did when she got angry. "Aiden, this place wouldn't even be half of what it was without me. I helped start it! You owe me!" she said, and Aiden fought back the urge to laugh as she stomped her foot like an irate child who wasn't getting their way. "Actually Rebecca, this place didn't become successful until you left, and I will not have you coming in and acting as if it was all your doing. Leave please. You know the way out." Aiden said and began to look over the papers on his table. He heard his office door slam and sighed in relief. He was grateful she hadn't put up much of a fight. He wasn't in the mood to play her games, though he knew she would be back. She'd probably bring some form of legal aid into the equation, not that she had a leg to stand on. His office door opened and Aiden felt his temper rising. "Rebecca, I said leave!" he nearly shouted without looking up from the stock list on his desk. "I don't know who this Rebecca chick is, but she must have really pissed you off Aiden." Aiden instantly knew the voice. Even after six years without hearing it, he would never forget that sound. The sweetest voice he'd ever heard. A voice that brought to mind thoughts of sunshine and happiness, as did the beholder of the whimsical voice. He looked up and gasped. "Alani?" he asked in shock. "The one and only." She said with a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. The last time he'd seen her she'd been fourteen years old to his nineteen, and he'd thought her the most beautiful being in all of existence. That image paled in comparison to the woman who stood in front of him now. She was tall, though that could have been because of the insanely high heels she wore on her feet. She wore a forest green dress that showed off legs that went on forever. Her hair was dark and glossy and fell down her back in waves. Her body was slender and curved in all the right places a woman should have curves. Then there was her face. It was a face no man, or woman, could ever forget. Her eyes were the color of emeralds and were framed by the thick long lashes. She had a flawless golden complexion and a mouth that was full and meant for a man's pleasure. "You done looking?" Alani asked with a smirk on her face. "What are you doing here?" Aiden asked. Alani's heartwarming smile disappeared. "It's Eden and Rafe." Alani was Queen Lenora's daughter. He had grown up with her. Eden and Rafe were her protectors. "What is wrong Lani?" Aiden asked, calling her by the nickname he'd given her when she was but a toddler. "They are dead. Demons killed them Aiden. The underworld has found us. I didn't know who else to come to." Aiden felt his heart stop. There was no way the demons had found them. "Are you sure?" "Yes, Aiden. These Demons, they talked about Reaper. I heard them. Eden and Rafe had me hidden in a room that was undetectable, but I heard the demons tell them that Reaper knew now where we were and would kill us off one by one." Aiden saw the tears that were threatening to fall from his friend's eyes and stood up to go to her. She'd always fit so perfectly in his arms. He'd always protected her from things growing up. He'd had to leave when he'd turned nineteen. Eden and Rafe had gotten with Ella and Marc as well as the other protectors and decided that they were better off separated. "Let's get you back to my house. Ella and Marc need to know what happened. Then we need to find the others." He said, referring to the other Royals. Alani nodded and rested her head on his chest. God how he'd missed her. He missed them all. Half an hour later, he sat in his living room staring at the two people who had raised them as if they'd grown an extra head. "You knew they were dead?" he asked angrily. "Yes. They managed to call us when they realized the demons had tracked them down. They knew they'd be killed. There was no stopping it. I'm terribly sorry Alani." "And what the hell is this about our power's being shadow blocked?" Aiden asked. "Your parents thought it would be best if we kept your powers blocked. The more power you have, the easier you are to track." Ella said calmly. "We'd be a hell of a lot better off against demons if we had our powers." Aiden said feeling his anger boiling over to rage. "No. Aiden, you are so strong as it is, and you can only tap into about one third of you actual powers. On top of that you have a power you do not even know about. One we have kept blocked for years. One you cannot begin to comprehend. Both of you have hidden powers." "Oh yeah? And what power would that be Ella?" "Aiden, you are a seer. You can see into the past, the present, and the future." Marc told him. Aiden felt his entire body go numb. "What the hell! You mean I could have seen the demons coming before they killed Eden and Rafe? I could have done something to help?" Aiden yelled, slamming his hands down on the wooden coffee table in front of him. "Not necessarily Aiden. We are unsure how your powers work." Ella said. "What can I do?" Alani asked from her seat beside Ella. Her face had gone pale, but she didn't look angry. He remembered