The Night Isn't Always Quiet ch7-9

CHAPTER 7


Familiar Faces In A
World Of Doubt









THE NEW GIRL STRODE PROUDLY INTO THE CAFETERIA, her blonde curls swinging. Each table was scrutinised under her knowing gaze as she decided which one to sit at.
She froze when she stopped at the last table, the one in the furthest corner from the door. At this sat Mallory, Lucien, Yasmyn, Jet, Jack and Lilian. Her eyes widened as she saw Mallory's unusual hair shade, memories she had already examined multiple times rising to the front of her mind.
Immediately she pushed through the crowd in the direction of the corner. If Elissa is here, surely Ash must be too, she thought. Never in any of my lives have I met a brother and sister more close. [does that make sense?]
It didn't take long to reach her destination. When she was four strides away, Mallory turned.
"Gwen?" she asked, rising out of her chair. "Is that you?"
"Oh Elissa, I've missed you so much!" Gwen cried, throwing her arms around the other girl. They held each other tightly for a moment before turning back to Mallory's companions.
Gwen recognised three of them instantly. They were staring at her so blankly it was obvious they didn't remember a thing. First was Makenzi, the only girl Gwen had been friends with in the palace. Then Nichol, who was a strange sight because his eyes didn't linger on Makenzi the way they normally did. And finally . . . Lux, without a hand on Elissa. He wasn't even sitting beside her. Nichol was in between. [hope that clears up who Nichol actually is . . . if you can remember seating arrangements from last chappie :)]
That was strangest of all, for he had loved Elissa since before Gwen had known either of them. It had seemed such a natural thing to watch them wander through the palace together, hands entwined, that it was unbelievable that he did not remember her.
Mallory read Gwen's assessment through her eyes, and smiled sadly.
"Guys, this is . . . " She trailed off, realising she didn't know Gwen's present name.
"Aleisha," Gwen finished with a grin.
"Aleisha, this is Lucien, Jet, Yasmyn, Lilian and Jack," Mallory continued, pointing to each person as she said their name. Aleisha nodded as she said the last two, satisfied with discovering the names of the two she didn't recognise. [bam!! and now we figure out who makenzi is!! if you still haven't caught on, put it in a comment and i'll reply with the answers. xx]
"Btu where's Ash?" she asked, glancing around like she expected him to jump out from behind one of the rubbish bins.
Mallory hooked an arm through hers. "Don't worry, he's here. At the moment, he's with Grandfather. I'll take you to him."
They took a few steps before she turned and added, "I'll catch up with you later, okay?"
"Sure," Yasmyn mumbled as both girls melted into the crowd.

