Rise

Chapter One

Kade sat across the desk from his oldest brother Damien, who took a deep breath and released it slowly, his violet eyes were on fire as he tried to reign in his thoughts. “Tell me everything again. I don’t understand.” Damien demanded.

Kade bit his tongue, he wanted to yell at Damien, to curse him, to hit him. He was the reason they were in their current position. Kade clenched his jaw and tossed his black hair out of his face, then began again from the beginning. “You sent us out on assignment, a young boy had been possessed. He was dead when we got there. The ravens were there before we arrived and the whole place reeked of sulfur. Father Malcahy met us, the mother was with the boy, the priest took her out and I began the process. It was strapped to the bed, so I left it there. Rose assisted as you wished. She used the salt to line the door and window, then sat in as I performed the rite.

“It took me nearly thirty hours, and she was there for all of it. Steadfast and silent, except to ask me questions. She was a terrible distraction, the entire time. The exorcism was typical in every aspect until the demon left the host. It went straight for Rose, and took her over. She could have died.” Kade told Damien.

“She didn’t. What happened?” Damien asked impatiently.

“As I told you before, she’ll have to explain it to you.” Kade replied. “She was possessed for less than five minutes, but she is not the same person.”

“I don’t understand, is she still possessed?” Damien asked, he tried to hide the concern in his voice. “Do I need to deal with a demon?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. She exorcized it, I saw it leave her body, then just pop!” Kade said, making the sound with his mouth to mimic the noise he’d experienced.

“Where is she now? I want to speak to her.” Damien said as he stood and went toward the door.

“In her room resting I suppose. She was possessed by a demon after all.” Kade replied curtly. “Would you like me to finish my report or would you prefer to read about why we aren’t applying funeral payment?”

Damien turned back to Kade, stopping behind the sofa. “We always pay for the dead. You said he was dead when you arrived. Is the church paying?”

“No, the church will have nothing else to do with this if we are lucky. He was dead. Honey revived him. And we don’t bury the living.” Kade said matter-of-factly.

“What the hell does that mean?” Damien demanded.

“He was dead, then Honey made him not dead. I don’t know how else to explain it so that you understand. Would you like me to put it technically for you?” Kade asked, fighting hard to keep the condescension out of his voice.

“Sure.”

“The boy was dead, Honey removed some of her life-force, or soul, or grace, or some part of her energy, and put it into the boy, along with his own soul, and made him alive again. I can not tell you how she did it, I only know that is what happened. Any more you must ask Honey.” Kade explained.

“I knew she was a nephilim, Tane told me, I saw her brought back, and yet I didn’t want to believe.” Damien said a bit in awe.

“Damien, Honey can be possessed but she is an angelic being, it explains so many things about her.” Kade told his brother with certainty. Angels, vampires, demigods, and werewolves, were in general immune to possession. “She should have died that night Reese attacked her. She should have frozen to death if she hadn’t bled to death. She calms those around her so easily, people are attracted to her. You should have seen Bing in our meeting over their donations. He is usually more tight fisted with his money than Chadwick, and he was ready to part with more than I ever expected, all because she asked. Bellamy and Milo are both changed as well. Milo hasn’t misbehaved with her since that first day. Bellamy seems less adversarial when we meet. She has had an effect on all of us.” Kade told Damien.

“I’m no different.” He laughed. “You though…” Damien said, shrugging.

“Name the last woman you slept with, not called Honey Rose.” Kade countered, before rising. “I’m tired. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Damien let him go, then sighed heavily and went to his cottage. He needed time to process what he’d learned, and choose what questions he needed to ask Rose.

Rose was in her room at her desk, furiously writing down her visions, and the things that happened to her while possessed. She wrote down any dates she recalled clearly, important names and locations. Incidents she wanted to avoid were the next item in her records. When all of that had been put to paper she began writing about the specific details she wanted to remember, conversations she needed to keep in mind, and specific thoughts or reactions she wanted to record.

She was in the midst of that activity when there was a knock on the door. “Come.” She said, then went back to writing.

She looked up when Damien leaned against the desk beside her. “Hi.” He said gently.

She gave him a smile, then tilted her head. “Hi.”

“You look busy.” He said lifting her pages. Rose slapped her hand down on the pages, closing the book she was writing in.