that well. Alani never got angry. "Well my dear, you can read minds. You can even tap into a person's subconscious and make them do whatever you wish." Ella told her. "How do we unblock these powers?" Aiden asked Marc. "We need to get to the others. Then we'll unblock you and you can begin training. As soon as your powers come to light, you will be hunted. Are you sure you are ready for what is to come?" Marc asked. Aiden nodded. He'd never been more sure of anything. The Darkest Days Ch. 02 "How are we going to find the others?" Aiden wanted to know. Ella and Marc looked at each other and Aiden sighed. "You guys know where they are." "Yes." They said together. Aiden shook his head and stood up. He began pacing and looked at Alani. "Are you even the least bit pissed off?" he asked her. "They only blocked our powers for our protection Aiden. I see no need to be pissed." She shrugged. Aiden nearly growled out his frustration. It was wrong that they had kept their powers blocked. "Did our parents have these powers?" he asked. "They did, though you guys are stronger than they ever were. And that is saying something since they were the most powerful elementals of their time." "I hate to rain on your parade Ms. Ella, but I can barely control my element. Earth is a hard on to control." Alani said. "You will learn my dear." Ella told her and hugged Alani to her side. The room fell silent for what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a few short minutes. "So where are the others?" Aiden asked, looking to Ella. "Sylbie is with Ryland and Amara in the Caribbean. Gabriel is in Europe with Cyrus and Moira. I have contacted both of them as well as their protectors and they will be arriving at the end of the week." Ella informed them. "I will definitely be glad to see them again. I have missed them both, especially Sylbie." Alani said with one of her heartwarming smiles. Aiden had stiffened upon hearing Sylbie's name. Sylbie. She was the one person whom he'd ever really fallen in love with, the only person that had ever gotten to him. He'd broken her heart. He'd never told her he loved her. When she had confessed her feelings to him, he yelled at her that love was a weakness and that he'd never love her. He remembered the tears that filled her gorgeous blue eyes and threatened to break his own heart as he turned and walked away from him. She had been seventeen at the time. He had been nineteen. It was the last time he'd ever seen her. The thought of seeing her made his stomach sick. "Aiden are you alright? You like you have seen a ghost." Ella's voice carried through his thoughts. "I- I'm fine Ella. It's been a long day. I'm going to bed. Goodnight- er, good morning Ella, Marc. Sweet dreams Lani." Aiden woke up to his alarm clock blaring in his ear. The bright red numbers on the digital clock read that it was six o'clock in the morning. He hadn't been able to get to sleep until close to four o'clock, and had forgotten to turn off the alarm. After hitting the off button, Aiden closed his eyes and buried his face in his pillow. It was the third Saturday of the month, which meant he had the night off. He had nothing impending going on so he tried to go back to sleep. Nearly half an hour later, it became clear to Aiden that he wouldn't be going back to sleep. He could hear someone banging around in the kitchen, which was right below his bedroom. He figured that Ella was already up and cooking breakfast. She always seemed to have it ready by the time he got up. It was something he'd come to depend on over the years. When the addictive scent of coffee hit him, he couldn't stay in bed any longer. He rolled out of bed and pulled on his discarded pair of jeans from the night before. He did bother to grab a clean t-shirt and pull it over his head before he left his room. When he got downstairs, he was surprised to see both Ella and Alani in the kitchen. Ella stood at the stove cooking eggs while Alani leaned against the counter nursing a cup of coffee. "What a sight to wake up to. Not one, but two beautiful women." Aiden said as he walked into the brightly lit kitchen. He was greeted with warm smiles by both females. "Want me to fix you some coffee?" Alani asked him. Aiden grimaced as he remembering a time when she had been younger and fixed him coffee, but the result had been a thick liquid with the consistency of tar. Laughter filled the room as both Ella and Alani remembered the incident as well. It had ended with stained pristine white table cloth and a long string of words unsuitable for an eleven year old's ears, which had been how old Alani was at the time. "Don't worry. I make much better coffee these days Aiden." Alani said as she poured him a cup. She seemed to remember he liked it black as she bypassed the cream and sugar and handed him a steaming mug. He took a sip and sighed in relief. It tasted just like a good cup of caffeine, and considering his lack of slip, he was entirely grateful for it. "I figured you would sleep in til noon." Alani said as she leaned against the counter once again. Aiden couldn't help but admire