Ama's eyes had bulged when she had been brought to the underground hospital. The amount of technology there had been daunting, unlike any she had seen before. While the focus there was to treat ailments and injuries that required highly specialized techniques and knowledge, there was a mountain of knowledge that would benefit the human world.

She had thought she was on the cutting edge of modern medicine working as a nurse in the ER for the university medical hospital, but this put that to shame. The elves, the primary medical professionals present, were phenomenal in their blending of traditional methods with modern advantages. She was reeling from the unification of effort she was witnessing from all the races present.

Through all her education and training, she had never known such a world existed. Moreover, she had not known it was even possible given the deep seated resentment between so many races. Yet here she was, listening to the orders of an elvan doctor to a vampire nurse.

"Make sure to stuff the wound with the wolfbane poultice as well," the doctor ordered.

"What will wolfbane do for me?" Val asked.

While she was aware of the effect of wolfbane on werewolves and lycans, she did not see how it would help a cambion.

"The source of your poisoning is from a bite, wolfbane may not affect you, but it does affect the creature that bit you," she kindly explained. "It cannot heal it, but it will delay the spread until we can either produce a counteragent, or your mate marks you."

Ama and Val perked at the mention of counteragent. They were not aware of anything that could counter the poison other than the marking. The process of that was a mystery in and of itself.

"Pardon me doctor..." Ama started.

"Kaera," the doctor supplied.

"I know a lot is going on right now, but can you clear some things up for us?" Ama asked her.

The nurse was dutifully grinding the wolfbane with a pestle and mortar. The small space they were occupying was a quiet bubble in all the chaos. Val could see the shouting and rapid movements outside her room and felt a stab of guilt for taking up the doctor's time.

"Maybe someone else could explain Ama," Val suggested. "I think the doctor has more urgent patients than me."

Kaera and Aeron were both looking at Val with an odd look in their eyes. Val was a puzzle they were trying to figure out after figuring out another piece that clicked into place. Val did not appreciate the scrutiny, and she did not appreciate how everyone kept focusing on her when so many others needed help.

At least Zack seemed to understand her sentiment. She would catch him occasionally looking back at her before resuming his healing. Despite the looming conflict that had descended upon them, they seemed to have an accord that others needed them now more than they needed to discuss things.

"The extra help you have brought us has eased my burden, my lady," Kaera told her.

She pulled up a stool next to the bed that Val sat on and grabbed one of her hands. The harmless gesture of comfort made Val's unease intensify.

"While fated mates are not common per se, they aren't exactly rare. What is rare is to have fated mates from different species," Kaera told her. "Especially for lycans. The process of marking their mate inevitably imbues their partner with part of their own power. That is why your body would be able to begin its natural self regeneration. The poising would no longer recognize you as solely demon and human blood, but also a pseudo lycan. It essentially tricks it into being accepted to allow for healing."

Val slowly started nodding her head in understanding. It made more sense now why Zack and her siblings were so desperate to find Alexander. As Val watched Zack again peek in her direction, she latched on to the doctor's other words.

"What is the counteragent?" Val asked.

"It is not a realistic or advisable path, my lady," Aeron spoke up.

He had been apprising her and her brothers of the soldiers that had wiped through their little world. It had been as much a surprise for them as it had been for her. The surprise had been their advantage to drag Alexander away through a series of tunnels that led out to the mountains in the east.

"I need to know all the options Aeron, otherwise I cannot be properly prepared," Val said pointedly.

Kaera was giving Val that look again.

"He would be a fool to not mark you, I am already seeing why you are fated to each other," Kaera said.

"He may not have a choice or be able to," Val said. "We don't know what condition he will be in when we find him."

Kaera and Aeron shared a look that made Val feel left out. They appeared to be having a whole conversation just with the way they looked at each other. Val wondered if they could talk to each other without the others hearing.

"She has an innate wisdom beyond her knowledge," Kaera noted.

