Kei knew he was dreaming. It was the same dream he always had. He was a small child again, barely six years old. His hair was pure black, unstained by that cursed white lock. Small legs kicked against the chair he was sitting on as he peered out the window. Behind him his older twin, Ky'rin, was lying on the floor studying for his lessons. His sisters, Lis'bette and Ris'ta, were sitting on the couch with Mama listening to her soft lilting voice as she told them a story.

   The walls were made of black stone and hung with brightly coloured tapestries and paintings that showed the mountains in the warmer months. The floor was covered by a plush carpet from Aerie, red with twisting green and gold vines. A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace, finely carved ivory figurines dotted the mantle place, stark contrast to the black stone of the keep.

   Some people claimed the Black Palace of Firan was stark and forbidding. But they had never seen it in the dead of winter. Its black walls surrounded by a thick blanket of snow, white powder dusting the roof tops and high sweeping towers. Brilliant light shone from the stained glass windows. It stood tall atop the high cliffs, watching over the city spread below.

   Kei's brow furrowed as he shivered in fear, he shouldn't be scared he was a big boy and needed to protect Mama and the girls, Papa would be done with his meeting soon and would come see them before bed time. He shoved the fear and confusion aside and went back to watching the snow fall from the night sky, absorbed in his own imagination. Trapped within the memory the older Kei could do nothing but watch in resignation as what little he remembered of this night unfolded.

   A brisk knock on the door brought the family out of their own thoughts. Ky'rin marked his page and jumped up off the floor, grinning widely he ran to open the door, clearly expecting their father. Just as he reached for the knob, the door was slammed open and Ky'rin was shoved back into the room.

   Five strange men poured into the room, one of them pulled the door shut and locked it with a snick. They were all dressed in grey. Cloaked and masked, they wore long daggers and each of them carried an unsheathed sword. The metal glinted menacingly in the firelight. They never said a word, never made a sound. As Liz and Risa started to scream one of them stepped smoothly forward and ran his blade through Ky'rin's chest.

   Kei's own cry of terror choked off, he clutched his chest and sank to his knees, gasping for breath. It felt as if the sword had pierced him as well as his brother. Somewhere deep inside, the bond between Kei and his twin, the part of him that always knew Ky'rin was there, snapped. It felt as if his soul was being ripped in two, and Kei found his voice as he screamed in agony.

   There was a roaring sound in his ears as his sight narrowed to the sight of his twin hanging in the air like a rag doll, his shocked blue green eyes were already glassy, their light forever extinguished. Kei's vision narrowed further, until the only thing he could see was the bloodstained sword protruding from Ky'rin's back, a single ruby drop falling from the tip.

   Darkness claimed him. Kei floated in shadows. 'That's strange.' He thought. 'I always wake up now. In the distance he heard a wordless, enchanting tune. It sang to him, lulling him back into deeper sleep, back into the dream. He thrashed in his bed fighting the effects of the song. Something was wrong he knew that, but the song was so gentle, wrapping around him. "Sleep," The song told him. "Leave the grief’s and pains of this world behind. Sleep."

   Kei fought to wake up, it felt like the battle lasted hours but in reality it was only ten minutes before he jolted awake, tumbling off the bed and cracking his head on the night table.

   Groaning, Kei sat up on the floor, rubbing his head gingerly. He glanced around the room, nothing was out of place but that blasted song echoed throughout the entire room. His bags were still in a pile in the corner, the window was opened a crack, and even his pile of homework from last school year was still on the desk. Nothing was out of place. Reaching up, he grabbed the sheathed dagger from his bed side table and stood, padding on silent feet into the hallway.

   Hushed voices echoed from down the stairwell. Kei stayed in the shadows, moving stealthily down the hallway. During his earlier school years at the academy, Kei had snuck out of the dorm many times. He knew what shadows to hide in, what steps would creak. However, Kei could not shake the feeling that whoever was climbing the stairs did not belong there. This was much more dangerous than one of his school boy pranks.

   As Kei reached the corner of the stairs, a hand reached out and covered his mouth, yanking him into one of the dusty unused rooms. The door closed quickly and Kei whirled around to glare at Adri, his blue-green eyes shining like twin flames in the gloomy unlit room.

