We take the same route home. Everyone is tense and on alert. A snap of a stick has me twisting around looking behind me. My warriors spring to action. Harlan tells his father and his team to run home and to take Blair and Clary with them. Then it all happens in an instant. I hear Oliver scream. “Move Dara.” I see the arrow coming straight for me, aimed right at my head. I duck and roll at the last second taking cover behind a tree, I feel the air of the arrow as it whistles past my arm. My breathing picks up as I squat behind the tree. Pulling my knife out I get ready to attack. Daring, I look around the tree. Harlan has taken down a slayer, Oliver and Declan are wrestling another one. I sense something out of the corner of my eye. Turning around I see a glimpse of white just before I am knocked down by a strong force. We roll over and over, landing with the slayer on top of me. Holding me down with his body weight, his arms pushing down on my shoulders, digging in with his fingertips. Thrusting my body upwards, I try to push him off but it’s no use he is too strong. My shoulders start to burn as his nails pierce my skin. “You will be dead before you know it. You little bitch.” The slayer growls out, as he yanks my body up. Before I can think of my next move he slams me back down on the forest floor. Pain splinters down my back causing me to scream out. The slayer moves his arm up bringing it towards my face. I use this as an opportunity, thrusting my hips, it causes him to lose his balance. Lifting my arm up I push against his chest with every ounce of strength I have left. He falls backwards slightly, wriggling my hips I try to get free. But he’s back on top of me instantly. His hand connects to my cheek with a loud thud. My head jerks to the side. Holy shit! that fucking hurt. My face feels numb, I can’t hear anything but ringing. Turning back, he smirks, happy with the pain he inflicted. Bringing his hand back, he goes to strike again. I close my eyes defeated, I can’t get him off me I am stuck. I feel the weight of his body land on me. Snapping my eyes open I see the arrow sticking out of his back. A shadow appears over our bodies. The weight of the slayer is lifted off me. Declan appears, kneeling down he helps me up. My legs wobble, pain shooting through my back. Bringing my hand to my cheek, it's already blowing up, god it hurts.

“You ok to walk on your own?” Declan asks placing his arm around my shoulder.

“Yep all good.” Looking around I see five slayers bodies piled up.

Harlan and Jolie come running towards us. “All clear, but we should get moving.” He looks towards me, reaching out gently touching my cheek. I flinch slightly as his fingers touch.

“Shit that looks bad.”

I sigh. “Yep, I’m sure it feels as bad as it looks.”

Oliver joins us giving me a smile, then we keep moving not wanting to get caught by more slayers. We get back into the safety of our village, without any more issues.

A hundred metres from our home, Anna runs out, her face full of relief as she sees that we are all safe.

“We need to get inside, are the others back?” I ask Anna.

“Yes, they have got Blair inside, Albert needs help getting him up to his bed. He is stable on the couch,”

We get inside, Blair is laid out on the couch. Harlan and Declan head towards him lifting his unconscious body up. They carry him up into his bedroom, only managing to drop him once. Once he’s laid out carefully on his bed, I help pulling his dirty worn clothes off throwing them on the ground. Leaving him in his underwear. My cheek is pounding along with my body but I push it aside focusing my attention on helping Blair. Albert says, “Jolie, work your magic. Check him over then do some healing spells. See what will help with his recovery, other than time.”

She gets to work and everyone gives her some space.

“Dara, my dear, I want you to watch Jolie very closely. Take in everything she’s doing to Blair; you will have to learn to do this very soon. As our only healer, her powers are much sought after in our village and she needs all the help she can get. The power Emerald gave you will help bring forth your healing ability,” Albert says.

I stand beside Jolie, taking in everything she’s doing from her stance, to the way she hovers her hands over Blair’s body. Putting her hands into her pockets she pulls out her crystals and herbs, laying them around his body. Acting as a barrier, a protective wall. Jolie taught me this in training. I needed my own set of crystals and herbs, I think to myself.

She closes her eyes and starts chanting. I can’t understand a thing she’s saying, but it must be helping Blair. As I watch, his body is enveloped by a green mist. Jolie continues for another ten minutes without pausing for breath. When her eyes finally snap open again, she has a smile on her face. I look straight back to Blair, waiting for any reaction.

I notice the rise and fall of his chest as he starts to breathe. I let out the deep breath that I didn’t realise I was holding in. It’s the first sign of strength I have seen from him.