"Reminds you of someone, does it not?" Aeron replied.

The nurse came over and undressed the wound on her arm. The flesh of the wound was completely black now, black fluid oozing out with little popping bubbles. Val hissed with pain as she began vigorously wiping away the excess and shoving the poultice in every space she could find.

"We can create a counteragent for the bite. But we would need a sample from the source," Kaera told her.

"Like an antivenom?" Ama asked.

Kaera nodded in agreement and shared another look with Aeron.

"It has to be from the lycan that bit her, and the sample has to be taken while he lives," Aeron added.

Val was grateful when the nurse finished wrapping the wound again. The spot throbbed but it lacked the hot pokers from her incessant fingers. She bobbed a quick curtsy to Val and departed, the cacophony outside bleeding into the room for the brief time the door opened.

New arrivals suddenly appeared in the corridors outside, and Aeron grunted. There was a troop from Michael's Guard charging through bodies, beelining for Zack. Val felt her blood pressure skyrocket as concern for him came to the forefront.

Zack bristled at their approach, and he exchanged what looked like heated words with one with dark hair. They turned their heads as one to look at her and her worry shot up exponentially. She could tell by the marks on his armor that he was higher ranking as he stalked toward the room.

He burst into the room and pegged Val with a hard stare from his brown eyes. His features were angular, and his nose hooked, adding to his hawkish appearance. Aeron must have agreed with her opinion that he did not appear friendly, as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and withdrew it a couple of inches.

"No need for that Lord Aeron," the man boomed. "My man just informed me of the current situation."

Val looked at Zack, the alarm flaring. She took in his calm demeanor, and he flashed her a tight smile. Trust, Val had to remind herself as she took a deep breath. Assuming an air of casualness, she cocked an eyebrow at the man.

"Where are the heirs?" he demanded.

Val remained pointedly mute. He reminded her of the first meeting with Alexander, where she had to remind him of proper manners. To her benefit, this angel did not rob her of her senses with a magnetic pull. Despite his handsome features, she found little about him attractive.

"How many of the tunnels have already been searched?" Val asked Aeron.

Aeron lifted an arm to touch one of his leather bracers. An image of the tunnel network began floating above his arm and he zoomed in. A small portion of the maze was marked with red which she assumed was the sections already cleared.

"About ten percent, my lady," Aeron answered.

Val nodded to Aeron in thanks then looked to Zack.

"If we get you into the tunnels, will you be able to track him better?" Val asked Zack.

The unknown man puffed out his chest and Val found it reminiscent of a peacock puffing up. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud.

"I said..." he started.

"Yes," Zack cut him off. "The tunnels are largely a dwarven construction, they did not incorporate the lycan blood in the building as they did here."

Val nodded and then looked back to Aeron.

"Where..." he again started.

"How many lycan and werewolf warriors do you have ready to go?" Val asked Aeron.

"I will not abide this impertinence!" the man declared.

Aeron began to draw his sword again and Val put a hand on him to stall the movement. Aeron looked to Val in question before clenching his jaw and slamming the sword back into its sheath. His leather creaked as he tightened his muscles while the angel took a step toward her.

"Enough blood has been shed, no need to add to the doctor's list of patients," Val stated. "Who are you?"

The angel looked taken aback at the question and looked at Zack in disbelief. In response, Zack merely shrugged his shoulders while looking very pleased with himself.

"I told you she would not take kindly to you charging in and making demands," Zack smirked. "She asked you, not me."

The angel looked back at her again in bafflement. Val was guessing he was another so accustomed to being catered to that he did not understand someone like her. Someone who did not immediately cower under his scrutiny and give him what he wanted.

"Are you incompetent or pompous?" she asked him.

His face turned red as he sputtered at her, spittle flying from his mouth. He looked ready to collapse into an apoplectic fit.

"It is hard to tell the difference when you can't supply your own name," Val jabbed. "Aeron, please answer my question while he figures out his answer."

