I can hear Petey and Devil’s Flat discussing something behind me, but I only have eyes and ears for the monstrosity before me. It is no way to think of Ash, but it is what he’s been turned into.

“Ash,” my voice speaks of its own accord, repeating his name as energy flows from my fingers to his broken and battered body.

“Are you ssure healing it iss wisse?” the Flat hisses in my ear.

“It’s Ash,”my voice breaks upon his name as tears threaten my eyes. “They transformed him a, a, day ago. I have to reverse it.”

I have to. If I don’t, there is no hope. And if there is no hope, then why should I live? His eyes are blinking open and I lean my forehead to be near his.

“Link with me, Ash.” Tears from my eyes fall upon his darkened skin. “I can’t fully heal you unless you link with me.”

The fire that I’ve banked in our meadow, flares up. I dare to hope that he’s the one who stoked it, though I fear what I read in his eyes. His lips meet mine and I can feel the violence of his teeth. The fire explodes leaving no cinders with which to rekindle the flame. He pulls back and licks my blood from his lips. My heart cracks. There is no love in those eyes, only lust.

Stepping back can’t be done. I’ve healed him too well and his arms have encircled me. I am a captive to my own stupidity. It’s not fair! Love should conquer all. Why can it not conquer this...

“Impressive don’t you think?”

A voice calls from behind Ash.

“What would you know about it Sshanahan?” Devil’s Flat hisses at the wizard.

“Only that he was a very tough subject to work with; very stubborn. But he seems to have finished his wings by himself.”

“So that is Ash?” Petey’s incredulous.

Ash smiles at me, eyes gleaming. The conversation is cut off by the beating of his wings.

“Ash?” I sob.

I am shaking as we climb higher and higher. I know I have wings, but I have never learned to use them. Fear of falling makes me cling to his grotesque body. A roar of triumph belts from his lungs. The horde answers him as he swoops with me over the battlefield.

~Morgan!~

I hear Dad’s voice, faint, though his mental cry is strong. Before I can answer, darkness blinks around us and all is quiet; too quiet. Ash swoops and lands, his claws clattering upon stones. He hisses.

“Come now Asharyn,” a female voice grates upon my ears, “show us the girl.”

Reluctantly he slowly turns me to face the voice. I step back into Ash and his arms wrap once more around me, hissing.

“Relax boy,” the male barks. “She’s all yours.”

“Poor dear looks scared,” the woman beams, only it’s a feeling I get of darkness from her smile, not of light.

“Well I should hope so,” the man snorts.

“Now, now, Judas, she’s to become a member of the family.” The woman turns her face to me. “We want you to feel welcome.”

There are things I want to say to that, but my vocal chords are stuck. All I want to do is fly away from here and dash myself into a rock cliff. They advance and Ash backs up, his wings bringing us up off the ground.

“Get back on the ground boy!” Judas commands.

A force propels us downward and my knees buckle as my feet slam into the stone floor.  

“Come now Asharyn,” the woman’s voice is sticky sweet, “let me show your Lady to her room.”

Hissing, Ash pulls me in tighter.

“I said now!” Judas booms.

Ash is propelled backwards as I’m ripped me from his arms, his talons tearing at my skin.

“See what you made us do?”

The woman glares at Ash, who hisses back, but he remains pinned to the floor.

“Elektra will bring her back to you in good time my boy; in good time.”

Grabbing me by an elbow, Elektra leads me through a door. Spiral stairs lead us down. The air here does not like me. The water is dirty and distrustful. The earth, I feel it through the stones, wants to crush me. I dare not try fire. Not that I would know where to go, if I got out of her clutches. She might as well have talons. At last, she tosses me into a cold stone cell and slams the door.

“Welcome home,” she cackles as she bolts the door shut.

Darkness envelops me and I shiver.

~DAD!~ I scream with all my mental might, but there is only silence.

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Author guidance for This story

This is the story of Morgan, Mike, and Gloria whose fates became entwined upon the Protagonize Bus. They have descended from the bus to forage forward on their own along with Ash, who has been given his own parallel story, Last of the Line (see link below).

Readers Beware: In order to gain the full story we (Spook, Anna, Moon and I) recommend you read Faerie Bound and Last of the Line together. So to help you out I have put together a connections list (see below).

Connections List: Start with Faerie Bound and read until you hit the first chapter listed on the left (In this case it's just the first chapter). Once you've read that chapter click on the link to the right (separated by =} ). Then read until you've read the chapter on the left (again in the first case it's just the first chapter). Once you've done that then click the link on the right, so forth and so on. Please contact me if you have any questions. Note: FB = Faerie Bound and LotL = Last of the Line. The number that follows is the chapter number.

