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Part four:

"So...what happened?" I asked, a little shocked at the idea. I could tell that promises were important to this man...eh...dragon...whatever. (It was rather obvious that the guy held promises high, at least to me.) Joel--ah...I mean, Gareth had hung his head, and was staring at the floor. There was a small puddle on the ground between his feet..."Gareth?"

He sighed and looked up at me, his eyes still moist, "You don't understand..."

"I'd like to."

"Telrick...Telrick impersonated me! He made me do things that I would never do!"

"But he didn't make you--"

"Yes he did! I have to take responsibility! It was my body he was using! It doesn't matter if I willingly did it or not, I still did it! That was my seed that went into each female, not his!"

"But you had no choice in the matter."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!!!!" Gareth grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard. His eyes were wide with...with fear. He shuddered and let go, trying to vent his obvious tension by walking about the room we were in, "It doesn't matter..." He repeated, "I still did it. The instant that happened, those females became my responsibility. It's worse because I had promised my wife that I would never do such a thing, and Telrick..." Gareth started crying again.

A female voice called from the other side of the door, "Gareth, are you alright?"

"No..." He whispered. The sound couldn't have been enough to carry through the door, but the female voice answered anyway.

"You're still depressed, aren't you? Look, I forgave you for everything already, Gareth. You need to stop hurting yourself like this..."

Gareth winced and sat back down beside me, "She's coming in..." He whispered again, "Whatever you do, don't look at her. Please..."

"Why no--" My query was cut off as the door opened. I couldn't help but glance up. Gareth winced as my eyes rested on the most incredible, most beautiful female I had ever seen...granted, she was a dragoness, but she was still the absolute vision of perfection...perfect curves, well rounded breasts...I...my body was getting excited just looking at her! Not look at her?! Was Gareth crazy?!!!

Even her voice was perfect. She smiled...and the first thing I heard her say was a small song...it was so soft...so...so beautiful. The voice was strong, and high, "Come..." She sang sweetly, though I don't remember seeing her mouth move, "Come to me..." As she sang, the pitch of her voice rose. I found myself rising up, doing as she asked. There was a promise of lust in her eyes that sent my body on fire--

"OW!!!!" I shouted. Gareth had swung a claw across my arm, making a fair-sized cut along it.

He glared at me, "I told you not to look at her. She's...she's my wife. She's Hana."

I blinked in surprise, "But..."

"Just...just close your eyes." I did as he asked. For a moment, there was the sound of a scuffle, then the door closed, and Gareth sighed, "You can open your eyes now."

"What was that all about?" Hana was gone.

Gareth grimaced. It took him a long time to answer, "I...I wasn't able to save her..."

It took me a moment to realize what he meant, "Wait...you weren't...but wouldn't that mean she's a--"

"Yes." Gareth said loudly, cutting me off, "She is. Now...no more questions please. It's hard enough telling this story without you interrupting me."

"But I wasn't--"

"Shut up." Gareth gave me another glare. I nodded, holding back the sigh I wanted to release. He sighed, and smiled softly, "Thank you. Now...back to where I left off."

Morning came far too soon, in Gareth's mind. He had tried speaking to Hana, to tell her to run, to get away before Telrick came back...but she never heard him. She sat there, stunned, looking as if she'd gone back to her coma-like state. Gareth cringed as the door to Sanctuary's inner chamber opened.

Kalia glanced at the note once more, confused. Why did she need to come here? Hadn't she been told that Gareth wanted no one in this part of the building? Why had Tii...she sighed and reread the note, this time speaking out loud in hopes that hearing it being said might make more sense, "Kalia, please go to Sanctuary. It's urgent. You've got Gareth's permission." Why? What had changed? She sighed and stepped off the elevator and onto the floor...gasping when she saw the immense room. All around it were portraits, pictures...statues, murals, paintings...everything in every classification of a green dragoness whose scale color made her look ill! Each and every bit of artwork had her smiling beautifully, and in some, she was...Kalia blushed. Sexual acts were being portrayed in most of the pictures, and each time she saw one, the female's partner was...

