Sofina tipped her head slightly as she paced back and forth, staring at their shaman as he meditated. Her long blonde locks swayed as she walked, the long tips of her pointed ears protruding through her hair. With every passing moment, she grew more and more impatient, and she swatted dismissively at Doran's hand when he reached for her. She was in no mood for his affections right now. All she cared about in that moment was what Arryn was seeing in his meditative state.

Ever since Enye had reported seeing one with the powers they needed, and suspicion of at least two more, they had been watching these young women like a hawk.

"At least Enye was smart enough to track that girl," Sofina said, more to herself than to Doran. Because of Enye's quick thinking, it was much easier to keep an eye on the one they knew had at least one of the powers. And through watching, listening, they had discovered that two that were with her also had what they needed. Water. Light. Fire. All that was left was Air and Earth, and they could perform the ritual.

And that was exactly what Arryn was meditating for, trying to find. To see if their suspicions were correct.

She chewed at her thumbnail, her eyes practically burning a hole in his skull as if she might be able to see what he saw if she concentrated hard enough. The corners of her mouth twitched as she looked at him, drinking in how remarkably handsome he was. His long, ginger colored hair was knotted back in braids from his face. He had high cheekbones and a perfectly straight nose, his jaw and chin covered in a scruff of a beard the same color as his hair. A gold dragon cuff adorned one of his long pointed ears, and both sported large gauges in each lobe, made of green and purple Atlantisite. And though his eyes were closed, she knew they were a soft, but piercing shade of blue.

"They say that it is rude to stare," Arryn said, drawing himself out of his meditative trance. His head swam with the information he had procured. He kept his eyes closed as he studied the vision in his mind. He could feel the energy from the one who had the sight, like a storm locked in a bottle. A small smile pulled at his lips as he saw the element of earth as well. "They are all here," he breathed out, slowly opening his eyes and letting them slide to Sofina's, "The keys we need to free our goddess are finally here."

The breath caught in her throat. Did she dare to believe him? "You're certain?" she asked breathlessly, casting an excited glance at her mate Doran as he lounged behind her. It felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. "Do you know what this means? Our people will finally, finally be rewarded for their faith throughout the centuries. Finally we will reclaim our rightful place in the world." A breathless, excited laugh escaped her. "We must act quickly. We cannot let them slip away from us. Never before have we found all five of them alive at the same time."

He closed his eyes again before he stood carefully, raising an eyebrow at her. "This is not about the reward. This is about a better life for our people. Only with our goddess guiding our actions will we once again bring peace to this world. To bring the world back to the time without all of the poison that humans fill it with. Technology and modernization is choking the life from this planet. The balance is not as it should be," he said as he began walking, "Have you spoken with the others about the containment chambers? From what I could see, the keys do not know how to use their powers at will, but some of them are learning."

She raised her eyebrow at him, but pressed her lips firmly closed. She and Arryn had had many discussions on the subject. His reasons and her reasons varied greatly, but their goal was the same. "I will make certain that Nyx sees to it," she answered. She barely dared to believe what the shaman had seen. "Almost no one has ever learned to control those powers. Most have lived their whole lives without ever even knowing they possess such abilities," she said. She met his eyes with a burning glare. "Should we be concerned that they are trying to harness these powers? Surely they won't manage it. Not before we are able to get to them."

Arryn inclined his head. "Only a fool would not be concerned," he said, his voice low, "And you are no fool, Sofina." He replayed the vision over in his mind. "Earth was transformed. The goddess wanted me to see that. If they are trying to harness their powers, then they just may be around others who can teach them. Or they will be soon. My suggestion would be to start looking for individuals capable of doing this."

"Then we just need to work faster," she countered. Really, what was the likelihood that these young women would harness those powers before they were captured? Next to nothing. Still, the sooner they started, the better. "Doran," she said without turning to look at her mate, "be a dear and run tell my sister what Arryn has found. Tell her we need to act quickly before we lose the opportunity. Again." Just the thought of failing again made her stomach turn to ice. "And when you're done, tell Nyx to prepare for our guests."

Doran frowned, sparing a look with Arryn before inclining his head and taking off towards the throne room. He would never say it outloud, but the shaman didn't sit right with him. He was too cryptic for his own good sometimes, always spouting off on how it was for their people, for their betterment. Times were changing.

Arryn stared after the man as he left, casting a side glance to Sofina, "A loyal creature, you have found. Does he have any thought process other than food and bodily pleasures?"

