• Chapter 1
    I felt different in the high heels. My dress was blood red, my heels black. I had no idea why I was here, but my friends forced me to audition for the solo song and I got it. Now I had to, sing Twilight in front of my entire school and more. It was my favorite song but I never had sung in anything like this in my entire life. I heard my name be announced and I walked out. My earrings dangled as I walked. My Red strapless attracted some never before heard whistles. I stood on the stage, the microphone in front of me the lights in my eyes. I heard the piano and the orchestra start. I took my breath and started.
    “I was stained with a role
    In a day not my own
    And as you walked into my life
    You showed what needed to be shown
    And i always knew what was right
    I just didn't know that i might
    Peel away and choose to see from such a different sight
    And I will never see the sky the same way
    And i will learn to say goodbye to yesterday
    And i will never cease to fly if held down
    And i will always reach too high
    'Cause i've seen 'cause i've seen twilight
    I never cared never wanted never sought to see what flaunted
    So on purpose so in my face
    Couldn't see beyond my own place
    And it was so easy to behold
    What could hold but you taught me i could change
    Whatever came within these shallow days
    And i will never see the sky the same way
    And i will learn to say goodbye to yesterday
    And i will never cease to fly..if held down
    And i will always reach too high
    'Cause i've seen 'cause i've seen
    And as the sun shines through and pushes away and pushes ahead
    It fills the warmth of blue and leaves a chill instead
    And i never knew that i could be so blind to all that is so real
    And as illusioned eyes i see there is so much to be revealed
    And i will never see the sky the same way
    And i will learn to say goodbye to yesterday
    And i will never cease to fly..if held down
    And i will always reach too high 'cause i've seen 'cause i've seen twilight
    I was stained with a role in a day not my own
    And as you walked into my life you showed what needed to be shown
    And i always knew what was right
    I just didn't know that i might
    Peel away and choose to see from such a different sight
    And i will never see the sky the same way
    And i will learn to say goodbye to yesterday
    And i will never cease to fly..if held down
    And i will always reach too high 'cause I’ve seen 'cause I’ve seen twilight”
    My heart pounded as the crowd applauded me. I saw a young man or a teenage boy in the back stand up, he held up his hand. I waved, he smiled and a bright light flashed. Everyone was gone; I was alone in the auditorium. Then a single set of hands started clapping.
    “Very good Angel. You’re something aren’t you?” I naturally took a step back. He smiled, “you don’t have to be afraid of me.”
    “Who are you?” I asked, I tried to make my voice strong but my body shook so much I couldn’t.
    “I am Abraxas,” he said his blue eyes glowing, I heard the power in his voice, and also the kindness. “And you are Angel, 15 years old and a member of the chorus, your mother and father are your adoptive parents and you have a sister named Kelly.”

    “I know that! But who are you?” He smiled at my fiery words.
    “Like I said I am Abraxas.” He nodded and I was back to being center stage, the crowd screaming. I bowed and walked off stage confused. My two friends, Katie and Sarah smiled and hugged me. Some of the stagehands were picking up a few flowers before the next chorus came up. I was still shaking. Did I dream that? Did it really happen? I sat down backstage I gripped my water bottle. I wasn’t drinking it. Questions flowed through my head, they wouldn’t stop. I looked up to Katie and Sarah, they were beaming, I shot them a weak smile.
    “You did great! Angel you were amazing!” Katie was ecstatic. Sarah was nodding her head with enthusiasm.
    “I can’t believe how awesome you are!” she squeaked as she ran off to join her chorus in line. Katie followed her, they were in the same chorus while I was in the one that performed first the higher arcie In the chorus world.
    My mind flittered to Abraxas, I don’t remember seeing him before, and I knew a lot of people. I wasn’t popular, never was, so how did he know my name? I still was sitting there in the middle of Katie and Sarah’s chorus’s second song. I stood up and walked to the auditorium main entrance, I sat in the very top row of the black stadium seating. They smiled when they saw me and I nodded when they caught my eye.
    I sighed as they left the stage. They’d hunt me down, might as well avoid them for as long as possible. I got up and slipped outside, it was early winter and they sharp air felt good.
