AUTHOR NOTE*** This scene is an alternate version of Chapter 14 – Visions of the Past. I rewrote this scene because it didn’t build the story’s momentum. However, I still wanted to share it with you to showcase some of the other abilities and characters found throughout this series. With that, I hope you enjoy reading this deleted scene.

Nienna’s nightmares forced her awake as she clutched her chest. It felt like a searing hot knife had pierced her heart. Tonight’s barrage of horrifying images included the black fangs of the Hein wolves. She ran her fingers through her hair and willed her pulse to slow. Sleep would not come to her tonight.

She left the small sitting room, careful not to tread on any furry tails. The pack had honored a debt, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t bite her if she stepped on a stray appendage. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but sitting in that room was no longer an option. 

Slipping down the hallway, Nienna did her best not to make a sound. She wandered out into the atrium with the grand but crumbling staircase. However, the moment her foot crossed the center of the atrium’s floor, her world cartwheeled, throwing her to her knees. She closed her eyes tight until things stopped spinning.

“Quickly. Before someone sees you gaping,” said a brusque woman’s voice. 

Nienna’s head snapped up. She was still in the atrium, but the staircase was whole, and she could see a tiled mosaic of a black wolf head beneath her feet. The woman who spoke was taller than Nienna, with her tawny-colored hair pulled back in a loose braid. 

“Who are you?” Nienna said, her eyes wide.

The woman grabbed her upper arm and pulled her from the atrium with a tight grip. “Do you not recognize me?”

Nienna shook her head. She had no idea who this person was.

“I must not die in this form,” the woman said. “My name is Raza, and I’m one of few who can bend time. Either Irizar or I sent you, and it’s just a matter of when or where from.”

“You’re Raza?” Nienna said, bewildered. “But how?”

“I don’t have time to explain.”

Raza pulled her to a small room beneath the grand staircase.

“We only have five minutes before we are needed in the council room. Aros is due to arrive at any moment so we may have less than that. I’m assuming I sent you here at this point in time because I just received a message from Rei that she was detained by a matter in the south and wouldn’t be back for several more days. Where you appear to look a great deal like her, I assume you are here to fill in. Let me see if I have any of that kohl she seems to favor.”

“What are you talking about? Why would I need to be here, and how can you see me? I’ve never been seen when the Sentinels decide to show me something here in Peroma. I usually remain a phantom, not getting involved in whatever I’m seeing.” 

Nienna was searching for any way out of this. She was beginning to develop a sense of enmity for this Rei. Every time she was involved, Nienna found herself inadvertently involved as well. 

“Stand still and look up.” Raza held out a black pencil of sorts and attempted to draw around Nienna’s eyes.

“Stop it,” Nienna demanded, batting the woman’s hand away.

“If you want to make it through this without anyone growing suspicious, you will allow me to do this. They will kill you if they detect an imposter. We need this meeting to go as planned, and clearly, I thought we needed your input for whatever reason. Now hold still and do as I ask.”

Nienna still had no idea what was going on. However, she held still as this human version of Raza outlined her eyes with black, layering it on much thicker than Nienna had ever utilized on herself.

“Ok, now the braids.” Raza pulled on Nienna’s already loose hair and quickly braided it into two long braids from the crown of her head to the ends, then wound them together. Giving Nienna a swift look over, Raza nodded. “That will have to do. Hopefully, I can mask the lack of feathers in your hair. Now let’s go.”

Raza steered Nienna down a hallway into a part of the fortress she’d never ventured down as mounds of rubble blocked it in her time. 

“Try to do as little talking as possible,” Raza cautioned. “Rei speaks with a strong northern accent. You sound more Tellidine. But that girl is as much a skin-changer as the rest of us, even if she can’t transform physically, so act as though you belong. Be confident, and trust your instincts. You are here for a reason.”

Nienna’s heart was beating out a quick two-step. She didn’t know what to expect, but if she made it out of this and back to her own time, she would be giving that ghostly visage of Raza a piece of her mind.

