Chapter 19

"I got her," Kiara said as she laid Arla down on the bed gently.

Hayden held most of the weight as Kiara fixed the pillowed and made the bed for the unconscious girl. Killian had stayed back in the office with Clare and Adeline while they spoke to the medical team about running tests on Arla. Kiara had begun to feel restless, the room was beginning to close around her. When she saw the opportunity, she took it and jumped at the chance to escape while helping Hayden.

"Hold her head," Hayden said as he passed Arla over to Kiara.

Just as he moved his hand away from the back of her neck, Kiara's charm bracelet caught on a clump of blonde hair. She still, not wanting to pull at Arla's hair and cause her any pain. She looked up at Hayden, wanting him to assist her.

"I need you to come back," Kiara laughed. "I'm stuck."

Hayden kneeled back on the side of the bed and lifted Arla's shoulders. Her head immediately fell forward as Kiara rose up to untangle the strand of hair from her bracelet.

"I have to hurry before Killian thinks I was trying to fight her or something," she muttered under her breath.

"Everything okay?" Hayden raised a brow. "Between the two of you?"

"I don't know," Kiara tugged at the last few pieces. "I'm hoping everyth-"

As she pushed back the hair from the back of Arla's neck, a small black mark, almost like a letter, caught her eyes. It was hidden beneath her shirt and sat right over her backbone. Curious and intrigued, Kiara freed her bracelet and carefully pulled the back of Arla's shirt down a bit.

"What are you doing?" Hayden asked.

"She has a tattoo," Kiara observed the letters. "Qi ren you tian."

"Is that what it says?" Hayden leaned around to see.

"Yeah, look," Kiara lifted all of Arla's hair and pulled down her shirt slightly.

The letters were as clear as ink on snow. They were delicate and light, but they stood out against the canvas of Arla's back. The four simple words ran down her backbone, taking up no more than two inches of space.

"What language is that?" Kiara wondered aloud.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Hayden tugged Arla forward a bit and urged Kiara to get off the bed.

"Why not?" Kiara asked.

"It feels wrong," Hayden said as if it should have been very clear. "We're invading her privacy."

"Clare wants to run tests on her and do a whole blood work," Kiara reminded him. "I'm sure that is an invasion of privacy."

"Well, let's not add to it."

As Hayden laid the girl down on the bed, Kiara climbed off the bed and pulled the sheets over Arla. She tucked her in just as her mother used to back home and pulled down the shade on the window beside the bed.

"What do you think Qi ren you tian means?" Kiara wanted to know as she followed Hayden out of the room. "What language is it?"

"Maybe Chinese?"

"I'm surprised she has a tattoo," Kiara found the whole ordeal puzzling.

"Why?" Hayden asked.

"She's so.....young?"

Hayden snorted, "I got my first tattoo at fifteen."

"That's different," Kiara rolled her eyes. "Your dad has a lot of tattoos so I can see why it was easier for you."

"My mom flipped out," Hayden shook his head.

"Yes, all that is normal for you and your family," Kiara began to chew on the inside of her cheeks as the wheels on her brain turned. "But Arla..."

"I don't see what's so wrong with her having a tattoo."

"It's not wrong," Kiara clicked her tongue. "It's strange. She doesn't have a phone, she didn't know where she lived, she didn't go to school....don't you think it's a bit strange that her dad just let her get a tattoo but not a phone?"

"How do we know he didn't let her get a phone?" Hayden asked. "Maybe she didn't want one."

"That's even more strange," Kiara shrieked. "What teenager doesn't want a phone?"

"Look, Kiara," Hayden stopped in front of Clare's door. "From the little that we do know about her, we've already established she isn't a normal teen. I'm sure the face that she has a tattoo just adds more onto her strange and confusing life."

Kiara nodded slowly, "You're right......."

Hayden didn't respond. He pushed Clare's door open and waited for Kiara to enter first.

"The last time I saw Vincent was at an award dinner ceremony," Ben explained to Clare as Kiara and Hayden walked back in. "That must have been......15 or 16 years ago. My god, time flies."

