The only resource worth fighting for is more time.

"So any cute boys caught your eye?" She asked as she walked into the locker room.

Aubrey stood still at the entrance of the locker room.

What had just happened?

"Aubrey are you all right? Casey asked concerned.

No, I was drowning just a few seconds back.

"Y-yeah." Aubrey stuttered out still puzzled. Had she been dreaming up the whole thing?

"You look kind of pale." She said.

"Is gym over?" Aubrey asked suddenly.

Casey looked at her confused,"N-No? We are going to it now. Hence the locker room."

"R-Right." Aubrey stammered out,"I'm feeling just a little bit sick."

Casey looked over at her concerned,"That's okay but my advice is to go to Miss Kepler she's a complete-"

"Pushover, yeah I know." Aubrey completed and took in her extremely confused expression before recognising her mistake,"I mean, Gabby told me"

Casey nodded satisfied with the answer as she want to change. Aubrey collapsed to her knees as a wave of exhaustion passed over her.

What was happening to her?
Was she actually crazy?

She felt dazed, like she had been sleep walking and just woken up. It had felt so real, the water , the pull and the- the boy.

He was there at the end she was sure of it but then again how could it be when it had never happened?

By the time Casey had come back Aubrey had managed to collect herself. She couldn't give anyone in this school a clue as to what was happening with her.The last thing she wanted was everyone to think that she was crazy.

They went to the gym which Aubrey immediately recognised even though this was technically her first time in the gym.

"Good morning."

It was Coach Caine. She recognised him from before, his light blue track suit his stoic expression.

What before?

"The girls will be swimming today." He said in a monotone and when one of the boys whistled but immediately looked away when the coach's eyes found him.

Exactly like it had happened before.

"The boys will be playing basketball, selections start in a few days." He said,"Usually I'd monitor the boys but we have a new girl among our midst, so I'll leave you to Miss Kepler."

Aubrey was seriously starting to get spooked as she followed them to the pool.

Don't get into the pool.

It was the boys voice again.

Who are you?

She desperately thought out but got no answer. Of course she didn't expect one either.

"Okay everybody line up." The coach called out before his eyes found out Aubrey and he gestured for her to come to him.

"You must be Miss Aubrey Valdis."The change in tone was once again there, calmer, politer and respectful.

"Yes." She replied carefully.

"Can you swim? If so any competitions?"

"I'm sorry I can't." She said,"I had a terrible acc-"

"Don't worry." He smiled and Aubrey couldn't help notice how sharp his canines were,"I understand."

Casey raised her eyebrows and came and stood next to her,"Did he just smile at you?"

"Yeah?"

"Wow that's like the firs-"

"Miss Bayer." Caine called out,"Would you mind joining the line up?"

Casey left hesitantly and the whistle blew and all seven girls jumped into the water. She waited for something terrible to happen when they reached the other end but nothing did, they simply turned and completed their lap.

"Do you have an activity that you excel in?" It was the coach again,"Any sports of any sort?"

"Track." Aubrey said hesitantly.

He nodded wrote something down and continued to watch his timer.

Aubrey started feeling positively sick. The entire day was starting to get to her, the phone call that got cut, the pentacle and the drowning.

That had never even happened.

Aubrey pushed her head into her hands deciding that the minute she reached her bag she was going to have one of her pills.

That ought to work.
__________

Michael caught up with her on her way to her car.

"Aubrey!"

She turned back and saw him smiling as he ran towards her. She didn't know how he managed to run through the snow so effortlessly. She had been trudging through it for what seemed like hours.

"I know this is kind of out of the blue, but would you like to come to my house for dinner?"

Aubrey had to blink twice to make sure that she was seeing and hearing correctly.

It wasn't exactly a choice for her all that awaited her was an empty house, a phone booth, demonic pentagram and an ill cooked dinner.

"A-Are you s-sure?" Aubrey asked.

He nodded,"My mom would love it. This town rarely gets new people and she's like Spade's welcome wagon."

"I'm not-"

"Please? It would be nice to have you over."

Aubrey was taken back by the hospitality. In her previous school in New York no one had even looked her way. She rejected a few boys and bam! She was the emo loner who was probably a lesbian.