~~

"It's so strange," Aleisha said when they were free of the cafeteria. "Seeing them all when they don't have their memories. Is it hard remembering when they don't recognise you?"
"Well, Lux is difficult," Mallory admitted. "But I've only been here since this morning, so the others aren't so bad."
Aleisha's face paled suddenly. "Ash remembers, doesn't he?"
"Of course. "If he didn't, I think I would have already gone mad."
"Is it hard?" Aleisha asked in a low voice after a few minute's silence. Mallory didn't have to ask what she was talking about.
"Oh yes. Every time he looks at me, I want to touch him just like I used to, but I can't. Then Grandfather had to tell him and Nichol and Makenzi the whole story, right from the beginning, and I could barely stand it. I only cracked when he told them how Ash and I first met Lux . . . "
Aleisha took Mallory's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. The corridors were only half as full as they normally were, but the two girls still earned stares as they transversed the halls.
"Why are they staring so much?" Aleisha asked, not bothering to keep her voice down. "Its like we're gods or something!"
Mallory looked at her and raised one eyebrow. They both burst out laughing. [haha geddit?? cause Mallory actually is a god!! hahahaha lol lol lol . . . eh not really that funny . . . ]
"No, seriously," said Aleisha when their giggles had subsided. "Answer my question."
Mallory thought it over for a second. "I think its because I'm Nate's sister." When Aleisha looked confused, she added, "That's Ash's name in this life."
"I still don't understand. Why would that make them stare so much?"
"Nate's like . . . the Institute's bad boy at the moment. I'm trying to fix that up as much as I can. There's a lot of terrible stories floating around about him, but of course none of them are true. He thinks they were made up so everyone had an excuse to avoid him."
Aleisha laughed. "He never was the best at hiding his abilities, was he?"
Mallory shook her head, grinning.
"How much further have we got to go?" Aleisha asked, squirming.
"It's just up here. Calm down. Don't you recognise this place?" Mallory's gaze slipped to her face.
The other girl glanced around and gasped. She did know this place!
Mallory smiled and stopped in front of one of the doors scattered along the walls. She knocked twice before opening it and pulling Aleisha inside.
Markus and Nate were already looking up when they entered.
"Oh, hey Mallory," said Nate. "Who's your . . . "
He trailed off as he saw Aleisha's face clearly for the first time.
"Gwen," he breathed.
Mallory had just enough time to jump out of the way before Nate swept Aleisha into a tight embrace. They held each other for a little while until he led her out of the room again.
"That was quick," Markus commented as Mallory sat in the chair Nate had just left.
"You knew it was going to be," she said. "What else would you expect? From any of us?"
"You're in a good mood."
"Of course I am. I just got my best friend back. And she actually remembers!"
Markus chuckled. "You have too much energy to be sitting around in my office. I think Yasmyn has a free class now anyway."
"Okay," she agreed, breezing out of the room.
In the corridor, she almost immediately ran into Yasmyn, Lucien and Jet.
"are you going to explain why Nate is making out with the new girl down the hall?" asked Jet, jabbing a thumb in the direction Mallory assumed Nate and Aleisha were.
"Her name is Aleisha," she said. Then she rolled her eyes. "Couldn't they have waited until they were somewhere more private?"
But she couldn't stay annoyed for long.
"I'm going to get some air," she added with a wink. "Want to join me?"
The three aerewolves got her hint and followed her as she headed toward her room again. This time, however, she stopped in the corridor outside and laid her hand on the wall beside the door.
There was an almost inaudible click and one of the wall panels slid away to reveal a flight of stairs. Mallory climbed them quickly, the others following more hesitantly. It was a short climb, and soon they were standing in a lush rooftop garden.
"Wow," said Lucien, looking around. "I never even knew this was here."
"That's because you weren't meant to know," Mallory called from up ahead. "Markus, Nate and I made this so we had a place to fly, back when no one knew we were archangels."
She turned to face her three confused companions. It took her a moment to recall they didn't have the memories she had, and Markus obviously hadn't had time to explain properly before the rygian had come. She smiled and walked to the edge of the garden, climbing onto the low wall that lined the edge. As she leant down to take off her shoes, Jet rolled his shoulders out and ran to her side. He leapt off the edge of the rooftop suddenly, making the change to his wolf self as he did so.
Mallory's eyes followed him as he darted across the sky, drinking in the familiar black wolf. After a few minutes, she realised she was staring and glanced away.
Lucien grinned behind her as he and Yasmyn walked forward.
"It seems like Jet is waiting for a challenge," he said to Mallory.
She smiled as well. "Bring it on."