"We have twenty lycan of His Majesties personal guard that were off duty at the time, ready to go now. There are one hundred werewolf warriors from the royal protection pack ready to go as well. I have two hundred soldiers strung together made up of elves, nonshifters, and other highly trained citizens. The dwarves of the Cascades are also ready to respond with a battalion. They are searching the tunnels from their end with their scouts."

Val nodded; they did not know what to expect when they found Alexander. There might only be a few holding them, or there could be a whole army waiting. A sprite with dragonfly wings suddenly came buzzing in and bowed while hovering over Val and Aeron.

"We are ready to go at the entrance, my lord," he said in a small voice.

Val jumped off the bed in a burst of energy, the unnamed angel stepping back at the explosive movement. Aeron forced his way between the two, forcing him back more. He looked at Zack pointedly.

"Are you coming too healer?" Aeron asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Zack answered.

Aeron gave him a curt nod and started walking forward. Val followed behind as he plowed through the outer room to lead her to the doors leading outside. Zack and Ama both followed and flanked Val on either side. Z and Bachon glared at the pouting angel before closing in behind her.

Unsatisfied with the world moving around him, he charged out of the room to chase after them. As he walked out of the hospital, he called to the ranks of Guards that had been waiting outside.

"Stop them!" he ordered.

"As you were," Val shouted.

She stopped and rounded on the man without a second thought. Zack tried to block her, but she pushed him out of the way. She walked up to him until they stood toe to toe.

"You may be head honcho wherever you are from, but here, you are required to abide by their laws and customs unless you have a holy dictate, witnessed by others," Val ground out. "This is sovereign land, as dictated in the accords following the uprising."

Val had punctuated her words with jabs of her finger against the engraved shield on the front of his armor. Zack tried to reach out and calm her again, but Val shook it off. Zack grabbed on again and forced her to look at him.

"We don't need to start another war just because two egos want to clash," Zack pleaded with Val. "No one will benefit."

Val finally noticed the strain around his eyes and mouth. He may be projecting a calm demeanor, but the strain of their shared secret in addition to all the work he had just performed was taking a toll. He was trying to convey to her that they needed to work together, not against each other.

"I will ask again, who are you?" Val asked.

"Xatronuel, I command the local regiment of Guards and we are here in response to Lord Aeron's call for assistance," Xatronuel finally responded. "I find it interesting that Zackiel is here, despite us being unable to reach him since the initial call went up."

Zack winced at the words and Val was thankful that his back was still turned to his commander. Val remembered his phone ringing before he had turned it off and suddenly understood. This was the boss he had been ignoring.

"I expect there is a good explanation for the occurrence," Xatronuel stated.

Val knew that Zack would be honor bound to answer that fully. The rules of Heaven were not nearly as liberal as Hell. She knew she needed to step in quickly.

"How many are here?" Val asked.

The question drew his attention from Zack, and he focused again on Val.

"Where are the heirs?" Xatronuel asked again.

"Is your answer contingent on mine?" Val asked him pointedly.

Xatronuel had the good grace to look taken back by the question.

"I have requested my lady to keep their location secret to only those that currently know," Aeron interjected. "We have spies and traitors floating around, it was how they were able to infiltrate so effectively. She had assured me of their safety when she left them."

Xatronuel nodded his acceptance of the information as his counterpart in Lucifer's Guard walked up. They gave each other curt nods of acknowledgment but did not speak.

"Between both sides, we have fifty here," Xatronuel told them.

Val calculated the numbers in her head as they began walking again and the Guard fell in line behind them. A sudden sharp pain in her gut had her falling to her hands and knees, gasping for air. Another sharp pain sliced across her face that brought tears to her eyes.

Alexander, she realized. This was Alexander's pain; he was fighting back. She struggled back to her feet with Zack's help and resolutely started walking again.

"Hold on, we're coming," Val promised.