*Anatu* I waited for Merna to leave the bathing room. From there I followed her to her room. Making sure that no one was going to call on her I pushed her door open and barged in. Lunging forward I placed my hand around her neck, “you bitch!” I pushed her into the wall. Merna glared at my hands, “get off of me before you regret everything!” She hissed at me. “You have taken away the only thing I ever cared about!” I screamed into her face not caring if anyone heard me. Merna glanced at the door, with a flick of her wrist energy shot out of her hand, closing the door with a click. I had waited until Steve had fallen asleep knowing that he was going to need the rest before he departed from me. I could not get myself to rest. Knowing that father was being controlled by the viper. In a blink, Merna was able to get out of my choke hold and had me pinned against the wall. “Father will hear about this!” I hissed as I tried to get out of her hold. Merna was centimetres away from my face. “Listen to me you little spoiled brat.” Merna pushed more of my body against the wall as I wiggled around. “I am saving your MATE!” She pushed on my chest with her arm. “Mate!” I whispered the word. She knew! ‘Did she tell father?’ Merna pushed off my body, “no I didn’t tell your father! That is for you to do! I have only one question …” She gave me a twisted grin, “do you want to save Steve or see your sisters tear him to pieces?” Merna took a step back, “if he remains digging in the shit canal, they are going to deem him unworthy of you … they will shred him to pieces not realizing his importance to you.” She paused, “Zefer has already gotten wind of your PET! Alma just found out he is a shit digger. Think about it for a second … So you think Your sisters are going to allow you … their blood … to be with a shit digger? That is a flat line no!” “How do you know?” I might have come here with rage but now I was frightened I would lose my love. Merna tapped the side of her head. “Sending Steve to the mine is a step he needs to show he is a hard worker. In the shit canal, he is worthless. I can get him a position that is of notoriety. Give it a couple of years and he will be head of his own group. But if you do not let Steve leave, he is as good as dead!” “My father?” I was fiddling with my fingers.“If I were you, I would let him know soon … you saw what happened to your mother when she kept secrets!” Merna’s face softened. “You knew her pet was mothers mate?”I was covering my mouth with my hands. Merna inhaled and let the air out slowly, “I did not know what a mate was until your mother … that is how I figured out what Steve meant to you. He doesn’t know, does he?” I lowered my head in shame, “I had to earn his trust first!” I whispered, “I told him but Steve still does not fully trust me!” “Steve is a broken soul that is waiting for you to shatter what is left of him. Tell him everything! This will change everything for him. He will work harder to prove himself more than what he was led to believe.” She paused. “As much as you see me as a personal attack on you, I am the furthest threat from you.” “You are taking our father away from us!” My tone gave way to the real cause of my hatred. “That would be a you problem, not a me problem!” Merna opened the door with her mind. “You have no idea what I mean to your father and vice versa!” She glared at the door then me. Taking the hint, I left with my fist at my side. *Pierre* To my delight, the initiation was small, sweet and simple. The Master strolled into the hunter's quarters, all that were attending were prepared. I had asked Sadragon what was going to happen. He only said that he was forbidden from telling me what was going to happen. All of the trainers and leaders were there to witness me taking my oath to the Master. A part of me hated the idea of following any authority. If it were not for Sadragon, I would have declined and gone rogue, but my love for him was the only thing that was pushing me toward this act of submission. The Master was grinning at me, “Bowl!” He held out his hand. Studying the bowl he handed it back. Wematin presented the bowl and handed it to him. Looking at Wematin he held out his other hand, “Ceremonial dagger!” Sadragon stepped forward and placed the dagger in the Master’s hand. The Master glared at me. It was a cross from hatred and jealousy, “Do you Pierre swear to obey and honour me as your one and only Master?”I glanced at Sadragon, “I swear that I, Pierre, will obey you and only you! There will be no other Master but you.” The Master continued, “Do you, Pierre, swear to protect your king and land with your very life?” I thought about it, “Yes, I will protect your land with my life!” The Master pivoted towards Wematin, slicing the palm of his hand. He allowed blood to drip into the dish. Sadragon took the handle of the dagger and walked over to me, Wematin close behind him. With the blade, I repeated the same action. From the bowl a fire developed, hissing lasted for a minute then there was nothing but smoke. “It is completed!” The Master said to me, ‘are you able to hear me?’ I could hear the Master’s voice in my head. My expression said it all! The Master was chuckling, “It is always the same response to the gift that is given.” ‘This is how we communicate!’ Sadragon’s voice was in my head now. 'The closer you are with the person, like kin, you can be in a different realm and still speak with the intended person!’ “I do not think I will get used to this!” I stated out loud while everyone started to laugh. ‘Everyone says the same at the beginning!’ Wematin informed me by speaking in my mind. “Give it a try! All you have to do is picture the individual that you want to speak with in your mind, then you say in your mind what it is that you have to say!” Sadragon encouraged me to give this new trait a try. ‘Is this how Merna felt when she was communicating with the other side while walking down the streets?’ I tried to focus on Sadragon. ‘Others like Merna who were created with that gift so it would come naturally. This will take time but you will get a hang of it soon.’ Sadragon told me. ‘Remember one thing Pierre, when you are outside of the Masters domain, you will not be able to communicate with anyone that is within the borders. Only those outside can respond to you!’ Wematin said to me. Sadragon bobbed his head up and down confirming what was spoken. ‘The higher up in ranks you are the stronger you will be. Though since you are freshly recruited, the connection will be short distance.’ “Wait, you heard what Wematin said to me?” I asked Sadragon. “You can speak to just one person or the whole group. It depends on what you are wanting to do.” Sadragon informed me. “You will get used to it in no time!” Sadragon brought me close to his body and kissed me. Seeing this everyone in the area started to hoot and holler. Clearing my throat ‘bugger off!’ I told everyone, which only made everyone start to whistle and holler more. Sadragon nodded once to Wematin, “I have to start my assignment, I have left a bag of supplies if you are called for an assignment of your own. I will see you when I have completed my task!” With a passionate kiss goodbye, Sadragon rushed to his domain and left just as fast with his supplies. While everyone sent Sadragon off, the other glared at me, “the ring!” I yelled, ready to spar with someone. *Merna* I was doing my tasks! All day long I had fuming stares. The energy of spit was directed at me from all directions. From serfs to head mages, everyone wanted a piece of me. The only thing that was stopping them was their Master. The feeling of being watched had my eyes darting left, right up and down. Scouting the location I could not find the source of this uneasy feeling. I was heading on my route around the border when the feeling kept on getting stronger. Turning the corner to head on the route, the source of the uneasy feeling jumped in front of me. A female roughly around my age in appearance, slender in build, brown eyes with long wave long hair. Her skin shimmered as the light streamed from the canopy above us. “I do not have much time …” She glanced back and forth making sure that we were alone. Placing one hand on my shoulder, “have you had anything to eat yet?” I glared at the hand that was on me, “No!” I replied. “Get your hand off of me!” Taking her hand off of me she shuffled her hand around the satchel that was hanging off of her left shoulder, pulling out an apple she handed to me, “here … you must be starving!” ‘Do I look like a bloody fool?’ I thought to myself. Taking the apple from her, the source of where this food came from danced around in my head. The words of her master danced around in my head. ‘Pappavar!’ I didn’t respond as I studied the female serf to the apple. “You do not have to worry the Master here will not know! The apple is not from him!” She told me with a sweet smile on her face. “Oh and I also know where the pathway is so that you can leave this dreadful place.” ‘Funny I already know where it is!’ I raised my brow, “really!?” I acted as if I did not already know where the passageway was. I glanced back and forth, mimicking her behaviour from earlier. “Come with me!” The serf grabbed my arm. “The hunters will be here soon!”Pulling me towards the Western region, “are you sure that we will not be caught?” I kept my tone low with no hint of suspicion. “The Master here doesn’t have his hunters roaming here so we are safe.” The female told me. Internally I was laughing, I knew exactly where the hunters were located. I had changed the routine realizing that somehow spies were getting past security. Chaos and his sons were the only ones who knew about the changes. Each brother was tasked to gather a group of those who were trusted. Then it was my task to stroll by them and make sure that they were not hidden spies. After that was done, they roamed the areas that I felt needed more attention. This was one of the locations! “Are you …” I darted my eyes around looking for any sign of one of the hunters, “sure that you … we are safe?” I attempted to leave my tone flat and emotionless. “Yes!” She turned back to me to make sure that I was near her. I followed her wanting to know how she was getting in and out of this place. After what seemed like five hours of walking the energy started to shift letting me know that this section was no longer under Chaos’s control. Bending over I picked up a rock that was slightly bigger than my hand. Picking up my pace I was an arm's length away from the female. The female started to turn towards me, “The portal is just …” She began. As she was pivoting towards me I struck the female in the head with the rock. Tumbling to the ground, the serf lay there not moving. I turned and went back to the border. I thought about Ashur, I knew it was his turn to be in this region, ‘I am at the border on the West side, there is a pick up on aisle one that needs to be delivered to the dungeons!’