The human Raza’s guiding hand pushed her through an open doorway. Over twenty people stood gathered around a large table with an expansive map. Nienna’s curiosity was immediately piqued. It looked to have details on the landscape from Ballitus to the tip of the Northern Reach. And even some on the far side of the Mountain Veil. She was about to walk right towards it when a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, causing her to jump. The familiar scent of rain-washed meadows and pine wafted over her. 

She craned her neck to see Tellen grinning down at her, very alive and whole. “I hadn’t heard your return. You’re getting too good at being unpredictable, even for me.”

Nienna stammered to respond when Raza intervened. 

“Didn’t I tell you that Rei would be returning? No? It must have slipped my mind. She only walked through the gates ten minutes ago.” Raza gave Nienna a look that told her to start nodding. Nienna complied.

“Yes. I managed to get away from matters much sooner than I anticipated,” Nienna said, returning his stare. 

“Well, I’m glad. Once Aros and his sons arrive, we’ll get started.” Leaning down to whisper in her ear, he said, “I’m glad you’re back. I was getting worried the dragon had found you again.”

The fortress rumbled, and Raza gave an exasperated sigh. “He’s here.”

A door slamming into stone echoed throughout the fortress, followed by Aros’s unmistakable shout. 

“Brother! Where are you in this cursed tunnel of yours?” 

Tellen shook his head and let go of Nienna. He left the room and returned a moment later with not one but three silver-blond-haired men, Aros in the lead. His ageless face was as aloof and disinterested as ever, but the other two men were younger. The first was willowy and wore a severe expression. The second was built like a block, and a smug smile plastered on his face.

The Earth Guardian took his place at the head of the table while Aros faced him at the opposite end. Everyone filled in around the rest of the table. Raza pulled Nienna to the center of the table next to her and directly in front of the map.

Nienna ogled the parchment before her, drinking in the details of what lay beyond the borders of Tellidus. She scanned the page and saw fertile plains between Ballitus and Tellidus. There was nothing between Solomon and the Northern Reach besides the Grimaldi forest and a narrow road along the base of the Eastern Fringe. Tellidus appeared to be mostly untouched by civilization. 

The Northern Reach contained several small lakes and glaciers scattered throughout, framed by a mountain chain called the Hinduri Range. A few dots indicated settlements, but a town lay at the very top, labeled Rhinehurst, caught her attention.

“As you know, I called this meeting because my spies have reported that the dragon, Cadaras, was sighted flying north over the Grimaldi forest seven days ago. Aros confirmed the Fire Witch was with him. We are certain they are after another dragon stone. If nothing else, they may be scouting for more tribesmen to add to Saul’s army,” Tellen said.

“The Northern Tribes have confirmed the sighting, though they have no records of a dragon stone in the upper regions,” Aros interrupted, taking over the conversation. “Unless you are withholding information from me again.”

“There is a stone in the north, but they would be hard-pressed to find it,” Tellen countered.

Aros lifted his chin. “So you say. But what happens if they do find it? All we need is for another crazed dragon to appear and start demolishing cities. The raiders turned against their people once, and it wouldn’t take much for them to do it again.”

“The stone is safe enough, but we will be cautious. We’re here to discuss how to separate the Fire Witch from her pet and trap that monster until we can figure out how to kill him. We need to act fast before he can destroy anything else.” Tellen met every eye around the table as he spoke. 

Aros sniffed. “And what do you propose we do? My men and I drop a net over him, hoping Fiora doesn’t burn it and us to cinders?”

“No, we set a trap and spring it when he gets close,” Tellen said. 

Many of the gathered Pathfinders grunted in agreement.

“I say we throw a net over him, pin him to the ground, and then cut out his heart,” Raza said in an undertone. 

A few of those nearby snickered at her comment.

“Where do you propose we set this trap?” Aros said through the din.

Various Pathfinders threw out ideas. Markers were placed on the map, but Nienna knew, if this map were correct, the best place to set an ambush would be at the town of Rhinehurst. The Hinduri mountains surrounded it on three sides, and they appeared to be tall enough to make it difficult to fly over.

