Two uneventful months would pass until one not so sunny day, a paper flyer managed to reach the cabin. Janus has awoken quite early that day, intent on finding something his bird had hinted at wanting. As he left the porch of the cabin, he was somewhat surprised and amused to see a piece of God-awfully bright, neon orange paper tumbling down the drive toward a cabin on a gentle breeze. Figuring this paper must have some important message to have traveled this far from the city, he trotted toward it and snatched it up. His eyes widened as he read the message. Printed in bold, black letters, the text read, “Coronation! Em’bar 25th! The Delphin Society will live again!” then continued with the time the ceremony was to happen and where it could be watched. He folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. Hopefully, he could run his errand and return before Snowhawk awoke.
However, he didn’t make it back in time. Snow’s eyes fluttered open soon after he had left. She lay where she was for almost an hour before deciding to sit up and beginning the daily battle of deciding if she should even get out of bed. She’d been very tired over the last two weeks. She knew what it was but hadn’t said anything. A sharp breeze howled over the roof and she looked at the ceiling. “Hint, much?” she mumbled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, then standing some twenty minutes later. “Wonder where he’s gone off to…” she mused, wandering toward the nearest television and couch. She flipped on the TV as she passed by, then flopped down on the couch, sinking into the soft cushions. After a minute of searching, she found the remote control and surfed to one of the educational channels she often watched. “Ooh, lightning,” she mumbled, still half asleep. She watched the show, comparing what it was telling her with what she already had in her mind from other sources, until she drifted back to sleep on the couch.
Some three hours later, she was awoken to the feeling of a pair of hands sliding around her neck and what felt like velvet between them. “A gift for you, love. You said you’d like one,” Janus half whispered.
As he pulled his hands back, she reached up and felt a velvet choker studded with a few small gems. “Oh!” she quietly gasped. “Thank you!” She reached up and hugged him, giving him a soft nuzzle, quite glad he remembered she’d mentioned something like this one day as she looked at the scar on her neck.
“You okay, love?” he asked, concerned. “You’ve been so quiet the past couple weeks.”
“I’m fine. My body’s just preparing for something.”
“What?”
“A child.”
Janus held her as he sat in stunned silence for a moment. “Snowhawk–”
“It wouldn’t be a repeat of my last pregnancy.” she added quietly.
It should be known that Janus had mixed feelings about children. While he did want them, eventually, now was most likely not the proper time. Especially with the news he had discovered earlier. “Love–”
“If you’d rather not, I’ll understand.”
“Love, it’s not that. I don’t know if now is the right time or not. With what’s going on in the city right now, I’d worry it might place you under too much stress.”
“What’s going on?”
Janus mentally smacked himself. She probably had not been awake for any of the local news, and he had taken the flyer with him. He pulled away from her slightly and removed the folded paper from his pocket. After opening it up, he handed it to her. “This is what’s happening.”
Snow’s jaw dropped as she read. “This is tomorrow.”
“The city is being prepared now. But apparently, no one knows who will be at the head.”
“Nytehawk, most likely.”
“What about you?”
“They would have to drag me out of here unconscious. I have no intention of leading, especially a Society that’s died once before.”
“Are you thinking history will repeat itself?”
“Considering the leaders never changed how they ruled, even at the end, yes. Times have changed. The Society’s been gone for how many hundreds of years now? Very few remember it anymore. They’ve all died, or forgotten. A few of us have memories of the past that were never told to us by anyone.
“You included?”
“Of course, I’m one of the Royal line, though I never understood why I had the memories until you mentioned it. I’m haunted by nightmares of her, rather my, death. Darkness, night I’d guess. A fire. Men, humans mostly, with weapons. Cuts on my arms, blood pouring down my back, a gash on my right thigh. Part of my horn was gone, broken off. Then, I’m hit by one of them and that’s where the nightmare ends and I wake up.”