CHAPTER 8


Engaging A God In Battle
Is Never A Good Idea










MALLORY STEPPED INTO THE AIR, HER WINGS UNFURLING after a seconds drop. Her transformation made Jet stop in his tracks. Now it was his turn to stare. As she soared in a wide circle, he couldn't help thinking she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
She came to a stop in front of him, her smile challenging. He flexed his claws, eager to begin.
Raising her hands in front of her face, Mallory muttered a few words in the same language as before. Her fingers morphed into ivory talons, curved and formidable.
"You don't expect me to fight with magic all the time, do you?" she asked. "I'll try not to hurt you."
Jet's only response was to launch himself at her. She predicted his actions, however, and dodged the attack with a quick flick of her wings. It took him a moment to regain his balance but when he did, he was more cautious of his moves.
"Scared of a girl, Jet?" Lucien called as they circled each other, growls occasionally escaping their throats.
Jet's head flicked toward their audience for a moment, giving Mallory the opportunity she had been waiting for. She flashed forward faster than the eye could follow and suddenly she and Jet were tumbling across the sky, both battling for a place on top.
Lucien and Yasmyn were shocked at how graceful the fight was, despite the ferocity of their actions.
More evidence to prove they are gods, Lucien thought. His musings were interrupted when he had to jump out of the way as Jet smashed into the tiles he had just been standing on.
Mallory fluttered down to crouch next to him, stroking his ear.
"Are you done yet?" she asked sweetly.
His only response was to snarl and swing one paw at her. She dodged it with ease.
"Now that isn't the right way to fight a lady," she scolded.
"I thought just fighting the lady wasn't proper," said Lucien in a terrible fake posh accent.
She grinned. "Some rules beg to be broken. And you really need to work on your posh voice."
The area around Jet's paws began to glow a faint green, the colour strengthening as he focused his power. Mallory turned and smiled. Her hands glowed in return, only hers were orange.
In a sudden burst of light, both Jet and Mallory flung their magic toward the other. It met in the middle, where they were drawn into a fierce battle of wills.
The magics were locked in place for a long time, but eventually the orange began to inch forward. Just before it could touch Jet, Mallory swung one hand around and all the light disappeared.
Jet jumped to his feet, anger masking his grace as he chased her into the air again. So repeated the deadly circle that grew smaller with each rotation. Soon they were so close that his nose almost touched hers. But still they didn't do anything. Just dared each other silently.
The air crackled with unspent energy and everyone in the garden knew it was only a matter of time until someone snapped. . .
When it happened, it happened instantly. Jet and Mallory were a blur of action as they they hurled themselves at each other. Their godly graces shocked the crowd, their power revealing it's highest potential. Until Mallory disappeared.
Jet looked around, finding his opponent.
"Right here." a beautiful whisper sounded at his ear making him shiver all over and freeze there.
Mallory took this as a chance and with one last summon of her power Jet was knocked down.
"You were a bit slack, Jet," Mallory joked.
Jet turned back to his human self, rising awkwardly to his feet.
"So you beat me in the skies," he said. "Big deal. Swordplay has always been my strong point."
Mallory grinned. "It would be my pleasure to beat you again."
"You shouldn't be so sure of yourself."
"Oh, she has good reason to," Nate said as he and Aleisha emerged from the doorway to the Institute, making them all jump. Both were carrying a sheathed blade in their hands.
"I thought you might be needing these," he added, nodding to the swords.
Mallory smiled again and drifted to her brother's side. She took the sword he was holding and balanced it against the palms of her hands. The scabbard alone was enough to make one gasp. It was wrought of thin gold and silver plates, their joins disguised by lines of small rubies. It reflected the sun's rays, creating patterns across her face. For a moment she simply stared at it.
"Is it. . ." she began, looking up at Nate. He nodded, his grin growing wider.
In a flash of gold and silver, Mallory drew the sword. The blade itself was the only thing that could possibly have outshone the scabbard.
The entire sword was crafted of gold. The hilt had swirls of silver plating, shaping the outlines of elegant flowers. Embedded at the end of the hilt was a single diamond, sparkling in the light.
Mallory ran one finger down the flat edge of the blade, a half-smile and a mischievous expression creeping over her face. She turned to face Jet, the sword swinging dangerously in her hands. His eyes darted from the sword to her face.
"Don't I get something to protect myself?" he asked, throwing a frantic glance in Nate's direction.
"Of course." Nate took the other sword from Aleisha and unsheathed it. It glittered silver as he tossed it toward Jet, perfectly aimed so the hilt landed in his hand.
"Nice throw," commented Lucien as Mallory stalked the few steps that were separating her and Jet.
With a clash of metal on metal, the two came together. They broke apart quickly, circling slowly, analyzing their opponent. Nate smiled and took Aleisha's hand, both of them recalling other times they had watched these two battle.
Jet made the next move. He lunged forward, alarmingly quick on his feet, but Mallory was faster. Her sword whipped up to block his, and she forced him back to a safe distance. That didn't last long though.
Having found out that speed alone would not defeat Mallory, Jet had to think more carefully about his future moves. She had an advantage that he didn't, though; she had years of experience, and not just of sword craft. Of reading him and his body language, through the thousands of years of memories she had unlocked this morning, with Yasmyn.
That reminds me, she thought as she blocked another of Jet's attacks. I'll have to think up a plausible story to cover that memory of Jet. That's going to be hard.
Two heads are always better than one. Mallory grinned at the sound of her brother's mind-voice.
Three, even, he amended, glancing at Aleisha.
She shook her head slightly and decided it was time to test Jet's defence skills. She jumped forward, as if to attack him from the front. But when he swung to parry, she stepped lightly to the side and pushed her sword toward his body. Just before it could hit him, however, he twisted in a move of impossible speed to stop her.
"You're better than I expected," Mallory murmured as their blades locked again.
Jet forced a hard smile. "I told you not to be so sure of yourself."
"Never underestimate your opponent."
Her comment was followed by a quick succession of small steps forward, using her sword to push Jet backward.
He admitted for a while, stopping her blade just before it could touch him. Somehow he knew she wouldn't really hurt him. He only began to really fight back when she backed him up against a wall, launching into the most complex series of maneuvers he knew.
Every time his sword came close to touching her, however, her blade stopped it in a shower of sparks. Neither of them knew how long they continued like this, but eventually Jet began to tire. His lunges forward lacked the same ferocity as their predecessors. Mallory smiled and took it as an opportunity to show her true skills.
Jet knew in a heartbeat that if she had fought like this the entire time, there was no way he could have possibly defeated her in a million years. Not even if he had been at full strength. Yet even as she easily overcame him, she was the one moving backward, pushing her back against the wall Jet had just been trapped in front of.
Now Mallory's movement was limited, and she didn't fight at nearly the same speed he had, but still she overpowered him. After a few minutes of this, she knocked his sword neatly out of his hand.
"Well done," she complimented as Jet fell against the wall beside her. "It's not often someone gets that close to beating me. Not someone who's an aerewolf, anyway."
He laughed breathlessly, but didn't reply. There wasn't really anything to say.