“He’s going to be okay,” Jolie says to the group. “It took some deep magic, but he’s going to be fine. He needs to rest for at least a week. He won’t wake up for a few days yet, but Dara should be near him at all times to help him recover more quickly.“

I pull her in for a big hug, putting all the thanks I can into it. If it wasn’t for her, Blair might not have made it.

“You’re the best, Sis,” I whisper in her ear.

Everyone begins to clear the room, but Anna lingers, her eyes fixed on Blair. She isn’t ready to leave her son just yet and I don’t blame her; I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon either.

I haven’t been in Blair’s room before so I take a moment to soak it in. It’s laid out in the same way mine is - a bed in the centre, the bathroom to the left and a chest of drawers to the right. The only point of difference is the family photos lining the wall to my left.

I look back at the blue and green handmade quilt covering his bed. I lay my hand on the patchwork of patterns, appreciating the work that went into it.

Anna’s hand slides into mine as she pats the cover lovingly. “I made this for Blair when he was about twelve and he hasn’t taken it off since. Well, just to wash. That’s Blair though, he appreciates every little thing someone does for him. I couldn’t be prouder of my boy. Of all of them. You are one lucky girl Dara, to have all of my boys as your warriors. Just as they are lucky to have you to protect,” She admits to me. I lay my hand on her knee, telling her he’ll be ok.

“We’ll get through this, Anna - together, as a family.”

Despite the tears in her eyes, she nods. “I’d better get Clary settled. She’s shaken up, but it’s so good to see my dear friend again. I can’t thank you all enough.” She smiles at me, putting the quilt over Blair before leaving the room.

Left alone with Blair, I watch his chest rise and fall under the blanket. Carefully, I lay down beside him. snuggling into his warmth and touch. My eyes close as I relax for the first time since James took my Blair away.

I awake to the sound of someone coming into the room. Opening my eyes, I find Declan coming in carrying a tray.

“Sorry to wake you, Princess. I just wanted to bring you something to eat since you missed dinner.”

The more Declan opens up to me and lets me in the more I like him. He’s the most shut off and reserved for my warriors. So, it has taken a while to get to know the guy behind those beautiful green eyes. He’s really stepped up since Blair was taken and having everyone deal with it in their own way has had Declan really taking charge, coming out of his shell.

He goes to leave but before he gets to the door I hear myself saying. “Can you stay with us?” I look away not wanting to see rejection in his eyes.

He surprises me by coming to the other side of the bed and sitting down next to me. He doesn’t say a word and he doesn’t have to. Just to have his company means the world to me. I thought he would leave and reject me, but here he is.

“I would never dream of rejecting you, my Princess. You mean too much to me. I just have a weird way of showing it,” He admits and turns his face away from me, embarrassed. A smile creeps onto my face at his words. So, Declan was a sweetie. I just knew he was deep down. “How are you feeling with everything that’s going on?” I ask, bringing a piece of pasta to my mouth.

“Not the best as expected, but I am glad Blair is home. That’s one less thing to worry about you know?”

I nod my head. Feeling the exact same.

We sit in silence as I eat the rest of my dinner. It has no taste to it like it should. I am too broken down and emotional right now to taste any flavour and it really sucks, as its Anna’s tomato pasta bake, one of my favourites. I still continue to eat it all to gain my strength back. These past few days have been hell and it's finally all catching up to me. I am relieved that Blair is ok but his still not back to his full-self yet. It will take time as Jolie said. I just hoped James and his slayers would stay away and let us re-coop. Something told me he wouldn’t. He would be fuming that we rescued Blair. I can just imagine him ripping into his slayers. I shake my head at the thought. James was pure evil to the bone.

He went easy on me when we met for the first time. I know he is much stronger than that and next time we meet he won’t be so stupid as to let his guard down. It’s what cost him the Emerald stone. That one mistake. I bet he was paying for it now and he would suffer once I retrieved the final two stones.

Let’s hope that we have what it takes to get them all. We needed Silvia back to its former glory. I wouldn’t stop until it was.

After I finish my tea, Declan takes the tray away. Leaving it on the table beside the bed. I lay down snuggling into Blair. Declan surprises me as I feel the bed sink next to me and look to see him laying down on my other side. I smile at him and let his body mould into mine.

I close my eyes as I enjoy both of my warriors bodies closed in against mine.

They are all mine and always will be.