Not that Aubrey cared. She didn't mind being a loner, lesbian, emo or whatever as long as they left her alone.

But here there was something different, something very blatantly contrasting with her life before as if all her life she had been in pause and someone had finally pressed play.

"I'd love to join you" Aubrey nodded.

Michael smiled,"I'd offer you a ride but then I see you have a car of your own, so will you just follow me?"

Aubrey nodded and wondered just how much a boy could smile.

"Aubrey wait!" It was Casey who was rushing over towards her. She unlike Michael was having real trouble getting past the snow.

She finally reached Aubrey and smiled. It actually calmed Aubrey down in a way to see her and she returned Caseys smile.

"Sorry about all this fuss." She said as her eye trailed down to Michael who was patiently waiting,"I see you're busy."

She was amused of course, Aubrey could see it in her eyes,"But I'm having a party this Saturday I was wondering if you would come?"

Aubrey wasn't a fan of parties as such but Casey was a friend and one of her only friends unlike Gabby or Michael who seemed normal. Aubrey could do with some normal.

"Sure." Aubrey nodded and gave Casey her number who promised to give her the details before she was on her way

Michael sat in a red Porsche which could only tell that he was loaded with money.Not that it surprised Aubrey, Most of the people in Spade were rich the testament could be given by all the cars she saw in the lot.

Hers was a modest fiat, nothing too special, she had bought it from the inheritance her parents had left her. Granted they had left enough money for her to live her life in luxury but Aubrey felt like every time she used excess of the money she was depleting the last thing her parents had left for her.

Michael's house was one of the houses on the higher parts of the town. She could make it out instantly by the twisted road they took to go up. Aubrey had never been a nervous driver but it was a relief that the weren't taking any of the really steep roads because her car would have surely spin back and...

She would meet the same fate as her parents.

She shook her head, it wasn't time to start dwelling in those thoughts, she had enough on her plate already.

Michael finally stopped in front of a huge gate. It was made of solid iron and she saw as it some how miraculously swung open on it's own.

But Aubrey didn't have time to think about the gate as she entered the compound. At first it wasn't much, a lane winding down through dense forests on either side but then it gave away to reveal a house.

Aubrey wasn't sure she could even call it a house or a mansion, it was more like a castle.The sheer size of it was dominating as it stood at least five stories tall with huge stairs stretching to the main entrance.

It was ombré in color, but it looked even grander due to floodlights that were switched on as it had already started to get darker.

Michael parked his far in front of her and had to honk so that Aubrey wouldn't ram into his car.

Aubrey blushed furiously realising how stupid she was coming off, gaping at his house.

"It's okay." Michael smiled once more as she stepped out,"I get it, it's big, definitely bigger than it should be."

Aubrey couldn't help but nod as she noticed a fountain in the lawn. She followed him up the stairs to face a large mahogany door.

It swung open on it's own as if it had sensed Michael coming.

"Pressure sensors on the steps."

Aubrey was seriously starting to get peeved. Her parents had been rich too but these people were like, like...

Royalty.

The interior of the house did not disappoint and was just as grand as it's outside. Modern furniture mixed with old carpets and ornaments gave it both a luxurious as well as sleek.

The living room was massive, it went without saying but what caught her eye was the painting right above the fire place.

It was of an angel. She stood with her blonde hair flowing down in a graceful braid. Her wings were behind her spread out in a large fan of white and lilac. Her dress matched the shade of her wings making it nearly impossible to say where her wings ended. She dominated the entire painting and it was beautiful but her face instead of portraying a peaceful calm demeanour like the rest of the painting demanded, it looked worried.

Scared even.

Her eyes were closed tightly and her lips were in a thin line. One of her hands was raised up to the left side as if she was reaching for something out of the painting.

The painting was beautiful but it felt like it was incomplete so much so that for some strange reason it left Aubrey unsettled.

Aubrey stared at the girl again trying to fight that feeling that had once again come over her something like déjà vu but not quite.

"Michael I'm so glad you're back-"

It was woman's voice that snapped her back into the living room. She was a short lady who had her hair in a neat brown bun. She must have been pretty once but wrinkles predominantly covered her face. She seemed genuinely inviting and fitted perfectly with her surroundings at the same time didn't.