“I am, but you probably want to talk. If you can give me twenty minutes I can tell you what happened at the church.” She said, as he lifted his brow. “Look, I’m not ready to talk about everything, but I want to write it down while it’s fresh. I realize it may all be some horrific lie, but better to record the incident.” Rose told him reasonably. “Please. Let me finish my debrief and then we can talk.”

Damien, sighed. “Alright. Do you mind if I wait here?” He asked.

“Right here? Yes, but the sofa is quite comfortable.” Rose said with a good natured smile. Damien gave her a grin, then rolled his eyes and went to sit on the sofa, picking up a magazine before he sat, crossing his legs. Her frankness bothered him, but he refused to acknowledge the feeling.

Rose took the twenty minutes she’d asked for to read through her notes, trying to make sure there wasn’t anything important she was missing. She felt there were things she might be forgetting, but she had lived through at least six years, possibly more while she was possessed. Kade said it had been less than five minutes, but for her it had been years. She sighed and set it aside, she would come back to it later, she had what she could recall just then.

She rose from the desk and came to sit beside Damien. “I imagine Kade has told you what happened.” Damien nodded. “Do you have specific questions or would you like me to just tell you what I experienced?”

“I have specific questions, but I’d like you to tell me what happened first.” He told her.

“Well, Kade and I went to the church and met Father Malcahy. He showed us to a back room, the little boy’s mother was with him, and Father Malcahy showed her out. Kade started the exorcism, I watched. It was grueling. I’d never been so tired in my life. Eventually the demon was exorcized, but then it came after me.” Rose explained. “The demon took over, I don’t know exactly what happened, I just remember being in this vast nothingness with the demon standing before me. It showed me visions. Kade told me I was possessed for about five minutes, for me it was more like years.” She explained. Damien sat looking at her, taking her in. She looked exactly as she had two days before, her normally bust length chestnut curls hung past her waist due to the extensions from the Halloween party only three nights past, her eyes were the same clear blue. She had remained the same diminutive size, but Kade was right, she was different. He couldn’t quite explain how or why she was different. Perhaps it would best be described as a maturity beyond her years. She seemed more poised, more confident than she had before. He found it quite attractive.

“Kade mentioned that you brought the boy back. How?” Damien asked, studying her.

“I’m not completely sure. I knew that I could, but I also had memories that aren’t mine. I don’t really know how to explain it, it’s as if I’m recalling my mother’s memories or maybe someone else’s.” She tried to explain.

“Racial memory. Born vampires have it. We are all born with innate abilities and knowledge.” Damien told her, filling in a gap in her understanding.

“Oh, that would make sense. Well then, using information from a racial memory I suppose, I gave the boy some of my life force and coaxed his back in with mine. According to the memory the child should be quite lucky for the rest of his life.” Rose said with a smile.

“You said your possession lasted years?” Damien asked.

“Yes.” She paused, gathering her thoughts for a moment. “When the demon possessed me, he made me believe I had defeated him, and come out of the possession. I lived for several years in that time. I experienced horrific things, Damien. Things I’m not ready or willing to talk about yet. I understand if that upsets you, but I need some time to process what I went through, I need to understand what I experienced.”

“Rose, whatever you saw, it was all made up. They were lies to frighten you and hinder your escape. They weren’t real, my love.”

“Damien, they were very real things that happened to me. Whether they were a vision or a cunning spider web, I don’t think that matters. They still happened to me, and I need time to understand.” Rose countered.

Damien sighed, but nodded. “If you would like to talk about it, I’ll always listen. I’m glad you’re home safe. Please try not to let these things eat at you.”

“I won’t.” She said, lifting her hand to his face. “I’m sorry we argued, I don’t even recall why now.” She told him.

“Because I’m a jealous idiot.” He told her softly as he took her wrist in hand, then leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back as he pulled her closer. “I love you Honey Rose Hooper.”

“I know you do Damien Elios.” She replied with a giggle, before pushing away. “I’m hungry. I feel like I haven’t eaten in weeks.”

“Come,” he said, pulling her to her feet. “I’ll cook you a meal.” She nodded, allowing him to pull her to her feet, then followed him downstairs and to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen Rose took a seat at the counter, while Damien went to the fridge and began removing the things he would need to make her a meal.

“I hope pasta is alright.” He told her as he turned on the stove and placed a pot of water on the burner.

“Pasta sounds lovely.” She replied as her stomach began to growl.