[i'd like to thank my friend donna carter for co-writing this chapter with me. you should all go check out her stories at www.wattpad.com/user/DMCarter]




CHAPTER 9








"THAT WAS AMAZING!" LUCIEN EXCLAIMED, RUSHING FORWARD NOW the fight was over.
"Thank you," Mallory said, smiling. She brandished her sword at him. "You want a turn?"
Lucien shook his head quickly. Jet envied that she had enough energy to even suggest such a thing. He was still leaning against the wall, trying to catch his breath.
"It's not every day my brother gets his ass kicked," added Yasmyn as she walked closer, Nate and Aleisha not far behind. "Especially by a girl. Can you tutor me?"
Mallory laughed. "Somehow, after watching your brother fight, I think you don't need any extra help."
All six of them jumped when the bell rang. After a slight hesitation, Nate, Aleisha and Yasmyn grudgingly returned to their classes. The other three lingered on the rooftop for a little while longer, but then they too went inside.
Mallory beckoned to Jet and Lucien, and led them into her room. All the furniture had been pushed away from the walls and newspaper was spread across the floor. Part of the back wall was already covered in white paint, hiding the image of her and Jet.
Jet and Lucien gasped when they caught a glimpse of the interior of the room. It took Mallory a moment to remember that they didn't remember when she had first painted this room, and let them gawk for a few minutes.
"Did you paint this?" Lucien asked after a while.
"A long time ago," she murmured, the memories overtaking her once again.
"Hmm," said Jet. His eyes drifted to the place that was already painted white. "Why is that bit blank?"
"Because it is waiting for the rest of the room to be made likewise." Mallory gestured towards the tins of paint in one corner.
"You don't expect us to paint over the walls, do you?" Lucien exclaimed.
"Of course."
"But that's stupid!" Jet shared Lucien's shock. "Then no one will be able to see your work!"
Mallory smiled, flashing her set of perfect white teeth. "Don't worry. The walls won't be plain for long."
She showed them the designs she had drawn with Nate for the new paintings. Only when they were satisfied that she would not leave the walls blank did they agree to help her.
All three were silent as they poured the paint into easily maneuverable trays and began their task. Jet spoke first.
"Why don't you just paint the walls with magic?"
Mallory didn't answer, momentarily stunned by the unexpected question. She shook her head and kept her eyes on her work as she answered. "You've finished your last year of school, yes?"
Lucien and Jet nodded simultaneously.
"Then you'll partially understand what I'm going to say. When you've lived as long as I have, and have used magic for almost as long, you gain a certain perspective on life." She paused to recoat her paintbrush. "Someday, you will learn the same lesson."
"Which is?" Lucien prompted.
She flashed a smile. "When you can get anything you want with a flick of your hands, you will find the journey is more fulfilling that the destination."
Silence reigned once more as Jet and Lucien pondered what Mallory had said.
After a few minutes, Lucien said, "You're Elissa, aren't you?"
She inclined her head. "I'm surprised you worked it out so quickly, and by yourselves."
"Well, you are the only female Jururgan we know. And I find that, when the need arises, I am quite accomplished at reading body language."
"A very useful skill to have," Mallory murmured. "But I am not the only female Jururgan here."
Shock echoed on both Jet and Lucien's faces again. She chuckled at their reaction.
"I would have thought that you had been told of the Jururgan in your midst when you were informed of your past lives. The Institute system has changed since I was last here."
"There can't be Jururgan here," Jet scoffed after a few moments. "We'd have noticed they didn't turn into wolves during practises."
"I'm sure you haven't seen everyone make their change. Each year level would have one class of Jururgan, practising at different times and learning different things to you. We are completely separate races, and our needs differ from yours."
"That would explain why Markus was always teaching, but never any of our classes," allowed Lucien. "He was teaching the archangels."
"I still think we would have noticed." Jet was stubborn in his beliefs. "They must act differently or something."
At this, Mallory laughed again. "If you had not been the ones to find me, would you have guessed I was not an aerewolf?"
"No," he grumbled. "But how did you know about them, then?"
"That is how it has always been, in this land at least. Back in Kurong, all three species mixed in their classes." She was quiet for a moment, thinking about her homeland. "Have you not noticed Nate has never been in any of your lessons?"