Janus thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I remember hearing a tale from one of the old men that had served in my family’s army of a Delphin that died like that. Silver fur, black points, deep blue mane and tail, and the rare black dorsal stripe that’s almost impossible to find today. Black feathered wings. Her horn was emerald and her eyes colored like sapphire.” He paused for a moment. “She was a fighter by choice. She was supposed to be the Society’s leader, but refused. She was captured one evening while out by herself. They tortured her, trying to get information. All she did was laugh and taunt them. One of the men lost control and hit her in the back of the head with the butt of his gun.”
Snowhawk nodded slowly, then sat for a few minutes in silence. “I wonder who the hell instigated this,” she said, not really questioning.
“Hmm?”
“The rebuilding.”
“Could it have been possible for Legacy to have spoken with someone before he came to get you?”
“I’m sure he did,” she shrugged. “He always had a big mouth.” She sighed and looked out the window for a few moments. “I thought my fighting ended two years ago.”
“I know love, I know.”
Snowhawk sighed quietly. Her mind was nagging her with a single thought: What if Legacy hadn’t been killed and that he was alive now. It was a well known fact that often after having a horn broken, a Delphin would change in coloration and appearance as a human. She would be able to recognize him, but most likely only by scent. If that was the case, then no one else would know who he was since they didn’t know the scent intimately. “Do you think–” she trailed off.
“What?”
“That it could be possible that Adian didn’t kill Legacy.”
Janus didn’t really know how to respond. “Adian never would have thought to actually make sure he was dead before he left. So, there is the possibility. It was a closed-casket funeral, was it not?”
Snowhawk nodded. “They said they couldn’t get the blood out of his fur.”
“We may just have a ghost on our hands then.”
“Only he’s not dead. Which would make him all the more dangerous. Almost every Delphin that survived a broken horn turned–” she paused, looking for the right words. “It’s like whatever darkness they have in them takes over.”
“Their appearance changes as well, does it not?”
“Yes. Scent too, but, someone that knew the scent–” she paused again as she searched for the kindest wording, “Someone that knew their original scent intimately would be able to confirm.”
“How close would you have to be to know for certain?”
She didn’t respond for several minutes, looking away from him. Then finally answered, “Too close.”
“Tell me, love, please.”
“Close enough to sleep with him,” she shuddered. “A risk I’d prefer not to take.”
Janus was silent for a moment, then squeezed her tightly. “No one’s going to make you, love.”
*********
The following evening in the city, species of all kinds gathered to show support for the rebirth of the Delphin Society. The remaining members of the Guardian Counsel appeared to crown the new leader of the society, and commend her Guardian for his work. After a long, drawn out, and somewhat boring speech by the Counsel leader, the crown, which in all actualities was an elaborate tiara, was placed on Nytehawk’s head and she stood overlooking her new subjects as they applauded. Once their applause died down, she began speaking to them, her voice strong, clear, and powerful. “I thank you all for being here. Today, we celebrate the rebirth of the Delphin Society. This is for what I pray to be the good of all beings. And so, I say to you now that we will not tolerate the enslavement of our kind or any other race. This is an issue that will no longer be sluffed off as a problem for the so called ‘lower classes.’ I have been there, I was born into that life. Yet here I am, free. Many of you have been slaves as well, yet you stand here, free from the bounds of your owners. This problem will not be taken lightly and we will see to it that no other race has to suffer our pain.” By the time she reached “suffer,” her words were nearly drowned out by the crowd. Knowing that their enthusiasm would last for hours, she gave them a bow of respect after several minutes, then headed off toward a waiting vehicle.
Once inside, she flopped down, leaning back against the seat. “Well, that went well. Wouldn’t you agree, Jerome?” she asked the other as he climbed in.
“Yes, but no one reported seeing Snowhawk,” he replied as he sat down across from her.
“Didn’t figure she’d come.”
The opposite door of the vehicle opened as Jerome reached to close the one he entered through. Hunter slid inside and next to Nytehawk, closely followed by the head of security.
The head of security had appeared one day some eighteen months ago, intent on helping with the rebuilding. He was a mysterious fellow, only giving his name, Quillen, and his age, twenty-three. “You intended on seeing her, did you not?” he asked.
“I did.”