"Why did you have a falling out with him?" Clare asked.

"We didn't see eye to eye on some of the projects I was planning on investing in."

"What were these projects?"

"Research," Adeline sighed impatiently. "We fund medical research projects. It was one of our teams that cured the terrible mosquito virus in South Sudan two years ago. Ben and I share a common interest in the science field."

"What did Vincent not agree with?" Clare watched her cousin carefully.

She could sense the irritation in Adeline's system and the worry in Ben's. They sat before her shifting in their seats as if they wanted to be anywhere else but there. Ben's emotions were like a steady stream. It never fluctuated or wavered. His body and mind held the same amount of worry as the first second he had walked in to see Clare. But Adeline was on a roller coaster ride.

Her emotions went from frustration to anger to irritation and then back to anger. She tapped her long finger on her arm impatiently as she tried her best not to glare at Clare for holding her back for so long.

"Vincent was not a fan of some of the other scientists that were coming onboard," Ben said. "I'll send you a list of all the names and the project details."

"Thank you," Clare nodded.

"Are we done now?" Adeline asked. "Alex has cello lessons and I have to meet Ella for some event stuff."

Even though Clare wanted to keep them all under one roof, she knew Adeline would not take kindly to the idea. She nodded her head and smiled at her cousin.

"We're done, for now," Clare said. "If anything new comes up, I'll let you know."

"Thank you," Adeline let out a long breath. "Let's go, Alex. We don't want to be late."

Kiara and Hayden jumped out of the way as Adeline said a quick goodbye and walked out of the room. Ben waited for Alex and together the father and son followed the Princess out.

"Kiara," Clare called to the girl once the Zephyr's left. "You and Killian can also head out of you like."

"Thank you," Kiara said as Killian got up from where he was sitting.

"You're welcome," Clare nodded. "I'll also let you know as soon as we hear anything about Macy."

"We're going to go see the fates," Kiara touched the gold ring around her finger.

"That's a great idea," Clare looked up.

"Is there anything you want us to ask in particular?" Killian looked over at the woman behind the desk.

"There's so much I want to ask them," Clare sighed. "But the fates are very picky with how much they say."

"Will they be able to tell us where Macy is?" Hayden asked.

"They know all," Clare said. "But they are never allowed to reveal anything until the correct time."

"That's frustrating," Hayden muttered.

"Extremely," Clare added. "But you two go on ahead. Ask whatever you want and see how much they can tell us."

"Okay," Killian nodded.

Kiara took in a deep breath and turned the ring on her finger. She watched the portal open in front of her before looking over her shoulder to Killian. The boy stepped up and held his hand out.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Kiara said as they stepped through to the meadow.

Nothing had changed as the pair walked up to the cottage and knocked on the door. It once again opened with a groan and transported them into the massive home of the fates.

"Hello," a small girl with long black hair and light brown eyes smiled from where she sat at the bottom of the steps. Kiara and Killian paused as they stared at the child.

"Who are you?" Kiara asked.

"Lachesis," the young girl giggled.

"Kia," Killian stared at the fate. "Who do you see?"

"A young girl," Kiara said. "I don't know her.....what about you?"

"Is she wearing a yellow dress?"

"Yes."

"Long black hair?"

"That's her."

Killian frowned as they peered at Lachesis, "Who are you supposed to be?"

Lachesis got up with a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. The child's cheeks grew warm and red as she pouted and stomped her bare feet.

"Clotho is making soup," she said. "The house gets so hot when she cooks that damn stuff."

Killian and Kiara looked at each other and then back at the little girl.

"Why did you change?" Kiara asked.

"I don't know," Lachesis shrugged. "I change with the future."

"What do you mean?" Killian asked.

"The future is always changing," Lachesis hopped down from the steps and began to head towards the back of the house. "Sometimes we are on the same path. Sometimes we're not."

"Are we on the same path now?" Killian asked. "Kiara and I?"

"I should be the one asking you all the questions," Lachesis said, looking over her small shoulders. Her eyes narrowed as her small nose twitched, "Did you two deliver the strings for this week?"