   "Damn it, Adri." Kei swore his voice a harsh whisper. "What the hell did you do that for?"

   Adri slapped his hand back over Kei's mouth. "Would you be quiet, something is seriously wrong here, Kei. I don't know who those people are but they are bad news. Not a single person is awake on this floor, I checked. None of them will wake up." His amber eyes were wide as he eyed the closed door, as if he could see through it.

   Rolling his eyes, Kei pulled Adri's hand down. "No, you think!? Of course something's wrong." Kei's low voice was thick with sarcasm. He paused, as if the rest of Adri's words had just sunk in. "Seriously? You can't wake up anyone!?"

   He nodded as Kei began pacing the dusty room. "I tried to wake up Jasper and some of the others but nothing worked." He shook his head in frustration. "It's this song, it has to be. It goes on and on and everyone stays asleep. Just like a..." Adri's voice trailed off in realisation and he ran forward to join Kei at the window.

   Outside the thick fog had begun to clear, although wisps of it still clung to the buildings and ground. A girl leaned against one of the low benches, her face obscured by her blood red hair. The girl's foot tapped out a rhythm to her song.

   "Siren?" Kei finished Adri's sentence resignedly. Naming the aquatic race that dwelt beneath the waves of the southern seas. It was well known that they could enchant people with their voices, even the part human ones.

   Adri looked at Kei, brow furrowed in confusion. "But why would a Siren be here? Even the mostly human ones almost never leave Solus."

   Kei rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as a terrible suspicion came to him. "Adri, you arrived at the school before me. Have any of the Solasian nobles shown up? I know I didn't see Seryn on my way in."

   Eyes widening in horror at what Kei was implying, Adri shook his head in denial. "No way, King Solon wouldn't do this. The four lands have been at peace for decades; the last war was more than sixty years ago. They’re outlaws nothing more.”

   Drawing his dagger, Kei walked towards the door. He looked pityingly at Adri, and his voice was bitter as he spoke. "Just because it's been peaceful since before we were born Adri, that doesn't mean it's going to stay that way. In fact I would say it means we're due for a new one."

   Adri flinched, no doubt recalling what had happened in Firan a decade ago. The royal family had been massacred, save for King and the Prince standing before his eyes. The culprits had never been caught either. He nodded grimly at Kei. The strange and dangerous situation forced them to set their dislike for each other aside. Leaning over, Adri drew the knives he kept hidden in his boots before moving to stand beside Kei.

   "We need to get out of here. There's no way we can wake the others from an enchanted sleep." Adri's tone was matter of fact. "That means no going off half-cocked and picking a fight with the soldiers."

   Kei attempted to look innocent, but it failed miserably. He had a bit of a reputation of sneaking off campus and getting in bar fights. Resigned, he nodded at Adri. He sighed under his breath, shoving his emotions into a mental wastebasket. The building was still dark, as the two slipped down the stairs. The third floor was even darker then the fourth, with dorm rooms on both sides of the hallway.

   The boys didn't dare breathe as they snuck past the soldiers in the hall. Kei glanced longingly back up the stairs towards Jas' room, he didn't want to leave his friend behind but there was no way to wake him until the spell song ran its course. And it wasn't like he could carry him all the way, the guy was huge and he weighed a ton. Briefly he pondered why he and Adri had been able to wake up. As Kei descended the stairs he glimpsed one of the soldiers leaving a room, with one of the students slung over his shoulder. The boy continued to snore loudly despite the rough handling.

   Shivering with apprehension, Kei was grateful for the shadows that hid his presence from the soldiers. Quietly, he hurried after Adri down the stairs. The first and second floors were completely silent as the pair crawled beneath the windows, avoiding the light that shone in from the courtyard.

   Ahead of him, Kei saw Adri's lips moving in silent prayer, as the boy moved towards the side door. Kei shared the sentiment, this was completely different from the training exercises he'd done with the army. Even when he had gone on missions there had always been numerous soldiers between him and danger. But if they made even a single mistake here, they could actually end up dead.

   This close to the courtyard, the singing was even louder. Kei clenched his teeth to keep from yawning; he was starting to have trouble thinking. They needed to get far away before they were asleep like everyone else. Kei could only wonder why the two of them had stayed awake this long. The power of a Siren's Song wasn't what it was in the Era of Magic, but if everyone else was asleep he and Adri should be unconscious to.

