"And what of the destruction you wrought?"

"I knew the stone required material to create, but I had no idea it had such power. I would never have used it if that had been the case."

"If you were unsure of the stone's power, why did you choose the mountains by the lacarna's home forest instead of an uninhabited area? There are those that believe you had another motive in mind."

"Please, I beg of you, I truly had no idea of the destruction the stone would cause."

"Egan, your actions, foolish or planned, cannot go unpunished. Many lacarnians died in the chasm created by the stone. We lost several of our fellow Immortals as well. You will be..."

Alexandra shuttered. "I heard a woman in the crowed scream in horrible pain. Then, someone screamed my mothers name and I knew it had been her.

I left the other children, shoving my way through the crowded circle of adults. At the center lay my mother, her face and hands had withered, all color had drained from her body. She wasn't moving. I heard a thump close behind me and a woman shouted in panic."

"William? William!"

More shouts rose from the crowd as other men and woman fell to the ground. I searched frantically for my father.

"Daddy!"

Not able to find him I rushed to my mother's side, bending down next to her. I carefully touched her hand, but she was so cold I yanked it back.

"Mommy?"

"Alex, there you are!"

I was crying so hard I could barely see father so I reached out for him. "Daddy!"

He scooped me up and held me tight against him. "Come on darling, we need to go."

"What about mommy?"

"We will have to come back for her."

A man came running towards us. "Julian, what's going on?"

"Have you seen Egan?"

The man shook his head frantically. "No, he's gone."

"I am sure this is his doing."

"But what is it, Julian?"

"I don't know, and now is not the time to figure it out. We must take the Lifestone and run."

"Julian, we can't leave our friends."

"Until we know what is going on, I am afraid it is our only option. Maddie had the stone. Please, get it and follow me."

"Daddy, where are we going?"

"Far away from here, darling."

Alexandra gave a heavy sigh. Eve leaned forward, speaking softly.

"Did you go back for you mother?"

Alexandra shook her head. "Afraid of what Egan had in store for us, we scattered, going into hiding. Unfortunately, most never made it. Over the next few days, several more Immortals died. Others, like my father and I, held on longer, though we grew weaker every day. If we had not run across a pair of humans within that first week, I would not have lived either. The humans let us join them for a meal. In thanks, my father shook one of their hands. In stunned horror, he watched the life flow out of the man and into himself. When my father let go, the man fell to the ground, barely alive. My father, on the other hand, felt as strong as ever.

"Afraid, we fled a short distance before stopping to try and understand what had happened to us. Only one thing came to mind, the Lifestone. William brought the stone out and upon examining it we found that the ends had been filed. Egan had to have done this while he had the stone. His original reason, I do not know. He may not have originally planned to use it against us, but in the end, the fine powder chiseled from the stone, had been mixed in water or food at the meeting.

"After we had ingested the powered, our bodies absorbed it and it began feeding on our spirit energy. Why it acted slower in some of us, we never knew, but it allowed us to live long enough to find another source of energy. That is why we, the Spirit Leeches, feed on people.

"We tried to spread what we had found to others as best we could, but many never received the information in time. A few chose to die rather than harm another, even if that person eventually recovered. A small group; however, committed themselves to protecting the stone at all cost, unsure of Egan's plans.

"Over time, an alternate story of what happened that night spread among the humans. It told of how we had betrayed our own and were cursed for it. Egan wanted us marked as outlaws, giving the Protectors a reason to hunt us down. He wanted the stone. While he waited, he used the living stones he had created, what you know as the Controller Stones, to enslave the lacarna. He worked hard to turn the Protectors and the people against them."

Lysander shoved himself off his stump. "You're saying a leader of the Protectors murdered most of the Immortals, then led the Protectors to hunt the remaining ones down so he could have this stone. I have a hard time believing that. Our goal as Protectors is to protect the people, all of them."

Melody crossed her arms. "You keep saying that, but I've seen little to back it up. You've certainly shown your distaste for Eve and me."

"I may not like the Children or the lacarna, but I would never resort to the acts that she says happened."

"I'm curious, Lysander, why don't you like us?"

"The lacarnians are violent, dangerous beasts and the Children go out of their way to support them."

Alexandra gestured towards Eve. "You really think Evangeline is a violent, dangerous beast?"

Lysander stood silent as he looked at Eve. After a moment he turned away. "She hasn't been in our presence, but I'm sure she is capable of it."

Alexandra snickered. "I could say the same of you. You are well trained in fighting after all. Tell me Lysander, how many violent lacarnians have you actually had to deal with?"

Lysander began to pace the room. Without an answer, Alexandra turned her attention to Max.

"Do you see what Egan has done? The humans are afraid of or even hate the lacarnians even though nothing has happened between them for centuries."

"I don't understand. Didn't all this happen centuries ago? If these are lies, why have they persisted long after Egan's death?"

"Because Egan is still alive, and he still leads the Protectors. I believe he calls himself Lord Avram now."

Lysander froze. "Now you go too far, Spirit Leech! Not only do you accuse the original Protectors of hideous crimes, but now you say our Lord Avram is the one that committed them!"