"That isn't something I'm likely to think about," said Jet. "But I guess you're right. Huh. I never would have even suspected."
"Then Markus has been doing his job well," Mallory said.
"Will you be joining the class?" Lucien asked. "Even though you already remember all your past lives?"
"I have to, even if it is just for appearance's sake. If Nate and I parade around saying we're twins, I should be in the same year as him. Anyway, archangels usually remember earlier than aerewolves, so most of my soon-to-be classmates will have their memories as well."
"Hmm. So if you are Elissa, I'm assuming Nate is Ash," Lucien mused.
"That would be correct."
"Then who's Lux?"
"We haven't found him yet," Mallory said, too quickly. Her eyes flicked to Jet's face and away.
Lucien nodded to himself. That's all the confirmation I need.
No one spoke as the trio finished painting the current wall and one other.
"Would you finish the story Markus was telling us?" Lucien asked suddenly. "We were interrupted by the rygian, and it was obvious there was still a lot more to go. And it would be much better hearing a first hand account."
"Shouldn't Yasmyn hear this as well?" said Mallory.
Jet rolled his eyes. "That's her stupid fault for going to class."
She laughed. "Fine. Where were you up to?"
"When you and Ash first met the king!" Lucien exclaimed.
"He was raving about the two of you being bad influences on Lux," added Jet.
"Oh yes. . . When Lux finally convinced his father to calm down, we all were taken into the throne room. It was the biggest room I'd ever been in, and that still holds true today. It was decorated so that it displayed as much as possible of the wealth the royals possessed. It's too difficult to describe it in words; now I wish the camera had been invented back then so you'd be able to see what it was like.
"Ash and I had never seen anything like it. We were stunned by the beauty of the room for several minutes before Grandfather reminded us of why we were here. Immediately we refocused on the king.
"He was too worked up to sit down, instead pacing in front of the small dais upon which stood his throne. Lux was perched a smaller and less decorated version placed to the right and slightly behind the king's chair.
"The five of us stood there for a long time, Lux, Ash, Grandfather and myself waiting for the king to speak. The silence was broken by the entrance of two people of about my own age. A boy and a girl, hands entwined. The boy was platinum blonde and he had beautiful hazel eyes. The girl had hair of caramel and eyes of the same unnatural green as Lux's, which made it obvious they were siblings. The two crossed the room, but only when they had greeted both the king and Lux did they so much as look at my brother and I. Their eyes widened at Ash's wings, though they said nothing.
"Grandfather introduced them as Makenzi, daughter of King Jaeke and Nichol, her betrothed. She didn't acknowledge us in any way, but Nichol nodded to us slightly. Instantly Ash bowed, his still visible wings rustling as he moved. Makenzi flinched slightly at the movement, put off by his strange appearance. I didn't copy my brother, however; he had always been the more. . . socially-educated one. I hadn't been brought up to bow to anyone, and I wasn't about to start just because they were royalty.
"Ash glanced back at me, beginning to apologise for my behaviour. Makenzi stopped him before he had finished two words.
"'You're from Amain, aren't you?' she asked. I nodded, surprised at her knowledge of my village.
"'I've studied the small villages of Kurong's wilderness extensively,' she continued. 'I realise that your culture doesn't have a set leader and if you feel more comfortable abiding with the way you were brought up, I respect that. That goes for both of you.'
"Everyone stared at Makenzi. I was the first to recover, thanking her for her kindness and smiling quickly.
"'This is why I never allowed archangels into my court,' the king fumed after another moment's silence. 'They warp our brains with their dark magics. Taren, you know how long it took you to convince me to let you meet Lux and Makenzi.'
"'Again I say that these two would have eventually met Lux of their own accord,' said Grandfather.
"'And why exactly do you say that?'
"Grandfather took a few steps so he was directly in front of the king. 'Because of what I've been trying to tell you about for the last few months. Your boy is gifted, Jaeke! And you refuse to see it. Ash and Elissa have powers like Lux's. The only difference is that they have had the training Lux lacks. It will become dangerous for him if he continues like this. It already is dangerous.'
"'What proof is there of these so-called gifts?' the king asked.
"Grandfather turned to Ash and I. We reached for each other's fingers at the same time and felt for our magic. Immediately our hair and clothes began to wave in a non-existent wind.