   Kei shook his head in frustration, "Focus on getting out of here alive Kei. You can think about the how and why when you're safe." He told himself, as Adri reached up and opened the side door.

   The two boys breathed a sigh of relief as the door opened without a sound. Crouching low to the ground the pair dashed across the knoll near the dormitories, ducking behind one of the bushes that dotted the school grounds.

   Catching his breath, he saw Adri looking up and followed the other boys gaze. He swore softly as he saw the sky was no longer black, but the deep blue of approaching dawn. With the sunrise, soon there would be no shadows to hide behind.

   "What now?" Adri asked him, his voice tight with fear and tension. Biting his lip Kei glanced around him. There were trees and bushes scattered across the grounds. What little cover the plants offered was disappearing with the stars. They wouldn't be able to hide here much longer.

   "The gate." Kei decided. "I've got some friends in the city, they'll help us. If we can just get out of the school, we can lay low for a couple of days and wait till whatever this is blows over."

   "That's your brilliant plan!?" The Aerian prince demanded. "You may as well just say we're winging it."

    "Do you have any better ideas?" Kei demanded sarcastically. When Adri only scowled in reply, he stood in a low crouch. "Then let’s get out of here." With the sky lightening above them, the boys stole through the fading shadows, ducking behind trees and bushes. When they came to an open space they ran across as fast as they could. The further they got from the dormitory, the more alert Kei felt, Adri’s movement was also improving.

   Halfway to the gate, Adri had glanced longingly towards the administrative building. Kei had shaken his head in frustration. Even if by some miracle a teacher did come to school this early, they would be no match for trained soldiers.

   By now the Siren's song was a faint echo in the distance. Sitting in the bushes, Kei rubbed his bare feet, working some warmth back into them. The grass was cool with dew, and neither boy had thought to grab shoes to wear before they fled. Hell they were lucky to be wearing clothes at all instead of nightshirts.

   Ahead of them the gate stood open as it always was at this hour. The soldiers’ must not have wanted to arouse suspicion by closing it, now it was a straight shot from where he and Adri crouched in the bushes, to the gate. Once they were out of the school they could lose any pursuers in the twisting city streets. Kei could only breathe a prayer of thanks that he had snuck out of the school so often over the past years. He could navigate the back streets of Sentera blindfolded by this point.

   Kei glanced to his left, Adri leaned his back against a tree, the other prince's face was a mask of determination as he peered around the trunk. His expensive silks and velvets were stained with dirt and grass. He was holding up better then Kei thought he would. Kei hadn't had the typical upbringing of a prince, but Adri had. The Firanese prince was pleasantly surprised that his rival hadn't wilted like a pampered, fragile flower. But then again Kei knew that Adri could be just as stubborn as he was, if he was pushed far enough.

   The pair parted the bushes in front of them to get a better look at the gate. When the branches parted they revealed the bloody corpse hidden in their depths. Kei swiftly clapped a hand over Adri's mouth to stifle a scream as they scrambled backwards. Kei staired wild eyed at the corpse and then looked at the other boy. "I'm ready to leave now if you are." He almost squeaked.

   Adri tore his gaze away from the bloody smile running across the body's throat. "Whenever you are. Just don't fall behind Kei'ra, because I will not come back for you."

   Rising from his crouch Kei stood beside Adri. The boys glanced at each other and in unison; they ducked from the cover of the trees and bolted across the path towards the gate. With his longer legs Kei quickly pulled ahead of the smaller boy. Kei sprinted through the open gate and onto the thoroughfare, he glanced around at the deserted streets.

   "That's odd." Kei thought. "There's usually someone on the street before dawn, a baker going to work, a guy sneaking home from an affair." His train of thought was cut off by a muffled yell, Kei whirled around to see that that a soldier had grabbed Adri's braid and yanked him off balance before clubbing him over the head.

   Kei swore under his breath. Of course the gate was open; they had left someone to guard it just in case. "I was overconfident. I'm such a fool. Why didn't we go over the wall!?" His foot edged backwards, as Kei started to run. As Adri dropped to the ground, the soldier smiled coldly at Kei and brandished his sword threateningly. He obviously considered a slender young lord armed only with a dagger to be no threat.

