I waited until I heard her troubled breathing and whimpers before I got up.

As I approached, my eyes settled on her sleeping face. It was difficult to get a good look in the dark; moonlight barely trickled into the cave. She writhed. It was a nightmare. One of his… it had to be.

I reached out to her, and my fingers found the flesh of her arm.

In an instant I was wrapped in a whirlwind. The overwhelming screams, the voices, the haunting imagery of his face, the very essence of fear…

I couldn't rip myself from it. I was right—it was him.

A purple blast from her hand hit me. I landed with a rough thud and before I knew it, she was standing over me. Her breaths were loud, and her body language read angry with the way the energy from her hands radiated up her arms. I gazed up wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry," I managed, hands up again. "I am looking for him—for Nezarec—and you are the first being I've found that has come into contact with him outside my family."

She remained defensive.

"I simply want to see his power. To see what your experience was like with him."

At this her demeanor softened, but only slightly. We had come to an understanding. She backed up and sat on the log. I cautiously got to my feet and joined her.

"Please," I begged.

After a long pause, she looked at me. I held her gaze until my vision was suddenly warped.