“They why not use the power at hand and retrieve her? We do know where she is.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“Always.”
“Then do it. That bastard’s kept her away far too long.”
“Nyte,” Jerome began, “what are you going to say this is?”
“A raid. Proof we will not stand for any slavers. Should word get out, that is. Which I trust it won’t,” she said warningly.
“Snowhawk is hardly a slave anymore, and Janus is hardly a slaver anymore, if at all. She’s there because she wants to be.”
“Do you really believe that, Jerome?” Quillen asked. “That someone would willingly stay with a known slaver.”
“Yes, Snowhawk has her reasons for staying.”
“What? Love? He’ll only hurt her. Use her to his own ends.”
“I would have to disagree with you.”
“Why?”
“I know Snowhawk. Better than most would think.”
“‘Once a slave, always a slave,’ is that not what goes through her mind? And as for Janus, once a slaver, always a slaver. He’ll slip up and she’ll see that.”
“I won’t give him a chance to harm her,” Nytehawk stated. “Quillen, once you are ready, take your team and retrieve her. I don’t care about the cost, just bring her back to us.”
Quillen nodded in response, “I will.”
They pulled into the garage of the recently renovated estate, the home of the reborn society’s leader. Quillen stepped out of the vehicle first, followed by Jerome, then Hunter and Nyte. “Where’d you get the ribbon in your hair, Quillen?”
“What does it matter?”
“Just has a very familiar color. Like one of Snowhawk’s ribbons.”
“So what are you implying, Jerome?”
“That you have some ulterior motive in this. Your own personal reasons for wanting her around.”
“And if I did?”
“Then you’ll wind up the same as Janus’ brother.”
Quillen smirked. “I wouldn’t worry to much about that.”
“Then you’d be a fool,” Nytehawk added in.
“We’ll just see. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a mission to complete,” he smirked, then promptly vanished into the garage’s shadows.
“I’m somewhat suspicious of him,” Jerome stated.
“As long as he does his job, that’s all I’ll ask of him.”
*********
Quillen quickly walked down the hallway toward his quarters. He could have this planned out and underway in less than two hours. Two hours and he would be on his way to being able to touch her again, to hold her, to kiss her. It had been far too long since he could. “I refuse to let that son of a bitch win,” he growled as he turned into his room. The door was closed and locked, then he sat down at his desk and began to make his phone calls.
*********
Back at the cabin, Snow awoke in the middle of the night to moonlight illuminating her room. She smiled softly and slipped away from Janus, quietly walking to the window and looking to the night sky. She felt the opened the window, finding the night to be unseasonably warm, the night air filled with the scent of earth and fallen leaves. She glanced back to Janus, then deftly slipped out the window and hopped to the ground.
Outside, she wandered into the forest toward a small pond she knew to be surrounded by honeysuckle and the tiny wild roses she enjoyed so well in the summer. She soon came upon it and stopped at a natural arch of dried honeysuckle vines. She crawled under the arch and lay down, soon drifting to sleep. A dream crept into her mind, one of a fourth child, a girl this time, and one she could actually raise. The dream sent a bittersweet tear down her face.
A moment later, she felt something she hadn’t felt in two years. Not a feeling of movement, per se, but just knowing. A feeling of life. Her eyes snapped open and she sat straight up. “Shit.” She searched for the feeling again now that she was awake. However, she could no longer sense it. She blinked a few times, then lay back down and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep. She never knew when a deep, dreamless sleep overtook her.
*********
Back at the cabin, Janus awoke alone. “Snowhawk?” He felt where she had been, finding it to be still slightly warm. She had not been gone long. He then caught the scent of earth and leaves through the open window. Sitting up, he climbed out of the bed, then walked toward the window. He could also smell her scent here, then leading out the window. He exited the cabin as she had earlier, then followed her scent through the forest, soon realizing where she was headed.
