Alyx gasped, leaning against the wall, struggling to get his bearings. Looking around, he shook his head. Everything warped and ran together.

"Alyx," Cal called, catching him before he fell, "what is it?"

"Zander," Alyx panted, "House warping."

"Kelsie isn't waking, is she?" Cal asked, pulling Alyx's arm around his neck and wrapping his arm around the panting man's waist, taking his weight against his side.

"No, she was restless. She needed calming," Alyx rubbed at his head, "it's as though ..."

"He is being sucked into a vortex," Cal finished for him, "Kelsie needs his help."

Alyx turned his head to meet the older man's gaze, "This has happened to you before."

"Yes," Cal smiled, "when Anne had a bad fall while connected to the house and needed George."

"Does it pass?" Alyx panted, groaning a little at the discomfort.

"It does but not easily," Cal said, "come on. Let's get you to a chair."

Zander opened his eyes. The air seemed hazy, as though a fire had been burning in a closed space for some time.

"Kelsie," he called, "I'm here."

"Zander," Kelsie called, "walk into the smoke."

Following her voice, he stepped into a scene directly from this afternoon. The meadow was clear of scattered bodies, except for the blackness with burning eyes, the vision of true evil. A sudden recollection of a recurring dream he had as a child came to mind. Placing his hand on his utility belt, he bellowed words he had heard but knew not their origin or meaning.

"I am Zander of the Order, son of Cal of the order and Lily of the Line," Zander felt a sword and scabbard appear at his waist. Drawing the sword, he marveled at the blade's perfect balance, lightness, and thinness. It was finely made and glittered as though new.

"You come to die, Guard," jeered the blackness, swatting Kelsie aside.

Zander watched her body land; she groaned, pushing onto her knees, "You need to kill him before he destroys the House and everything we love. We cannot break the connection with him here."

Zander nodded, meeting the pride-filled gazes of a pair of twins helping Kelsie to her feet.

"You have your father's bearing and your mother's eyes," one said, "Lily would have been proud."

Zander remembered the rest of the dream. He knew he could win, knew he had to and knew it had to happen fast. Sword in hand, he moved into action.

Blackness snaked out of the dark pool, slithering toward him, "You die with each piece you lose. The body you crave is no more, burnt as is the Way of the Order."

The sword swished as the darkness constantly attacked. Time seemed to stand still as Zander cut, sliced and deflected, diminishing the intruder a piece at a time. Panting, sweating and finally understanding the constant struggle Kelsie fought in the time she refused to wake. Zander swung toward the darkness. It had shrunk to an irregular shape, reminding him of a deformed heart. Drawing a well-balanced dagger from an area in his belt, he threw the dagger pinning the blackness in place.

"Kelsie, you need to leave," he said, "when I kill him, you could die."

"So could you," Kelsie said, bracing her feet, "I'm not leaving."

"I'm not losing you again," he shouted, "now leave."

"The longer you argue with him," Leilani said, "the longer that thing has to relink itself."

"What of you two?" Kelsie asked.

"We will always be here," they smiled, "we leave together."

Nodding, Kelsie moved toward Zander, "We leave together."

Zander felt Kelsie's hand on the centre of his back as he threw the sword piercing the centre of the blackness. A shrill scream filled the space as white light tore through the hole created by the sword shattering the shiny surface into shards. Panic ripped through him as he watched a piece fly toward Kelsie. Darting in front of her, he spread his arms to the side, shielding her. He heard her cry out his name as the shard pierced the glow around him, turning into dust. Kelsie's arms wrapped around him, sucking him away from the danger and destruction. The tugging sensation on his senses pulled back to wherever Kelsie was going and wherever she needed him to be. He would wait for the next request.

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Kelsie opened her eyes, finding herself in her room, arms wrapped around Zander, who lay unconscious on the bed.

"Zander," she called, her hand resting on his chest, "Zander. Please wake up."

Panic raced through her slamming her heart into her ribs. Was he dead? Feeling his pulse point in his neck, it fluttered, light against her fingers.

"Zander," she whispered, "please stay with me."

Kelsie swiped at streaming tears on her cheeks as a knock came at the door; ignoring it, she checked Zander for anything that could cause him to be unresponsive. There was nothing. Quickly connecting with the House, she found everything as it needed to be. He had succeeded. How he knew what to do, she didn't know. But she owed him her life and thanks.

