****Paradise Sagas:  Book 1: Warriors of Paradise****

 

Chapter 7

 

     In the Cave of Dark Crystals, Lilith took a human form.  She was strongest here, surrounded by the dark crystals growing on the walls.

     Her servants bowed to her.  There were two of them. The female stepped forward, "The trap will be laid tonight.  We will have them soon."  She said, the dim light reflecting off of golden eyes.

     Lilith smiled, "You have done well, my servants.

     You shall be rewarded greatly, when I have taken the throne."  Lilith leaned to touch the wall with her perfect, long nails, "Soon, I will have what is meant to be mine."  She smiled as the mist enveloped them all.

 

          Rain and wind

          Water and snow

          Doth around my castle grow.

    

     She felt a cold wind whip by her and saw a gray sky gathering outside.  Her smile grew.

~*~*~*~

     The snow started falling roughly around the end of sixth period on Friday, the week after Lexa arrived.  As she walked down the hall, she looked out the windows, to watch the powder land on the ground.

     "Kind of weird isn't it?"  David's voice said from her other side, "I don't remember having snow here before."

     Lexa nodded, "I though we didn't get snow this far south."

     "Think something's up?"

     "Yeah.  I'll talk with Kendra about it.  I have science with her now."  She stopped outside the Science door, "Think we should call a meeting?"  She readjusted herself to look at the clock in the class.

     "Yeah.  I'll tell Kev and Daenna.  Let's meet by your locker after class."  David nodded, "I'd better go or I'll be late."

     "Have fun in History."  She called after him as he hurried down the hall.

     "Yeah right."  He called back, before he turned.

~*~*~*~

     "It's the strangest thing I've ever seen."  Denov looked out the window, "Snow!  I'm wearing shorts for cryin' out loud!"  He slumped down on his lab stool.

     "Do you think-” Kendra asked Lexa, before lowering her voice, "Lilith did this?"

     "I can't remember if she could control weather."  Lexa looked over her friend's head to see out the window.

     "Who?"  Denov asked.

     "This character in a book we read."  Kendra didn't miss a beat, and seemed bored with the subject.

     "Oh."  Denov sighed, and then went back to staring out the window.

     "Will Kendra Sandvinicha please report to the office for a phone call?"  A voice came over the loudspeaker.  Kendra looked up, surprised before she stood and left the room.

     Lexa read over the assignment while Denov continued to stare out the window.  Kendra came back a few minutes later.

     "My brother's sick."  She explained as she sat down, "Nothing major."

~*~*~*~

     The bell finally rang, sounding the end of the school day.  Lexa and Kendra took their time making their way to the lockers, only four apart from each other.

     By the time they got there, Daenna was leaning on the wall and Kevin was digging through his backpack.  David was nowhere in sight.

     "Where's David?"  Kendra spun the dial on her locker.

     "He said he had something to do.  He should be here in a minute."  Kevin stood up from his kneeling position, throwing his backpack on over his shoulder.

     Lexa glanced down the quickly clearing hallway.  Denov was way down, and he waved at her, before a girl approached him.  Apa Muudrade, Denov's stepsister.

     Lexa hadn't met her, but Denov talked about her.  Apa, what a weird name, she had told him one time.  Denov had laughed and said, "Lexa, now there's a weird name."

     She smiled back at him, before slamming her locker shut and leaning against it.  David appeared around the corner.

     "Hey Lexa!  Do you have the top on your jeep?  It's coming down pretty hard."

     "Yeah, I think so.  I put it on last night because I had to park it on the street."  Lexa closed her hand around her key chain, feeling the cold metal.

     "Well,” David began, "You know why we called this meeting.  We never have snow around here."

     "I think its Lilith."  Daenna got right to the point.

     "But Lexa can't remember if she has that kind of power."  Kendra slung her purple bag over her shoulder.

     "Her power is greater then when we had our first encounter, so long ago."  Lexa closed her eyes; "She can probably do a lot more damage now."

     Kevin nodded in agreement, "I wouldn't doubt it."

     "Can we talk about this somewhere else?"  Kendra looked down the corridor, where a group of people still stood.

     "Yeah, let's go out to the parking lot.  David began to lead the way.  Kevin glanced at Lexa before he followed.  Kendra rushed to join him.

     ~You know,~ Daenna's mind sent out a private thread of thought, ~They both like you.~

     Lexa gave a quiet, bitter huff, ~I'd hope they'd like me.  I like them.~

     Daenna raised an eyebrow, ~Man, you are blind.  I mean they REALLY like you.~

     ~No, not like THAT, I'm sure.~

     "You'd be surprised."  Daenna finished the conversation out loud before going out the doors of the building.

     Lexa stopped for a moment, before shaking her head and following her friends.

~*~*~*~

     After half an hour of discussion, the group reached no decent conclusions.  They decided to sleep on it and meet in the morning.

     "Be careful."  Lexa said as they parted.

~*~*~*~

     The call came at nearly 2:30 a.m.  Lexa flipped over to sleepily read the clock on her nightstand, before groaning and reaching for the phone.

     "Hello?"  She asked sleepily.

     "Lex?  Is David at your place?"  Kevin's voice asked urgently.

     Lexa sat up, "No…Is something wrong?"

     "David's missing."  At Kevin's words, Lexa felt as if the bed beneath her disappeared.

~*~*~*~

     Lexa drove to David's small house, where she met Kendra and Kevin.

     "Daenna said she's on her way,” Kendra gave Lexa a hug, "although she didn't sound very worried."

     "Where could he have gone, Officer?"  A woman's frantic voice asked.

     "We're not sure but we're doing the best we can."  Came a gruff reply.

     "I never knew his mom cared."  Kevin said sarcastically as he stepped up behind Lexa and placed a hand on her shoulder.  Lexa looked at him, about to reply.

     "Outta my way!"  A voice boomed.  Lexa felt Kevin's hand tighten.

     "Daenna's here."  Kendra flinched.

     "When I get my ha--" She smiled when she spotted them, "Oh, hi guys!"  She eyed Kevin's hand and winked at Lexa.

     Lexa stepped forward, shaking off Kevin's firm grip.  "This is no time to joke around."

     "What?"  Daenna made a mock innocent face, "Can't I be happy to see my friends?"

     Kevin rolled his eyes, "This is serious."

     "Yeah, I know.  But there's nothing the police can do.  Let's go."  Daenna turned.

     Kendra looked to Lexa, who could only shrug and follow.

~*~*~*~

     It was dark here, wherever 'here' was.  But he wasn't cold.  He was lying on her back, strapped down.  Waves of strange warmth washed over him.

     Where was he?  Another wave of warmth.  What was he doing here?  Another wave.  Where were his friends?  Another, stronger, wave.  WHO were his friends?  Another.  Who was he?

~*~*~*~

     She stood on top of the hill, looking down.  Her white skirt was flowing in the wind.  Where was David?  Her mind raced as she stared blankly at the snow-covered beach.  It was still falling, but she didn't feel the cold.

     Below her, Kevin sat with his head in his hands.  Behind her, Kendra waited silently, her blue skirt not making any noise.  Daenna was walking towards them, barefoot in the snow.  Her warriors.  Damn!  Where was David?  It just didn't feel right.

     She gripped the silver handle of her sword as she stared at the horizon.  It was only then she noticed one of the silver bracelets was missing.