"No, not yet," Kiara shook her head.

"Those people don't have much time left," the fate reminded. "The sooner you distribute the task, the better it will be. Otherwise you two will be zipping around."

"A friend of ours is missing," Kiara said. "And I was sent for a near death experience. What was all that about?"

"Can't say," Lachesis shrugged.

"Arla Lucania and Macy Rivers," Killian provided the names. "Anything you can tell us about them?"

"You should know one thing about me," Lachesis stopped and turned. "I never give away anything. Stop barking up this tree."

"You could help save a life," Kiara said. "Macy can be in danger."

"I really don't care," the fate shook her head. "There are people who have it worse than her. If I grow weak for everyone with misfortune, this world would be nothing."

"So she is in trouble," Kiara said. "You said people have it worse than her."

"The girl has been missing for how long now? Do you really think she's just fine and dandy?"

Kiara's heart shrank. She looked at Killian as all the color drained from her face.

"Go deliver all the strings," Lachesis said. "Tell you acolytes to take care of it all. You two are not fully trained yet."

Before either one could utter a word, the little girl skipped away into the kitchen. Killian looked upstairs and tried to remember which door they had gone into the first time.

"Killian...." Kiara started. "I feel useless."

"What?" Killian moved his eyes to her. "Why?"

"Macy is in danger,' Kiara's voice shook slightly. "We know she's in danger. It was one thing if we didn't know....but we know ....."

"Are you giving up?"

"No..."

"Will you give up?"

"No."

"Then let's deal with these strings and then when we go back, we talk to Clare or Ares," Killian held out his hand.

Kiara didn't know how to tell him she wanted to leave at that very moment. Every second they wasted was a second Macy lost. She had no idea where to even begin. Why was it so hard to find a single person? She knew gods. She knew witches and werewolves.....why couldn't they find a single girl?

Lost in her head, Kiara followed Killian upstairs to where Clotho had shown them the looms and strings. The room was unchanged. The sunlight still poured in through the stained glass windows and made the dusts dance in the air. The threads hung from the ceiling, playing peek-a-boo with each other.

Killian walked ahead of Kiara and ran his finger over the threads. He could feel the once that called out to him and the ones that moved away from his touch. He was sure Kiara would be able to feel the same attraction when she held out her hand. But when he looked back at her, she found her still lost in her head. Her brows were knit together and her lips were pulled down into a frown.

"Kia," he held out a thread.

Kiara's eyes lifted as she started at the piece of string. She made no attempt to move or take it from Killian as her thoughts jumbled in her mind.

"Macy," she said slowly.

"We will find her."

"Hold on," Kiara turned away and looked at the spindle.

"What are you doing?" Killian asked following her.

Kiara wrapped her fingers around the gold handle and looked up at the racks of string. Her heart began to flutter as she gently pushed the lever forward and thought about Macy.

"Show me Macy Rivers," she said as she pushed the hand of the spindle forward.

Killian immediately walked to the door and pushed it shut. He knew the fates downstairs will no doubt know what they were up to. But he had to try and stall them.

"Can you give me a head up next time?" he said as he turned the lock on the door.

Just then, the racks began to shift around in the room. They pulled back with a rattling sound almost as if curtains were begging pulled back on stage. Kiara held her breath as two racks from the back of the room moved forward on the investable assembly line and stopped before her.

"Which one is her?" She asked, looking at the hundreds of threads.

"We have to touch them to find out," Killian stepped forward. "Pull the spindle again and it will separate them into your pile and my pile."

Kiara did as she was told. She pulled the lever back to it's home and waited as the threads shifted into two categories. Killian looked at her, asking a silent question with his eyes.

"Start," Kiara gave a nod. She took a step forward and began to run her hand through the threads.

They were silky smooth. Each one rose up to meet her touch, bringing with it a name and a cause of death.

Pierce Formen

Ravi Patel

Aaron Ashante

Pearla DeLorry

Kiara's hands began to shake. The images of car crashes, gun shots, drowning, and even bear attacks began to fill up her mind. She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about what she would do if her finger landed on Macy's name. Her eyes began to water as she moved farther down the rack.

