Pelic's Heart. 32

Flying through the night, Valkar, Azeal, and the Shadows arrived at the cottage just before daylight. They were all tired from the long flight and in need of rest. Pelic hurried to the door and knocked. He had been worried about Athene. For some reason, he was sure she was in some kind of trouble. Pelic hadn't told anyone how he felt for Athene, he kept the feelings to himself. He never expected anything from her except friendship, no matter how he felt. Whenever he could, Pelic would spend all the time he could around her. He thought Graym knew, he couldn't hide much from him or Jayce. Being an angel, Jayce could sometime see things in people they didn't want to show. Once he caught Pelic staring at Athene. In Pelic's mind, he heard.
[Tell her.]
[ I can't.] Pelic answered in surprise. [ Look at me, I'm a horror.]
[I think she will see beyond that.] Jayce sent. [She's not the kind of woman looking for anything but true feelings.]
[Athene is a wonderfully beautiful woman.] Pelic told him. [She's been through a lot in her life. How could I add my curse.]
[Curse?] The angel said. [ You think you're cursed?]
[ Yes, I do.] Jayce walked over to him and sat next to him. He reached out and took his right hand and turned it palm up. In the center of his hand blazed the Salvation stone glowing blue.[ You know what this is?] He asked.
[ Yes, its the Salvation stone.] He answered.
[ It's one of our strongest weapons.] Jayce told him. [ It cleanses your soul and it will break any curse put on you. So think about it. If you ever were cursed, it's long gone now.]
Pelic looks at him in shock. He understood what Jayce was saying, but he still felt something was wrong. If that was true, then why did he still have the opaque face? Why was it all people saw of him was the shadow? Again Jayce caught Pelic's thought.
[Maybe it's because of your own fears.] He said with a smile. [ Your afraid of our rejection of you. But you shouldn't be. We all accept you as you are. Its time you accept yourself.]
Pelic thought about what Jayce had told him for a long time. He knew it was true, his doubts were what was holding him back. He made the decisions right there and then. No more feeling sorry for himself. He was Pelic, one of New Keanna's Shadows of the Night. Time to be proud of it.
As Pelic and the others knocked on the cottage door, Ariel opened the door to greet them. One at a time she hugged all her brothers, including the king of Yadessa and showed them in. Right away, Pelic asked where Athene was.
" She must be in her bedroom," Ariel said. " I'll get her."
Ariel went upstairs to get Athene while Toric poured coffee and asked how their mission went. Valkar sat and sipped his coffee while Azeal bought Toric up to date with all the things that were going on. Pelic sat nervously waiting for Athene to come down. He had decided to tell her how he felt today. No more waiting.
" She's not here!!" Ariel yelled as she came down the stairs.
" What?" Pelic jumped up. " Where is she?"
" I don't know. Her bed hasn't been slept in." Ariel told them. " She must have left last night."
" She wouldn't have just left," Azeal said. " She knew we were coming."
" Bronson," Toric said. " He has to have something to do with it."
" Who?" Pelic asked. Toric told them all about the centaur Athene had in the forest. They hadn't spent much time with him, but Athene seemed to trust him.
" There's something I should have noticed earlier," Toric said. " Cheshire didn't like him. that should have given me warning something wasn't right."
" We have to find her now," Pelic said. " I'm going to call her."
[ATHENE!!!]
There was no answer. He called again.[ ATHENE!!!]
He felt a lite touch of her mind. She was there but for some reason, she couldn't answer. That scared Pelic even more.
" I'm sending out my hounds to find her," Pelic said. " Jayce, send your birds please."
" I'll let Jandar and Rage know whats happened," Azeal told them.
" We're going out to look for them," Toric said. " We should have watched her better."
" No," Valkar said. " It's not your fault. If she was in danger, she would have called you. She must have trusted this centaur. Wherever they are, they have a head start on us. Has anyone seen Cheshire?"
"No," Toric said. " He must have gone with them. If we can't find her, we should look for him."
"Good idea," Jayce said. " I know you all want to search, but we've been flying all night and we need rest."
Pelic looked at Jayce as if to say he was fine to search. But Jayce disagreed.
" Cheshire is with her and he won't let her get hurt." He said. " Besides, I think I know what happened. Balthazar is behind this. He won't hurt her just yet. Get some rest and we'll all go after her. We need to be at fighting strength."