...Gareth...

She smiled softly. This was Gareth's mate? How come that female hadn't shown her around instead? Was that Tii? There was a door at the other end of the large room. What would she find in there? Her curiosity now firmly in place, she moved toward the door. It still amazed her at how well the pain-killers were working. She didn't feel the slightest twinge of pain! The bandages around her waist were mildly annoying, but nothing hurt. It was incredible. She opened the door...

What she saw made her gasp anew. It was more pictures, more paintings, but each one this time showed the green female in pain...and a male, certainly not Gareth, pummeling her in most of them. It showed her beaten and bruised, bleeding and battered...Kalia shuddered and turned to leave. Whatever this room was, she wanted nothing to do with it.

She saw something move out of the corner of her eye, and stopped to look back. One of the statues was looking at her...the statue's eyes glowed! With a meep of uncertainty, Kalia edged back..."Who...who are you?"

The female frowned and closed her eyes, taking the eerie glow with them, "Please...get me out of here...there's a monster loose in this building...help me escape him, please...I...I don't want to be Turned...I want my normal life back. Please...please, just get me out of here..."

Kalia blinked, trying to understand why this female wanted to leave so badly, "But...who...who are you?"

"PLEASE!" The female shouted, lunging for her, "PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!! HE'S COMING BACK FOR ME!!!!!!!!!"

Another voice, much softer than this female's spoke into her mind, "Do as she asks...hurry, before he can get her."

Kalia looked around, unable to determine where the voice had come from...and it had sounded so familiar..."Who's there?"

"Please. I'll explain later. Just get her out of here while you have the chance. He's distracted right now. You should be able to get away."

"But..."

"I promise I'll explain once you and she are safe! Hurry! There isn't much time!" Kalia shrugged slightly and took the hand of the green dragoness, who accepted it gratefully. They stood up and ran to the elevator. Inside, Kalia tried to think what next to do. The voice promptly answered, "Go to the top floor, and get to the roof. There's a special escape spell I placed up there in case of an emergency, and this definitely qualifies."

"But what's going on? Who is she? Why am I supposed to do all this?" Nevertheless, she pressed the button for the top floor. The voice didn't answer...

...but her companion did, "My name is Hana. I'm Gareth's life-mate...and there's a monster in this building."

"Why not warn everyone, then?"

"Because he's after me. I'm the one he wants. If I leave, he'll follow, and the rest of the females won't have to suffer..."

Kalia grimaced, "And here I am helping you, which means this...thing is coming after me as well now, is that it?"

"...Mostly..."

Kalia scowled, "I don't know why I even let you talk me into this. Good luck. You're on your own." She moved to the floor buttons and was about to press one, but her hand froze, "What the..."

"I'm sorry...I...I can't let you do that."

Fear gripped her as she realized why she couldn't move..."I...I'm being possessed by a ghost!" Her fear gave her back control of her body, but she was too frightened to care. She fell down to the floor, screaming.

...

...the elevator door opened. A male smiled at them, "Leaving so soon?"

Hana joined in the screaming and pressed herself firmly against the back of the wall. Kalia saw who she assumed was Gareth enter the elevator with them, now confused as to why Gareth's own life-mate would be frightened of him. It stopped her from screaming, at least. There was a mighty roar in her head as something...flew out of her. It flew into Gareth, and he stumbled back, holding his head. He looked at them and slammed his fist on the top floor button, running out of the elevator before it closed. He shouted back, "Keep her safe for me!!!" Utterly confused now, Kalia could only sit and wait as the elevator finished its upward journey. Hana pulled her to her feet and they walked up the last flight of stairs. Shivering at something Kalia couldn't identify, she started to look for whatever it was that would get them out of there. At last, she found it.

"Hana? Hey, what is this thing?" She asked, lifting up a small metal thing. It was rounded into a half-moon shape on one side, while the other side jutted out at odd angles. Still, the semblance of a circle was there, in the small thing. Hana grabbed it from her and threw it over the side of the building, flicking her wrist to make it spin as it flew. The instant it was over the edge, a black portal opened up, and on the other side, Kalia could see snow--"SNOW?!!!!"