"Kiara," Killian had stopped midway of his own rack.

Kiara looked to him and found the boy standing with a single white string in his hand. Her hand fell to her side as she lifted her eyes to meet his. Killian didn't know what to say as he stood motionless holding Macy's string.

"How....." Kiara's voice cracked. She couldn't finish her sentence.

"In her sleep," Killian frowned.

"In her sleep?" Kiara felt the first tear roll down her face, "How is that possible? She's not an old lady!"

"I'm not getting anything else from it," Killian confessed. "She won't suffer."

"When will it happen?"

Killian looked up at the rack he stood before, "I don't know.....I can't tell what order they are in."

Kiara wanted to help search for some kind of timestamp, but she couldn't stop staring at the thread Killian held. It was not at all long like the other ones around it. It was short, ending suddenly.

Suddenly, as the pair stood in the room staring at Macy's life string, the doorknob began to turn. Kiara jumped slightly as Clotho threw the door open and walked in with a deep frown.

"You can seriously mess with these strings if you touch things you are not supposed to," the fate frowned with Posey and Kiara's appearances.

"When do we collect from this rack?" Killian pointed to the one Macy's string hung from.

"In a few days," Clotho said. "And don't try to be a savior like Clare Radacovick. Your job is to keep the balance."

"That's our friend," Kiara frowned.

"And one day it might be your parents or your children."

Kiara gasped. In an instant her body grew numb and useless. Her throat dried up and her chest filled with a scream she could not release.

"This is life," Clotho's voice softened a bit. "You do your job and it will all be fine."

"I don't want this job!" Kiara's mind began to fill like an overfilled bucket. "I don't ever want to find my parents or my children or anyone I know on my rack. I can't do this...."

"Yes, you can," Clotho declared. "We wouldn't have picked you two if we thought you couldn't do it."

"You....." Kiara's eyes snapped up to fate. "You chose me?"

"Azazel could have given away her duties to anyone if it was up to her own free will," Clotho said. "She had to wait until suitable choices were provided to her."

Kiara felt her body start to heat up. Killian let go of Macy's string and took a step forward.

"You did this?" Kiara's eyes began to glow gold. "You are in control of all this. You could have stopped Azazel long ago."

"We give choices," Clotho said. "Everyone has free will to decide where they want to go."

"Kiara," Killian reached out for the girl's arm but she shook him off.

"Give me choices," Kiara felt the hot tears run down her face as her inside boiled with anger.

"You have choices, my dear," Clotho sighed.

"No, I don't!" Kiara yelled. "I don't want this. Killian doesn't want this!"

"Then give it away," Clotho shrugged.

"What?" Kiara's eyes narrowed.

"Give away your duties," Clotho looked at Kiara and then at Killian. "You two can make anyone drink from your calix and give away your powers."

"We can't," Killian wondered what the fate was playing at.

"Why not?" Clotho asked.

"Because we'll be dooming some other poor soul," Kiara snapped. "You think we didn't think about it? Who would willingly want to do this? And for those who do come forward out of their free will....how can we trust them? How do we know they won't take advantage like Azazel?"

"You have a good argument," Clotho nodded. "Seems to me you two made your choice. You picked to stay with your powers."

"Those are not choices!" Kiara moved forward. Killian's hand tightened around her arm as he pulled her back. She struggled against his hold, but he didn't let go.

"You had two options and you picked one," Clotho explained. "That's what choices are."

"It's unfair...." Kiara shook her head. "I don't want to see those things in my head. I don't want to feel their pain."

Killian's throat tightened as he listened to Kiara's cries. She had been so quiet about everything going one. Her head was always held high, never showing any sign of weakness. She took on the challenge head one, making it all seem easy. Killian knew she was unhappy but to hear her voice how unhappy she was made his chest hurt.

"I think it's time for you to visit your acolytes," Clotho held up her hand and a portal opened.

"No!" Kiara protested.