"Stolen ident.i.ties and staged funerals, Egan has done much to conceal his ident.i.ty. Only a chosen few ever enter into his presence, but I do not need to see him to know who pursues me. I have become well attuned to his vile presence over these centuries. That is why I am still alive."

"You tell quite a story, Alexandra, but do you have proof?"

Alexandra stood. "Not for all of it, but there is one thing I can show you. Maxwell, your father's box."

Max dug the box out of his backpack and handed it to Alexandra. She opened it and retrieved the pieces of bark. She then, in turn, walked to the four corners of the room. Each had a tree with a small hole carved in the trunk where she would placed one piece of bark. With all four placed, she returned to the center of the room, the roof rustling above her.

Max had not bothered to pay attention to the ceiling until he heard the movement above him. Looking up, he saw that the roof consisted of a thick patchwork of tree branches and leaves which were now separating from each other. A small object fell from the center, dropping into Alexandra's waiting hands. Carefully holding it, she raised the object for them to see. Max stared in wonder at the clear, blue tinted oval stone. It was completely smooth except at the ends where it had been crudely filed.

"My father was the first to swear he would protect the stone. I was the last. I have carried it with me for longer than I can remember. I only hid it after your father warned me of the planned attack on our village."

Melody studied the stone. "If the stone was damaged so easily, why not simply destroy it instead of risking Egan obtaining it?"

Alexandra grabbed her backpack and shoved the stone deep inside it. She pushed between them, heading for the door. "Lysander's gone."

The others spun in surprise. After a moment's hesitation, they followed Alexandra. Outside, they found her fifteen feet from the door facing twenty armed Protectors led by Tyco.

Tyco sneered. "Well, well, you must be Alexandra."

Alexandra jerked her head towards Eve. "Run!"

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.

Max reeled at the unexpected sight of the armed men in the deserted forest. Melody and Eve stood frozen next to him. Alexandra's command didn't even register until Eve bolted to the side, only to slide to a stop in front of four more guards. Tyco shouted to the guards in front of Eve.

"Don't let her get away."

The four guards readied their weapons, causing Eve to take a step back.

Alexandra yelled pleadingly at Eve. "Evangeline, you must do as I instructed!"

The guards moved towards Eve. She looked at Alexandra then Max. The mixture of fear and sadness in her face made Max's stomach knot. Eve closed her eyes as she faced the guards. In disbelief, Max watched as she changed into a large panther in a matter of seconds. A deep growl emerged from her throat. The guards stepped back.

Tyco took a step in Eve's direction. "What are you waiting for? Grab that beast!"

Eve charged forward. The terrified guards dropped their weapons and dove out of her way. Eve ran between them, disappearing through the vine wall a short distance later.

"Worthless fools!" Tyco turned on Alexandra. "You're lucky she wasn't our main objective."

Tyco moved forward. "You're the one we need to worry about."

Alexandra raised her arms; the gra.s.s around Tyco began to grow. "As well you should be."

Lysander ran out from beside the building. He charged at Alexandra, wrapping his arms around her in a tight bear hug.

"We'll have none of that. You know you're too weak to do much anyway."

Alexandra squirmed in his arms. "Let me go!"

Max took a few steps forward. "Lysander, what are you doing?"

"Turning her in per the law, like I said I would."

Tyco stood directly in front of Alexandra. "She is one of the cursed, Max. She's also a thief."

Tyco bent over, peering into her face. "Where is the stone?"

Alexandra stopped moving. "What stone?"

Tyco straightened and backhanded her across the face. "You know what I want, brat."

Alexandra smiled. "Maybe I do, but I am not telling."

Tyco struck the other side of her face. "Do not play games with me, Spirit Leech."

Alexandra tilted her head towards the ground, lifting her hand as much as she could in Lysander's tight grip. A vine tried to wrap itself around Tyco's ankle. He shook his foot free.

"Oh no you don't."

Reaching back, he balled his fist and struck Alexandra in the stomach. She cried out in pain. The knot in Max's stomach grew tighter.

"Tyco, wait, I know where the stone is, I'll get it."

Alexandra gasped. "Maxwell, no!"

Max ignored her, running inside the building. He emerged a moment later with her backpack. He took it over to Tyco who s.n.a.t.c.hed it away.

"Good job, Maxwell. I was worried she might have confused you with her lies."

Tyco rummaged around in the bag, pulling out the stone a moment later, a cruel smile forming on his lips.

"Good job indeed."

Tyco tossed the backpack to the side. He pointed at two of the guards behind him.

"You two, bind the girl. And you," he now addressed the four guards Eve had ran past, "grab the acolyte."

The two guards took Alexandra from Lysander and bound her arms with rope. Max stood in a daze.

"What's going on, Tyco? How did you find us?"

"I'll explain on our way to Moenia. Lord Avram is anxious to get the Lifestone." He walked back to the group of Protectors. "Let's move out. Keep an eye out for the lacarnian, she may come back."

The guards paired up and headed for the vine wall. Max stayed beside Tyco.

"Why are you worried about Eve, she won't hurt anyone?"

Tyco stopped and faced Max. "I was afraid of that. She has you fooled, boy. Even after you saw her true form."