Kelsie knelt next to his still form cupping his cheek, gently nuzzling his cheek, begging him to open his eyes and take a breath. She jumped as his chest moved, sucking in the air. She was so focused on making him wake she didn't hear the door open.

"You need to release him from the command, Kelsie," her mother whispered, "he will go wherever you need him, but if you wish him to wake, you need to release him from the command."

"You know this?" Kelsie frowned as her mother nodded, "how?"

"Your father followed me into a connection once when you were a baby," her mother whispered, "I owe him my life as you owe Zander yours. Release him from the command and let him have control of his destiny. I leave you to your love."

Kelsie nodded as her mother left the room, closing the door softly. Turning to the limp form, she clutched his large hand in her two smaller ones, gently kissing the knuckles.

"Zander," she called, "thank you for coming when I requested your help. You are free to return and live as you wish. I release you from my command."

She waited.

The tiny light of hope began to dwindle when he moaned, rolling his head toward her. She sobbed in gratitude for the sign of life.

"Did I get him?" he asked, opening his eyes, "or did I miss completely?"

"You got him," she said, wiping her wet cheeks, "I thought I lost you."

"Why did you think that?" Zander tugged on her hands wrapped around his, pulling her closer until she gently laid her head on his shoulder.

"You stepped in front of me," she whispered as Zander's folded his free arm around her tucking her to his side.

"I have a confession," he whispered, watching her play with his long fingers.

"What is it?" Kelsie whispered.

"I knew I would win," he said, "when I was younger, I would have a recurring dream of destroying a darkness."

"That would have been a nightmare for you," Keslie said, snuggling closer, "how did you know you'd live?"

"I don't think I knew I would," he said, lacing his fingers through hers, "my only concern was to protect you. That you should live."

"You know I released you from your pledge," she whispered, "you are free to live as you wish."

Zander pushed onto his arm, rolling Kelsie to the bed, looking down at her tear ravaged face, swollen red eyes, and teeth gnawed lips.

"Why would you do that?" he frowned, "my pledge to you was made for all time."

"You saved my life," she whispered, "I could not think of any other way to repay you."

The gentle touch of her hand on his cheek drew a sigh, "I thank you for my release, but I decline any release from my pledge. I am and will always be your Guard."

"Only my Guard?" she whispered the question, hope in her eyes.

"No, not only your Guard," he whispered, "according to Alyx, my rushing off the battlefield with your unconscious form has paired us."

Watching Kelsie's reaction to his words, he waited. While his heart pulsing in his veins and hope constricting his chest so hard it made it hard to breathe, he waited. She stilled beneath him and blinked rapidly before a slow smile formed on her lips.

"Paired," she whispered, "sounds .... nice."

"I have a question for you," Zander whispered, trailing his fingers gently over her bruised cheek.

"What is it?" Kelsie whispered.

"Would you, Kelsie Anne Jezebel Conrad be my mate?" Zander paused, worry flaring as her eyes filled with tears, "Kels?"

"Yes," she whispered through her tears, "I would be honoured to be your mate, Zander Calvin George Argall, and reaccept you as my Guard. Also, my love and friend."

Zander smiled gently, brushing his lips over hers, binding them together by their word, thought and deed.

Kelsie murmured against his lips, "My mother is probably on the other side of that door."

Zander chuckled, "Then we will wait."

Kelsie smiled, her eyes glittering with unshed tears and joy, "Have we truly succeeded?"

"Do not believe my word," Zander said, rolling from the bed and pulling her with him, "let us see for ourselves."

Nodding, Kelsie followed him hand in hand to the door, opening it to be greeted by Anne. She glanced between the two before she hugged first Zander and then Kelsie.

"You exchange the question and promise, didn't you?" she asked, waiting expectantly.

Kelsie looked at Zander, nodding, "Yes, Anne," he said, "we are officially paired."

"Excellent news," she clapped her hands happily, "we need to celebrate."

Kelsie chuckled as her mother ran off toward the back of the House, "Hopefully, my dad can put a damper on her plans until we have honoured our fallen."

"Yes, and you hold your first court," Zander said, "you have decisions to make on brethren who returned and joined the battle. They are mostly from the black assassins..."

Kelsie laid two fingers over his lips, silencing him, "There is no longer a division. The Way of the Order is restored."

"Understood," he said, kissing her fingers, "let's see to your duties, my Queen, my Heart, my Love and my friend."