• Aislinn watched in a near panic as Cam readjusted the knife, this time to stab instead of slice. She couldn't just sit by and do nothing while Eric was tortured to death.

    "Stop, stop!" Aislinn yelled as she dropped from her branch. She mostly fell rather than climbed down, almost decapitating herself on some of the branches as she went. She had been high enough that it took her a second to crash all the way to the ground.

    When she reached the ground Cam had stepped a little away from Eric, not enough for him to not be a threat but Eric wasn't in immediate danger. Aislinn took a step toward him but stopped. Cam was examining her with a delighted smile as he moved toward her.

    "Stay away from me!" Aislinn said threateningly as she stepped back. it was an empty threat since she couldn't control her powers, and she was pretty sure Cam knew it. "What do you want iwth us?"

    "No, no just you. I just want you," Cam said matter-of-factly. "Your brother sent me, and he's quite anxious to have you back. Your boyfriend over there can leave once I have you."

    Aislinn glanced over at Eric, who was already pale from blood loss. She didn't want to give herself up but she couldn't see an alternative. She could see Eric still struggling weakly. She needed to move fast if she wanted Eric to still be in any condition to get help. She stepped toward Cam, defeated.

    "I'll go with you without a fight, just let Eric go," Aislinn said tiredly. She saw Eric's look of shock as he started to struggle with renewed energy that soon died away. "But you have to let Eric go first before I go anywhere."

    Cam looked Aislinn over with greedy eyes that made her feel dirty and she barely managed to repress the shudder rising up. "All right, I'll let the loser go. But first," Cam snapped his fingers and Aislinn felt something slimy wrap around her leg. She screamed as she was suddenly bound hand and foot and hit the ground.

    She tried to get up, tried to struggle, but she was suddenly so tired and drained it was all she could do to keep her eyes open. She looked over at Eric, who was suddenly free, but he didn't get up, only laid there panting. Her view was suddenly blocked by Cam's legs as he stood over her. She slowly looked up toward his face and shuddered. He was looking at her with those dirty eyes but htis time with a nasty sneer. She wanted nothing more than to grind his face into the ground, but she couldn't see to summon the energy to sit up, let alone stand.

    "I know how Raelyn work. You need energy from your own body to use your elements, but I've already managed to drain you dry," he said arrogantly. "And more importantly I know how your specific elements work. So long as I don't stress your system, they won't activate. Now while you go on a trip to sleepy land," Aislinn felt another huge drain on her energy as her eyes started to close, "I'm gonna go have some fun with your boy toy over there. He's pretty much spent, but I'm sure I can find something to do with him," Cam chuckled darkly as he turned toward Eric.

    "N-no..stop......," Aislinn slurred. She tried to do something but she felt her body relax and her eyes close. How could this be happening now, when they had just managed to escape? She started slipping into sleep, knowing that when she woke she would be back in a cage that she wouldn't escape from.

    Aislinn started slipping into sleep, knowing that when she woke she would be back in a cage.

    Hmph, silly girl if you wanted help, all you had to do was ask, a female voice rang inside her head. Aislinn felt a jolt go through her and her body flooded with energy. She sat up as the shadows holding her down disintegrated in small flames. You might want to help out your friend, the voice prompted. Aislinn turned to see Cam standing over Eric, having completely forgotten about her, with a knife poised to slit Eric's throat.

    "No!!" Aislinn yell, distracting Cam. She made a sweeping gesture at him and a huge gale whipped up around them, moving Cam back a couple feet from Eric. Cam's eyes widened when he realized it was Aislinn attacking him now. She felt as if she was seeing and feeling things in a different light. She could see the air currents around her and feel the heat more intensly. She was even more aware of the moisture around her. It was if the voice in her head had woken her up to new sights and sounds.

    Revel in your new senses later. He's getting ready to attack, the voice said urgently. Aislinn snapped into focus as Cam got his wits back and charged her. He had a dark aura surounding him and the shadows roiled around him as he ran toward her. The shadows rose up like tentacles from the ground and whipped toward her, moving with unreal speed.

    Aislinn felt the voice guiding her powers and showing her what to do, as she called heat to her hands. Her arms burst into flames, her sleeves burned away but her skin remained untouched as the fire moved down her arms to focus in her hands. She threw the balls of fire at the shadows and they exploded on contact, ripping the shadows apart and surrounding Cam like a mist. He simply steped out from underneath the cover of fire and threw a contemptuous look at Aislinn.