“Sounds like your stomach is in agreement.” He laughed, then turned back to the stove. She watched as he cooked chicken, mushrooms, and tomatoes with butter in a skillet, then added in white wine. He cooked it all down, then added in heavy cream, cheese, and a scoop of pasta water, stirring gently, then he turned off his sauce and removed the pasta. He carried it to the sink to drain, then he poured the pasta in the skillet and mixed everything together.

He piled two plates with pasta and brought them to her with a fork. He set one in front of her, then stood at the counter across from her and began to eat the other. Rose lifted her fork and took a bite. She looked up at Damien with a smile as she chewed. She was suddenly ravenous. She felt as though she hadn’t eaten in days.

“This is so good.” She told him between bites. “Thank you for cooking.”

Damien nodded, and watched as she ate, poking at his food. He wasn’t really hungry, he was eating out of habit. “You do seem different. Kade mentioned it when we spoke, but I understand what he means now.”

Rose stopped eating momentarily to look up at him. “I feel like the same person, but different.” She replied then went back to eating. When she finished she looked up at Damien, then down at his mostly full plate, then back up at him. “So…” she began, toying with her fork. He rolled his eyes with a good natured laugh and slid his plate toward her. She grinned and ate what he’d left. He watched her with amusement.

“I’ve never seen you eat like that before, but I suppose giving away life force would make you hungry.” He said as she was finishing with his plate.

“When you say it like that, I suppose it would.” She was quiet for a moment as she thought about what she’d experienced, she was hesitant to say anything. She wasn’t ready to answer questions. Finally she spoke again. “Damien, I know I can’t trust the things I experienced while possessed, but if Dorian Hawk calls about girls going missing, tell him they can be found with a mortal in Turnover Creek. Don’t ask me anything. I’ll get you the names of the men the demon is possessing and working with, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“If that happens, I’ll give him the information. Is there anything else I should know?” Rose hesitated.

“Of course, but nothing I’m ready to tell you. I don’t even know what happened to me for sure. I promise, I’ll be as honest with you as I can be, Damien, but if I actually do know our immediate futures, telling you, or anyone could change everything. I could have already, just by not being asleep right now. Things are different already.” Rose told him reasonably. “Besides why worry you if it’s nothing.” She said with a shrug. Damien crossed his arms and pouted. “Don’t be angry. Just give me some time. Please?” She asked. Damien sighed.

“I’m not angry. You should get some rest. It’s quite late.” He replied, trying to keep his temper in check. He understood her reasoning, he was just curious what she might know. If she had seen their immediate future that put him at a very direct disadvantage, and that bothered him. Rose sat watching Damien’s face for a moment, then gathered their plates and took them to the sink. She came back and took hold of Damien. She pressed her face against his chest.

“I need your patience Damien.” She told him softly. “I know it’s hard for you. Your hedonistic tendencies get the best of you, but I need you to try, for me.” She said into his chest. “Please love me the way I need you to.” She almost begged. Damien held on to her gently, then sighed softly as he stroked her hair. Her plea touched him in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Go to bed my love. We can talk more later.” Rose nodded and turned away, before leaving Damien alone in the kitchen.

The next morning Rose came down to breakfast to find Milo sitting at the table alone, sorting through books of sheet music, Lapin his stuffed rabbit sat beside him with a teacup and saucer between his fluffy feet. Milo looked up when she came in and took a seat beside him. “Good morning Honey.” He greeted her.

“Good morning Milo. What is all of this, is Victor having you record music?” She asked.

Milo gave her a look she couldn’t quite read then replied, “yes, he wants me to record an album. He has a friend that thinks it’s a good idea.” He explained.

“Will it all be classical?” She asked with interest.

“Most likely. I prefer to play only stuffy things for Father.” Milo said with a half smile. “How was your trip with Kade?”

“It went well.” She replied as the twins came in both laughing with one another. Kade and Damien were absent, but she had expected as much.

“Good morning Honey.” The twins said in unison before taking their seats and breakfast was served.

She stayed beside Milo through breakfast, and when it was over she waited for the twins. “We have a letter for you.” They told her.

“From Reese?” She asked quietly, knowing the answer.

“Yes.” They replied.

“Begging to feed.” Roman said, giving Ramsey a meaningful look.

“We haven’t read it.” Ramsey replied.