    “Hiding from your friends?” I snapped around to see Abraxas, “I don’t blame you.” He was sitting on the bench, his feet crossed and a paper by his side.
    “Okay, you’re really starting to annoy me.” I said, shivering under my light dress.
    “Sorry, they sent me; I can’t go back until you agree to.” He stood up, “Are you cold?” his square face shifted from light happiness to worry.
    “I’m fine,” my teeth chattered and I knew I was defeated; He smiled warmly and took off his black Columbia,
    “Here” he said I accepted it; I’d rather have him than Katie and Sarah.
    “So someone sent you,” I raised an eyebrow at him. “I hope it’s not some horrible rapist cult.” He laughed.
    “It’s not; I was sent by, well people who need you.” He looked up at the dark night sky, O’Brian shone with an amazing force. “My people, they’re unusual, different than those here.” He seemed to be homesick as he looked into the sky, “They see things for what they are, not what they look like.”
    “In other words they get to know something before they judge.” I said. He nodded, his scraggly black hair swishing lightly,
    “They are amazingly kind; war does not come easily to them.” He sighed, “Then they came, the Broken, the enemies of my people.” His eyes glazed over, “Me and five others were sent away to grow up somewhere else. They all were sent here, to Earth. I was one and I was found by a monk he raised me, he knew who I was, he was sent to protect me and give me the push I needed to find you.” I looked up to him,
    “Find, me?” he smiled,
    “I thought it was weird at first too.”
    “So if I was this savior, what would I do? I’m not an all powerful girl I’m 15, I’ve never done anything.” He smiled, a bit of a fog coming out from behind his perfect teeth as he breathed gently.
    “What you did in there, the way you sang, you represent the voice of humans and animals, you are the voice of Mother Nature. You can take the elements and bend them, they trust you.”
    “You’re funny,” I smiled; I didn’t believe him at all. “Abraxas, what kind of name is that, it has a ring to it.”
    He frowned and looked to the door, “It’s Greek and we need to go.” He took my arm and led me away from the school. We hid behind a rock that was on the other side of the parking lot. “There is something in there, I can tell.” His eyes were searching a distant place. “I don’t get it,” he muttered. I rolled my eyes and stood up.
    “Whatever,” I started walking back to the school.
    “Angel, wait!” he stood up, his eyes wide, “Don’t!” I ignored him and kept on walking, this idiot wasn’t worth my time. I opened the door and walked it, I shed his coat and folded up, placing it at the door I walked back into the auditorium. There in front of me was an entire room full of people, they were all frozen, there was no sound the chorus’s mouths were open but no sound came out.
    I heard Abraxas behind me, “Angel!” I stood there unable to move, every little detail even a fly that hung in midair, was frozen.
    I turned around, my eyes staring coldly, “What have you done?!” I yelled, he looked at me just as cold.
    “Don’t go pointing fingers I didn’t do anything!” he snarled. Flames of anger erupted in his eyes, flames I hadn’t seen before.
    “You’re the magic one do something!” I snarled back, I took a crouch I had never taken before and lunged at him. I saw his eyes widen as he dodged me. I ran past him and turned quickly I started running back at him. Reaching out I took his neck in my hands and knocked him down. “You b*****d you did this to my friends!” I sat on his chest, his eyes bugged out as I cut off his airway. His hands reached up and tried to pry mine away, they failed.
    “Stop you foolish girl! You don’t want to kill him.” I looked up to see a woman standing there, she was albino, her eyes red her face and hair deathly white, her white cloak didn’t help her looks either. I released his throat.
    “Thank you Mother.” He gasped.
    “Mother?” I looked up to the woman. She smiled,
    “All the young ones call me Mother, you may too if you wish but that’s for another time young Angel, right now we need to leave.”
    “What about them?”
    “If we leave they will be safe now let’s go. I don’t want to miss O’Brian tonight he’s as bright as he’ll ever be.” She walked outside as I helped Abraxas up.
    “Sorry.” I murmured. He smiled,
    “It’s okay, you were scared and confused, I almost killed Mother one time.” He smiled at the memory and chuckled a bit. “But she’s right we need to leave, O’Brian is the only way we can go home.”