He reached the pond and could see her across it, asleep under the natural arch. Such a beautiful image, he thought. He watched as she suddenly sat up, then went back to sleep a moment later. Soon after she drifted back to sleep, however, a darkly-clothed figure emerged from the forest and stalked toward her. The figure knelt next to her and appeared to touch a spot on her neck, just behind her jaw. Janus growled and ran toward the figure. He neared the dark one and lunged at him, but soon found himself tossed to the water’s edge. “Leave her be,” he growled.
“I can’t do that, slaver,” a male voice returned. “I’ve been given orders to bring her back.”
“Then I guess you never thought she might not want to go back.”
“Hard to believe, wolf. Now,” the man began as he picked up the Delphin-formed Snowhawk as if she weighed nothing, and grinned, “I’d suggest not following me. Never know what might happen to her.”
“The least you can tell me is who you are so I’ll know who to kill.”
“The name’s Quillen,” he replied, then turned and ran into the forest. “This time, Snow, I’ll make sure you’re safe. And that you’ll never leave me again,” he whispered to her as he swiftly moved through the trees. After a half hour of walking, he reached the rest of his team, then climbed into the back of an SUV, setting her beside him. “Go,” he instructed the driver, then flipped a switch and closed off the rear of the vehicle from the driver’s compartment. A moment later, he lowered the divider again and instructed the driver to take a meandering route through the city. He needed to finish up a few things with Snowhawk before they got back. The driver gave an affirmative response and Quillen again raised the divider.
He folded the rear seats down, then placed Snowhawk on her stomach. After finding a specific spot on her neck, he ran two of his fingers down either side of her spine to the bottom of her shoulder blades, resulting in her shifting to her human form. He carefully turned her onto her side, facing him, leaving his hand on her hip. He touched her throat again, as he had earlier, only on the opposite side. A grin crept across his face as her eyes fluttered open. She slowly awoke and began to piece together where she was, or rather, was not. “Hello, love,” Quillen said to her, touching her face. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”
“Who–” she slowly began, pushing herself up on her arms. The man greeted her semi-upright form with a long, deep kiss. Her eyes immediately snapped open ad she tried to pull away, but he held the back of her head too tightly. She clinched her eyes shut and could do little more than wait. When he finally broke the kiss, she broke away from him and attempted to merge with the vehicle’s opposite wall. “Who are you?!”
“I’m hurt you wouldn’t remember me, love,” he grinned as he slowly moved across the vehicle to her. He gently took her chin in his hand and leaned toward her. “But I have a few ways to make you remember.” She gasped as he leaned to kiss her again. He moved over her, a leg on either side of her, pinning her legs down, then held her arms down. Quillen laughed as she whimpered. “Still nothing? Do I have to get closer to you? Poor thing can’t remember. And at such a critical point too.” Her eyes widened at this. “Did you think I wouldn’t be able to tell?” One of his hands left her arm and he gently rubbed her stomach. “Really love, you underestimate me.”
“Why are you doing this?” she half cried.
“You left me, Snowhawk. Yes, he captured you, but you left me. You were never going to come back.”
She began to piece things together now, then gave a ragged sigh as tears of realization rolled down her face. “Legacy.”
“Precisely, dear bird. Though everyone knows me as Quillen now. If you value your wolf’s life, you won’t let anyone else know.” The hand on her stomach slid around to her back and rested just above her rear. He grinned as he spoke, “Especially that bitch of a cousin of yours. You’re not getting away from me this time, love.”
“You were dead. Adian killed you.”
“Almost dead. That stupid wolf never thought to check.”
“So whose idea was this? Yours or Nytehawk’s?”
“Her’s, with a bit of assistance from me.”
“And she really doesn’t know?”
“No. Neither does our son. He’s been asking about you, you know. Really interested in meeting you.”
“Regardless of how his mother was brought back against her will, I’d assume.”
“Don’t be so harsh, love.”
“Fuck off. You realize you’re a thousand times worse than Janus all those years ago.”
Quillen growled lowly at her and the hand on her back wrapped itself into her hair, and he forced her to look at him. “I am a thousand times better than that bastard will ever be.”
“Are you now?” she asked, her eyes full of contempt.
“He will never take you back,” he stated, then pulled her into another forced kiss.