“I know what it says, and I know what you’ve done Ramsey.” Rose said, taking the letter from Reese and holding it in her hand.

Ramsey looked pale for a moment then asked, “what do you mean?” with a laugh that hid nothing.

“Did you, or did you not, flay the skin from your brother’s flesh, because he attacked me and left me bleeding in the ballroom, just before I got sick?” She asked very deliberately and very calmly.

Roman’s mouth dropped open, then snapped shut, as Ramsey went ashen as he averted his eyes. “I never meant for you to know about that.” He replied, his voice shaking with emotion.

“Look at me.” She told him sternly. Ramsey turned stunned eyes to her face, unable to disobey. “He believes I sent you to do it, do not ever do anything like that again to one of your brothers.” She told him. Ramsey felt a strange electric feeling run through him, almost as if he were resisting a direct order from his father, but it was so brief he thought he had imagined it.

“I’m sorry Honey, I was only trying to protect you.” Ramsey told her.

“I appreciate that, but Reese is your brother, and I may need him in the future. It won’t do to have him believe I would demand such torture. You must come with me.” She told Ramsey. “I don’t expect you to apologize to him, but you must explain I had no hand in his torment.”

Ramsey looked ashamed of himself. Rose stood and took his face in her hand. “It means everything to me that you want to protect me, but there can be no more division in this household.” Ramsey nodded, and she let go of his face. “Let’s go speak with Reese.” She told him. The twins followed her through the kitchen and up the stairs to the upper hall. Roman didn’t trust Reese not to attack Rose, nor did he want Ramsey to face Reese alone, so he followed along.

When they reached his door, Rose knocked lightly while the twins stood behind her, waiting. They heard what sounded like a muffled “come.”

Ramsey stepped forward as did Roman. Ramsey opened the door as Roman stepped inside. Rose followed Roman, stopping abruptly when she saw Reese. He lay on the sofa naked, his skin was a bright pink, and seemed fragile as it was broken in places, with large patches of bloody muscle. He had no hair or fingernails, but most disturbing was that she could see parts of his teeth where lip had once been and the angular cut of his face was now almost skeletal, his cheekbones peeking through his newly developing skin. He was a pulpy mess of muscle and bones. Rose marveled at how he was staying together. She suddenly realized the excruciating effort his letter had taken, and for a moment she pitied him.

“Come to admire your handy work?” Reese asked in a lisping rasp.

“No.” Ramsey replied.

“I was speaking to your whore.” Reese rasped. Rose’s pity evaporated immediately.

“Honey had nothing to do with…” Roman gestured toward Reese. “This.” He told his younger brother.

“Your lack of self control and Damien’s inaction is why you’re like this.” Ramsey told Reese coldly. “Honey was in a coma, she didn’t ask for anything.”

“Then why have you brought her here? To see what you’ve done, to gain favor with the bitch?” Reese rasped.

“I’ve come to speak to you, but if you’re only going to insult me I can go. Damien has no intention of lifting your house arrest, so you can lay here and suffer until your daddy comes to rescue you. Or you can talk to me with a bit more respect as the person who could decide to end your misery. It’s your choice.” Rose told Reese very calmly.

“How can I take someone so small seriously?” He asked, laughing.

Rose turned on her heel. “I’ll come back tomorrow, perhaps by then you’ll be in a better mindset.” Rose said over her shoulder as she left him followed by the twins. She heard him say “wait” as the door shut, but she did not.

“Thank you boys.” Rose said softly once outside. They nodded and all moved back toward the kitchen, where they found Damien. “Oh. Good morning.” Rose said when she saw him. The twins made a quick escape, leaving Rose alone with Damien. “Where is Kade?” She asked, as he took the orange juice from the fridge.

“In the study. He had a meeting.” Damien replied as he poured juice into a glass he took down from the cabinet. “Where were you?”

“Speaking to Reese.” She replied. Damien jerked slightly, spilling juice over his fingers, before setting the carton down.

Rose moved to grab paper towels. “What were you thinking?” Damien asked as he picked up the glass and took the paper towels Rose was offering him. He cleaned up his spill then looked at her. “Seriously Rose?”

“I took the twins with me. He’s still healing after all. I wasn’t terribly afraid of him. Not with Roman and Ramsey with me.”

“Rose, he’s confined to protect you. If you’re just going to go into his room, what is the point of him even being on house arrest?” Damien demanded.