"'That is merely a parlour trick!' the king scoffed.
"'They haven't finished yet, Father,' said Lux, his eyes locked on mine.
"He was right; we hadn't finished. Not by a long shot. We extended our magic out of our bodies, the light dimming until the throneroom was almost pitch black. I heard a collective gasp that I knew wasn't just because of the sudden darkness. Whenever Ash and I weaved large magic, like we were then, our eyes would a bright and solid white. Our pupils and irises completely disappear.
"A light flickered behind of us, and suddenly a moving picture appeared, stretching across the width and height of the room. It depicted two black aerewolves bounding through a moonlit forest, fangs bared. Beside them ran a half-naked Jururgan boy of about twelve years, wings floating behind him. He carried a spear in one hand and had a bow strapped to his back. They ran through the forest for a time, but soon a shadow flashed across the vision. When it was gone, the two aerewolves and the Jururgan were in pieces on the ground, their blood strewn over the scene. In the background, the black, leathery wings of two Skiteriah could be seen fleeing through the trees. In a rushing motion, the vision zoomed in on the Skiteriah. There was an unmistakable mixture of red and metallic blue that meant only one thing."
"Wait," Jet said, raising a hand to stop Mallory when she opened her mouth to continue. "Jururgan have metallic blue blood?"
"Of course. I'll even demonstrate." Before either Lucien or Jet could stop her, one of her fingers morphed into a talon and she pricked the end of her left pointer. A single drop of blue oozed out and dripped onto the carpet before she waved her right hand over the top. When Jet and Lucien next caught a glimpse, the skin was flawless again.
"The light in the throneroom flickered back to life," Mallory said, effectively stopping any questions her two overly curious companions might have asked. "Our audience gaped at Ash and I like we had just sprouted a second pair of arms. All except Grandfather, who was grinning like a madman. Silence echoed loudly against the walls, thickening the air until I couldn't stand it any longer.
"'What say you?' I asked.
"'I say I wouldn't be surprised if that was a forevision,' said Grandfather.
"Lux, Makenzi and Nichol all murmured praise and amazement, but i was more interested in what the king had to say.
"After another long minute of silence, the king spoke. 'If you think I am going to let you teach my son, my perfect aerewolf son, that sort of magic, then you must think me a fool. I could hang you for such a thing.'
"Grandfather began to protest vehemently, but I stopped him with a look. I approached the king, until i was so close he cringed away from me.
"'Hang me, then,' I said, a dare in my voice. 'For I think you are a fool if you would favour keeping your pride in one piece over your own son. You know Lux is different. You've known it for a long time, before grandfather even approached you about it. You know my brother and I are the only one who can teach him to use his powers, yet you still deny him this opportunity, even though he could me mortally wounded or killed because of your actions. All because we are archangels, and one of us is a little out of the ordinary. How much did Grandfather have to bribe you so he could stay here?'
"The king's face reddened. 'How dare you, archangel? You know nothing about aerewolves, or their politics! You don't even know anything about a city! You are simply a barbarian from the wilderness who can wield a few pretty tricks with the help of your brother! Yet you dare try and school me on how to live my life! Who do you think you are?'
"'You are blinded by your ideals. Who am I? I'll tell you who I am. I am the daughter of a Jururgan and a Skiteriah. I chose to leave with Ash when he was exiled from our village, giving up my life of comfort. The bonds of family run deep in me, deeper than you could ever dream possible. I am lethal with a blade and bow, so be fearful now you have provoked my bad side. I do not fear anything but fear itself, though I fear for the fate of your people, ruled by someone as blind and racist as you. And I refuse to stand here and let you insult me. Your rank might be high among aerewolves, but I am not an aerewolf. So your laws will not stop me, nor will your punishments stretch to accommodate me.' My eyes flicked to Lux for a second. 'If your son has not inherited your ruling skills, then there is hope for you yet. Good day Lux, Makenzi, Nichol.' With that, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room. I heard the patter of footsteps behind me, and I didn't have to turn to know Ash was following."

[if you can think of a title for this chapter your help would be much appreciated!!]