*POV* Kylo Hillmore
We arrived back at the gate, and I couldn't help but smile when the guard immediately let us in. I looked around the large courtyard wondering where to go next when Kalea came running up to us.
"There you guys are." She smiled brightly. "Aunt Coral has set up a dinner for the whole family. She would like it if you all would come
in." Samuel grunted, Kalea smiled and had us follow her inside while she apologized over and over for Clayton's rudeness.
We entered the dining room, it was large with 2 large tables that stretched the length of the room, with chairs that were set up on each
side. It reminded me of the guards of Elesor's mess hall.
Kalea led us to chairs at the end of one of the tables, the room wasn't crowded, food was only set up at the end of the one table. A dozen
or so covered places waited for everyone.
Clayton sat beside a pretty girl with matching features, she was watching us curiously. Sunny and Raven sat down the way with 2 others, a boy and a girl that looked a lot like Clayton.
Once we were seated at our places Kalea smacked the table and everyone stopped chatting. "This is Samuel and Kylo,." Then she went into another series of introductions. The girl beside Raven was Leah, twin to Linden, and the girl beside Clayton was his twin, Carmia.
"So, you guy's parents are the same?" I asked, Kalea giggled from her place between me and Samuel, but Clayton answered. "Our family is-." He paused. "Unique." Carmia spoke up.
"All our siblings are pairs of twins." I stared at her. "And how many are there?" She blushed. "20, there are 20 of us." I stared in surprise while Samuel choked on his water.
"That's a large family." She smiled, but our conversation was interrupted by the door opening. Queen Coral entered with her husband Randall Franklin, behind them followed 2 women.
They came to sit down across from us, after a second Coral greeted us and introduced Randall and her sisters, Pip and Dixie. The younger of the 2 spoke first. "I hope you won't mind my rudeness, but what was it like to live in the shadows realm?" she asked Samuel without a beat.
Samuel shrugged but didn't answer as the door opened again and Stefon and Lexus entered. Another man, who turned out to be Pip's husband, entered behind them. He was dressed in the armor of a guard.
"This is Dusk." She introduced as he sat beside her. "Pip, will you be quiet for a minute?" Coral said with a half-smile. "I wanted you both to know, I have had rooms set up for you both in the north wing."
"We hope you will both stay a while." Randall said. "You aren't crowning me a prince, are you?" Samuel looked at Coral with apprehension. "Not if you don't want it." She looked pained. "I have crowned Clayton as crown prince for the time being but if either of you wish and can prove to me you want it. I will change my decision."
I nodded in understanding, not feeling the need to speak, Samuel frowned. "What do you mean by proving it to you? Do I have to go slay a great beast to prove my worth?"
Coral to my surprise laughed, she paused only to laugh some more. "I don't need you to prove your strength my son, I want you to show me
that you care for the people of Hilldren in a way a ruler would."
Samuel went silent, all of a sudden Raven started crying. "What's wrong dear?" Randall got to his feet to go around the table to kneel
down beside her chair. "She is a empathy." Kalea whispered as we watched.
Raven got to her feet and ran from the room sobbing. "So, she feels everyone's emotions?" I asked, Kalea nodded looking sympathetically
at the closing door.
Samuel stood all of a sudden and marched from the room, I watched him leave wondering if I should follow.
An hour later I followed Stefon out into the night air, the sun had set, and the stars were out. "Let's see those powers of yours." He
gestured for me to enter the empty training building, before the door closed behind him.
The room was large with high ceilings and windows that let in a breeze, the wood floor creaked under our feet. "No one will see us here." Someone in the shadows alerted me to another person's presence.
"Took you long enough, I hate dinner parties." I heard Samuel say as he walked into a light shaft filling the room. "It wasn't a party." Stefon replied.
"Well, it felt like one." Samuel lit a flame and watched the flame dance. "Are we starting or what?" Stefon nodded.
Samuel's flame grew until most of the room was filled with light. "Alright Kylo, I want you to focus on the shadows. Do what you did when
you showed Samuel."
I closed my eyes and focused on the darkest areas of the room, "Okay, now bring them into the light." I opened my eyes at Stefon's words
and the figures that hovered just outside the light vanished.
I hadn't even said anything. "Not quite what we wanted. Do you think you could try again?" I nodded and closed my eyes again.
I kept the focus on the shadows while in my mind's eye I could feel Stefon's and Samuel's presence in the room.
All of a sudden, I felt the shadows move, and form 2 men like figures in my mind. They walked over to me and bent to one knee. They
didn't speak.
"Well, that is weird, right." Samuel breathed slowly, his words broke my conversation, and I focused on him. All of a sudden Stefon punched me in the arm.
"Kylo! Stop right now!" I opened my eyes and stared; Samuel was being lifted into the air by one of the shadows guys by his throat. 2
seconds passed and they crumbled away.
Samuel fell onto his bottom and stared at me with a mixed expression. "What happened?" I asked, Stefon let out a breath.
"Well. . . Your powers. Are definitely not like mine." He seemed shaken. Samuel got to his feet rubbing his neck. "I am okay." He rasped;
I shook my head understanding sinking in.
I had just tried to kill Samuel. "I am sorry." I whispered, but he shook a hand in my direction. "No, it's good. Now we just have to see why that happened."
He straightened. "Stefon, could it be that his powers work with his eyes closed? And when he opens them, it stops, because those guys were obeying him and doing whatever that was until I broke his focus."
He paused. "I saw his eyes twist in my direction when I spoke, those guys must have taken it as a sign to attack me." Stefon rubbed his chin. "I guess. Let's try again, this time I will speak. Kylo." I looked at him.
"Try your best to think of something other than violence when they come after me." I wanted to stop and quit right there, not sure I wanted to use this power anymore, but I took a breath and closed my eyes.
I could hear Stefon taking a step back as I focused on the shadows, the 2 men appeared again in front of me. "Okay, bring it on." I turned my focus to Stefon but wished for him to be helped to lay down.
The shadows moved in his direction, and I opened my eyes. Stefon was laying on the floor and in seconds the figures disappeared. "Oh, cripneck!" Samuel shouted, running to me and slamming me on the back.
"Oh, that's impressive, but it's so creepy from my point of view." He laughed; Stefon got back on his feet. "For 3 seconds there I wondered
if they would run me through, it took all I had not to look threatening."
"It's like you have your own shadow bodyguards, if you just close your eyes and move them." Stefon thumped my back. "I am sure with practice you won't even have to close your eyes."
I took a steading breath; glad it had turned out well. But my hands shook, I clenched my fists. "Thanks for working with me." I blurted, feeling weirdly emotional.
Stefon smiled. "Now I think Samuel and I should sit over there, and I want you to talk to those guys." I nodded, it sounded silly, but I
was up to giving it a try.