“For now, for me?” She asked. “Leverage, of course. Damien, I have somethings he really wants. With your help, I can exploit that.” She replied with a shrug.

Damien stared at her in awe for a moment, unsure who the woman before him was. “Who are you?” He asked a bit incredulously.

“I’m the same person, just with more experience. I lived a life, I know it’s mind boggling, but for me, I am fully an adult. I’m not a child anymore. I’m sorry if my appeal to you was in my innocence and inexperience.” She told him looking at her hands, she loved the man before her, but she had known that he would one day tire of her. She had imagined it would be another woman that caught his attention, not her maturity that drove him away. She still had assumed he preferred women to girls, but she had to admit she really knew less about the men in her life than she liked.

Damien pulled her close to him, before kissing her mouth, his hands moving over her hips, pulling her into him. “I assure you, I’ve lost no desire for you.” He breathed against her mouth. “You only ever grow more attractive. I enjoy your scheming. Just be sure you keep me looped in?” He asked, letting her go and going back to his juice.

Rose took a breath, then smiled. “Of course. I should find Kade. He hasn’t fed, and the exorcism was intense.”

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for him to feed from you yet. You should recover more.” Damien said with concern.

“Kade is the most conservative feeder of you bunch, I can handle him if he feeds now.” She told Damien. “Trust that I know what I’m doing. Please. I need you to trust me.”

“Patients and trust, this is becoming inconvenient Honey Rose.” He said with a dramatic sigh. “You ask more than the others.” He told her.

“You like me better than the others. Besides, your brothers don’t do the same things I do.” She said with a lift of her eyebrow. “Also, name a single thing I asked you for in the first year I was here.”

“Fair enough.” Damien replied.

“I should see Kade now. Will I see you at dinner?” She asked.

“Of course.” He told her, before she nodded and left for the study.

When she reached the study she knocked lightly. Damien said Kade was in a meeting, and she didn’t want to disturb him. As she was lowering her hand the door opened. “Hello Honey. I was just coming to check on you.” He said, surprised to see her. He had been thinking about her only seconds earlier.

“Oh, I’ve just come to speak with you.” She told him. “May I come in, if you’re not busy?”

“Of course, please.” He said as he stepped aside, allowing her inside. He led her toward the sitting area, and then took up his chair at his desk again. She sat comfortably turning to look at him across the distance. “Was there something I can do for you?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I have a request. I don’t know if you can help me, but I really hope that you can.” She told him looking hopeful. “I want to learn how the house runs. I want to learn to manage it, like you do.”

“I will teach you what you wish to learn, but why do you want to learn that?” He asked her.

“I have a goal in mind, one that I wish to accomplish quickly, and it begins here, learning how to manage our household from you. I can’t imagine learning the skills I need from anyone else. I trust you not to lead me astray.” She explained.

“I will teach you everything I know.” He told her solemnly. “I hope one day you will feel comfortable enough to tell me what these goals are. I want to help you achieve anything that is important to you Honey. Was that all?”

“No, actually, there is another matter I feel we need to discuss.” She replied as Kade stood and came toward her from behind his desk, taking the sofa beside, but not touching her.

“Kade, I understand our relationship, I know that your feelings for me can never be more than professional. It’s honestly a relief to know that you only care for me out of obligation. Your brothers can be very confusing in their emotions, I appreciate that I am just business for you. I know you said you loved me, but you don’t have to say those things to me.” Rose told him as she looked at her hands clasped in her lap. “I know that you feel obligated to help me, and I can never express how truly grateful to you I am. I know that you have a great desire where I am concerned, that my blood and my body drive you mad with wanting, but they are not the same as love, I know that.” She continued. The words were breaking her heart, but she needed him to understand her. She also wanted him to feed. “I know you are playing a game, and I don’t need your pretty words to go along with it Kade. If you want to feed, say so. If you need some…” She reached to touch his hand lightly. “Other kind of relief, I can be available to you. I know it is my purpose in being here. To sate your desires. Damien made that clear in the first year, so from now on please let me know when you’re hungry or in some other state of need. It’s my job, and I’d like to fulfill it for you. Please don’t push me away and deprive yourself, because you worry I might be confused. I am not.” She said moving slightly closer, so that her knee bumped his. “I’m sorry.” She said pulling back as she saw his face shift.

