Prologue

She was all I ever wanted and all I would ever need...

I ran. Without looking back I ran as fast as my legs would travel. I knew they weren't far behind but I couldn't let them catch up to me. I could feel through the bond that Carsa was running as well, her pace wasn't as quick but she was still quite the distance from her pursuers. The forest was thick and I had to keep dodging low limbs and jumping over dangerous roots that protruded from the dirt.

As I dodged a limb something flew by my head, I knew it had been intended for the back of my head since it had been there moments before. I glanced the direction the object went and I found a ninja star stuck firmly in the trunk of a tree up ahead. I cursed myself knowing I couldn't outrun the man who had thrown the star while at the same time I thanked whatever divine entity existed that he hadn't started out on Carsa's side of the forest. I could now hear the few leaves that lined the ground rustle just slightly behind me. I scanned the surrounding trees for a spot to cover my back, my eyes fell on a very old thick tree to my left. I quickly made my way to the tree and turned around pulling the wooden katana from the saya slung across my back. "Show yourself!" I yelled as I readied myself for him to approach surveying the area.

I heard the rustle of fabric above me too late, I was pushed to the ground, my katana flung several feet away. Before my attacker could strike I used my legs to flip us over and I caught a hold of him with my arms. "Better luck next time Joon." I said as I drove my knee into his back. Before I could do anything else someone caught me by the arm and yanked me off Joon. 

"Lavera what would Carsa say if she saw you right now?" The man who stood before me tsked before jumping at me. I threw up my arms and negated most of his attack, he was quick and before I could counter he kicked me in the side. The air left my lungs and I fell to my knees as I tried to regain the lost oxygen. 

"Marcos I found her first, I should be the one to finish her off." Joon said as he got to his feet and walked over to us. He knelt beside me and touched my shoulder affectionately. 

"Big mistake Joon." I said as I grabbed his head and snapped his neck, his body fell limply to the ground and Marcos tsked again.

"Now look what little Lavera has done." Marcos crossed his arms over his chest and stood tall. "You may make a great warrior yet, oh by the way how is little Carsa doing?" Marcos smirked as he saw my eyes glaze over slightly. I cursed myself as I got to my feet and sprinted the direction I hoped was the way to Carsa. I had yet to be wrong so I had hope. I could feel Carsa's pain now as if it were my own. I could see Giovanni standing over her body, he had just kicked her in the side. 

"Please stop!" She begged him to stop as she clutched her stomach, she had never been as strong as I was but then again she never had the same motivation as I had. 

I have to keep her safe...

I pushed myself harder now and willed my feet to move faster, Carsa was under attack and her attacker was the vicious of the two. I could hear Marcos running after me, fortunately I knew he wouldn't be able to keep up but I knew he still wouldn't be far behind. I could hear Carsa's screams now but I knew she wouldn't last much longer under the beating she was taking. I tried to remain as quiet as I could but I knew Giovanni would be expecting me, I was sure Marcos had tipped his bondmate off. As I grew within feet of the clearing Giovanni and Carsa were in, Carsa's screams stopped. As I burst into the clearing I found Carsa alone lying in the middle. "Lavera... Run." Carsa could barely talk, she was covered in blood and I knew she was fading fast. 

"Carsa! No! Stay with me!" I held her tightly and felt her body go limp and her breathing come to a halt. 

-------------------- Flashback --------------------

"Guinevere, sweetheart wake up." The man spoke waking his wife in her hospital bed.

"Alexander." Guinevere sat up on her bed as she became worried. "Is is Elaina? What's goi-" Alexander placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to calm her down. 

"Elaina is fine, but there is someone here to see you." Alexander stood up straight as the hospital door opened and a young tall fair haired woman stepped into the room. She was accompanied by a single guard. Alexander went to his knees as Guinevere stared at the visitor in shock. 

"Queen Havana." Guinevere's expression softened and a smile grew on her face as she took in the sight of her younger sister. 

"Lady Guinevere." Havana made her way over to the bed and placed a hand over her sisters. "I'm sure you're wondering why I have traveled so far to see you so I'll be straight forward." Havana smiled and looked back to her guard, who nodded and left the room. "Last night you gave birth to a healthy baby girl, I want to congratulate you and your husband for providing the light with an heir to the kingdom. As you know I am unable to bare children so when the time comes I will be giving up the thrown to your daughter." The door opened and in stepped the same guard but he was carrying a child with him. "Sister I want you to take this child in as your own, her biological father in unknown but her mother died in childbirth last night and she is confirmed bondmate to your daughter. I ask that you raise her and when the time comes she will be important to this world. She is strong and she will survive everything." Havana paused to let everything sink in with her sister. 

"Havana how do you propose I keep this child and her lineage a secret? Every light being knows who I am, I am the princess of this kingdom how will I go unseen? And what of my son? Is he not fit to rule this kingdom?" Guinevere face was now twisted with anger. 

