• The voice that whispered in Ryder's mind made her more desperate to reach it. She knew it was Rune, but she couldn't help herself. He must have done something to her. But, why had he healed her in the process? As she walked down the enormous halls of Eventide, she pushed students that were in her path out of her way.

    "Hey! Watch it!" Someone yelled at her, but she ignored them. They were insignificant, and she had somewhere to go. The pull was growing stronger as she walked faster, and soon she was running, her blood thundering in her ears. At one point, she ran into Phalen, and the fool had believed that she was running to him, but as she pushed him away, he gasped in surprise.

    "Wisteria! Where are you going?" He called after her, and soon he was floating next to her, his wings showing fully now. Ryder didn't have wings. Her mother hadn't either, and so she had inherited that gene. Though, she didn't want wings. They were ugly, and heavy, and a bit pain in the butt. Phalen had told her that on more than one occasion when he was drunk. Those days were usually when the anniversary of her mother's death were near.

    "Go away, old man!" She yelled, panting as her lungs and legs felt as if they would burst. But she couldn't stop. Even if she was practically reduced to a mere human, she had to go to him.

    Suddenly, she found herself floating, strong arms coming around her waist, and then she wasn't going anywhere. Twisting, she faced her father, who held her tightly. She wrestled in his grip, trying to escape. She needed to go! Had to! The pain of not being able to get closer to the strange pull and the voice was excrutiating!

    "Let me go! Let me go! I need to see him! I need to feel him!" She cried, tears beginning to course down her cheeks. Damn the spell Rune had put on her. Still, Phalen didn't let go.

    "Who? Who do you need to see?"

    "Rune!"

    She looked up to see her father frowning. "He tried to kill you, my love. Why do you want to see him?" Ryder shook her head, wiping her eyes and pushing at his chest.

    "I just need to...." She pleaded. There was a flash, darkness, and that all too familiar suffocating feeling. They had transported. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a strange, dark room, her father nowhere to be found. Looking around, she froze, spotting just who she had been looking for.

    Rune was sitting in a big chair by a fireplace. Eventide was very elite.....
    He smiled as she walked towards him, his hand reaching out for her.
    Before she could stop herself, Ryder threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hated it. It was disgusting. The man she had despised most of her eternity was now the only thing she cared about. Why did he do this to her? Did he really want to kill her that badly?

    "Oh? Miss me that badly?" Came his smooth, silky voice. Ryder closed her eyes and tucked her face under his chin. He smelled so good...No, no, no! She had to focus...yet, she couldn't let him go.

    His arms snaked around her, and she shivered. His touch felt nice. Yet, gross at the same time. It was almost too much for her.

    "Take the curse off, please." She whispered.

    "Are you going to release me of mine?" Now, that snapped her back into reality, and she pulled away to look at him.

    "Never."