FB 1 Faerie Bound =} LotL 1 Last of the Line
LotL 1 Last of the Line =} FB 2: Heading Home
FB 5 Making Connections =} LotL 2 Blade of Fire
LotL 2 Blade of Fire =} FB 6 Filling the Gaps
FB 6 Filling the Gaps =} LotL 3 Blood and Water
LotL 3 Blood and Water =} FB 7 Devil's Flat
FB 7 Devil's Flat =} LotL 4 A Different Sort of Fight
LotL 4 A Different Sort of Fight =} FB 8 Serena's Death
FB 12 Leaving the Flat =} LotL 5 Between One Door and Another
LotL 5 Between One Door and Another =} FB 13 Life Line
FB 18 Dream Interrupted =} LotL 6 First Awakening
LotL 7 Mind the Bruises =} FB 19 Breath it in
FB 23 Talking is Hard =} LotL 8 Making Inquiries
LotL 8 Making Inquiries =} FB 24 Going Soft
FB 31 Watery Kisses =} LotL 9 Recovery is a Slow Process
LotL Recovery is a Slow Process =} FB 32 Elemental Respect
FB 35 Waking Appology =} LotL 10 Plotting and Planning
LotL 10 Plotting and Planning =} FB 36 Steady Hand Break
FB 36 Steady Hand Break =} LotL 11 The Unavoidable Decision
LotL 11 The Unavoidable Decision =} FB 37 A Duck for Sarah Morgan
FB 40 Deamon Pillow =} LotL 12 Damned Crutches!
LotL 12 Damned Crutches! =} FB 41 Men are Boys
FB 44 Creepy Pete =} LotL 13 And Yet More Bruises
LotL 13 And Yet More Bruises =} FB 45 Girl Talk
FB 46 Cornered by Petey =} LotL 14 Issues with Petey
LotL 14 Issues with Petey =} FB 45 An Anger Intervention
FB 54 In Trouble =} LotL 15 Love is a Complicated Business
LotL 15 Love is a Complicated Business =} FB 55 Lecture!
(Note: FB 55 is a little out of place please forgive our enthusiasm. We got a little ahead of ourselves)
FB 59 Repressed Anger =} LotL 16 The "Badness" Returns
LotL 16 The "Badness" Returns =} FB 58 The Truth Will Out
FB 59 Allies =} LotL 17 It Follows Me Like the Plague
LotL 17 It Follows Me Like the Plague =} FB 62 Logic Over Heart
FB 65 Elven Resurrection =} LotL 18 Fight or Flight
LotL 18 Fight or Flight =} FB 66 Morgan's Anguish
FB 67 Salty Salvation =} LotL 19 Broken Soul
LotL 19 Broken Soul =} FB 68 Heartache and Hope
The lyrics for the song Morgan sings' to Ash can be found at Heartbreak and Hope - sung with alternate verse 3
FB 68 Heartache and Hope =} LotL 20 Distant Fires
LotL 20 Distant Fires =} FB 69 Families
FB 75 Introduction =} LotL 21 Voices
LotL 21 Voices =} FB 76 Betrothal
FB 76 Betrothal =} LotL 22 Hiding in the Shadows
LotL 22 Hiding in the Shadows =} FB 77 From Air to Water
FB 80 Making the Cake =} LotL 23 Eyes in the Dark
LotL 23 Eyes in the Dark =} FB 81 Objections
FB 84 Ain't No Way =} LotL 24 Escape Plans
LotL 24 Escape Plans =} FB 85 I Will be Strong
FB 86 Can History Repeat Itself =} LotL 25 Supplies for the Journey
LotL 26 Voyage =} FB 87 A Dream Without Earth
FB 127 Let the Race Begin =} LotL 27 Back to the mainland
LotL 30 Breaching the Defenses =} FB 128 Elemental Symphony
FB 145 Kidnapped =} LotL 31 A Cry in the Dark
LotL 31 A Cry in the Dark =} FB 146 The First Appeal
FB 146 The First Appeal =} LotL 32 Changed
LotL 33 Fleeing the Dream =} FB 145 The Revelations of Dreams

We hope you enjoy the reading for we are enjoying the writing!

AUTHORS ONLY: Well I had to keep our spoiler link in here after my revision of the guidance didn't I? *Elo grins* This IS an Author Discussion , which contains all manners of plot spoilers, character information and the like. FB & LotL Spoiler Thread

:} Elorithryn {:

updated Sep 1 '11 by Elorithryn