her mile long legs in the silk pajama shorts she wore. "I seem to remember sleeping was your favorite past time when we were younger." Aiden laughed. "Ah, the good old days." Ella turned from the stove and handed him a plate piled high with eggs, sausage, and toast. She motioned to the table with a spatula when he began to dig in while standing. She and Alani soon joined him at the table. "Did you guys get any sleep at all last night, or this morning?" Aiden asked. "No, but I'm going to go to bed as soon as breakfast is done. I probably won't resurface again until late." Alani confessed and began to scarf down her food. "I was going to go back to sleep as well. It's not even seven o'clock." Ella said and looked at Aiden. "Isn't it your day off?" "Sure is. I plan on being a lazy bum with the load of you today." Aiden smiled. "You deserve it." Ella smiled and began to eat. Aiden finished off his breakfast and put his plate in the sink. Everyone was quiet for the next few minutes as Ella and Alani finished eating. Everyone jumped when the phone rang, breaking the silence. Aiden answered. "Is this Aiden?" The voice, it was as familiar to him as the back of his hand. The sweet and quiet sound that he'd loved so much was on the other "Sylbie?" "Yeah, uh is Ella there?" she asked. Aiden didn't miss the nervousness in her tone. "Just a minute." he told her and held the phone out to Ella. The older woman stood up from the table and took the phone from Aiden's grasp. "Hello? Sylbie dear, what is it?" The next few minutes were filled with silence and Ella's face became pale. Aiden didn't miss the way her eyes began to tear up. "Don't you worry about a thing, dear. We'll see you in the morning Sylbie." When she hung up the phone, she couldn't help the tears that began to fall. Alani stood up and walked over, and Aiden put his arm around Ella. "Amara. She's dead." Ella cried. Aiden felt his heart wrench. Amara and Ella had been nearly inseparable. They had been like sisters. Aiden couldn't even begin to imagine what Ella was feeling. Aiden looked at Alani who was silently crying as well. "What happened?" Aiden asked. "Ryland and Sylbie were training out by the water, and a demon attacked their home. Amara was outnumbered and taken by surprise. She didn't stand a chance." Thirty minutes later, Ella and Alani sat on the couch as Aiden paced back and forth across the living room. Marc, who was now wide awake, stood in the corner looking somber and just a little sick. "What are we going to do?" Alani asked, sounding young and scared. "Ryland and Sylbie will be here early in the morning. I called Cyrus. He said they haven't had any attacks, so they will be arriving at the end of the week as planned." Marc said. It was barely nine o'clock and Aiden was mentally exhausted, but he felt wired. His head was aching and his stomach was turning. He would never admit it, but he felt scared shitless. Not for himself, but for his friends and family. Aiden would be the first to admit that he didn't do well not knowing what was to come and what was going to happen. He felt like he was being thrown headfirst into the unknown. He'd been training for this day, Aiden knew. He might not have realized it, but he'd been getting ready for the battle to come every time that Marc made him train. He was strong. He would get stronger. He would save his friends, his family. His kingdom. He would personally kill the Reaper himself, even if it was the last thing that he ever did. "Be honest. Have we had any attacks while I'm not around?" Aiden asked. The sudden thought of Ella or Marc being killed shot through his head, and sent a shudder through his body. He couldn't picture life without Ella's sweet mothering nature, or Marc's confidence in his strength and power. "No." Ella answered simply. Aiden studied her for a moment then nodded his head, believing her. "Good." Alani stood up from the couch and stretched. "There is nothing more we can do now. We should all get some rest." She said. Her voice was still a little shaky but she seemed more stable as she spoke. "You're right." Ella agreed. The two women left the room and Marc walked over to the couch, sat down. "Ryland is going out of his mind. It's worse than Sylbie let Ella know. They weren't training. Sylbie was there. She got hurt." Aiden stopped pacing and looked at Marc. "How bad?" "According to Ryland, a few cracked ribs, a concussion. He thinks she's hurt worse than she's letting on. But you know Sylbie never liked to be a bother when she was sick or hurt." Marc ran a hand over his chin. "Ella will know immediately when they arrive how bad it is." Aiden said. Sylbie had always kept to herself when she was hurt. Once it had almost gotten her killed when they were young children. But Ella, Moira, and Amara had always been able to tell when she wasn't telling the whole truth about her health. His heart hurt for Sylbie. Amara had been like her mother. They had been close while Sylbie had been growing up. He couldn't imagine how Sylbie would have felt seeing Amara killed. She would be devastated, not that anyone would