Sofina sighed through her nose. "He serves his purpose," she answered, going to the small table in the room and pouring two glasses of wine. She sipped at a glass, rolling the cold sweet liquid around on her tongue for a moment before she swallowed. "Really, it's been how many centuries and you're still making comments about him?" she asked, turning and offering him a glass. A soft smile pulled at her lips as she drank in how handsome he was. Her expression softened, a rare thing for her. "I know that's an anger and a pain that won't go away," she admitted. She felt it too. She'd mated with Doran long before she met Arryn; she regretted that now.

He snorted and went over to stand next to her, accepting the second glass from her as he let his eyes roam over her. He locked eyes with her own, grabbing her chin between his two fingers, "He cannot comprehend the rare and beautiful mind that you have. My desires run deeper than that of mere flesh. You need someone to challenge you. A flower cannot bloom if you do not water it."

A pleasant fluttering filled her stomach, and a rather unpleasant longing screamed in her heart. Without a second thought, she crushed her lips to his, the glass of wine slipping from her fingers and shattering on the hard stone floor. A whimper escaped her as Arryn's arms wrapped around her slender frame, holding her securely to him. With a flick of her wrist, the door bolted itself shut. Not that that would completely stop anyone from intruding on them, but it was better than nothing. She kissed at the side of his neck, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, "At least we still have this." It broke her heart, knowing she could never fully be his, nor he hers. She swallowed harshly, pressing her face into his neck. "I wish it were more."

The shaman shivered at her attentions, pausing to drink his glass of wine before he threw the glass aside and he turned, picking up Sofina in a smooth motion. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he pressed her to the wall as he kissed her with a desperation that he normally kept buried, locked away inside of himself. "This is more. I will always give you more than anyone else, but know that I demand just as much from you. You think you are not mine? You are. I can feel you, your gaze always lingers. That man does not care, he would have noticed my own gaze on you if he did." He leaned down and sealed his lips to the curve of her neck, nipping sharply before he soothed over the flesh with his tongue. He could feel his magic reaching out and enveloping Sofina, teasing her own.

It stole her breath away. No one had ever made her feel the way that he did. Doran certainly didn't love her with the same intensity that Arryn did. She pushed Doran from her thoughts, pushed any sense of guilt from her thoughts. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, a soft moan escaping her to feel him pressed up against her like that. She tangled her fingers in his long hair, rocking her hips against him as much as she could in this position. "I am yours," she whispered to him. "I have always been." Oh, did he have to be so talented with that tongue? His mouth on her neck sent tingles up and down her spine, making her shiver in his arms. And the way his magick wrapped around her, mixed with her own, there was nothing like it. Nothing.

Arryn sighed against her, pulling back slightly to peer down at her, nuzzling at her chin before he caught her lips. No, their work to free their goddess was not for the reward, but he had one blessing he would ask of her. He reached down between them, loosening the ties on his breeches to free his hard length before he hiked up the flowy dress around her waist. A groan escaped his lips as he sank into her perfect heat, "You may wear his mark, but my magic recognizes you as part of me."

She may not have been as in tune with her magick in the way Arryn was, but she knew his words were true. She could feel it, deep down in her soul, something in her recognized him too. And she knew once again that she had made a terrible mistake all those centuries ago. She cried out as he thrust into her, spearing her against the wall, inescapable. "Stop talking about him," she whispered, forcing the thought of her mate out of her mind. She didn't want to think about Doran, or her mating mark, or even the ones with the elemental powers. All that mattered in that moment was Arryn. All that existed was him. She squeezed around him, obscenely moaning his name.

He chased after her lips, drinking down the delicious sounds that poured from them. The longing in his heart intensified. He could remember the day they had met, centuries ago. Their conflicting views had sparked an intellectual argument that had left his blood pulsing hotly through his veins. Arryn had always been deeply in tune with magic and the old ways and what had been born that day between them had only grown. He loathed Doran for the mark upon Sofina. He closed his eyes at that, letting the hatred drain away.

It did not matter.

Everything around her seemed to fade, the only thing real was him, their bodies joined together. The spiral mating mark on the inside of her wrist stung in an irritating sort of way, making her shake her arm. Stupid thing. They used to be blessings from the Fates, but now it felt more like a curse. She focused on him, wrapping her arms around him as she kissed his firm lips, gasping as his length filled her over and over again. "Arryn," she cried breathily as his thrusts quickened, "Arryn!" She jerked in his grasp as the orgasm hit her, her vision darkening as pleasure became all that she knew.