She radiated warmth and kindness, something Aubrey had not seen in a long time.

Her face broke out into a huge smile,"You must be Aubrey?"

Aubrey stared back at her confused,"Y-Yes?"

"Don't worry dear Michael has had a lot of things to say about you." She said and Michael blushed a slight red,"And I assure you that all of it has been nothing but praises. Not often this town gets a new addition, I'm just excited the boy got the guts to invite you over. It's a big place and almost nobody."

"I gather he hasn't come home?" Michael asked drily, his smile finally disappearing.

"He's by the waterfall." His mother replied jovially not picking up her sons sudden attitude change,"He's always by the waterfall."

Michael muttered one thing under his breath but next second his calm, happy self was back and he looked at Aubrey his eyes shining,"Come on you'll love moms cooking."

Aubrey wondered why on earth would she cook in a house like this which said that they could clearly afford an entire army of cooks.

The dining room was as luxurious as the rest of the house, Not that Aubrey expected anything else. The huge table stood proudly in the middle with candles and silverware on display just adding to the grandeur. Paintings of places she had never seen decorated the walls of the room. A door on the other side of the room made of glass stood overlooking what Aubrey thought must be the garden.

"That's the forest, dear." Michael's mother appeared siting opposite her,"It's really beautiful in the morning, there is a waterfall and all but unfortunately at night it's just a hazard. We never know what kind of animals roam about."

"Mrs-"

"Please call me Eloise dear." She said,"I've never been a very formal person."

Aubrey was still confused as to how she could live in a house like this and be anything but formal.

A man who could only be the butler entered the room and put fancy soup in front of them. Aubrey thanked him, followed by Eloise but Michael simply fiddled around with his soup.

"Walter is there any chance that Declan will be joining us for dinner?" Eloise asked and Aubrey's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Declan?

Michael noticed it and said,"He's my cousin. This house actually belongs to him after his parents died my mother became his official guardian and he insisted we come stay here."

Aubrey could clearly detect the resentment in Michael's tone. He was clearly just as uncomfortable around the amount of splendor like Aubrey was. No wonder when Sarah threw Declan's name in his face, his mood had drastically changed.

Eloise must have sensed something was wrong so she started talking,"So Aubrey how are you liking Spade so far?"

"It's different." Aubrey admitted honestly,"Coming from Manhattan it's quite a change but I've come here before to visit my aunt."

"She's very good lawyer." Eloise nodded,"She's the one who handles this estate."

"Oh?" Aubrey said,"I didn't know that."

"I apologise for Declan's absence, he tends to wander off." She said.

Aubrey nodded though she couldn't deny that her curiousity to put a name to the face was increasing by the second. It was like everywhere she went his name would pop up.

Aubrey picked up the spoon and nearly dropped it because it was so hot. It felt uncomfortable against her skin but Aubrey simply tightened her grip ignoring it and took a sip of the soup.

"So I heard you had class with Caine today?" Michael asked,"And he let you off swimming?"

Aubrey grinned,"I wasn't feeling to well so I told him that I kind of had a phobia."

Michael let out a bark of laughter,"You must be a very convincing actress."

Aubrey glanced at his mother trying to figure out what was her take on the flirty conversation going on between her son and a girl she had only met today but she seemed far off, looking wistfully at the backdoor that lead to the forest.

The rest of the meal was as wonderful just like Aubrey had expected it to be. Her palms for some reason were bothering her, they had turned a nasty shade of red for some reason blistering her skin but after sometime it had just disappeared.

Another one of the many anomalies.

But Michael had to be the best part of the evening. He was great company, he mischievously flirted with her still managing to retain some of his gentlemanly charm. He said overused cheesy jokes and yet somehow Aubrey managed to laugh genuinely at all of those.

His mother had drifted off during their conversations at times piping in a question or two. Aubrey answered them all as truthfully she could, well the parts that didn't make her sound psychotic.

But the best part of spending time with Michael was the fact that he seemed perfectly and delightfully normal.

Aubrey had already convinced eighty percent of herself that she was probably desperately making a connection between Michael and the boy that summoned storms just to justify her insanity.