   That decided Kei, if there was one thing he couldn't stand it was being looked down on. He reversed the grip on his dagger in a practiced gesture and charged at the man. Shock shone in the soldier’s eyes as Kei ducked under his guard and slashed upwards. The guard jumped backwards, blood dripping from his upper arm. He wasn't smiling anymore. "You pinked me, not bad boy, you're fast with that toothpick." His lilting voice was thickly accented, a native of the Island Chain in Solus.

   Shifting his stance, Kei tightened the grip on his dagger. If he lost that he was

dead, Kei stunk at bare handed combat. "I was trying to gut you." Kei spat in reply, his

blue-green eyes blazed with rage.

  "Back hand. Boy, the knife is not your weapon." The grizzled soldier drawled.

   Kei tensed as the guard moved towards him. He was so focused on the nameless soldier that he almost missed the other one sneaking up on him. He whirled in time to block the strike from the second guard’s sword. Sneering, the man leaned back and kicked him in the gut, sending Kei flying.

   He coughed as he struggled to get to his feet. A shadow loomed in front of him and he tried to bring his dagger up to defend, but one of the soldiers planted his foot on Kei's hand. Pain shot up his arm and Kei screamed. His vision swam as the guard he had cut sheathed his sword.

   The guard smiled as he flexed his hand, his voice seemed to echo from far away. "This one is for the arm boy, be grateful we have orders to take you noble brats alive or I'd cut your throat right here and now." His fist crashed into Kei's face, and Kei fell onto his back, his head cracking against the stone and unconsciousness swept in.

***

   "What do you mean they aren't in their rooms?" Yurara demanded of the guard in front of her, what was his name? Num, Nag, Nugen that was it. "Explain, Guardsman Nugen." The soldiers had all removed their ear plugs once the nobles had been bound and secured. They would sleep for hours yet before the effects of her spell song wore off completely.

   The man's fellow soldiers gave him pitying looks; most of them had unconscious teenagers slung over their shoulders. No one wants to be on their superior's bad side, especially when that superior happens to be a princess and her father's favourite daughter.

   "I mean that no one is in those rooms. But it's clear they're being used." Nugen shuffled his feet as if searching for an answer, his face brightening. "Perhaps whoever uses those rooms was delayed and hasn't arrived in Sentera yet." He wilted when Yurara gave him a withering glare.

   Someone coughed, politely interrupting the dressing down. Yurara turned to see that the soldiers she had left guarding the gate were standing off to the side. She started to shout at them too, when she noticed one of their arms bleeding. "Princess, if that man lost some of the brats. I think we may have found them."

   He nodded towards the wall where two young men were sprawled unconscious, one fair haired the other dark. The man winced as he shrugged. "Don't ask me how they were awake Princess, but we caught them bolting through the gate into the city. We weren't sure if these were some of the ones you were after so we left them alive, but we had to get a bit rough with them."

   The Princess smiled warmly at the wounded soldier. "Excellent job soldier. I don't know how they escaped my spell song either but answers will have to wait for later." She glanced up at the brightening sky. "Sunrise approaches; let's get out of here while we can. Guardsman Nugen and Guardsman Lage, you carry those two." She pointed at the boys.

   The wounded guard kicked the dark haired one lightly. "Be careful with this one. He's been trained and he's vicious."

   The soldiers laughed, teasing the man for being marked by a "Brat barely off his leading strings." But Yurara saw the wariness in the man's eyes. Even when one of the soldiers bandaged his arm, he never took his eyes off either boy.

   They met up with the soldiers who had taken care of the barracks, and left through the gates, hurrying through the streets back to the river. They would split up with the majority of them on the larger barge, leaving a squad of guards and just four of the prisoners on the smaller boat. Then lay low in the city for a day after the alarm was raised.

   Yurara watched the puzzling young men too, but it was curiosity that stirred her, not fear. "Who are you two, to stay awake when a Siren compels you to sleep?" She thought. "Who are you? What are you?" In the predawn light there was no answer.

   It didn't make sense, and Yurara hated things that didn't make sense. She resolved to find out at as soon as possible.