Hana nodded and grabbed Kalia's wrist, pulling her with her as she jumped into the magical doorway. Kalia yelped, but could only stumble along, forced to continue moving because of Hana. The snow-filled forest flashed past her vision in a blur as they ran, Hana leading the way. Every now and again she'd turn slightly and head in a new direction, but Kalia couldn't see how that would help. The snow showed their footprints clearly on the ground. Following them would be eas...y? She stared around her in shock. Where had the forest gone? They were in a huge field, no snow in sight. Almost as soon as her mind registered this, the scene changed, and they were rushing through a desert! The scene changed drastically once more, and they were running on top of water! Just how was that even supposed to be possible?! Hana didn't seem to notice anything. She just kept leading Kalia around, turning every now and again. When they came upon a cave, Hana stopped, and let go of Kalia's hand, "We can hide here..." Kalia glanced around, trying to understand where they were. The place was humid, and there were plants and trees and creatures and sounds unlike anything she had ever seen before. She'd just opened her mouth to ask where they were when Hana spoke again, "We're in some kind of rainforest, I think. There ought to be a fresh water supply somewhere close. Gareth had this place made for me in case Telrick ever came back. Come inside the cave. It won't be so humid in there, and it's supplied with food and firewood for later."

Kalia blinked, confused, and stood where she was, "What...how did all of this--"

"Not right now, Kalia. Help me get this stuff set up. We'll be waiting a long time..."

"How do you know that?"

"Gareth stocked this place with enough food to last two people an entire year. He'll come looking for us when Telrick's out of the way. Now come on and help me get this stuff set up!"

"What stuff?" She asked as she moved to help.

Hana sighed and looked at her. Kalia flinched away from the glowing gaze, but did not take back her question. After a moment, Hana answered, "Stuff we use to survive." She started setting up stones in a large circle, which Kalia quickly guessed was going to be the fireplace. She edged into the cave and found a large pile of rocks a little larger than her fists laying in a corner, and grabbed them, figuring quickly what they'd be used for. When the fireplace was set up, Hana started using one of the remaining rocks to pound in some small wooden stakes.

Kalia's curiosity got the better of her, "What are you doing?"

"Making an alarm system. You can't see it, but there's a small wire connected to each stake. When someone steps on the wire or trips over it, bells set up inside the cave will ring, hopefully loud enough to wake us up. While I'm doing this, could you climb up a tree and tie this string to a branch?" She held up a small white string.

"What's it for?"

"I'll tell you later. It's still important. Go?"

"Right...sorry." She took the string and started climbing up, which was more difficult than she thought it would be with the odd trees...

Gareth lay writhing on the floor in a desperate battle for control of his body. The shock of him entering had given Kalia and Hana enough time to escape, but Telrick was starting to get his control back, "Give up, Gareth. I'm going to win. I can promise you. Make it easier on yourself and stop fighting, and I'll be kind and let your soul die like it needs to."

He fought back as hard as he could, "I won't let you hurt her! Do you hear me?! I won't!"

"Suit yourself." With that, Telrick threw him out of his body, grinning at the apparition and turning to leave, "I'll still find them. Tracing a spell is child's play, after all." He snickered and moved to the elevator, going back down. Gareth groaned inwardly as Telrick called to each female, urging them to join him once more. Tii was walking along the hall just then, a pleased look on her face, and Gareth gently invaded her mind...

_"Tii?"

"Gareth? What the...how are you speaking to me? I thought you could only receive thoughts, not send them!"

"It's more complicated than that. I need you to do me a quick favor, okay?"

"What's that?"

"Go to the rooftop for me and check on the spell I placed up there. Please...then you can go downstairs..."_

Tii did as he asked without questioning him, and when she stood beside the spell, Gareth left her body and flew away, free of the binding spells that would have kept him trapped inside. He knew she'd ask Telrick about this later, and he would catch on, but for now, Gareth had the upper hand and moved quickly toward the cave he'd set up for Hana...