When I woke up at five in the morning to the sound of the alarm I had set on my phone, Alice was no longer in bed with me. While that was slightly disappointing, it was also to be expected since I knew very well that she needed to sleep in water. When I retracted my wings, slipped out of bed, and went to the master bedroom’s ensuite bathroom, I found her already awake and relaxing in the jacuzzi bathtub, though her tail didn’t entirely fit and was flopped over the side.

“Mornin’, Alice,” I mumbled sleepily, “how’s the water?”

My newly stated girlfriend let out a contented sigh before replying, -Heavenly. This is too small for sleeping in regularly, but the water jets have my muscles feeling so nice and relaxed. I’m not sure if I want to leave, but I will if you want a soak.-

“No, that’s okay, you can keep enjoying it for a while longer, it would probably just make me sleepy. I’ll take a cold shower so I can wake up properly before going to my aunt’s suite for breakfast. She wants to leave as soon as we’ve eaten,” I told her.

-Okay, beautiful, but I had better at least get a kiss goodbye before you leave,- the gorgeous Mermaid chastised playfully before turning serious. -We’re all going to miss you while you’re gone. It won’t be the same at home without you there.-

“Yeah, I’m going to miss all of you too, but I need to learn to fight and control my Valkyrie abilities if I’m going to ever get those Demons off our backs for good,” I admitted. At least I would have my phone with me so we could talk and text while I was gone.

-I know, it’s the right thing for you to do, but that won’t make me miss you any less. You better call me whenever you can, and train hard, so you can come back to us soon you can,- was the response that accompanied the melancholy music in her mind voice.

She was correct that this was the right thing for me to be doing, and I had asked for this training, but it wasn’t going to be easy or quick, and we both knew that. I would be starting this warrior training from the ground up, and my aunt had warned us all last night that it could take up to a year, or even longer, to teach a young Valkyrie in everything that a proper warrior should know. There would be no rushing this, and even if I did have some talent for combat and worked my ass off, it could still take many months.

Being away from most of the people I cared about for so long was a daunting possibility, but I was hoping that we would at least have some form of regular contact during that time. “I’ll try to call as often as I can, every night if I can manage it,” I promised her before stepping into the shower.

Much as I would have loved to luxuriate in the last proper shower that I was likely to have for a while, I kept it cold and quick to wake myself up fully, and because I knew my aunt was probably eager to leave. When I emerged from the shower, dripping wet, Alice seemed to take that as her excuse to climb out of the Jacuzzi as well, as she offered, -Let me dry you off, it’ll save you some time.-

She efficiently pulled the excess water from my hair and body, and hers as well, with her Water magic and dumped it all in the jacuzzi, which was draining the water from her bath already. Honestly, though, I wasn’t paying much attention to that. I was far more distracted by the fact that she was suddenly standing so very close and we were both completely naked.

We had seen each other in various states of dress before; that was inevitable since we were living in the same house, but I was very conscious that right now we were both naked as Alice pulled me close and kissed me as soon as we were both dry. There were so many thoughts running through my head in that moment, stumbling over one another as my mind was trying to decide what to focus on. There was just too much in that moment to focus on just one thing; the floral scent of her shampoo and body wash, the warmth of her bare body against mine, the way that she gently yet firmly grabbed my ass to pull me closer, her soft lips crashing passionately against mine, the way that our heaving breasts were pressed together from our embrace.

The warmth of my desire for her was building up in my core, and my nipples hardened, even as I could feel hers pressing into me with her own desire. “Alice, what are you doing?” I thought, directing it to her even as we continued to passionately kiss. She was making it very difficult for me to leave right now.

-I’m saying goodbye… no, not goodbye, but I’ll see you later, and I’m giving you a reason to come back to me as soon as you can. Consider it an incentive to work your pretty little ass off because when you get back, I want to do more than just kiss you.- I could sense her desire in her mind voice, but it was eclipsed by the sheer amount of affection and love that she held for me as she added, -I think I love you, Raven, and I’m going to miss you so much.-

With that last thought given voice between us, I felt myself going weak in the knees. She said the L word, which I guess explained why she had claimed me as her girlfriend last night. Honestly, I felt the same way about her. We may have only gone on one date, but we had been living together for almost two months and spending most of that time together.