    “Umm excuse me, I’m like in no condition to travel, heels a strapless? Does this seem like the best way to say I’m home here to save the world?” Mother laughed.
    “Don’t worry dear you’ll get to Kal well enough in that.” I looked at her as she raised a staff I hadn’t noticed before.
    “Oh Gods and Goddesses of the sky grant us swift travel. O’Brian let us pass to Kal as we bring the newcomer Angel back to her true home.” She said to the clear and glittering sky.
    I felt a breeze pick up; it slowly became a large steady gust. Dust picked up around us and started changing colors pinks blues greens. It changed from dust to straight out light.
    Abraxas stood next to me, he was calmer now. He knew he was going home. The Aurora Borealis twister blocked the outside world. I felt the twister flip, toss and turn as we traveled to the city Kal. I edged closer to him, it was a natural thing for me to do, cower next to the big guy. I saw a smile creep up on his face as he noticed me getting closer. I didn’t open my mouth for fear of throwing up.
    I felt a jolt and the twister faded, a meadow lay around us, a forest not too far off. I felt my heels sink into the ground.
    “Crap,” I murmured taking them off. The cold dewy grass felt good on my feet. It was a different season here, I could tell.
    “Crap is right I thought we had more time than this.” Mother looked over to me, “as dawn breaks the sky and the constellations become harder to see its harder to travel from place to place. When its weaker it takes you farther and farther away from your destination we're about twenty miles from Kal right now."
    “Mother, which way is the city? There should be a village about five miles south if it’s to the north.”
    “I don’t exactly know.” She murmured. I was slightly scared, I was in the middle of a different world with a strapless on and no shoes, I would need some serious counseling.
    “Well from which direction does the sun rise?” I threw out there, it may have been spring but the chills had set in from the winter I had just left and I wanted some kind of fire.
    “The north, Mother she’s a genius! We just need to follow the sun!” now I was confused, but in a way I got it.
    Mother smiled warmly, “You are very smart Angel, thank you.” She looked to my feet. “You might need something on your feet if you wish to travel on the road, there are many rocks.” I groaned my feet were already covered with different blisters from the shoes and they were the only shoes I had.
    “I could carry her.” Mother laughed and shook her head.
    “Abraxas she may not be that heavy but she is still too heavy to carry five miles. I suggest that we walk south and she just puts up with it.”
    “What a way to treat one of your future heroes.” I smirked, she knew I meant well and she laughed.
    “Only one hardship you shall have to face dear one. Now let’s go the farther we get now the better chance we have of getting there sooner.”
    Walking was not fun in any way shape or form. My heel almost broke I pretty much did an entire gymnastics routine when I tripped over a rock and by the time we got to the village about three hours later my dress was really dusty.
    The village was small, they had somewhat modern houses or houses from what would be around the 1800s human time and they used horses and buggies. Mother smiled warmly to everyone. They smiled back and looked curiously at me. They then smiled and went back to their work.
    “Like I said they don’t judge.” Abraxas whispered to me as we wove through the streets and to a stall where some clothes are.
    “I’m going to need a dress now.” The woman at the stall nodded.
    “This one shouldn’t be too hard, a small size but not too small. I think Marianna will have the perfect one for you dear.” She had an English twinge to her voice. She beckoned me back to the house behind the stall and fitted me into a light cotton green and beige dress.
    “It’s a little big but it will do.” The woman said. She piled my clothes in a leather bag, gave me new shoes and brushed out my hair.
    “I would be happy to give you a braid if you don’t mind.” She offered me.
    “I’d love one thank you ma’m.” she twisted my hair back and sent me off. Mother gave her some gold coins and thanked her.
    “Now to find a few horses,” She said, “There should be a few around here somewhere,” she eyed us and noticed how tiered we were. “Go rest at the stream out that way; meet me at the tavern in an hour.”
    I thanked her silently and followed Abraxas to the stream.
    “Its nice here,” I said when I he sat down on the rock. I sat on the ground in front of the rock.
    “I’ve only been here four years but its home.” He smiled, I got lost in his hazel eyes.
