Mending Torn Bonds {Book Four in the Four Winds series}

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ronin gasped and Noah yelped in surprise. Stephanie wobbled and fell unable to hold the mind control spell. Ronin's eyes cleared and he gaped at Noah.

Noah began to grow in front of his eyes. Cole and Amaya gaped almost falling over from shock.

Noah stood up and looked at himself up and down. He was older!

"Seriously!? What is it and the stupid aging prematurely!?" Lloyd yelled.

"It's a good thing it happened to you!" Zane yelled. "Otherwise you and Aira would never have been together!"

"What?!" Julia and Xavier said at the same time. His eyes cleared for a split-second. Julia's eyes lightened with hope.

"What happened to me?!" Noah yelled in a deep voice. "I look like I'm eighteen!"

"That's because you are," Xavier growled.

He grabbed Noah's wrist and tried to pull him into a neck lock. Noah grunted and flipped Xavier over his back. Xavier flipped to an upright position and crouched. Noah liked his newfound strength. He jumped and slammed a fist into the ground. Xavier lost his balance as the ground shook.

"My son is grown up?!" Cole yelled. "He can't miss his childhood!"

"Relax! It's probably temporary," Ronin yelled.

"Dad, what did Zane mean by, 'you and Aira wouldn't be together if that hadn't have happened to you?' Please enlighten me," Julia yelled as she ran to help Noah.

"When I was twelve- oh! I'll tell you later!" Lloyd yelled.

Julia came up and tried to grab Xavier's hair. There was a bright flash and they both flew backwards. They both looked up confused. Lloyd furrowed his brow.

"Protection spell from the golden power," a voice said behind Lloyd.

Lloyd tried I spring back but it was too late. Sephtis brought a big club down onto Lloyd's head.

"Daddy!" Julia screamed. A dark shape came up behind her and hit her over the head as well.

The remaining ninja tried to regroup but were cut off by the wolves. Cole and Noah were underneath two of the wolves. Zane and Amaya were cornered and unable to move. Jay had a boulder pinning his leg to the ground. Nya was trying to help her fallen husband.

"Take them all to the holding room," Sephtis commanded.

"Yes, Sephtis," the unknown man said. His skin was dark and his eyes were red. He was definitely being controlled.

"Thankyou, Turner," Sephtis said.

***********************************

Stephanie groaned as she came out of the mind control. She clutched at her abdomen in pain. Katrina was sitting nearby with a dark bruise on her neck.

"Good, you're awake," Sephtis said. "Now to your cell."

She was shoved forward into a different room then normal. She saw almost all the ninja there.

"Stephanie!" Zane called hurriedly. He ran to her and hugged her tightly. She buried her face into his shoulder.

"Stephanie, are you alright?" Alita asked worriedly.

Clouse nodded with concern as well. They had obviously explained what happened to the ninja. She wondered what all they had told the others.

"I think I'm okay," she said. "Oh my gosh, Jason!"

Stephanie ran to him and looked at his shoulder in horror. The fabric was cut away and the wound looked like someone had attempted to clean it.

"Nya, hot water, now," Stephanie said rolling up her sleeves.