Arryn kept up his pace as he felt her body spasm around his own in climax. He nearly paused to watch the beautiful red flush work its way over her neck. He leaned in, feeling his own orgasm quickly approaching. He fumbled slightly as he trailed a hand down her body, cupping at her breast before falling between them. He grinned against her as he touched her clit, eliciting another moan from her as he finally let himself go. His release left him shuddering as he buried himself deeply within her, his face pressed tightly against her neck.

She held him to her, both of them panting and shaking, dizzy from the pleasure. She hadn't noticed the puff of smoke that burst in the room, nor the servant girl who stood there, eyes wide, until it was too late. Sofina gasped in surprise and fear, wiggling to get out of Arryn's arms. "Stop," she gasped, her eyes fixed on the servant who took a step back, looking like she was preparing to disappear. "Don't you dare," Sofina hissed, snapping her fingers, freezing the servant in place. She disentangled herself from Arryn, her heart racing in her chest. How long had they managed to hide their affair? And now, today of all days, some worthless servant had discovered their secret. She smoothed the front of her skirt, the sneer upon her face once again. "Now what are we going to do with you?"

Arryn let out an annoyed sound as he re-laced his clothes, giving the serving girl an unimpressed look. "I've gotten careless in my years." He gave a long smile at Sofina, "See what happens when you tell me to put all of my focus into you and you alone? Mmm, but I cannot argue with the end results." His eyes went back to the servant woman as he stalked forward, lifting a hand to her face, "My deepest apologies, but we cannot have you going and running that mouth to anyone." Ice crystals formed on his fingers as he manipulated his magic to an extreme cold before he tapped the servant on her forehead, watching as the ice moved to engulf her. "Loose ends and all that."

Relief poured through her as Sofina watched the terrified looking servant become encased in ice. A long, slow sigh passed her lips as she pressed a hand to her stomach, trying to calm the nerves there. What if they hadn't seen the servant? What if the servant had told someone? "Do it," she hissed. "We can't take the risk. No one will miss her." And even if someone did, they could say that she must have abandoned her people. It was well known that there were some of their own out there, plotting, trying to stop them from releasing their goddess. "Do it now, Arryn, before anyone else shows up!"

"Such a waste," he said as he cast a glance at his love, but the look on her face was resolute. To be honest, he didn't want to leave the servant alive either. He didn't much fancy his head being cleaved from his shoulders if Doran and the Queen were made aware of the infidelity. He grit his teeth as he clenched his hand into a fist and channeled his magic into is as he smashed it into the statue, watching as it shattered to pieces. "I would never allow anyone to come between us."

She rushed to him, her shoes crunching on the shattered remains, and threw her arms around his neck. "That was too close," she breathed in his ear. She cupped his jaw and pressed a kiss to his lips, still feeling a bit shaken about being discovered, but it was slowly fading. She turned away from him, flicking her wrist at the large windows to open them. The shards of ice that used to be the servant swirled and rose in the air, then floated out the window and out to the sea the castle overlooked. "We must be more careful in the future," she said softly, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked out at the ocean. "We must set wards to keep others away somehow."

Arryn followed her, stepping up behind her to draw her back into his arms. He peered out over her shoulder, his eyes catching on the waves as they rolled. "I will do some research. I remember a book that mentioned a thing or two about protective wards and alarms." He briefly wondered if there would ever come a day when he did not have to hide his obvious affections for the woman who was so attuned to him.

She leaned back into him, savoring the feel of his arms around her. They so rarely got moments like this. And then for that little bitch to ruin it… She closed her eyes, trying to turn off her emotions. "You should go," she said softly, though she didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to stay there, in her bedchamber, with her. He didn't move and she had to swallow harshly to keep her voice even. "Doran will return soon. He will be suspicious if you're still here," she reminded him. "And we have so much work ahead. You will need your rest."

"As you wish," he murmured, finally stepping back, "If my queen asks, I will be in the research hall meditating. I will rest and then, with any amount of luck, perhaps I will find us the precise location of the keys."

"That's good," she said softly, still staring out the window. She heard the soft crack, and turned to see a puff of orange smoke where he had been standing. She wrapped her arms tighter around her as she stepped to the big window, staring at the moon glinting off the water. Keys. She rather thought that was an appropriate term for the five young women they now knew held the powers they needed to unleash their goddess.

Sofina shifted her weight, her body feeling sated but hollow, her lover's essence running down her thigh. With a sigh, she turned away from the window to pour herself another glass of wine. She downed it quickly, then stripped and headed straight for bed, not caring that Doran wasn't there yet, her only thoughts of the keys and how to capture them.