"Your son is a weak link, you may not see it now but I can see it in him. He may be at the same level as his classmates but there will come a time when he will fall behind. Your son is not fit to be a leader and her never will be. I'm sincerely sorry but I cannot leave the kingdom in his hands. I have everything ready, birth certificates for both Lavera and Carsa are ready to go and you Lady Guinevere must go. A new life is waiting for you and your family all I ask is that when the time comes you let go of the girls." Havana leaned down and kissed her older sister on the forehead and turned to retreat. "Oh and for now on your names are Annabeth and Tristan Costa. The guards will bring you up to speed on everything." Havana left the room without another word. Alexander and Guinevere looked at each other as a few other guards into the room. 

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"Seems you're too late." Giovanni stepped out of the bushes to the right and smirked as he drew near. 

"Come any closer and I will kill you." I snapped as I placed Carsa's body on the ground gently. I got to my feet and waited for the perfect opportunity. Just as Giovanni got within five feet I sprinted towards him and faked right, he almost fell for it except I know he had watched me in action enough to know my moves. Giovanni brought his leg around and kicked me to the ground. 

"Always the first to strike, but always the first to fall. Haven't you learned yet to wait for your opponent to attack?" Giovanni snickered as he watched me get to my feet. Marcos had now entered the clearing and was watching from a distance. 

"Maybe I just believe it's best to be on the offense and not the defense." I tried to remain calm and focus on the fight before me. "I have been taking private lessons." I quickly ran for him again but instead of attacking him from the front I dropped to the ground about a foot in front of him and slid through his legs. I quickly got to my feet and kicked him to the ground. 

Before I could do much more Giovanni grabbed my leg and yanked me to the ground. He pinned me with his body while his hands held my wrist against the ground. "When will you ever learn love." He whispered just before claiming my lips with his own, without hesitation I answered the hunger in his kiss. Before anything could go further we were interrupted by a voice approaching us. 

"Giovanni! You are supposed to kicking her a*s! Now get up and finish this or I will." Marcos was approaching us from his earlier spot. 

"Stay back Marcos I will handle this!" Giovanni growled but his eyes never left me. 

"I know where you plan to take this, I'm not a f*****g idiot! Kill her and get this over with." Marcos hadn't stopped his advance on us until he knew Giovanni would finish what he had been ordered to do. I took advantage of the slight distraction and used what body weight I had to force Giovanni, that and a knee to his lower region helped a little with my escape. Marcos was still about ten feet away, I quickly got to my feet and ran over to Carsa's body. I grabbed the pendant around her neck and took off North, towards the Temple of the Gods. Our mission, well rather mine now was to take both light and dark pendants to the Temple of the Gods and place them on the pedestal within the heart of the temple. 

The only way to remain safe is to outrun everyone else...

I knew Marcos wasn't far behind me but again I knew I could outrun him any day, Giovanni was another story. I prayed silently that I had put enough distance between us for me to make it to the temple before he could catch up. Marcos would never strike at me lethally but Giovanni would not hesitate to kill me. It pained me to run away from Carsa's body but I knew that if I didn't I would fail this mission, I couldn't let her be my weakness. About twenty minutes later I could see the temple come into view. A problem arose as I drew near, I could hear someone approaching quickly. Giovanni. I took a deep breath and channeled everything I had into running even just a little bit faster. I yanked the necklace off my neck and held both my dark pendant and Carsa's light pendant in my hand ready to place them on the pedestal as soon as I came to it. As I reached the temples entrance I didn't need to look behind me to know that Giovanni was only feet behind. I gave everything I had in the last ten feet to the pedestal and as I got within two feet something struck my back. I could feel pain rip through my back as one of Giovanni's chakrams lounged itself into me from the force of Giovanni's throw. A single tear left my eyes and I fell to my knees a scream of pain ripping through my chest. 

"You can never outrun me love." Giovanni said as he approached, I was barely hanging on, the only thing that kept me going was the fact I had almost won. I completely intended to win. Giovanni could not stop me, not now. Giovanni caught me before I fell forward and I took the opportunity to push against him and reached as far as I could. I smiled as my hand hovered above the pedestal and I opened my palm to allow the two pendants to fall. Just as I fell two strong arms caught me, this time Giovanni was gentle when he held me. He was careful not to touch the chakram that was in my back as he held my dying body to him. "I love you Nini." I said as I brought my hand up to his cheek, I could feel tears falling down my cheeks and I could see a few escape his own eyes. 

"This is the cruelest test of them all." Giovanni brushed the hair out of my face and leaned down, his lips pressed against mine in a gentle kiss. "I love you Lala." Just then Marcos appeared at the door. 

"You really struck her down." Marcos sounded surprised at his bondmates actions, although he knew everything about Giovanni he still couldn't believe he had delivered a fatal wound to the woman he loved. 

"Test is over, we won Nini." I said just before my vision blurred and darkness evaded. 

The darkness will always win...

Author's Note

Any reviews would be greatly appreciated. Whether it be grammar problems or just a simple comment about what you thought. Thank you for reading.