be able to tell. She'd always been quiet and reserved with her feelings. "Get some rest Aiden. For the near future, it's going to be rare." Marc said. Aiden walked back to his room. He wasn't one for lying around all day, but he figured he deserved it. He fell onto his bed and closed his eyes. Within seconds he was asleep. The Darkest Days Ch. 03 Aiden stood in the kitchen. He'd woken up once again before his alarm clock had gone off. It was still dark outside the window. The bright green lights of the clock on the oven declared it was nearly half past five. Ella, Marc, and Alani were awake as well. It didn't surprise Aiden, as they had all slept the previous day away. Alani walked into the kitchen and Aiden smiled slightly. Her hair was sticking up at all odd angles and she wore a pair of old sweats and a t-shirt. She still looked incredibly beautiful. For a moment Aiden wondered why he didn't feel any pull of desire towards Alani. She was definitely gorgeous. She was kind and smart. Everything a guy could ask for in a girl. But when he looked at her, all he saw was a sort of little sister. Sure it was a, incredibly attractive younger sister, but none the less he couldn't imagine her ever being anything more. He didn't think he could even stomach the thought of kissing her without it feeling vaguely like incest. "Sylbie and Ryland should be here soon." Alani said as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Yeah, Ella said they were arriving around six." Alani nodded and took a sip of the steaming liquid in her mug. "Are you excited or nervous?" "Excuse me?" Alani rolled her eyes. "We all knew you had a thing for her. It was pretty obvious. We all saw the looks and the way you watched her. Well, all of aside from Sylbie. I don't think she ever had a clue how you felt." She paused for another sip of coffee. "Which is really tragic seeing as she was just as in love with you as you were with her." "I was not in love with Sylbie. I was protective of her." Aiden defended. Had it really been that obvious? "Aiden, you were protective of me and you didn't look at me like you wanted to gobble me up like Ella's apple pie that you love so much." "Ella does make great pie." "Stop changing the subject!" Aiden rolled his eyes. "Alani, Sylbie was like a best friend to me. I loved her in the same way I loved – love – you." "I love you too Aiden. But you were head over heels for Sylbie. Even as a young teenager I could tell. There was a brief period around the time I hit puberty when I was incredibly jealous of her." Aiden shook his head. He remembered the time the teenage Alani had declared her undying love for him in front of everyone. He had quickly been replaced for a very dream movie actor, whose name Aiden couldn't remember. "I'm not discussing this with you Alani. Sylbie and I were never anything other than friends." Alani shook her head. "Tell it to someone who believes you." As she left the room, Aiden made his own cup of coffee. Not that he was tired, but he hoped that the caffeine would give him a little more energy. He had a bad feeling he was going to need it. There was a knock on the door. Aiden stiffened as he heard Ella answer. The sound of a happy greeting was instantly taken over by Ella shouting. "What happened to you Sylbie? Get yourself in here right now. You look like you can barely stand. What are these bruises? What happened? Ryland Green Osmond what in the hell happened to my sweet girl?" "Ella, I'm fine." There it was. That voice. A voice so sweet, so incredibly light and quiet, that it was almost inaudible. It cut strait to Aiden's gut. She sounded weak. With a deep breath, Aiden walked out of the kitchen and into the family room where everyone was now gathered. He stopped dead in his tracks. The woman sitting on the couch, flanked by Alani and Ella, was not the girl he remembered. She was still as tiny as ever. She'd never quite made it over five feet tall. Instead of the sharp angles or the body he'd remembered, she had soft looking dips and curves. Where her hair used to be short and strait, it now flowed down around her waist in the natural white blonde waves he'd always loved so much. It was her face though that shocked him. She still looked almost doll-like. It was uncanny how much she portrayed the porcelain dolls she'd collected as a child. From the pale ivory complexion, to the huge blue eyes and perfect cupids bow mouth, she looked like a toy. But there was a haunted expression in those baby blue eyes he'd once dreamed about. She was bruised on every exposed part of her body. Angry purples and blues mixed with the perfect creamy skin tone. Aiden felt anger unlike anything he'd ever before encountered. He hid it. "Aiden! Oh, it's good to see you son!" Aiden jumped as he was enveloped in a hug from Ryland. Ryland had always been an affectionate person, even though he was one of the fiercest warriors Aiden had ever known. He relaxed and hugged the larger man back. "Ryland, it's good to see you too." Aiden said. He meant it. He'd always been close to the older man. Even as a child. At times he'd wondered why Ryland couldn't be his guardian instead of Marc. But Aiden couldn't think of anyone better than Marc to train him to use his element and how to fight, or Ella to teach him the ways and history of his people. He wouldn't have, couldn't have, asked for better guardians to suit his needs. "Sylbie, let's get you upstairs and laying down baby." Ella was saying. Sylbie looked as if she were about to argue. Aiden walked over to the couch and picked up the tiny woman. She winced, but he merely held her tightly to keep her cracked ribs from moving. "Hey, Aiden." She said quietly, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck. "Hey yourself. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?" he asked. His heart was pounding. She weighed next to nothing. "Demons." She whispered. "I couldn't take them." Tears began to form in her gorgeous eyes, and Aiden cursed inside his head. He was helpless against a crying female. He suspected all me were. "Don't cry Sylbie. No one would have expected you to be able to defeat them, being blindsided as you were." Sylbie closed her eyes and nodded. He could tell she didn't believe him. She hadn't changed a bit. She was the same old Sylbie he remembered. She would undoubtedly blame herself for Amara's death. No one would be able to convince her that she was up against unbeatable odds. Aiden walked into the room that Ella had set aside for Sylbie and laid her down on the bed. He sat down beside her, wishing he knew how to comfort her. "Ella will be up her soon to make sure you are comfortable, and probably to bandage you up. Do you need anything?" "A soda would be nice." Sylbie said. Aiden couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. "Same old Sylbie." He muttered and left her room to get her the drink. Sylbie stared after Aiden as he left the room. Her heart was suddenly full with so many different emotions. He looked amazing. In the six years she'd gone without seeing him, he'd changed. He was more muscular than she remembered. When he'd carried her to the room, she'd felt muscles she didn't remember him having when they'd been younger. His dark hair was cut in a short buzzed style instead of the short ponytail she remembered. He didn't have that five o'clock shadow when they were younger either. It made him seem older, fiercer than before. His eyes were the same though, those amazing amber colored orbs that had always seemed to see into her very soul. Oh but she'd loved him once. She'd been a fool to believe he'd loved her though. The last memory she had of him was the one where he tore out her heart and stomped on it, shattering it to pieces. Seeing him now brought that heartbreak back to the surface. If she was honest with herself, she'd never gotten over him. It made her feel pathetic that after all this time, she still loved him. Or loved who he had once been. Sylbie closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't even know if Aiden was the same person she remembered. He could have changed into someone completely different for all she knew. He was still a gentleman. They way he'd carried her to her room and tried to calm her was something the old Aiden would have done, and had done, in the past. She remembered many instances when they'd been young when he'd carried her to her room when she'd been injured or upset. Aiden had been her best friend for her entire childhood. It had completely broken her when he'd walked away from the love she was sure he reciprocated. He hadn't even given her a chance. He'd seemed to go out of his way to be cruel to her when she'd so foolishly confessed her feelings for him. Aiden had told her that love was a weak emotion that he would never feel. He had told her that, to love someone made you vulnerable, and that was dangerous. Part of her hoped he was still the same Aiden she loved and had always admired. Another part of her hoped desperately he had changed and that her heart would see he wasn't the same boy she'd once known. Either way, Sylbie wished that she didn't still feel anything for him. She looked up as her door opened and Ella walked in. "Oh dear heart, what have you gotten yourself into my love?" the older woman sighed and walked over to the bed. "You look like you went a few rounds with a heavyweight and lost." "No it was just a demon." Sylbie said with a small smile. Ella had always made her feel comfortable. She was a mother figure to everyone who knew her. Amara had always been her maternal figure, the one she'd always looked up to and loved, but Ella had a special place in her heart. "You poor baby. I wish you didn't have to go through any of this. It's so unfair that you had to watch Amara die. She was the best of us. It just shouldn't have happened." Ella said whipping a stray tear from her eye. "Now let's see what we can do to make you more comfortable." Thirty minutes later, Sylbie had been wrapped, bandaged, and given enough pain medicine to knock out an elephant. She drifted off into a deep sleep, where thankfully, she didn't relive the nightmare that had been her life over the past few days.