    She felt the same slimy sensation again crawling up her leg. She looked down to see her legs were completely black from the shadows trying to bind them. Again she felt a drain on her energy but it was not as powerful as it had been before. She leaped away from the shadows propelling herself ten feet off the ground and stayed there. Aislinn gaped at the ground that was far below her feet, expecting it to come rushing up at her any moment. Cam looked at her contemptuously which fueled her anger. All around her, water started to condense rapidly into softball-sized spheres. With a flick of her wrist the water balls went flying in all directors. Most went in useless directions, running harmlessly into the ground or the trees; but atleast twenty of them went straight for Cam.

    He tried to sheild himself but was too slow. He was knocked off his feet from the speeding balls of water hitting him like a ton of bricks and landed flat on his back. Aislinn landed and moved toward him as Cam pushed himself up. She could see bruises already forming as she gathered what was left of her power to imobilze him. She breathed in and blew a gust of icy air toward Cam. The water on and around him instantly froze in solid ice holding him fast.

    Cam struggled for a moment but then relaxed, as calm as he had been when he first appeared. His lack of fear or anger made her suspicious, but Aislinn still approached him, her body tense for whatever he planned. Cam smiled slightly as she watched him but nothing attacked her.

    "Why did you attack us?" she asked trying to sound authoritive and commanding.

    "That's a stupid question. I told you before we fought, that your brother sent me," Cam sneered. "I would've thought you would come up with a better question."

    "Shut up! It's not as if I could make a lst while we were fighting," Aislinn said defensively.

    "You couldn't have come up with some other obvious question?" he shot back.

    "I said 'shut up!' I'm the one asking the questions," she said angrily and Cam fell silent with a smug expression on his face, "How did you do that with the shadows?"

    Cam rolled his eyes at what he thought was yet another absurd question. "The same way you 'do that' with the fire and water you shot at me. Anymore stupid questions?"

    Aislinn grittted her teeth. She wasn't going to rise to the bait this time and give him the satisfaction. "You called me a Raelin before. What is that?"

    His eyes filled with genuine shock and he gave her an incredulous look. "Your brother told me that you weren't filled in on all the details, but I thought you would atleast know the basics," he shook his head in disbelief. "That's too big a subject for me to tell you about."

    Aislinn waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she advanced toward him threateningly. "You better tell me or I'll-"

    "Or you'll what, kill me?" he asked. "That's a laugh. You don't have the midnset to take a life. I think I've learned enough. It's time I was leaving so I cam tell my superiors that you've figured out your powers."

    "You're not going anywhere. If you haven't noticed already, your frozen in place," she said smugly and shrugged in a careless sort of way. "You can try if you want but I don't think you're going anywhere."

    "Oh don't worry, I'll manage," Cam said with a small smile. Suddenly his whole body turned black, even his clothes turned balck and he seemed to sind into the ground. Aislinn starred dumbfounded at the frozen place that he had been two seconds ago. She heard a chuckle behind her and whipped around to see Cam a few feet away.

    "Don't worry I'm not going to attack you," he scowled, "I've had enough of you to last me weeks. I'm sure someone will come along to give you more information but I rather like the idea of leaving you in the dark. See ya later, or not." With that he disappeared into a shadow and was gone.

    Aislinn glared at the spot where Cam had been until she heard someone groan. "Oh my gosh, Eric!" she gasped as she remembered her fallen friend. She rushed over to Eric to see that he was pale and his arm was covered in blood, as well as the ground around it. "Hold on, I-I'll get you help," she said as she stood. She would scream until someone came or find a pay phone. She started to go but Eric grabbed her. So much weaker than what it should of been, his hand stopped her. She jumped not having realized he was even concious.

    "No...help," he ground out. "I don't...want help. I'll be fine."

    "You will be fine after I get you to a hospital. You've bee gushing blood for three minutes for Pete's sake," Aislinn argued as she ripped off one of her sleeves. She needed to stop the bleeding or atleast slow it down before she got help.

    "I'm not...going," Eric said with some of his old fierceness.

    "The hell you arn't. You're going if I have to dr-"

    Stop argueing, he will only waste what little energy he has left. I will help you. Water can be used to heal as well as to hurt. Call it to you, the voice in her head interrupted. Aislinn concentrated, trying to call water to her. She succeeded in part, as about a cup of water condensed in the air infront of her. She felt a sigh in her head as the voice said, That will have to do. We are both low on energy. Now what you do next...

    Aislinn followed the voice's instruction, as she directed the water onto Eric's wound. The water glowed slightly as the slash under it sealed back up. As soon as the slash was healed, the water disapated and it looked like Eric had some color back. She smiled slightly as he sat up slowly and looked at his arm critically.

    "Are you alri-" Aislinn started but exhaustion hit her like a flood. For a second she thought Cam was back, but she realized that she was just tired. She vaguely heard Eric ask if she was alright. She tried to mumble that she was fine, but she was already unconcious.