Kade had a sudden jolt as she spoke. Everything he feared was confirmed. She didn’t have feelings for him, she saw him as a job, but she was also allowing him to revoke his feelings for her. He was seeing her suddenly as someone more than before. She was making him an offer he had never hoped to receive. Even with her offer, he was pitched into a state of turmoil. He wanted nothing more than to have Rose as his lover, but he wanted her to love him, as he loved her. He was struggling to grasp what she was telling him. He had known his affections were one sided, but confirmation crushed his hope. He had to grip his emotions and allow his rationale to take over. He could compartmentalize those feelings. He had to focus on something else. “I understand. Was that all?” He asked as though everything she said was common knowledge and not a devastating blow.

“Well, no. I’d like to do my job, you need to feed, and that’s why I’m here.” She explained.

“You were possessed. You gave that child a piece of your life force. I can’t feed on you now.” He told her as if she were being unreasonable.

Rose lifted her eyebrow. “So you’d prefer not to feed on me now because you’d rather wait until you’re ravenous? Then you risk over feeding and causing me injury. If you feed now, you’ll be in control. If you wait you won’t be.” She told him frankly. Kade was angry, and worried he might overfeed if he was not very careful, he was also aware that he lost control easily with Rose, and in her fragile state he worried about causing her harm.

Kade took several moments to consider her offer. He knew she was right, but he still worried, even with all her words that he might hurt her. “It’s ridiculous to deprive yourself of what you need. Do you think me so fragile, or is your ego so large you can’t allow me to help you this once? Are you so offended by my offer?” She goaded him. Kade crumbled to her reason.

“Fine.” He snapped suddenly, he was quite hungry, and her reasoning was sound. He was just having trouble with the idea of using her. He shook himself, he had never felt that way before. He didn’t understand what her admission was doing to him.

Rose shifted closer. “Where would you like to bite me?” She asked softly. It sent a strange thrill through Kade. She was in his arms suddenly and his teeth were buried in her shoulder. She whimpered softly, but tried to stifle the sound, aware that he might find it arousing.

Kade held her gently, drawing her blood into his mouth in several short hard pulls, before lifting his head, and letting her go. He removed his pocket square and dabbed at his mouth. “Thank you, Honey.” He said as he tucked it into his inner pocket. He gave her a moment to recover, before he asked, “was there anything else?”

“No, that was all. I appreciate that you took the time to meet with me. I am truly grateful for all you’ve done.” She told him. “I’m sure you have other things that require your attention.” She told him, standing slowly. She was a little bit light headed from Kade feeding, but she refused to let him see her struggle. “I’ll see you at dinner.” She told him, before leaving. Kade sat watching her go. He couldn’t quite explain the feelings he had, a sudden and undeniable feeling of rejection was there, but it was more, where he once believed he could one day step into Damien’s place when he inevitably hurt Rose, he realized that had been a far fetched fantasy. He sat for a long moment trying to order his thoughts and regain control of his emotions.

Rose was shaking when she left Kade. Her heart was breaking, and it was her own fault. She loved Kade, she knew now, without doubt that she loved him, however she knew pushing him would only make them both miserable. She wished he was more like his brothers, but Kade had always been conservative with her. She had thought at first that it was him just trying to protect himself or perhaps her, but over time, and after her experience with the demon, she realized it might be more because he didn’t have those feelings for her.

He had told her once before that he did, but she wondered if that had been a moment of confusion, or if perhaps he had meant something entirely different by his admission. She wanted to ask him, but she didn’t think she could handle his rejection. Of all of them, his rejection would be the most devastating. She wanted Kade to love her, but she knew it was impossible, she was no more than a game piece for him to use as he saw fit. She was just turning to head back to her quarters when she heard the soft sound of someone playing the piano.

She turned and moved slowly down the hall toward the music room. The door was open, and Milo sat at the grand piano playing rapidly, and with vigor. Rose smiled to see him, he always looked so intent when he played. She had an overwhelming desire to hug Milo seeing him again. She knew for him it had only been a couple of days since they last saw one another alone, but she recalled everything they had gone through in her visions. She hoped desperately to save Milo from such a future. She paused remembering something else she had learned from her visions. She slowly stepped into the room as Milo finished playing.

“Hello Honey, have you come to hear me play?” He asked with a bright, childish smile.