Sure, most of that time was her helping me learn how to shapeshift properly so I could hide my wings and such in public, but there was this connection that had been growing between us during that time. It felt like we had so much in common with one another, despite the fact that we came from different Paranormal and family backgrounds, and just having her nearby made me happy. So, hearing her say those words, and knowing that she meant them as she held my naked body close to hers and we kissed, well, it got me right in the heart.

“Alice, I think… I love you… too,” I gasped out when we finally had to come up for air.

She pulled me in for another kiss at that, and we just held one another for a moment as we luxuriated in the kiss and the contact of our bodies. When we parted once again, Alice let out a sigh and then said sadly, -I guess I should let you get ready to go.-

Without another word, we both returned to the master bedroom to get dressed. While we did so, and I checked to make sure I had everything in my duffel bag that I would need, including my phone, we kept the conversation to the basics. Everything important had already been said, after all. Though I did tell Alice that once Lydia and Erin were awake, they could all order breakfast from the kitchen before heading back home. It would be charged to the room, and my aunt had already taken care of putting that in my name, so everyone would know it was to be charged to the account that was set up for the owners’ expenses.

Then, all dressed and as prepared as I could probably be, I gave Alice one last kiss at the front door before leaving. -I’ll see you later,- she sent me even as our lips parted for what might be the last time for quite a while.

“Yeah, Alice, I’ll see you later,” I promised, my heart heavy as I turned to leave the suite and headed across the hall to knock on my aunt’s door.

Aunt Lin was ready to leave as soon as we finished our breakfast. With our duffel bags slung over our shoulders, we headed to the elevator and then all the way down to the hotel’s garage, where she led me to four large unmarked white cargo vans. “These are usually used for hotel business, and they don’t really stand out much, so we shouldn’t get a lot of attention, especially this early in the morning,” she explained. “The van we’re taking is already loaded with everything we need for our trip, and Brianna will drive us there and return the van to the hotel once we’re done.”

“Brianna?” I asked, since I was not familiar with all the hotel staff yet.

“She’s worked for us as the hotel manager for about twenty-five years now, though she’s been working at the hotel since we opened, and there are few people whom I would trust more to get us where we’re going and keep it quiet,” she replied with a faint smile.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised about her being so secretive and paranoid about this trip, with the lengths she went to keep from being on the PDA’s radar. Maybe she was even right not to trust them, or anyone who hadn’t earned such trust. She had certainly made a few good points last night at dinner, even Alice and Lydia had to admit that.

There was a very striking woman and a long black dress standing in front of the last of the vans. She appeared to be in her early twenties, but had an almost elfin look to her with her pointed ears, and likely was one of the Fey species if she had been working at the hotel for so long and still looked so young. She was also beautiful, with a figure that made me slightly jealous and long, bright red hair. Her skin was somewhat pale, and her bright green eyes looked a little bit puffy and red, as if she had been crying.

As we approached, the woman bowed her head slightly, “Good mornin’, Matriarch. An’ you must be Miss DeMarco. It is nice t’ finally meet you.” She had a pleasant Irish accent to her lilting voice.

“Good morning, Brianna,” my aunt replied with a genuine smile for the young woman. “Yes, this is my niece, Raven, whom I have been telling you and the other staff about.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” I responded, not quite sure what else to say as I reached out to shake her hand. I felt a little bad that she looked like she’d been crying and was still willing to drive us to wherever we were going. As our hands touched, I felt something unusual, like a faint pulse of magic from our grasped hands. I looked up at her in surprise as I asked, “What was that?”

“I apologize for startlin’ you, Miss DeMarco. I’m a Banshee, you see. When we touch someone for the first time, we become attuned t’ them, it is one o’ the reasons that my people do not make physical contact with other people, save for family or others who we care about,” she offered as our hands parted.

“Attuned?” I asked, not quite sure what she was getting at. I had heard myths about Banshees, but as I had learned since discovering my own Paranormal heritage, the myths often weren’t entirely accurate.

“Aye, you have heard the tales that Banshees can sense those who are dyin’, right?” she inquired. When I nodded, she clarified, “That is not entirely accurate, but close. When we become attuned t’ someone, yes, we can sense if they are dyin’, but that’s mostly because we can sense their lifeforce, an’ overall health in general, so we know if they are sick, injured, or if an issue manifests that might threaten their health. I am attuned to everyone who works at the hotel and makes their home here on the staff floor, so we can cut off any unexpected health issues before they become fatal. Think of it as a healthcare plan.”