The other twenty percent told her to stop sounding like one of her overpaid shrinks. Unsurprisingly that twenty percent sounded like the other boys voice.

Aubrey thanked Eloise for making the meal who frantically shook her head saying the chocolate cake for desert was the only thing she had made. None the less Aubrey convinced her that it was the best part of the meal.

"I thought the woods was supposed to be unsafe." Aubrey whispered as Michael stepped out into the dark woods with her.

"I'll protect you, I promise." His tone had a certain amount of playfulness in them which made Aubrey's apprehensions fade away.

She had known Michael for an increasingly short amount of time and yet he made it very obvious that he liked her, it was no doubt that he had sneaked her into the woods for a kiss or two or to ask her something more privately.

He clearly had a more carefree, more relaxed expression away from the house than when he was in it.

"I'm sorry if I'm overwhelming you." He said sheepishly,"It's just that I don't know how, or why but I just really really like you."

Aubrey was taken aback by his honesty. Usually boys took any road but he straight and made it a point for the girl to confess their feelings first. At least that's what had happened with Aubrey.

"I know this may sound strange." Aubrey said taking a deep breath in trying to muster up her courage. Instead she looked ahead watching the moonlight shine on the thick undergrowth through the leaves.

"Do you ever get the feeling that we've known each other from before?"

Aubrey held her breath, scared that her secret was out. This would make of break her future interactions with Micheal.

Michaels lips parted and his eyes lowered to her lips. Aubrey didn't need to think very hard as to what he was thinking of doing. There was a strange emotion in his eyes, that Aubrey couldn't guess.

Just as he was about to answer his phone rang breaking the quiet silence of the jungle cruelly.

"Shit!" He cursed taking it out,"I need to take this."

Aubrey nodded understanding as he moved backwards from her picking up the call. He muttered something angry under his breath and Aubrey instantly felt like she was trespassing on his private moment.

So Aubrey looked around.

Trees grew from virtually every free space. They were tall, mighty and bold that stood like soldiers. She strode a little further into the forest marvelling at the might of the wooded soldiers that stood.

That's when a buzz began in her head. They had been quiet up until now but suddenly something had brought them back again?

At a distance she could hear the steady beat of water falling. Her feet started to move towards it without any consent from her brain.

Aubrey didn't know why but she just had to get there, immediately because something was waiting there for her.

It wasn't a long walk and Aubrey reached the small stream in a matter of two minutes. It was not a very large waterfall probably seven feet at most but in the moonlight there was something about the silvery water that gave Aubrey goosebumps.

The stream was shallow, if she were to cross it, the water would come slightly above her ankles. The pebbles underneath paved the path of many fishes that glittered a bright silver.

And across the stream sat a boy.

Sat the boy.

Whenever someone used the word devastating, to describe someone Aubrey had a habit rolling her eyes, but now looking at him she finally got the meaning.

He really was devastating.

Although Aubrey had seen him before he had never looked solid, real , it was almost like a dream where she could see him but when when she had to recall him she could only remember his eyes.

He had his eyes trained on the stream, his long lashes stood out like startling poles of dark black against his pale face, that glowed silver in the moonlight. His cheekbones were set high on his face complementing the strong jaw line he had. His black hair sat perfectly messy on his head that looked almost deliberately done.

He didn't look royal. No he looked perfect. He looked devastatingly, inhumanly handsome.

But more than than his looks was the feeling that gripped her when she saw him.

She knew him, she had known him all her life but there was this feeling tugging on her saying that she should know better than to stay away from him.

How was that even possible?

That constantly tug and pull was back, her mind telling her to run her heart beating faster and faster trying to tell her to stay.

Instead she was just frozen.

RUN!

The voices inside her head had started once more brutally screeching and screaming in her head.

Complete the prophecy

The king will break it

The queen shall kill him

When she rises from the heir's ashes

Aubrey let out a gasp without meaning too, the voices inside her head had gotten too loud.

The boy looked up his solid gold eyes connecting with her, taking her in. A flurry of emotions passed through them, recognition, relief and the utter shock.

Aubrey held her breath waiting for him to say that he'd seen her too or just come over to her and kiss her or something, anything to tell her her that she wasn't going mad and that the boy was really there.

Instead he said,"You should be dead."