She tried to storm up to the fate but Killian held her back. Her skin was on fire and her eyes were solid gold.

"Enough, Kiara," Clotho said. "Learn to control your emotions. Or they will be the death of you."

"I refuse," Kiara spit. "I will not go see my acolytes. I will not deliver them the threads."

Clotho's eyes narrowed. The portal hovered beside her as she waited to see if Kiara would back down. The girl's angry gold eyes were so familiar and slightly concerning. She quickly scribbled a mental note to speak to her sisters about the child as she tapped her finger on her arm.

"They're waiting for you," she reminded them.

"I said," Kiara began to turn the gold ring on her finger. "I'm not going."

Letting out a long deep sigh, Clotho closed her portal and turned for the door.

"The job will get done with or without you," she paused. "But you neglecting your duties will bring consequences."

___________________

Kiara meant every word of what she said to Clotho. After the fate had left the room, she ported herself back to campus. She wanted Killian to leave with her, but she knew his job was much more important. He couldn't leave people in a limbo and she understood. When she turned back to look at him from the other side of the portal, Killian looked as if he wanted to say something but the vale closed too soon.

Standing outside in the cold autumn day, Kiara could hear nothing else but her own heart beating wildly in her chest. She looked up at the dome and found herself wondering what it must have been like for Arla to stay up in her room. Just the thought of the four walls surrounding her and keeping her trapped forever made Kiara's lungs stop working.

At times, Kiara wondered if her parents understood her dislike for the underworld. They both loved the place and did everything to make it seem like the world above for Kiara. But no matter how many trees they planted or how bright they made the sunlight, Kiara always felt trapped when she was down there. To her, living in the underworld was no less than living inside Pandora's box like Killian.

As the fallen leaves rustled in between the fall decorations on campus, Kiara made her way into the building and up to the top floor. She passed by Arla's room and headed straight for Clare's office at the end of the hall. When she arrived, she knocked twice before turning the door knob and stepping inside.

"Hey, kid," Ares looked up from where he sat on the edge of Clare's desk.

"Hey, guys," Kiara said awkwardly as she looked at Clare standing between the god's legs with her arms locked around his neck.

"Everything okay, sweetheart?" Clare asked.

"Yes," Kiara nodded. "I was just....wondering if maybe I could take Arla outside?"

"To where?"

"Just to the gardens and around campus," Kiara shrugged. "Not far....I think she might feel better."

"Yeah, sure," Ares said before Clare could respond. "Just take Hayden with you."

"What? Why?" Kiara frowned. "She's not a prisoner."

"We still don't know much about her," Clare turned to look at the girl at the door as she unlocked her arms from around Ares.

"What will she do?" Kiara raised a brow. "It's not like she can kill me."

Clare paused as Ares chuckled beside her.

"She has a point, little dragon," he said under his breath to his wife.

"Fine," Clare nodded. "You may take her for a walk. But don't go too far. Hayden will be down on the lawn, but he will stay out of your way."

"Thank you," Kiara smiled before turning on her heels and marching off.

She could hear the god of war laughing behind her back as Clare sassed him about something, but she didn't wait around to hear what they had to say. Her feet moved swiftly over the floors as she made her way over to Arla's room and knocked.

"Arla?" Kiara turned the doorknob when there was no answer.

Stepping inside, she found the girl sitting by the window with her hands neatly folded on her lap. Her face had grown pale and her eyes looked dull and tired. Arla turned to look at Kiara with no expression on her face.

"Hey," Kiara said gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Arla muttered, turning back to look at the window. "Are you here to take me back to the lab?"

"No," Kiara shook her head. "I thought maybe we could go outside for a bit."

Arla turned back to the girl, "Outside?"

"Yes," Kiara nodded. "It's a beautiful day outside."

"What about..."

"I spoke to Clare," Kiara laughed. "We have the green light."

Arla listened to the girl's words without making any attempt to move. Her eyes were cautious as the seconds ticked by and Kiara shifted her weight around.

"So....?" Kiara said when just staring at each other got too awkward.

"Where's Killian?" Arla asked.