“Doesn’t that get distracting, constantly monitoring everyone like that?” I wondered aloud as I stared at her.

Brianna shook her head as she said, “Not really. It’s not enough of a sense to be distractin’; mostly it stays in the background, an’ it only truly comes to forefront of our minds when someone we are attuned to is seriously ill or their life is in danger from an injury or disease. In those cases, we will start to weep like babes an’ the person in question will appear in our thoughts. We are always on the verge o’ tears, but those tears only come when someone we are attuned to is in some sort of danger, health-wise. If they die, we become overwhelmed from the loss of the bond and begin to wail an’ scream uncontrollably.”

I shook my head sadly at the thought of what that might be like for her. “I don’t know if I could handle that,” I admitted.

“Dinnae worry about me, I am used to it after such a long time, an’ my mother prepared me for it since I was a wee lass. It is not as much of a burden as it might seem, an’ I am more than willin’ t’ bear it to safeguard the health o’ the family that your aunt and mother built here for us,” the Banshee assured me.

“Family?” I asked.

“Aye, Miss DeMarco,” she confirmed with a smile. “Every person workin’ here at the hotel is like family t’ one another, an’ your aunt is our Matriarch. She looks out for us and keeps us safe and hidden from the normies and those who would take advantage of us. We were all runnin’ from somethin’ when she an’ Siv gave us a home, jobs, an’ a reason t’ stay. You may not realize it yet, but bein’ Siv’s girl, you are a part o’ this family as well. We all look forward to gettin’ t’ know you better once you return from your trip.”

“Please, just call me Raven,” I said as I considered her words.

“Aye, Raven it is then, at least until one o’ the young ones come up with a proper title for you that sticks, like with our poor, aggrieved Matriarch,” Brianna countered playfully.

Aunt Lin sighed as if put upon, but I could tell that her heart wasn’t truly in it as she told Brianna, “I thought I told all of you to stop calling me that. It’s been nearly a decade now, and it’s getting old.”

The Banshee merely laughed, as if this were a conversation that they had had many times before. “An’ you know very well that we would do anything for you except that, Matriarch. Shall we get underway?”

“Yeah, let’s get going,” my aunt agreed.

With that, Brianna cast a glamour on herself and we all climbed into the van, the back of which was stuffed full of boxes, most of which seemed to be food and cooking supplies. Brianna drove us down to the waterfront and the marina, while my aunt started sharing the details of our trip with me. Apparently, she had bought us a boat for this trip, a nice little yacht that was a little over ten years old, but in excellent condition.

From what she said, much of the past few days had been spent, not only buying the supplies and other things we would need for this trip, but also closing the deal on the boat and having an expert that she trusted look it over and take it for a test drive. She wouldn’t tell me how much it cost, but she said that it was in very good condition and that the price was very reasonable for what it offered, and it wasn’t like she couldn’t afford it. I just needed to get used to having that kind of money to just throw around like that.

She had considered seeing about getting a float plane to take us to Larren Island, but chose the boat instead for several reasons. Firstly, she didn’t have a pilot’s license. As she put it, if she was going to fly, that was what her wings were for, so why learn to pilot a plane? Besides, if we took a plane, we would have to file a flight path, and she wanted to make sure that as few people as possible knew exactly where we were going.

Another reason for buying and taking the boat was that it would be a lot more comfortable for a long-term stay on the island, and we would have to worry less about space for supplies. Also, it would probably see more use from us in the long term. The occasional weekend boating trip might be nice, and I was pretty sure that Alice would enjoy it.

When we got to the marina, I got a good look at the boat in question, or at least the best look of it that I could get outside when the sun had yet to rise. It was a bit over fourteen meters long, sleek, white in color, and had a lot of windows. I wasn’t much of a boat girl, but it looked nice, and it probably had plenty of space inside, too. The three of us started loading the supplies on board, and once that was finished, my aunt and I said our farewells to Brianna so we could start getting things put away properly and get underway as soon as possible.

The boat, which my aunt had decided to call the Wings of the Sea, was indeed large and cozy, boasting plush seating all around the rear deck and a pair of what looked like full-body cushions on the front deck for sunbathing. It had proper heating and air conditioning, and even the bridge above the deck was heated for comfort when piloting in cooler weather. It also had a large diesel generator so we could have all the comforts of home, which explained why Aunt Lin had brought so many fuel containers. I thought that was a bit strange at first since I imagined that we would likely be dropping anchor and keeping the boat just offshore for most of the trip.