Something urged her to speak. But Raza’s warning echoed in her head. She was here to observe. However, Raza had also said to trust her instincts. Something she’d been told several times before.

“I propose we set the trap in the town of Rhinehurst,” Nienna said, using her best northern accent. The grappling voices grew silent in the wake of her words. 

Raza stared at her. The woman’s face was unreadable.

“What makes you think that minute town would be a good spot,” Aros said in a bored voice.

“Because,” Nienna said, lifting a finger. “That town has the greatest potential for trapping the dragon.”

Tellen came to stand beside her. “Show me,” he said.

Nienna pointed to the tall peaks around the town. “If we can get him to fly into this bowl, we would have a chance of trapping him there. The mountains are high, and if we could block the entrance, he would have no way to fly out.

“So the town might be a good spot,” Aros admitted grudgingly. “How do we get him there?”

“Bait,” Nienna said without hesitation.

“What bait?” Teague asked from across the table. 

“A dragon stone.”

“Hold on, Rei. We can’t just have someone standing at the mouth of that valley waving the dragon stone around. You know how dangerous that would be, even if you and Tellen are the only ones who can safely handle those things.”

She saw worry flit across Tellen’s face as his lips pinched into a tight line.

All eyes turned toward Aros. “It has potential,” the Sky Guardian said. “But how are you going to lay that trail? Dragons are conniving creatures and can sense lies.”

“He’s still after Reina,” Tellen said slowly. “If it looks like she’s traveling to her tribe alone and unshielded, I have no doubt he’d follow. I don’t like it much, but it just might work.”

Further suggestions ensued, and a plan was voted on. When the meeting adjourned, Raza carefully led Nienna out before they could get cornered by someone. 

Once in the quiet hallway, the woman turned to her. “You may not be Rei, but I can see why you were sent here.”

“I meant to remain silent like you instructed,” Nienna said. “What if I just ruined things?”

A wave of power like Nienna had never felt rippled through the fortress, and a moment later, a woman with a host of braids and feathers in her hair opened the main door. She wore dark boots and trousers with a black fur-lined jacket while a pleased smirk played on her lips.

Nienna’s jaw dropped as she stared at the black band of kohl flaring out like bird wings that masked Rei’s face.

“You did exactly what you were supposed to do, but now, I think it’s time you returned to your own time before someone notices there are two Rei’s in the atrium.”

“How do I do that?” Nienna asked.

“Walk back across the atrium. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.” Raza lifted a hand and indicated Nienna should start walking.

A little hesitant, Nienna walked toward Rei, who remained by the door. As soon as Nienna’s foot touched the mosaic of the wolf head, her world cartwheeled, and she was once again kneeling in the dark, rubble-strewn atrium she’d left.

“Welcome back,” said a somber, ghostly puma in front of her.

“Stop these visions, Raza,” Nienna growled. 

“That meeting would have been a failure without you,” the puma said calmly. “They would never have made the right decision without your knowledge of maps and terrain. Especially as Rei wouldn’t have arrived in time.”

“Why not postpone the meeting?” Nienna asked.

“Because Rei insisted that it go on without her through whatever means I could divine. Tellen would have run off to find her, delaying the meeting even more, and Aros would have refused to join forces if the meeting had failed.”

Nienna curled her lip at the thought of Rei. “I’m starting to develop a strong dislike for that woman.”

“Rei was one of my best friends,” Raza said. Her quiet voice echoed off the crumbling atrium walls. “She was brave and loyal to her core and the epitome of love, family, and honor. She gave everything to free the people of this land and those in the north. You owe her your gratitude. It was through her efforts the reign of bloodshed eventually ended. Though she never got to see the final result.”

Raza disappeared with those words, and Nienna was left alone in the decrepit atrium. The walls seemed to press in, and the howls of hungry wolves in the distance echoed around the stone. Nienna curled herself into a ball on the stone floor. She was as much a prisoner here as she had been in Solace. The only difference was her life wasn’t being threatened within these walls.

Where are you, Tellen?