Galloping hard and fast on Bronson's back, Athene was amazed at his stamina. He had been running for hours with no break. She didn't understand how he did it. Beside him ran Cheshire. He also showed no sign of tiring. Athene thought it had to be magic, no one could run like that. She had offered to shift and travel as a mist or in her raven form, but Bronson wouldn't hear of it. They had been traveling all through the night and all morning. She tried to call out to the others and found she couldn't reach them. That bothered her. Something was blocking her communication. She could feel someone trying to contact her, she thought it was Pelic. She smiled at that. She liked him and wished it was him with her. Athene knew she had made a mistake in taking on this mission and should have waited for the others instead of rushing off. She knew that now. She worried that the three of them wouldn't be enough to free the white-haired woman. But it was too late for those thoughts now, she was on her way. Next to her, Cheshire ran keeping pace with Bronson. Athene tugged on Bronson's mane and he turned his ear towards her.
" It's time we took a break." She said. He nodded and began to slow to a trot. Up ahead he saw a lake and headed for it. As he stopped she climbed down and stretched. Cheshire went to the lake and drank deeply.
" We don't have far to go," Athene said. She pointed to the valley beyond the lake." That's the beginning of Yadessa. Valkar's throne sits in a city along the river. That's where I expect Balthazar reigns now."
" We have to go further on than that," Bronson told her. "The castle where I saw her was to the west, by another lake. Bigger than this one."
" I know that lake." She said as she sat down. " That would be Castle Zlenka in the middle of the lake."
Suddenly a thought came to her. He hadn't told her before it was Castle Zlenka. That castle was surrounded by water. How could he have seen the woman there? What would he have been doing that far out in the lake? Something was not right about his story. Now she was sure she had made a mistake coming here with him. She smiled at Bronson. Cheshire came and stood by her side growling. She ran her hand along his back trying to calm him. She could feel him tense up. Something was wrong.
"From here we have to go slow and be careful," Athene said. " There will be people looking for me."
" Why?" He asked. " No one knows yours here. We should be able to sneak right in without being noticed."
" You don't know much about us vampires do you?" She laughed. " Our senses are keen. We can feel the presence of each other. Soon Balthazar will know I'm here."
[ Cheshire, run!] She sent it to him. [Into the forest, get the others. Bring them to me. Go!]
Quickly Cheshire bolted into the forest and away brushing past the centaur.
" Wheres he going?" Bronson asked startled.
" I guess he's hungry and he's caught a scent." She said." He'll catch up with us later. Can I ask you a question?"
" Yes, fair lady. I'm at your service." Bronson reached into his shoulder bag and took something out. It was some kind of amulet. He put it on around his neck.
" Why are you helping me?" She asked. " You don't know me and have no reason to ally yourself to me."
" I suppose your pretty face isn't enough." Bronson grinned at her. " How about this. Your fathers paying me. With that, I can buy enough land to start a Centaur nation of my own. Have a castle and a court. No more running in herds for us. I'll be a king just like your father."
Athene stood and stepped away from him. Her anger and disappointment flared in her face.
" My fathers no king." She said. " He's an evil despot that rules by fear and pain. You think he's going to make you some kind of king? With what? I know many centaurs. They're honorable people. They're not going to follow a fool like you no matter how much land you have."
" We'll see." He said.
Athene spread her arms to shift and escape. Nothing happened. She tried to take her mist form. That didn't work either. She was trapped here with him. She looked around, ready to run.
" There's nowhere for you to get," Bronson told her. He pointed to the amulet he wore. " This prevents you from using your magic. I came prepared. You will ride on my back until we get back to Castle Zlenka. Then I will turn you over to Balthazar and get my reward. That will be the end. Let's go."

Not to far away in the bushes, Cheshire crouched and watched Athene and Bronson. He wanted to rush out and tear Bronson to pieces, but Athene had given him orders. He was to find the others and bring them to her, and that was what he would do. He had her scent and could find her no matter where Bronson took her, magic or not. Growling deep down in his chest, Cheshire watched as Athene mounted up on Bronson's back and he took off towards Yadessa. Cheshire turned and headed back towards the cottage. As he ran, he let out a piercing roar that every creature in the forest heard. It was a call to the others to let them know there was trouble.

High in the sky on Ariel's back, Toric rode in the search. Together with Pelic, Graym, and Jayce they spread out to search all of the lands between Yadessa and the cottage. On the ground, Valkar and Azeal in wolf form covered the ground. Suddenly Toric heard something. It was a call he knew. It was Cheshire's call.
" I hear Cheshire calling." He told Ariel.
[ Where is he?] She asked.
" Head over towards the lake." He told her. " And tell the others to meet us there."
Ariel tipped her wings and turned toward the lake slipping lower in the sky. Soon she was flying just above the trees and could see Jayce and the others coming to join them.
" There he is!!" Toric pointed to something they could see moving quickly through the forest.[Cheshire!!]
They all heard a roar as Cheshire ran into a clearing and reared up to greet them. Valkar and Azeal came running out of the trees as Ariel touched down. Toric jumped off her back as she shifted to her lovely elven from in her green tanned leathers. Together, she and Toric ran to Cheshire as Jayce and the Shadows landed with them. Pelic ran to them looking around for Athene.
" Where is she?" He asked. Cheshire roared as if he knew what they were asking.
" She's not here," Graym told him. " Look around."
Everyone spread out as they all began to search the area. Cheshire padded up to Pelic and tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. Pelic rubbed his head. Toric watch in wonder. He knew Cheshire was more than just an animal. But could he tell them where she was?
" He's trying to tell you something Pelic." Toric stopped him. From his eyes, you could see the worry. Pelic was scared he wouldn't get to her in time to save her. Cheshire read his fears and whined and pulled again.
" I think we should follow him," Valkar said. " Cheshire's one of us. Trust him."
Azeal knelt and rubbed Cheshire's neck. He looked him in the eyes
" Do you know where she is?" He asked.
Cheshire gave off an affirmative hiss. Then he looked back to Pelic and took off into the forest toward Yadessa.
" Follow him," Pelic said as he launched himself into the air after Cheshire. Quick as they could, everyone followed.