    “Yeah, I already feel like I’ve been here my entire life.” I said dreamily Abraxas was nice, he seemed young but old at the same time.
    “You know, how do you know so much about me? The question was bugging me for a while.”
    “I’m a seer. I can see people at any time, I can see whatever I want to see whenever I want to see it, but only for short or for people I know. I’ve been watching you for about a month now. Learning what I could about you.” I stared at him only one thought crossing my mind. He saw my face and laughed.
    “Don’t worry I let you have your privacy I’m no pervert.” I laughed and relaxed. I whistled a soft tune; Mickey Mouse thing I’ve got a bluebird on my shoulder was my favorite part. As I whistled it a bluebird flew up. Then I started singing about chip and dale, just experimenting, and a few chipmunks came up.
    “Wow, I never thought you’d be able to call on animals for weeks.” I looked to him confused, “It takes a long time for people to perfect their abilities. Took me three years.” I smiled triumphantly.
    “Well looks like I’m better than you in both looks and power, better think about that next time you do something stupid.”
    He put his hands to his throat, “Already felt that.” I smiled and punched him lightly.
    “Like I said, I’m sorry.” He laughed again and whipped his hair out of his eyes,
    “Well, do it again and I’ll send you to a volcano.” He smiled,
    “I don’t think you would dare.” I laughed
    “I would.” I smiled,
    “Fine then, I’d just do this,” I grabbed a bit of water from the bubbling stream behind me and threw it in his face,
    “Hey!” he got up laughing and splashed me back.
    “New dress hello?” that only made him laugh harder, I got up and shed my shoes.
    “Well it’s your fault you started it.” I jumped into the ankle deep stream and splashed him again. He came in after me.
    We splashed each other for a while; he tripped a few times as I gracefully leapt from rock to rock. I sat down on the rock as he got up from his fourth fall. I couldn’t stop laughing.
    “You are so lucky,” he stopped, “never mind,”
    “What?” he just shrugged it off and sat next to me.
    “Well I don’t care; I needed that something that would make me laugh.” I looked to him and smiled “Besides we obviously have a long road ahead of us, those laughs should be scarce later.”
    He eyed me, and nodded, “Yeah training is tough, but it pays off.” We heard a whistle behind us and there stood Mother.
    “Found some good horses cheap. Let’s go the king is expecting us-and why are you all wet!” she stared at him.
    “He’s a klutz let’s leave it at that.” I said as I got on my horse, good thing I learned sidesaddle a few years ago.
    “Her fault,” he grumbled, as he got on.
    “Have fun being cold!” I yelled as I whipped my horse and we sped out of town. Things were a lot faster on horse; the scenery flew by about as fast as it did when you were in a car. I had a thin long legged thoroughbred; I led the group by about three lengths of a horse.
    “Will you slow down?!” I heard the muffled shout and looked back, Abraxas’s hair was flat on his face and Mother’s hair was flying behind her as she urged her horse on. I slowed my horse.
    “Sorry, Abraxas are you okay?” I nodded as he shivered,
    “I l-left my c-coat in t-the other w-world.” He said, I looked to mother,
    “Maybe we should take a break and let him warm up,” Mother shook her head,
    “No we must keep moving, come child we’re going to be there soon.” She sped off and I followed, I wasn’t relaxed until I heard the third set of hooves behind me. I looked ahead and crouched in my saddle, giving my horse more speed. I didn’t know why but I felt I had to get to Kal soon.
    I saw the city after about two hours of riding. It was huge, surrounded by a very tall concrete wall, with a gate that was wide open. The houses were square and bleak. The same color as the wall, grey. Depressing, but the stalls that lined the streets were bursting with colors and sound.
    “This place is I don’t know, its”
    “D-different?” I nodded and looked to him, he was shivering violently now, I was worried but I knew he would be by a fire soon, or under a blanket.
    “We must get to the palace quickly.” Mother said, there was pain in her voice, I looked to Abraxas he didn’t seem to notice anything.
    We weaved through the streets with no problem at all, the people moved out of our way quickly. Horses made things much better.
    “Where is the palace?” I looked around expecting a large castle.