"He had some work to do," Kiara waved her hand. "He'll be back in a few."

"Maybe we should go when he comes back."

"It'll be dark by then. And Killian hates going for walks," Kiara lied.

Arla slowly nodded. She carefully stood up and ran a hand through her hair. Kiara took a step back and opened the door.

"Did they give you a coat or something?" She asked when she noticed the thin sweater the girl wore.

"Yeah," Arla nodded, looking around the room. She spotted her black sweatshirt at the edge of the bed and pulled it one.

Kiara waited until Arla made her way out of the room to lead her to the elevators. They made their way down to the first floor in silence with only the elevator dings filling the air between them. Once the doors opened at the first floor, Arla gasped immediately at the sight of all the students walking around in the halls.

"It's almost the end of the school day," Kiara explained. "We'll go to the gardens. Not a lot of people go there."

"All these people...." Arla looked around curiously. "Killian said this was a school."

"Yes," Kiara nodded. "We've been here for years. This is our last year."

"Where do you go after?"

"I don't know," Kiara shrugged. "I haven't decided but Killian wants to go to California."

"California?" Arla asked as she followed Kiara out the doors.

"He likes the sun."

"Are you going with him?"

"I'm not a fan of the sun," Kiara laughed. "If I go, I'll most likely take night classes."

"You're like a vampire," Arla observed.

"I wish," Kiara rolled her eyes. "My life would have been easier if I was a vampire and not the daughter of Hades."

As the girls walked down the path towards the garden, Arla began to notice how the other students watched Kiara. They paused as she passed them. Some started with admiration while others waved timidly to get her attention.

"Hey, Kiara," a body with chocolate skin and beautiful eyes smiled from where he stood with a few of the other boys under a large oak tree.

"Hi, Brody," Kiara waved. "Have you seen Birdie?"

"I think she went to Hayden's office," the boy pointed to the inside of the school.

"Okay," Kiara nodded. "Thanks."

"How's Birdie?" Arla asked as they walked away.

"Hayden's little sister," Kiara looked over at the girl beside her. "Hayden is the g-"

"I know," Arla nodded.

"Right," Kiara stopped and looked away.

The two continued to walk leisurely down the winding path in silence. The farther they moved away from the dome, the less kids they ran across. Arla watched Kiara kick the crunchy leaves as the girl's head hung with her hands pushed into her pocket.

"Are you and Killian close?" She asked.

Kiara looked up and nodded, "Yeah."

"Are you....." Arla's eyes scanned the girl's face. "Are you two..."

"We're not dating," Kiara laughed, feeling a nugget of pain strike her chest. "Nothing like that."

"How long have you known him?"

Kiara took in a long deep breath as she looked ahead, "My whole life. He's my best friend."

"And you are his?"

"Of course," Kiara said a little too quickly. "Of course, I am."

"That must be nice," Arla smiled. "To have an old friend like that."

"What about you?" Kiara asked. "Your friends?"

"I tried to keep in touch with some of them from when I was younger," Arla shrugged. "I went to school until I was ten or so. But when we started to move around and I was homeschooled, it became harder."

"I'm sorry," Kiara stopped in front of one of the white benches. She took a seat and Arla followed.

"It's fine," Arla smiled. "My dad was like my best friend."

"Do you miss him?"

"Of course," Arla said. "I can't wait for all this to be over so I can find him."

"Clare will find him," Kiara assured the girl. "She's really good."

"I hope so," Arla said in a quiet voice as she stared at her hands.

Once again the girls fell into a stretch of silence. They gazed at the rose bushes around them and the random jack-o-lanterns that were left behind from the Halloween dance. The birds chirped in the naked trees in between the rustling winds.

"When do you think Killian will be back?" Arla asked.

Her words suddenly made Kiara's mood grow sour. She checked her watch without really paying attention to the time and shrugged.

"Why are you asking about him?" She looked at Arla and raised a brow.

"Just wondering," Arla stared ahead.

Kiara let her eyes linger on the girl for a few more seconds before she looked away.

"Is he always so quiet?" Arla asked.

