“Don’t touch it,” Xeik said as he barely glanced over his book. He was in Angela’s gazebo, lounging with a drink next to him. For once, he was actually able to take a few breaks between jobs. Angela was out on business, which left him ‘in charge’ of the happenings in the Temple. And in charge, Angela meant in charge of Raine. Everything else in the Temple was self sufficient, but Raine…

“What did I say, Raine…” This time, he put the book down. Ever since he had become a healer, he had started taking better care of himself and his appearance. Well, except for his tousled mess of dark brown hair, but that was a beast within itself. Still, the man found himself wearing his usual attire; dark pants and a white sleeveless shirt, with a leather vest overtop. To his side was the hooded garb he usually wore, but since it was a beach, he felt it was a little overkill.

“Raaaiinne…where did you get that pen,” Xeik growled. “That better not be stolen.” He sighed, standing up and stretching. “I swear to the gods…You do know I have to take those back, right? And apologize for your misbehavior…” The healer crossed his arms. “At least…this is the worst of it..”

It’s been quiet lately. I can appreciate that after the life I’ve lived… He sat back down and grabbed his book. “Now let’s see…Night Phoenixes have an unusually high level of mana, and thus their veins are…” His muttering trailed off as he lost himself in the book, once more leaving Raine to her devious deeds.

It was the peaceful times that you had to relish, because they rarely ever lasted….

Once Alshaya had woken up she was in a dazed state. That was until she asked where Everett was. “They are looking for him,” Kalina stroked her hair.

“Not a dream?” Alshaya’s eyes immediately watered.

“I’m sorry princess but it wasn’t a dream,” Kalina frowned a bit.

“I want my brother!” Alshaya yelled and began to cry again. She got down and started to run away from Kalina.

“Best let her be for now…” Nothing would help the little girl. She had been there when Everett went missing. She had to also blame herself like Simone was doing now.

Alshaya ran to the special door in the house. She grabbed the lever and kept pulling and opening the door. In her tears and muddled mind, she still knew what she was looking for. Once she found the temple she ran in and past the clergy who were trying to stop her and find out what was wrong.

“XEIKKK,” Alshaya started to cry harder and threw herself into his lap. She couldn’t stop crying. “It Ever–” She started to cry even harder as she burrowed herself into him. “He gone…”

It happened so quickly, that even Xeik had a hard time figuring out what was happening. There was a line of clergy who had followed Alshaya to the gazebo to see what the commotion was. Xeik started to pet her head, and looked up.

“I’ll take care of this,” the healer said as he waved them away. He turned his attention back to Alshaya, and picked her up, giving her a hug. “There there, let it out. You can tell me what the problem is in a moment.” It took him a moment to decipher what she had said between sobs.

“Everett?” he asked, looking down at her. “He’s gone? What do you mean?” He was still stroking her hair, trying to calm the poor girl. “Were you two playing a game of some kind?” He had seen her upset before, but not like this. Something must have gone terribly wrong. “Maybe we should go see your mother…” He stood up, picking up Alshaya. “Let’s get you something to calm those nerves though…I think we have some herbal tea…what flavors do you like, Alshaya?”

Alshaya was rubbing her eyes crying her little heart out as Xeik picked her up and held her. “We… playing… with… frog… it hop– hopped away…” She said in big gasps of air between her sobs. “And… he… fell… magic hole. Missing.”

She rubbed her eyes and she clung to him, “Any kind. All of them.” Simone had tested those waters all ready and Alshaya loved them a lot. Once she was drinking the tea she looked up at Lewis. “Mama said and crying… and screaming for Everett. Daddy came home and tried to make her feel better but he couldn’t. Everyone showed up to help look.”

Alshaya started to cry again, “Mama so sad she can’t stop crying and blaming herself. We were just trying to be brave and be on our own and now we made them sad. I hate them being sad.” This little girl with such a big heart was upset that her parents were hurting so bad. “Xeik… find Everett.”

Xeik listened to Alshaya as he brewed her tea. He had chosen chamomile tea, a classic in helping calm nerves. With a touch of honey for sweetener, he set it in front of Alshaya on the table in his own personal room. He sat across from her, and listened as she told the story of what had transpired. At once, he knew there was a huge problem. ANgela was normally the one they’d come for in order to help with this, but she was out, and that meant they had to rely on other means.

“Alshaya,” he said as he stood up. “I can’t help you. I’m no good at tracking,” he said with a sad voice. “But I'm sure your mother and father are doing everything they can to find Everett, and-” He paused. Wait. I might… He started to draw symbols in the air with a touch of magic, as if he were running a complicated calculation.

“It might work…but I’ve never used the sands like that before…” He furrowed his brow. “Alshaya, give me a moment.” He left the side room, and went to his main bedroom. It had long since changed from the old attic that he used to live in, and instead was a comfortable, almost tropical like room, matching the beach that was half of Elysia. He went over to his chest, and started to dig through the contents, looking for an old item he used to own from his thief days.

“Ah! Here it is!” He pulled out a small crystal pendant, and called Alshaya into the room.

“Here, hold on to this,” he said as he gave her the Arc of Want. “Think really hard of your brother and how you want to find him, the hardest you’ve ever thought. Channel those feelings…” he reached into the pouch at his waist, and started to spread the Divine Sands around. He closed his eyes, and held up his hands.

“Ixentus, guide the sands…” The gold bracelets around his wrists started to glow, and a wind whipped around Xeik, carrying the sands to the ceiling. Slowly, it started to drift down as if it were snowing. “Alshaya, for Everett…”

I command you, Divine Sands…create! A gate that shall open for the heart’s desire! The divine sands started to glow at Xeik’s wish. He knew the runes that Angela had used to link the Temple to the Terrowin Estate. This was an alteration of it…he only hoped it would work.

Alshaya’s eyes got big as she watched him. He was doing something like her mama did when she was thinking hard. She recognized it from when they were being taught at home. Her tears started to dry up because she believed in Xeik.

“Okay…” She took the crystal and thought hard. “I wanna find my brother! MY BROTHER. MY BROTHER. MY BROTHER,” Alshaya was holding it and closing her eyes as she yelled. At first, nothing happened and she was frowning but once it reacted she smiled up at Xeik. “I DID IT!”

The gate that he created reacted and it opened up to an area that was brightly lit with fairy lights. Everett was on the other side sitting at a table with the various fey. They were trying to get him to stop crying and eat.

“No, Mama said never take anything from the fey,” Everett blubbered out.

“Oh, she must have misheard,” one of the fey tried to tempt him.

“No!” Everett shook his head and his eyes laid on Xeik. “XEIK! I wanna go home,” he started to cry harder. "Mama gonna be so upset."