Inside, it had an open floor plan, granting open access to the main living area, dedicated dining area, and full-service galley. It also boasted two large staterooms, one at the front of the ship and another in the middle, each with its own full-service bathroom and plenty of windows and storage. The main stateroom at the front had a nice, queen-sized bed, while the one in the middle had a double that wasn’t quite as large, but still big enough to stretch out a bit.

I was glad that at least we weren’t going to be roughing it, I was a city girl after all. My aunt, of course, had to pop that bubble once we were on our way to open water, though, by telling me that there would be some survival training. The whole trip wouldn’t be like that, though, and we would likely be spending most of our time while not training on the boat. She warned me that that time would be very limited, though, since we had a lot of training to do and she wasn’t about to go easy on me.

Once we arrived at Larren Island, my first priority would be forging my andivapn from my halo. That was important, because the form that my andivapn took would dictate what the lion’s share of my combat training would be focused on. I would be learning to use all sorts of other weapons, of course, but my main priority would be training to use the weapon that I forged from the other part of my soul. I privately wondered what form Penny would take, and I looked forward to finding out.

Even though we left Vancouver just before dawn, it was almost lunchtime when we finally reached Larren Island. We had taken shifts during those long hours, one of us piloting the Wings of the Sea while the other navigated using the GPS to get us to the coordinates I had been given for the island. I had never piloted a yacht before, and my aunt’s experience doing so was limited, but it wasn’t too different from driving a car when it came down to it, and we just needed to get used to how different the movement was on the open water.

At least my aunt had experience navigating using the position of the sun. Between that, the onboard compass, and the GPS, it wasn’t too terrible a task for her. It was more difficult for me, but since navigation would be part of my survival training, Aunt Lin decided to give me an impromptu lesson as we travelled.

Since we didn’t arrive until nearly lunchtime, our first task once we found a nice, quiet cove on the island to drop anchor was to use the galley and make something to eat. Honestly, I wasn’t the best cook in the world; I was too used to Lydia doing the cooking around the house. She had taught me to cook, of course, but it wasn’t something that I got much practice doing, and it wasn’t something that I had a passion for either.

Still, between the two of us, we managed to cook something edible for lunch, which surprised me a little bit since I kind of assumed my aunt was used to just ordering her meals from the hotel kitchen. When I voiced that surprise, she laughed and said, “I’ve been alive for over a thousand years, silly. Do you really think that during all that time, I never learned to cook?”

“I guess it does sound a little silly when you put it that way,” I conceded. I also had to admit, even if it wasn’t out loud, that the steaks and baked potatoes that she had cooked for us were pretty good.

Unfortunately, it looked like I would be getting a lot more practice at the task myself since my aunt replied, “You’ll need more practice with cooking your own meals, and doing so outdoors as well, it’s an essential part of survival training. A warrior never truly knows where their next meal will come from, especially when on the road or out in the wild. Identifying what’s edible and being able to cook for yourself are things that every warrior should know.”

She was probably right, so as we took our dirty dishes to the sink, I replied, “Yeah, I guess so. So, what’s the plan after we clean the dishes?”

Aunt Lin considered the question for a moment before answering thoughtfully, “Well, I would like to do a flyover of the island, to look for good spots for training and make sure that we truly are alone here, but before that, I should probably start preparing you to forge your andivapn. The first step of that will be teaching you how to travel between Planes. It’s something that all Elementals, and anyone with an especially strong connection to their aligned element, can do. Demons do it all the time.”

A very bad feeling rushed through me as I thought back to my Testing with the PDA and my first and only attempt at teleporting. “I’m… umm… not so sure that’s a good idea, Aunt Lin. When the PDA was testing me for different abilities after I Manifested, they had me try to teleport a few feet away by moving through the Infernal Plane. It was not fun, and I passed out for hours.”

A derisive snort was my aunt’s initial reaction to that before she spoke. “Well, of course, it was going to be a strain on you if you tried to travel through the Infernal Plane. What the hell were they thinking? You’re not aligned to the Death element, and that’s adding extra steps to what should be an easy process for any Valkyrie. Now sit back down and listen while I explain the right way to do it.”