Protector

Raelin O'Shiannon had lived in the same small town in Ireland all her life, and had come to know the woods and glens like she knew her own home. Sometimes, the forest felt more like home than the house she had grown up in. To stay couped inside on a warm summer's day was pure torture, so Raelin, young and wild and longing to be free, defied her parents and ran into the sanctuary and serenity of the woods, sighing in contentment as the smell of leaves and dirt filled her nose, feeling the ancient magick of the forest's life mingling with her own, sparkling in her veins. The hunters were of no concern to her; these were her woods, and she was powerful enough to take care of herself. Her power was, in fact, almost her downfall, for like a moth to a flame, was what attracted the person who would change her life forever directly to where she hid.
Slade Capson had been recruited by his boss when he had been no more than seven, but his abilities were already starting to bloom. Chinos, a greedy, ruthless, power-hungry being, was powerful in his own right, skilled both in the use of magick and fear. Few dared to oppose him, and those who did usually weren't heard from again. No one, that is, except for the O'Shiannon family. Chinos had used every method he knew to gain control of the powerful magick that the O'Shiannon's possessed; bribery, coercion, fear, manipulation, and even attempted to set their house on fire, though all it did was make the paint brown and peel around the edges. Finally, Chinos decided to simply take what he wanted, starting with the O'Shiannon's only child, the beautiful and powerful Raelin. And so it was that Slade, Chinos' most trusted and capable henchman was dispatched to retrieve the girl.
Unfortunately for Slade, the first time he saw her, every instinct and moment of training fled his brain as he stared in awestruck amazement. Raelin, just barely 21, was petite, with a slender waist, curvy hips, long legs, and full breasts was used to being stared at. Her vivid red hair and large, startling emerald green eyes made her breathtaking to behold. She was also usually underestimated because her her looks and stature, and she used it to her advantage. Slade stood staring at her long enough for her to weave a net of magick to bind him inert of the ground. He lay cursing on the forest floor, feeling the gnarled tree roots dig into his back as he tried in vain to wriggle free from his invisible bonds.
Raelin stood over the strange man, hands on hips, trying to figure out what to do with him. She could feel the magick in his veins, tainted by the shadow of evil, and knew immediately that this was one of the hunters her family had warned her about. She couldn't kill him, she knew that; to kill him would make her no better than him. On the other hand, she couldn't simply let him go, or he or someone like him would come after her family again, and next time they might not be so lucky. Finally, she came to a decision: she would simply take him home. For one, they already knew where she and her family dwelled, so she wasn't betraying a secret. Besides, this was a decision that should be made by the family as a whole, not just her. That solved the what, but it still left the how; how was she supposed to to get him home without being seen along the way. She wondered if she could levitate, mute, and make him invisible to all but her while walking through dense woods, without accidentally running him headfirst into a tree or rock. Raelin shrugged; it was her only option, it wasn't as if he would come willingly. And maybe he could use some sense knocked into him, if he was foolish enough to work for Chinos. Though it would be a shame to damage a handsome face like his. Raelin studied him curiously for the first time, and was surprised as she realized he was barely older than her. His hair, which was now laced with leaves and dirt was a deep auburn, pulled back into a low pony-tail at the nape of her neck, with several pieces to short to be pulled back framing his face and falling into his eyes. His deep, sapphire blue eyes, which would have been very attractive if they weren't alternating between bulging out and glaring at her as he writhed in mute outrage on the ground, were set above an aristocratic nose and well defined cheek bones. He was a handsome lad, she's give him that, and powerful; Raelin felt the invisible bonds she had placed on him being tested, and decided to get him home as quickly as possible. He was strong, she could feel it now, not only physically, which probably stemmed from a strenuous daily work out if is chiseled, athletic build was anything to judge by, but magickally as well. His was buried deep, most of it untapped and dormant. He was no where near as strong as her by any means, but strong and determined enough that given enough time, he would break through the bonds by sheer persistence.