Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

lucky. The owl could have taken out his eye. He might have to revise his opinion on the birds as guards. This one had come in savagely and without sound. The wing feathers of the owl muffled the swish of the raptor in flight, allowing the night raptor to attack in complete silence. If it hadn’t been for his warning system, Stefan doubted if he could have escaped so easily, even with the bird recognizing him as a friend.
    The owl settled into the top branches of the pine tree, wings slowly folding in close to its body, round eyes staring down into the trees growing thick on the knoll above Judith’s house. Something about the way the bird concentrated on that knoll bothered Stefan. He was exhausted, fighting unfamiliar emotions and trying to ease the tension in his body, putting it all down to his experience in the dark studio. But now that the bird had made him aware, he wasn’t so certain his body’s warning system wasn’t screaming at him in alarm.
    Lev, you out here? He sent the question with great caution, not wanting to give his location even to his brother.
    The owl had gone for his eyes. Had he pulled up because Lev had warned him off, or had it been Stefan’s reflexes? Something was up on the knoll that had caught the bird’s interest. Owls had keen eyesight, and their acute hearing was amazing. Stefan continued to move around the house until he had Judith’s balcony in sight.
    She stood outside, her face turned upward toward the light rain, the water molding her tank top to her lush curves, emphasizing her narrow ribcage and flaring hips. Her hair should have looked like a drowned rat’s tail, but instead, wet, it glistened like a waterfall cascading around her body. Stefan’s breath hissed out, afraid for her. Anyone concealed in that stand of trees on the knoll could easily see Judith and that could be considered a killing offense.
    Stefan? Are you all right?
    Stefan’s heart thundered in his ears. Lev’s voice was faint, as if coming over a good distance. The range of their telepathic abilities had never been tested, but Stefan knew it couldn’t be too far.
    Where are you?
    With Rikki. You need me?
    I think we have company. On the knoll above Judith’s home. Thick stand of pine trees.
    Stefan felt Lev’s reaction, a kind of jerk of awareness. The entire farm was pulsing with energy as the elements came together and power flowed through Stefan heightening his abilities, yet at the same time, the force was so strong, it was easy to attribute the uneasiness and tension to the building intensity. Lev had to be feeling the power as well and it could be misleading all of them.
    The owls would warn me.
    Even with the disruption of power, all the energies merging together like they are?
    The owl had attacked, although Lev had previously sent Stefan’s image to the predators in the area, clearly showing them that Stefan belonged to the farm. Something had confused the bird. If the pulsing power in the air could confuse a raptor belonging to the night, no doubt it could also mislead Stefan’s warning system.
    I’m on my way. Disgust edged Lev’s tone.
    Immediately Stefan felt the break in the whips of pulsating power as if one of the threads had snapped. Energy crackled and snapped in the air, thin lines glowing, radiating out from a central point. The bright lights could have been electricity zipping out of control, like a dazzling light show. No doubt when Lev abruptly rushed from the house, his wife had stopped playing her rain symphony, breaking the connection between all five elements.
    He glanced up at Judith. She stood in the suddenly driving rain, looking toward Rikki’s house in surprise, but she made no move to take shelter. Stefan’s vision blurred for a moment. His stomach lurched, his mind disoriented. When it cleared, he was merged with his brother, looking through the eyes of the owl down into the grove of pines trees. The shadowy figure of a man crouched there and he was pointing something at Judith.
    Judith! Both brothers called the warning at the exact same moment, their voices thundering in her head. Drop to the ground and stay down now.
    Stefan poured sheer steel into his command and wasn’t surprised that Lev did the same. The result was gratifying. Judith didn’t hesitate. Stefan didn’t know if it was the shock of hearing such a decided command or that both men were near her.
    Stefan dropped all pretense of stealth and sprinted for the grove of trees. Lev was a