    “It’s on the mountain above the city.” Mother said pointing to the large green mountain that overlooked the city. It was bright now that the sun was shining on it, but in the morning, I assumed it was very scary.
    “Up there?” I was amazed, you could see the top of the mountain no problem, and I would say it was more of a large hill, but I could see no palace.
    “It’s like the Great Wall of China, it snakes around the mountaintop.” Mother explained, I was starting to understand, there was an unusual grey string around the top, with large towers
    “We have about an hour or so left so get comfortable.” Abraxas smiled, flicking his somewhat dry hair out of his face.
    I snuck out a groan, my legs were hurting and I was tired from riding all day. I saw Mother smile slightly,
    “Come children,” Was all she said.
    The climb to the palace was long and steep. The path was well worn but there were many loose stones and it made me nervous, not to mention my horse. I had to keep singing sugar cubes and hay in a D scale. He seemed to like that.
    “Very nice, Angel,” Abraxas laughed. “we all love sugar cubes and hay.” I glared at him for sake of my horse and kept on singing. The trees became greener as we got higher, which I thought was weird, but did not pay any attention to it. I was in another world so I had no clue what to expect.
    The sun was noticeably closer to the horizon when we got to the main gate. A guard stepped out in front of me, he let Mother and Abraxas pass.
    “Name, stranger,” he said through his large mustache, I opened my mouth to respond when Mother cut me off.
    “She’s with us Troy.” He grunted and stepped aside, but his fat brown eyes followed me.
    “Angel,” Abraxas whispered, “Don’t speak to anyone until you speak to the king.”
    I nodded and looked down at my horse as Mother led us to a stable, a boy came up and offered to help me down, but Abraxas stood in his way. I felt myself blush a bit as he grabbed my waist and helped me down.
    My legs had been so used to sitting in a sidesaddle riding position that I pretty much collapsed when my feet touched the ground, but Abraxas quickly held me up.
    “Thanks, I’m sorry.” I tried to stand on my own but I had to reach to my horse for support.
    “It’s okay; you’re not used to riding.” He led me to the doors where Mother stood, she smiled at the sight of him helping me walk.
    “Looks like you’re ready.” Mother’s pale eyes were brighter than usual, “the king is waiting for us.” Abraxas held me steady as we walked through the doors. The inside was brighter than the cold outside. There were colorful tapestries all over the place. This hall was about as big as a middle school gymnasium, minus the basketball nets. The floor was stone with a small red carpet like rug running to the king’s throne.
    The king, middle aged but very handsome, black graying hair, a clean-shaven face and dark but intelligent brown eyes. His square “Rockish” face looked up to us and smiled.
    “Emily, Abraxas, and the newcomer. How delightful.” I was surprised at the name Emily I supposed that was Mothers name.
    “How do you do milord?” Abraxas bowed slightly, Mother stood straight up and smiled.
    “Very well thank you. Now who is this?” Abraxas opened his mouth, but I introduced myself.
    “I am Angel sire.” He smiled,
    “I supposed you are one of them?” I nodded, even though I was unsure of it all myself I said what Abraxas had said.
    “I am the voice of nature, sir.” He smiled,
    “Well a song would do nicely,” leaning back I figured he wanted me to sing.
    “Sire, I do not think that would be a good idea, I don’t know any songs of this world. I wish not to offend the king.” I was amazed at my words, but I stood strong.
    “I like this girl Emily!” he laughed, “Very well, tonight we feast, tomorrow we begin the work!” People who I assumed to be servants came in carrying tables, chairs, plates and cushions. They were all happy but they also had a look of worry about them it was strange. Abraxas still hadn’t let go of me, I gently pried him away from me, and sat down on the chair that waited for me. He sat next to me, always looking a little too protective.
    “Cool your jets Abraxas,” I hissed, he smiled and calmed down a bit, I glared at him and he smiled back.
    “I did, but something just doesn’t feel right.” His eyes scanned the room, they fixed on a servant. His breathing slowed as if he was sleeping, “I knew it.” He muttered. He picked up a knife.
    “Abraxas no.” I whispered, “Don’t do anything stupid.”