“Okay, then. I was expecting mountains and snow, not a desert!” she says dropping to the ground. She pulls off her heavy coat and shields her eyes spinning around. The horse turns and runs away leaping into the air, he is gone in a flash. “Wait! What am I supposed to do here?” she yells out.
“This is just great.” Serenity glances around and looks for a high spot. “Maybe I will be able to see something from the top of a dune.” Moving as quickly as she can with cowboy boots and jeans on she begins to walk. The sun crawls higher in the sky and her body soon becomes saturated in sweat. Once again she curses her fair complexion as her skin begins to burn. Trying to block the sun she holds her heavy coat over her head to create some shade. Her legs burn as she pushes up the dune, eventually she is forced to drop the coat to crawl on her hands and knees to the top. She looks down and sees more dunes!
“No!” she moans. “Where am I?” she worries.
“Surely, this is not the Winter Queen?” A female voice says from behind her.
Serenity spins stunned to see an older woman seated on a black horse glaring at her. She wears a large hat to shield her wrinkled skin from the sun. In her hand she holds a carved staff.
“Who are you?” Serenity demands.
“I am Ayva and you have become a problem, Serenity. I am sure you understand we can’t have two Queen’s. I am the one, true, Queen. I will rid this world of the Saints, and never again will I have to fight for what is rightly mine!” She sneers.
Serenity scrambles to her feet and tries to reach for her power only to have Ayva laugh at her. “Pathetic! You don’t get it do you. Your power only works when one of the family members is in danger. You are isolated and alone here,” she says gesturing to the desert.
Afraid for her life, Serenity rushes at the black horse causing him to startle and rear up. Ayva is thrown into the sand. Serenity attempts to grab the horse’s reigns as he rushes past her, but Ayva attacks with a powerful blow from her staff. Serenity is thrown six feet away and the resulting concussion creates a sandstorm that makes it impossible for Ayva to see through.
Serenity struggles to catch her breath in the dry heat and sand. She rolls to her side and a tear rolls free. Ayva will kill her if she doesn’t find a way to fight back. Her power is strongest when the family is threatened. “They will not even remember your name when I am through with you, Serenity!” she taunts swinging her staff up over her head and down towards Serenity.
Serenity can’t block the blow, she can only attempt to stay away from her. She scrambles on her hands and knees away from the crazy witch. Ayva laughs, “Yes run away! They all try to run!” Serenity jumps to her feet and turns to face her, only to be struck again.
“Michael,” she whispers as she flies through the air yet again. This time she rolls down the dune coming to a rest at the bottom. She sits up spitting sand, and coughing from the pain.
“Renity!” Sincere screams and runs from his room looking for his Dad.
“It’s okay, buddy. I am going to help her.” Michael says scooping him up in his arms. Nick and Noel arrive, and find him trying to console him. “Daddy, she’s getting kilt again! You have to help her!”
“Show me,” Michael says and Sincere nods and takes his face in his hands. He closes his eyes and Michael hears her whisper his name, then watches as Ayva attacks her. His eyes fly open with horror.
“Mom, I have to go! Keep the boys here!” with those words he disappears.
Michael moves through space, seeking Serenity. Saints are gifted with the ability to maneuver through dimensions. He seeks Serenity’s essence which glows purple. Her light is goodness, love, and laughter. Michael’s light is bright white, and fury fills his soul. She will pay for killing his wife, and the Doctor! He lands in the sand like an avenging angel.
Ayva smiles when he lands and creates a sand storm that he can’t escape from. He will not be able to see, and the advantage will be hers. “Michael, you will be my pet when all of this is through.” She laughs and it echoes across the sand. Serenity is on her knees when Michael lands in front of her. At first she thinks he is a mirage, come to torment her, but Ayva’s mocking laughter convinces her that he is real.
A small smile curves Serenity’s lips. She sinks both hands into the sand at her side. Time to protect her Saint. Michael blows and the sand storm Ayva has generated, disappears. Perfect, Serenity thinks. She closes her eyes and concentrates on the sand beneath Ayva’s feet. In her mind she sees a whirlpool and the sand begins to respond, it swirls and tendrils of power pull Ayva from her feet.
Ayva’s scream of terror causes Serenity to concentrate harder. The center of the whirlpool opens and a hole appears, sucking the sand, and pulling the witch towards oblivion. Ayva looks at Serenity as she is being drug backwards and strikes at her again with her staff. With a flash, Serenity is