"Who?" Kiara began to pick at the invisible lint on her coat.

"Killian," Arla said. "He doesn't say much, does he?"

"He's a chatterbox," Kiara muttered. "But only with people he likes."

"Does he like you?"

Kiara looked at the girl wondering what the hell that question meant. Arla saw the look of confusion and hint of irritation in Kiara's eyes and began to explain.

"I haven't seen him talking to anyone much," she stated. "Not even with you."

"You've seen us only what, two or three times?" Kiara could feel the bitterness leak into her words. Her muscles began to feel strained and she had the sudden urge to kick out her legs in frustration.

"Yeah, that's why I was asking," Arla continued. "I didn't see him talking much."

"Killian likes me," Kiara said. "We can talk for hours. We do talk for hours. A few meetings with us in a tense situation isn't enough to make any kind of judgment."

"It wasn't a judgment," Arla said. "It was an observation."

"You need to collect more data then," Kiara looked away. "Surly, your dad taught you that. He is a scientist."

"A professor."

"Hmm, a whole group of people know him as Vincent Yeona, the geneticist," Kiara tilted her head slightly. "I think I believe them more than the one person who thinks he's a professor."

"I know my father."

"And I know Killian."

As Kiara said the words, her eyes spotted the large bulky tree branch dangling over Arla's head. They both sat under the oak trying to hide their glares from one another, but they were both failing miserably.

Slowly, like the first drop of rain trickling down a dry desert wasteland, Kiara began to wonder what would happen if that heavy branch were to suddenly snap off and let gravity take over. She could almost hear the way the dry wood would snap off. She could smell the earthy scent of the exposed tree. Arla sat in the perfect spot for the thickest part of the branch to land trite over her head. A blow from that high up would surely split that blonde head open right away.

Kiara's heart began to race like a dark horse as she sat flipping through the images of a bloody Arla. the pictures flashed across her mind as if they had been drawn into a sketch pad. She could almost feel the blood droplets fly off of the branch and land on her cold cheeks.

"Kiara...." Arla's voice was washed away by the wind.

Overhead, the giant oak began to groan and creak. The wind picked up slightly and started to howl. All the leaves ran away to find a hiding spot. Arla's loose hair began to blow all around her face. She pushed them back as she waited for Kiara to speak or blink.

Kiara's beautiful brown eyes looked lost. She sat perfectly still, the wind did not dare touch her. Her lips were slightly parted as if she wanted to say something but was holding her breath. Feeling extremely uncomfortable and concerned, Arla jumped up from the bench just as Killian's voice called out.

"Kia?"

Kiara's eyes snapped up. The wind disappeared, the clouds parted and the oak stopped groaning.

"Hi..." she said, looking up into Killian's dark blue eyes.

"What are you guys doing?" Killian flickered his gaze to Arla who watched Kiara with weary eyes.

"We just....." Kiara shifted her eyes to the girl as well. "I thought Arla would like to come outside for a walk."

"Did you ask Clare?"

"Yes, of course I asked Clare," Kiara snapped and jumped up.

"It's getting cold out here," Killian reached out and adjusted the scarf around Kiara's neck. "Let's go back in. Arla's sweater isn't going to help much once the sun goes down."

"You're right," Kiara felt a warm tingle run down her body from where Killian's knuckles brushed her cheek.

She lifted her lashes and looked at Arla over Killian's shoulder. The girl had her eyes glued on them as Killian waited for Kiara to take a step forward.

"Ready?" he asked when neither girl moved.

"Yes," Arla nodded. She quickly hurried ahead to clear the path for Killian as he began to head for the dome.

Kiara took a second to linger back as her heart tried to readjust with what had just happened. Her mind tried to run back the emotions and thoughts, but Kiara pushed them back. She could feel her hands trembling as she looked up and saw the unmistakable crack on the oak branch.  

I'll be honest, I'm finding it hard to gather motivation to write this book :( IDK what it is. I don't want to give up, b/c the story has lots of good things coming but damn it is so hard....  

Anyways, let me know what you think will happen now?